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Redemption
Author's Note: I am a fan of the TV Show and of the many writers who contribute to my voracious appetite for fan fiction. My fan fic is a mish mosh of the show and the many fan fics I have read thus far. Ammonite7 was gracious enough to give me writing tips. Please enjoy!
Sookie had just ordered me from her and Eric’s quarters of the Vegas hotel, and I was seething with emotion that transcended the word pain.
I stepped into the elevator and was greeted by a tempting smile. I moved the muscles in my face to form the same human expression as to not to disturb the smiling face. I slowed my gestures as I pressed the button for the seventh floor. I turned my back and stood right in front of the break of the elevator doors, not wanting to engage with the smiling face, but she broke the silence.
“There isn’t enough room on this elevator for you, me and your anguish.”
The voice carried to a place inside where I’m sure my heart would have been if I still had one. I remained silent. My thoughts started to race to what should I respond, but I hadn’t fed, so my senses were dulling. I was in no mood to make new acquaintances. I could feel her smile brighten on the back of my neck. The movement of the elevator was moving at the pace of molasses, and I had many things I needed to accomplish before the break of dawn. The court ball was tomorrow evening, and I suspected that there would be trouble to meet us. We should not have brought Sookie here.
A female hand tenderly caressed my right shoulder; the touch sparked me to spin around to meet her face-to-face. Her hand fell lazily at her side, and my face was full of disbelief at her act. I showed the tip of my fangs to warn the brazen creature who I was. She smiled again and said, “There is nothing to fear, everything will be okay.”
The elevator doors opened at her floor. She moved past me and held the door open with one bare arm. “You shouldn’t be alone right now; you are welcome to visit me in my room,” she stated, completely unaffected by what I had just showed myself to be - a vampire. I had not fed on human blood in quite some time, and I believed this woman to be offering. I was intrigued and slowly followed her down the long corridor to her door. I watched her seductive gait as she walked, clad in black. I watched as her jet black curls bounced in unison as they hit the back of her camisole. Her pencil skirt fit snug over her hips, buttocks and calves. Her silhouette reminded me of a violin, and she moved her body as if she were performing for an audience.
She slipped her card into the door and stepped aside to let me over the threshold first.
I immediately caught her scent in the room. I used my senses to search the room for any objects that would be used to harm me, but the only energy I received from her quarters was one of serenity.
“Please sit.” She moved a chair from the desk area closer to her bed. She ushered me to the chair and continued to use that smile to entice me.
Caught up in our bizarre interaction, I didn’t allow myself to drink in that the woman was stunning. She turned on one of the night lamps, which cast a soft golden glow on the room and her bronze skin.
“Why did you invite me here?” I said in a voice I didn’t recognize as my own. I was sitting in the chair wondering if I should just drink from her swiftly or just take my leave from her presence.
“Because I would like company this evening, and you seemed like you needed some as well.”
She cast off her heels in the corner and sat gently onto the bed. She sunk her back into the feather pillows and moved her legs under her. There was a sudden shift in the energy of the room and her scent became more flagrant. I needed to make a decision on what to do with her quickly. I was amused by her. She didn’t seem like the stereotypical fangbanger, and I could not see any visible marks on her. I did not pick up that she might be a supe, and her scent was definitely that of a human woman - an intoxicating human woman.
“I can tell that you think I’m crazy to invite a vampire to my bedroom for just wanting to have company”
“Yes.”
“What is your name?”
“Bill and yours?”
“Marie.”
She laughed and moved her body deeper into the pillows.
“I guess I should have asked your name before inviting you to my room.”
“Perhaps.” I smiled back at her.
“Are you hungry? I’m sure you know this hotel caters to you ... I can order you True Blood or a fresher dinner, your call.” Her words were filled with concern on feeding this vampire. I relaxed and crossed my legs, which meant my body had decided to enjoy the stay in her room.
“O-Negative please.”
“Great. I’ll order a bottle of Cabernet for myself, as well.”
She picked up the phone to place our orders with room service. I turned around in my chair to take in all of her room. She had the curtains open wide so the entire view of the Vegas skyline was invited in.
My thoughts went back to earlier in the evening after de-boarding the plane with Sookie. Sookie was in complete awe, having never been to Las Vegas. I had been here many times, but seeing her face light up had made me want to relive the experience of seeing it with fresh eyes. The King of Nevada had invited Eric and I to bring Sookie to the court ball to introduce her to other royalty so that she might have their protection. We knew there was more to Felipe just wanting to introduce her, and we needed to discover quickly what were his intentions.
“They’ll be up in ten minutes.”
“Great.” I moved from the chair to look at the stacks of books she had on her dresser. She had no less than forty books and writing tablets. I had noticed them upon first glance but one of the titles had me move in closer to see the rest.
“Are you a student?’ I said holding up the book that peaked my interest. It was the Tibetan Book of the Dead along with other books on spirituality and mysticism.
“Yes and no. I mean I’m not in any formal education program but I have a deep curiosity in religious studies."
How interesting, a spiritual woman who seeks out vampires. I had once believed in a God that has long since been dead to me, and now I had come to the resolution that there was only this existence and nothing more.
“Do you believe in God?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I laughed uncontrollably. She cast her eyes down and said, “We all must question before we come to know the truth.”
“The truth is that there is nothing but this, my dear, this reality, just you and a vampire sitting in a room trying to hold a conversation.”
“As you wish, Bill, but do you really think our meeting was by accident?”
My senses quickened. What did she mean by that? I knew that Vegas was filled with religious zealot hunters, but I didn’t think that I would befall to one so cunning.
“Meaning that everything happens for a reason, I think I was meant to bump into you in the elevator so that you and I might spark a friendship of some kind.”
My muscles relaxed, and I moved to sit next to her on the bed.
“Friendship? Is that what you think will become of this brief meeting of ours?
“Why not?”
“Because I have no use of a mortal friendship.”
“You think you don’t? Who else is going to be willing to get your brakes on your car fixed in the middle of the day? Huh? A mortal friend ... thats who.”
I smiled.“ Possibly.” I remembered all the dire things I needed to have done around my home that Sookie use to take care of for me while I was sleeping.
“Why are you so sad?” she purred.
“I do not wish to discuss that.” It was the truth; I did not want to lay out my feelings for Sookie to a stranger. But something on the look on her face gave me the impression that she knew what was eating inside of me.
There was a knock at the door, to which she quickly answered to retrieve our drinks. I moved to her space at the bed and crushed the back of my head into the pillows. Her scent was arousing me. She smelled unlike anyone I had ever inhaled. Her fragrance left me with a feeling of tranquility, passion and fear all wrapped in a cloud of jasmine.
She handed me an opened True Blood.
“Cheers,” we both said as my O-negative clinked her glass of Cabernet.
“Why are you in Vegas?” I asked after the first sip of the metal-tasting drink.
“Work.”
“You?”
“Work and pleasure; I’ve been invited to a Royal Ball here.”
“How very Cinderella of you,” she laughed, and I couldn’t help but laugh with her.
“Do you think I will find my Princess Charming there?”
“Haven’t you found many already?” I could smell the passion in her scent become more flagrant. She sat at the edge of my feet and cocked her head over her shoulder. Her eyes pierced through me.
“No, I have not.” She caressed my leg and said, “That’s a shame.”
It was too much for me, between her words and her scent I was not going to make it. Either I was going to pin her down into the down of this white bed and suck her to the brink of her life, or I needed to leave.
“I need to go feed, and I would not dare do that in front of you. I appreciate the True Blood, but it is not going to be enough.” I got up quickly from the bed.
She was not startled. She laid back to her old spot from which I was now removed.
“I did enjoy my time with you.”
“ I enjoyed you as well,” she smiled again.
I had a thought - a very selfish and petty thought. I needed a distraction from Sookie tomorrow evening. This creature would do nicely. Eric was beginning to solidify the blood bond with Sookie, and I could feel whatever emotions she had for me were fading rapidly. I knew the time would come for me to give her up, but I still just could not seem to let go. I needed a distraction.
“You are very intriguing, Marie, and if you are not doing anything tomorrow evening, it would be my pleasure to have you accompany me to a ball where everyone there will be hoping to get a taste of your blood.”
“It would be my honor.” I left her room with a feeling of confusion and lust. I knew that by bringing her to the ball I was putting her and my dearest in danger, but it seemed like the only option I had standing in that glow-filled room. I walked slowly back to the elevator and tried to concentrate on how to explain her being there tomorrow.
................
It must be noted that Vampires do not just dream, they have lucid dreams. We are completely aware that we are dreaming, and sometimes initiate what we choose to dream about and it feels astonishingly vivid.
My lucid dream was of Marie.
After leaving her to find an obliging fangbanger on the casino floor, Marie’s scent haunted me all the way to my room. I kept retracing our uncanny meeting from the elevator to the enthralling words said to each other in her room. It wasn’t that we had such a compelling conversation, but it was in the behavior of the words expressed. In my dreams of her, I was able to taste her very blood. It put me in an orgasmic frenzy.
My arousal is what woke me.
I arose and turned over to see that the clock read 6:30 p.m. The evening festivities would begin at 8, so I had some time to gather my thoughts and prepare.
The message light was blinking on my phone.
“Bill, this is Marie, you never gave me a time to be ready; I’m in room 1449; call me when you wake.”
I dialed front desk and asked for Room 1449.
“Hello, Bill,” she said, and I could hear her smiling.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Who else would it be?”
Did no one else know that this woman was in Las Vegas? I knew that people came to Las Vegas for many different reasons, most of them for debauchery, but I didn’t get that from Marie. If she was here for work, then would not her work be aware of where she was? I had many questions.
“Marie, I’ll be down to pick you up at 7:45 p.m.”
“Okay, I’m assuming that this is formal, so a floor length gown would be expected”
“Yes it would,” I said, picturing her wearing nothing.
“I will see you at 7:45.”
What the hell was wrong with me? Did I really think that bringing Marie would stir something in Sookie?
I was bringing a woman not familiar with me or vampire politics to the most political event in our community and jeopardizing all of our safety. Over the past months that I had pined for Sookie, only to see her continuously avoid my advances and develop a romantic relationship with Eric. On the way to Vegas, she had sat next to Eric reading her book in silence. There had not been a display of affection from her to him, but the very act of her choosing to sit in his company was enough to put me in rage. Sookie had risked her life time after time to rescue our kind, and Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada, wanted to show his gratitude for her help and introduce her to our royalty. Eric and I had discussed in private ulterior motives Felipe might have for Sookie to meet with our royalty; we were worried that he would ask to keep her in Nevada so he could have full time access to her telepathic abilities.
I knew that this ball would have fangbangers and bonded humans in attendance, so my bringing Marie would generally go unnoticed. Only I needed to explain her appearance to Eric and Sookie.
I turned on the news for some welcome noise as I went through the ritual of preparing myself for the evening.
The voice of Darius Porter, the rising religious right politician, boomed from the TV. He was on a panel discussing how Christians, Muslims and Jews should ban together in their effort to fight evil. The young politician who had not proclaimed to be of any of the three groups he indoctrinated with the message of “unity to fight” was becoming very popular. The panel was an assembly of religious leaders and our own vampire spokeswoman, Nan Flannigan.
“Mr. Porter, it seems to me that you are spreading the message of hate and genocide,” she spat.
“Ms. Flannigan, your kind are not living beings, so it is not genocide, you don’t produce life; you take from it. This was not God’s intention. You are the very embodiment of the many spirits of hell.
“Mr. Porter, this country was built on the separation of church and state, Vampires are tax-paying individuals, and we deserve the same liberties as other Americans. Despite your message of hatred, the Declaration of Independence clearly lays out how an oppressed minority can seek freedom despite an unenlightened majority.”
The panel host intervened before Mr. Porter could form his rebuttal and asked him, “Mr. Porter, of which religious group do you think will be the first to welcome your message to unify?”
“I believe that it is best that I do not side with just one of the religions of Abraham, but use my influence to exemplify the similarities between the three so that they may find peace and unity among brothers and expel the kind of Ms. Flannigan and others like her.”
I turned the TV off to take my shower and let my thoughts soak in the views expressed by Darius Porter.
When I was a newly made vampire, I questioned the morality of my existence in the context of the Christian religion instilled in me from my human birth to my mortal death. There had never been mention of a creature like me anywhere in the bible that had been brow beaten into me by my mother and father. After years encountering many beings that men believed to only have existed in fairy tales, but never any God, I had come to the resolution that we were all just flukes of creation.
I dressed in a tailored 60’s era inspired black suit and a slim black tie. I found it humorous that at some point everything old became new again.
.............
“Well, don’t you clean up nicely,” Sookie said from the flung-open door. Eric was by the floor length windows of the suite adjusting his tie.
“Sookie, you look beautiful,” I said, bending over to kiss her cheek. She flinched slightly, but allowed the lingering kiss. Her lustrous blonde tresses were painstakingly curled and hung loosely over her bare shoulders aside the skinny spaghetti straps of her dress. Her dress was of the finest silk and was the color of sapphire to match the sapphire glow in her eyes.
I caught the image of my first night with her, her desire for me as she ran barefoot into my arms. I had swept her up into my arms, and with my being filled to the brim with love for this gorgeous woman, I had made love to her. She had offered herself to me along with her maidenhood and the very blood that had coursed her body. She had never known that I had been absolutely terrified that evening. As I had sucked at her neck I had been in fear that she would later regret my doing so and come to hate me.
She closed the door behind us and asked that I speak with Eric while she finished dressing. I walked over to the 1,000-year-old Viking and thought about the many ways he could/should have died over the years. My affection for Eric was one of brother rivalry. I hated him immensely, but respected him at the same time. My hatred for him at the moment was due to him sleeping with the woman I loved. I had known Eric for a hundred of my years as a vampire, but still found him as elusive as the first meeting. There had been a time he had been my friend, but I had been chosen by our queen to get the loyalty of a certain gift that was Sookie. He did not approve. He did not believe Sookie was not merely a duty, but that I had fallen in love with her. Sookie was of the same sentiment as Eric these days.
“What are the plans for tonight?” I asked, taking a seat on the plush couch to look over the Vegas strip.
“Be cool, act natural,” he said, finally getting his tie the way he wanted.
“Did you get that line from a movie?”
“It works for this situation.”
“What does she know or pick up?”
“She’s nervous and a bit frightened. I mean, we both know how these outings usually end up for her.”
He was right. Every time Sookie got involved with supes of any nature, she ended up within of an inch of her life.
“Did you watch the news at all today? Nan was debating Darius Porter on a panel about our civil liberties.”
“I did, I have a suspicion that we were called here to discuss Darius Porter with the royalty after the festivities.”
“Ah, so that is why they want Sookie.”
“She would be their best weapon to find out what he has in store for our kind”.
I contemplated the many outcomes that could result from Sookie helping the royalty learn of Darius Porter’s motives. None of them ended with me feeling comfortable.
“I’m bringing someone this evening,” I blurted. I needed to get this over with.
“Oh?” he said; his left eyebrow went up in interest, and he took a seat on the couch facing me.
“I met someone who does not leave me bored and would be willing once the festivities turn from a Disney movie to Nosferatu,” I lied. I had not exactly figured out if Marie would be willing to let me drink from her. To be honest, I had not figured out much about Marie, save that she read a lot of spiritual books and smelled good enough to eat, literally.
“That’s wonderful; I think it’s good that you will have someone there to occupy your thoughts from Sookie,” he smiled.
“What are you guys talking about?” Sookie chimed in.
“Bill is bringing a meal.”
She was hurt. I could feel it over the emotions and blood we had once shared. This was not the outcome I had intended.
“Let us be on our way, my lover,” Eric said to Sookie, ushering her to the door.
“Are you coming Bill?” He glanced back at me.
“I must pick up my companion for the evening; I will meet you to both at the ball.” The door closed behind them.
...........
I arrived at Marie’s door.
She opened the door, and a rush of her scent swirled itself into my being. I was paralyzed. My intrinsic nature was to sink my teeth into that scented flesh and drink her life into me. I wanted to be one with her - to know what she knew. I kept my fangs from drawing and took a moment to see the beauty before me.
She looked like an Indian goddess that was only satiated with the blood of men sacrificed at her feet, or a seductive jinni of Sumer or Babylonia. Her gown was the color of coal and made of gauze that was transparent enough to see the roundness of her thighs and the alluring curve of her stomach. The bodice was simple and was open to display the tenderness of the sun-kissed flesh that lay between her breasts. Her dark doe eyes were ablaze with excitement and her raven curls cascaded down her back. She wore no jewelry, but her skin was illuminated as if she had eaten bits of the sun and they were able to radiate from her pores.
“Hello," she exclaimed, back-dropped by an ethereal glow in her room.
“Hello to you; are you ready? And where did you get all of these candles?"
Her hotel room was short of being a hotel fire.
“I travel a lot and I like to make my space feel serene as possible.”
“Are you nervous about going?"
“Not at all.”
I started to blow out some of the candles near me.
She moved past me to blow out the others, and I stopped to inhale the perfume of her skin. Building inside my loins was a fire and a gnaw to consume her blood and salt. She seemed comfortable with me, which led me to believe that she had been with a vampire before. I had not forced my thirst on any human since deciding to mainstream and falling for Sookie, but I was beginning to rethink that decision. My killing instinct was upon me and I moved swiftly to her side and pinned her to the wall.
“Have you ever been tasted?" I breathed into her neck. I searched her with my naked eye - to see where the marks on her might lay.
I scraped the side of her neck with my fangs and held her hands behind her.
“No I haven’t." She did not squirm.
“It is customary for a vampire to have a drink of his companions.” I teased.
“Oh, is that so.” she pressed her body closer to mine and whispered, “We are going to be late for your Ball." I backed away from her while still holding her in place. I needed a moment to come back to myself. I was silent as I led her out of the room.
....................
We glided to the entrance of the hotel ballroom door; she walked steady to my rapid pace. I knew I needed to be there with Eric and Sookie before the greeting to the royalty.
“Are you okay?"
“I am fine; are you ready to enter?” I looked her over and found myself staring at the crest of her neck.
“There are going to be a lot of people that will want to speak with me, but the event will be very exciting to watch."
The room was thick with lust, blood and vampires. We stood at the top of the stairs that led down into the Garden of Eden. Crimson and violet silks created a sensual womb as they were draped from the ceiling and hung in clusters covering the banquet walls. Decadent chandeliers were suspended from the silk-draped ceiling and cast dark shadows around the room giving a feeling spirits were among us. Small crystal candlelit lamps hung from branches of imported cherry blossom trees that were placed in the room to create a forest. The blossoms from the trees blanketed the ballroom floor. Sitar music floated from the small orchestra, which played without inhibition as one of the men sang Hindi prayers with his eyes closed. Each table and chair was covered with plum-colored damask satin and huge wooden carved vases stuffed with peacock feathers were placed as centerpieces. The finest of china was at each place setting, even though most of the attendees would never have any use for a fork or a plate.
The room was abuzz with the supernatural beings swarming around the humans - inspecting and taking from the energy that each human’s scent cast into the air. Vampire eyes wandered up the marble stairs to see who had entered.
“You are being admired Marie.” I said holding her hand in mine as we walked slowly down the stairs. I know what she looked like to them; they could smell her intoxicating scent just as strongly as I could. I knew she resembled a beautiful sacrifice gliding down those stairs with her executioner.
I led us through the crowd that stepped aside to inhale her. I picked up Sookie’s scent nearby and followed it with Marie in tow until I was standing behind her.
Eric noticed me first and turned Sookie to greet us.
“Sookie, Eric, I would like to introduce Marie.” I said not taking my eyes off Sookie.
Sookie was looking at me as she extended her hand to greet Marie, “Pleasure to meet you Marie, I’m Sookie.” She smiled wide and put on her Southern charm.
Eric bowed his head slightly to acknowledge Marie and turned to me, “You are here just in time for the greeting."
“Would you like a drink Marie? I know these guys forget themselves in offering; I guess because they never have to.” she laughed.
“I would love one, I’ll walk with you to the bar.” Marie said following Sookie to the human refreshments.
Once they were out of earshot, Eric grinned, “I can see why you had to bring her; her scent is exquisite."
“I can not seem to pinpoint it to anyone or thing I’ve known before; it is more a feeling than a scent, but then it is so many fragrances at once as well.”
“Well, one prominent scent I pick up is that she has never known a man or vampire before.”
“Impossible.” I thought of how her body responded to mine back in her room.
Eric laughed. “It’s true, her scent, although passionate, lacks the mingling of any male or vampire scent.”
I watched Marie as she conversed with Sookie. Sookie was telling her something that was making her laugh and, in between, she would take sips of her drink. Her throat moved with each drop that passed through her lips.
“If I were you, I would not have brought her here; we are under the stress of what Felipe wants with Sookie, but now you will be distracted with the near-crazed vampires, who can smell she is untouched and wanting to break into her flesh.”
He was right. In my jealousy I was being selfish. But, Eric underestimated me. I loved Sookie, and if my attention was called to protect her; I would move mountains to do so. I would kill for her.
“Eric and Bill, I’m so pleased that you could make it.” Felipe de Castro welcomed us. Eric and I both bowed to the Nevada King. Felipe was a man of Latin descent in his mortal life and, although handsome, he was of diminutive stature compared to myself, and, of course, Eric. He was illustriously dressed in thick, dark blue cloth with gold stitching. He wore a purple sash ornamented with medals and honors given to him by the elders.
“We are at your service.” Eric reassured.
Felipe’s face turned sober. “I am happy to hear that because I will need the help of your bonded, Eric, to protect the existence of our kind. We have news that has left us troubled, and I would like to discuss it with the three of you tomorrow evening”.
“Would Darius Porter be the reason for the discussion?” I blurted.
Eric gave me a face that showed that I undermined him in my behavior.
Felipe paused and began to speak slowly, choosing his words carefully. “We have cause to believe that he may be arousing more than just rhetoric."
Eric and I both looked at each other knowingly. We were right.
Sookie and Marie crept into the conversation, and Felipe turned his attentions to Sookie.
“Sookie, my darling savior, you are a breathtaking vision.” he greeted, while kissing her hand.
“Thank you,” she smiled bowing slightly to the King.
“Your blood smells as sweet as the first time I met you; I hope that you will let me introduce you to the elders. They have heard much about you and would love to meet you.”
“I would love to meet them, as well.”
“Let’s not keep them waiting; please Eric, Bill, follow us,” Felipe said, taking Sookie by her hand.
Being of high birth in his mortal life, Felipe had a penchant for snobbery. It had carried over into his immortal life and, because he never chose to expand further than what existence he had as a human, he chose not to introduce himself to Marie. Marie, in Felipe's eyes, was of very low rank, being a human and not even a bonded human. It really was of no concern of his to meet her.
I was about to force the introduction, but Eric stopped me short of uttering, “This is…"
Marie grasped my hand and squeezed it. She gave the energy that she did not want to meet him.
I turned to her, and she moved in closer to place her mouth next to my ear. “This is not what I expected.”
I moved back to see her sullen face.
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t feel the pain in here?"
She was speaking in code. I grabbed her closer to me and whispered in her ear, “Marie, stay put and within view of me please; do not leave this spot while I meet with the elders."
She nodded in agreement, and I let her hand go to catch up with the group.
..............
The elders - Radames, Kumal and Anastasia - were seated in gold leaf covered chairs on a plum carpeted platform hovering over the ballroom. Their children were seated on plush mulberry pappasan cushions gathered at their feet.
Kumal and Anastaisa dressed in the style of their mortal lives, Kumal had the traditional dress of a Sikh and Anastatia was adorned in a' turn of the century' dressing gown with her arms and breast bare. Radames chose to dress in the fashion of the day, wearing simple black slacks and a tailored shirt. Kumal and Anastasia both delighted in each other’s conversation while Radames looked aimlessly out into the crowd. Radames had no decoration on him like Felipe to show his importance as the eldest of our kind. He was over 4,000 years old and our King of the Tigris region. His golden face showed no animation as he observed the undertakings of the event from his lofty seat.
Felipe stopped us short from climbing the stairs to greet our ancestors, “Sookie, I hope that you may also consider this evening, a ceremony of taking each elder's blood."
I knew he had something like this up his sleeve. I looked over at Eric and saw his grip tighten on Sookie.
Sookie squirmed slightly and asked, “I’m honored, but I don’t see why I would need more blood; I’ve had enough already to be quite frank.”
Leave it to Sookie to speak her mind.
Felipe was taken aback but regained composure. “The blood is an offering of our protection for you, so that any vampire existing will not be able to harm you."
Just when Sookie was about to give another protest as to why she would not be drinking of any vampire blood tonight; we were interrupted by the distinct shift in the energy of the room. I could smell the sense of attack in the air and looked over to see what was causing the disruption.
Marie was standing on the last step of stairs leading up to the elders.
She stood still as a statue with her eyes intent on the elder, Radames. She seemed to be in a daze and possessed by a need to worship him with her stare. Marie was pulled to Radames, and I looked to see if he was glamouring her, but he was still scanning the room uninterested, and conversing with his three children.
She stood at the base of the steps and yelled, “So, we meet again Radames."
....................
Radames did not make any movements. His brood gathered to block her further ascension onto the steps leading up to him.
She threw her head back and laughed. “You went from worshipping the sun to hiding from it for eternity.”
This awakened him from his uninterested gaze, to the human who addressed him.
I turned to Sookie, “What is she doing Sookie, tell us her thoughts quickly!”
“I can’t read her; her mind is completely blank to me.” She spat in frustration.
Felipe turned to us and asked, “What is your human doing?” I had no answer.
I turned to Eric, “You must leave with Sookie now.”
“How does she know Radames, Bill?" Eric questioned with his fangs down.
I could feel the urgency because I had the same feeling. He pulled Sookie closer to him and I stepped in front of her to create a barrier between her and the crowd that would ensue upon us from Marie’s actions.
Marie pressed forward even with fangs now down to attack her. The three protectors were waiting for the slightest approval for attack from their maker.
“Did you think you would never see me again?” she said in amusement, boldly moving forward.
“Let the human come to me.” He commanded still seated, but now at full alert.
His children backed away from her, but did not retract their fangs. She pressed forward not even taking in that she was nearly torn apart.
With all my heightened senses I listened to Marie’s voice for any fear or the scent of a fresh break of sweat, but she displayed calmness; as if she were in the company of someone she knew intimately.
Before she stepped to the last step that would bring her to the 4000 year old vampire, she bowed deeply and kissed his feet. She looked up into his face. “You failed me my love, but your departure from Aten was a failure to the world.”
Radames snatched her wrists and stood abruptly taking Marie with him. “Who are you creature? “
“You know who I am, Radames.”
His hands moved from clenching her wrists to her arms and he raised her up above his face to throw her from the platform. “You speak now; or I will throw you to the bottom of these stairs for my children to drain you of your life." he growled.
“You wept over my tomb and promised to my lifeless body, that you would search for me for over a thousand lifetimes; well, Radames, here I am.”
Radames was still as he held Marie contemplating what she was saying. Her feet dangled as she was perched above him, showing no expression of concern. He penetrated through her with his eyes, searching for the answer he needed. He then swiftly brought her body over his shoulder and yelled to his children “Follow me."
Radames flew from the stairs holding Marie as his captive to the gilded exit doors with his progeny in suit.
.....................
Eric! Let him go. Please, let him go!” Sookie pleaded pulling at Eric’s arms to let go of my neck. It was a futile attempt; the 1000 year old vampire could not hear her; his brain was concentrating on blood.
“You fool! You could not stand to see Sookie with me; so you invited some crazy bitch to come, and kill us all. Do you have any clue, what kind of situation we are in? Do you?” he yelled, spitting blood.
“You do not love Sookie.” he said.
I stopped hearing Sookie’s screams at that moment.
The only thing I could process was, “You do not love Sookie”. It played in front of me like a stack of flashcards and each one held the same phrase, “You do not love Sookie”.
I could see the tears in Sookie’s eyes and her opened mouth but no sound came. I could still feel the pressure from Eric’s iron clad grasp around my neck, but his spurts of angry words were empty to me now. I laughed in my delirium.
I pushed him back from me and I lunged at his knees. We both crashed into the glass coffee table. Shards flew everywhere and I thought one might have pierced Eric. I wished.
“Do not speak to me of what I feel for Sookie; you do not have the slightest inkling of what I possess for this woman” I said. I had him pinned to the glass covered floor, and he was flailing his arms to get a grip to throw me from him.
I had bit through my lips from anger and the blood was dripping onto Eric’s face.
“Get off of me.” He grunted and growled.
“Compton, I will kill you if you don’t remove yourself from me now.”
“That is if, I do not kill you first.”
Sookie was now beating at my back. I turned my attention to look up into her face and Eric was able to throw me from him.
My back hit the wall and the force left a human sized hole into the next empty room.
“Stop it. Stop it. The both of you just stop.”
Eric and I both glared at each other from across the room. Sookie collapsed onto the couch, “We don’t have time for you two to fight; we need a plan and we need a plan quick.” she said, gesturing for us both to take seats closer to her . Eric and I moved in closer to her, but declined taking seats.
We were ready to spar again.
“Look, I’m worried about my butt getting beaten, shot or bombed. I don’t have the luxury of being immortal so I need ya’lls help on a plan to get us out of this situation. Bill, darling, please, just take a seat and Eric just, just behave, okay?”
I granted her request and took a seat across from her. She gave me a weary smile and mouthed, “Thank You”. Eric moved to sit next to her, kissed her hand, and placed it over his chest.
The three of us sat in silence in the war torn room among broken furniture and glass.
“My head is spinning from all that has happened this evening. From the possibility of having a sampling of every older than dirt vampire there, to Bill’s date almost getting slaughtered, to ya’ll turning this lovely room into a boxing ring.” She shook her head slowly. “Eric, what did Felipe say as we were escorted from the ball?”
“Felipe was not happy with the turn of events, but he said he would speak to Radames before any action on his part. So, there is a possibility that we won’t reap any repercussions from Bill’s folly.”
“What does that mean?” she said.
“It means that if Radames is unhappy, then the three of us will be punished.”
“Oh, well that’s just lovely.”
“Have you told her of the meeting with the elders, regarding Darius?” I piped in before Eric‘s next statement of how foolish I had been to bring Marie, which would have sparked another fight.
Sookie looked puzzled. “What meeting are ya’ll talking about?”
“Felipe has requested for your help, and would like for us to meet with him and the elders tomorrow evening” I said.
“Why wasn’t this told to me earlier?”
“Lover, it happened so fast, and right before Bill’s date went rogue.”
“Why do the elders wanna discuss Darius Porter; he’s a crazed religious freak.”
“That is why.” I said. The wheels turned quickly and she shook her head. “They want me to get information from him; they want me to read his mind.”
“That is what we speculate.” I wish I could have moved closer to her to comfort her. But, knowing Sookie; she wasn’t one for being coddled.
“Lover, I will not let any harm come to you.” Eric said putting his arm around her.
“What else don’t I know?” she said, moving Eric’s arm from around her.
Eric and I were silent.
“Okay, Bill, who is Marie?” She stared at me, demanding an answer with her eyes.
“A woman I met the evening before.”
“That’s it? She’s not an old fangbanger of yours, or a supe you forgot to mention that you had a relationship with?”
I knew where she was going with this. I knew she was hurt by my bringing Marie, but I did not think she would care enough to voice it.
“Is she human?” she asked.
“Yes.” Eric and I both answered.
“I wonder why I couldn’t read her mind.” Sookie stood and walked slowly around the couch. She was still dressed in her evening gown that had small tears and smudges of vampire blood. Her curls had become limp and her makeup was smeared in streams from crying.
She poured herself a glass of gin at the bar and drank slowly.
Her voice came from behind me. “Why did you bring her if you had just met her?”
I didn’t want to answer this. I did not want to admit how small I had been in deciding to bring Marie to the ball. How could I explain to her that for a moment; I equated her jealousy over Marie to love.
“Answer her, Bill.”
I could feel the anger build again.
“Sookie, my love, I don’t know why I brought her.”
“Tell her the truth, Bill.”
Sookie was now standing behind Eric with her glass in hand. “Tell me, Bill.”
I was quiet. I wanted to say because not having you is killing me. That each time I see your face, I believe in something. I do not know what ‘it’ is, but in you it resides. My eternity in this guise will have been but a despair if it not been for you. That just by sparking the basest of love’s emotions from you – that is jealousy- I was overjoyed to receive. But, the only words that I could utter were, “Because I love you.”
Eric laughed and Sookie shushed him.
“Bill, you claim to love me so much, but you continuously do the opposite.”
I got up and walked over to face her. “Everything I have ever done has been because I love you.”
Her face changed to anger.
“Oh, really! Was cheating with Lorena for me? How about forming a relationship with me; just so your queen could use me!” She pushed me.
“Is that what you call love, Bill?” She pushed into me again.
I let her push me until we both were against the wall. She was crying and pressing her hands into my chest. “I trusted you, and gave you love, and you betrayed me.”
Eric was standing behind her but not touching her; he didn’t want to upset her anymore.
The pressure of her hands on my chest sent bursts of pleasure through my body. It was the most passionate contact I shared with her in a long time. I lifted my hand to caress her face, but she quickly hit my hand from touching her.
“You don’t know what love is, and now you have got us into a situation that may very well leave one of us dead. Please leave my sight.”
She quickly removed her hands from my chest, walked to the restroom, and slammed the door behind her.
...............
Anger.
Boiling. Hot. Anger.
I flew out of my room as soon as my internal clock knew that I could leave my domicile.
The fight with Sookie and Eric left me filled with rage.
I bypassed the elevator and headed for the emergency stair case.
I was livid with Eric for mocking me, Sookie for holding me to the sins of the past, and myself for having created them.
I moved swiftly up the flights of stairs.
Most of all, I was full of rage at the stranger.
My blood thirst this evening was more than just a hunger; it was the desire to kill.
My strength bended each rail that I pulled.
I wanted blood and I knew exactly whose blood would quell the desire.
I rammed Marie’s door in, and it went flying into the dresser, splintering into pieces. I flew in hoping to find a frightened Marie, but she was not there.
Where was she?
Her room was disarray from the evening before; unlit candles were still scattered in the room.
I flicked on the nearest lamp.
Did Radames still have her? Or had he drained her by now?
I stepped over the clutter to rummage through her things.
Her opened closet had more than a month’s worth of clothes hung on wooden hangers.
How long had she been in Vegas?
I went through each pocket, searching for any scraps of information.
Nothing.
Her suitcases were empty and all tags had been cut and discarded of. She must have known someone would want to track her. Why else would someone be this meticulous?
Even though she was absent from the room, her scent was alive.
I threw back the covers of the bed and pushed my face deep into the smell of her. I could not help myself. Despite being in the face of danger because of her, I still had a yearning for her scent. This enraged me more.
I pulled the cool sheets up against my face, and a small thud moved my attention to the floor.
A small leather journal looked up at me.
March 1,2007
I had to leave school, and I don’t know how long I will last at work. I’m very upset and my mom thinks it is best that I move in with her. She is worried about what I might do to myself. I’m scared with her. Sometimes, I sit in the bathroom contemplating slitting my wrists open to escape. I don’t want this. Who am I? Why do I keep seeing things that aren’t there...
March 23, 2007
I was put under hypnosis today; my therapist thought it would be a good way to find the root of my visions……..
Visions?
April 7, 2007 I saw him again. I now know his name is Radames and he lived in ancient Egypt. I have to research more on who he is and why I keep seeing him when I sleep……..
So, she knew who he was.
I did not have much time before the meeting with the elders, and I wanted to have some hard facts on who she was when questioned. I hurriedly flipped to the last entry.
Nov 1, 2008
I’ve found Bill.
.....................
The clandestine meeting was held in an underground location of the hotel. The room was rather unremarkable; Eggshell colored walls, a walnut table, swivel chairs, and a teleconference phone were the only items in the room.
The only things that brought this rather dull room to life were its supernatural occupants and Sookie.
Eric, Sookie and I sat on the opposite side of the Elders, while Felipe took his spot at the head of the long table.
“First we must address last night’s disruption, Bill...” Felipe began, but was quickly interrupted.
Radames held up his hand.
“The human is with me, and will remain with me. “
Radames claim to Marie jolted me. Eric and Sookie turned to me, as if I were to create an objection. He obviously knew more than I did at that moment.
“Radames, we were worried about her addressing you; your safety is our genuine concern.” Felipe said in his defense.
“She poses no threat to me. Please, continue with the call of this meeting.”
Felipe walked around us, looking down at his feet.
“ Darius Porter is building a strong following to his campaign, we all fear that this will bring a backlash to all the progress we have made with our coming out. In California there are numerous, temples, mosques and churches that are holding conferences to give this man a platform to speak. There has been report of over 100 vampire murders within the California area. This vigilante behavior cannot continue before one of our Captains take this matter into their hands, and that would do a great disservice to our future.“
Anastasia became alarmed, “Should we prepare for war?”
“No, we must use diplomacy.” Felipe responded.
“When it comes to humans; war is inevitable.” Radames said, leaning in his chair.
“We have our own history of war as well.” I said.
“Truth, finally, spoken from Mr. Compton.” Radames grinned, and the table enjoyed his lighthearted energy but Felipe was annoyed.
Radames gave the gesture for Felipe to continue.
“We would like for Sookie to be our ambassador. We want you to meet with Darius Porter in two weeks when he is here on his tour, to form an alliance that both parties can live in peace with.”
“You want me to read his mind for you?”
She was not in the mood for covert appointments, especially ones that could endanger her life.
“We would like for you to act as our spy and extract information from him. Find out what are his next steps.” Kumal said.
“What do you plan to do with that information?” Sookie asked.
“Ha!, I like this girl. “ Radames could not be contained.
Sookie tried to mask a giggle.
Felipe ignored Radame’s outbreak , “We will act according to how we see fit.”
“Kill him, is what he meant to say.” Radames chimed.
Kumal and Anastasia remained quiet but their allegiance was with Felipe.
“We will not kill him Radames, we will use the judicial system that we, who in live in this country adhere to. It is time for a new chapter in the history of our kind, Radames, no more hiding and being at their whim. We will carve our community onto the world stage and Sookie Stackhouse will help, starting with the concern in California.” Felipe said, pumping his fist into the air.
“This is their world and we are just the animals that inhabit it.”
“Radames, with all due respect, but are you not weary of 4,000 years of being on the fringe of society?”
“No, but I am weary of emulating humans. We are different from them. Let us not pretend.”
“We are not so different, to where we can not reason.”
“There is no reasoning with zealots.”
“The humans have their faith, but we can appeal to their intellect.”
“Humans and their gods.”Radames laughed, “I’ve lived longer than any of their Prophets; we should be the ones worshipped, we are the legends that actually are true.”
Radames turned to me, “Sir, I have died and risen in less than 3 days.”
I had come to the conclusion that Radames was mad. His dark eyes were piercing us across the table and his languid movements were the embodiment of confidence. He had no hang ups or ulterior motives. He gave off the distinct energy that he had no desire to be in this room, but would happily give us a glimpse into his gifted mind.This meeting was clearly a game to him and I was amused by his candor.
“All these men, these glorious thinkers, their messages have been mangled, mangled to benefit greed and power. History has a funny way of distorting itself.”
The three of us on the opposite side of the table were clearly preoccupied by Radames’s behavior. Felipe had lost control of the meeting from the ancient vamp and was trying desperately to take the reins.
Felipe cleared his throat, “We have to continue our progress and move forward with our vision of cohabiting with Humans. Sookie, please say you will accept, I know that this will be hard, but we would like to extend a monetary gift for your consideration.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
I hated when she did this. I would see to that she received that money somehow, even if I had to filter it through Eric.
“Felipe, I know that you have jurisdiction of what must be done in this region, but putting Ms. Stackhouse as a representative without the knowledge base needed, and the proper protection is very naïve.”Radames said.
“I have protection.” Sookie exclaimed, pointing at both, Eric and me.
“Well, perhaps you would be so gracious as to bring Ms. Stackhouse up to par of Vampire Politics, and offer her residence at your compound until meeting Mr. Porter.”
“Wait? I can’t be away from my home that long, and I have protection; these guys can take care of me.”
Eric spoke, “We appreciate your concern of Sookie’s well being, but we are equipped in Louisiana to protect her.”
“Please do not take my suggestion as an insult, it would be wise for the three of you to reside at Radames’s home while Sookie is brought up to speed on our politics , his home is a fortress that no human will be able to penetrate.” Felipe said, seeking Eric’s approval.
“Ms. Stackhouse, Eric, please consider my home, I would be pleased to have you there and it will be a pleasure to get to know you. Plus, the presence of your friend, Bill, has been requested, so I would assume he would want you there with him.” Radames said, smiling at us.
My presence was requested?
Sookie was silent ,but spoke for herself when she finally said, “We would be delighted.”
Felipe adjourned the meeting, and before I could assemble with Eric and Sookie, Radames’ voice boomed, “Bill, would you be so kind to speak with me alone.”
Chapter 2
“What do you know of Marie?”
I laughed to myself. It was the burning question. Everyone asked it of me and I constantly asked it of myself, but I was still unsure. I could feel the journal against by back and promised myself I would read it from cover to cover once in the safety of my room.
“Not very much, I’m afraid to say.”
Radames shifted in his chair and stared at the wall before saying, “Marie is of great importance to me.”
He must have tasted her.
“Bill, do you know how long I have walked this earth?”
Before I could answer, he responded. “4,000 years, and for 4,000 years I have been searching for the same woman; tragic is it not? He cocked his head, amused with himself.
“I was caught off guard by the human you brought addressing me, and it must be said that her fragrance is what challenged me to listen to her. She does not resemble my woman in appearance or demeanor but they embody the same spirit.”
I tried to picture this crazed vamp before me pining after a woman for that long. I found myself believing the search for her might have been the root of his insanity.
“Bill, before I was made into the fiend I am now; I ruled the world from the throne of Egypt as Pharaoh.” He laughed as if he could not believe the absurdity of what he was saying. “I ruled with my queen; Bill, Marie is the reincarnation of my wife. My queen -Makeda.”
I grinned, “So, you must be ecstatic to see her again."
His golden skin crinkled into a smile, “I am.”
Radames buried his head into his hands, and slid his fingers down his face. “You did not know any of this did you?”
“No.”
“How do you know her?”
“She is a stranger, I brought her to the ball in hopes of tasting her.”
He stopped and turned to face me, “But you did not, I mean, you did not taste her.”
“I am sure you know that.”
He laughed, “I do, she may be a stranger to you, but she is profoundly protective of you, I wonder why?”
He squint his eyes at me, as if the answer would appear on my forehead.
“I am dying to know myself; may I be candid with you Radames?”
“I wish that you would.”
“What was she saying on the steps?
He paused, “You really don’t know.”
“I was hoping you would indulge me.”
“Makeda was a gift given to my father from the land of Kush. He had his fill of concubines, and bestowed her upon me. She had been groomed from birth to be a Pharaoh’s lover; she was intelligent and a brilliant story teller. She would express the grandeur in the god of her people, Aten and I would spend evenings lost in her tales, and would covet her god that had her so captivated." His eyes sparkled in rememberance.
" I was bred from birth that the world was at my command, I thought myself an extension of the gods, but Makeda created a different world for me with her devotion to Aten, and I followed."
He leaned back into his chair, “It is the same tale of every great man, is it not? Their obsession with a woman leads them astray from their rule. “
I smiled, seeing Sookie’s face in that comment.
“I went against custom and made her my queen upon the death of my father. My brothers and priests were upset with my choice, but the people along with me, adored her.” he said.
“Makeda would spend hours in prayer, and debating with Priests. I would receive their complaints that Makeda was “questioning” our beliefs and asking about the creator of our gods. They thought she was a heretic. You see Bill, Egyptians had worshipped the sun for centuries before I or even Makeda was conceived, but Makeda was convinced that Aten was divine. She expressed day and night that the people of Egypt should not worship the sun, for the sun was just the creation of the divine, not the divine itself. Her vigor to see Aten worshipped was palpable. To please her and my people, I had all other gods banished and cease to be worshipped. I had the inscription of Aten depicted as the sun, to wean the sun worshippers. “
“This created a rift between us, she cried to me that I was going against Aten’s plan. She said, “You have Aten as just another idol, Aten is not the sun; he is the creator of the sun." She wrote a ‘Great Hymn to Aten’, and had each priest sing it from each temple upon the sun’s rising. Her words were completely foreign to us Egyptians. The people followed reluctantly, and the priests were content with the worship of Aten, as long as they were to receive their fees for temple worship. She then expressed that we should build a new city to honor Aten, and that the priests would not be needed; because Aten could be worshipped by anyone. The Egyptian people did not have to pay to be blessed; Aten could hear them. “
"What did you do?"
“I had her city built.”
“I could not deny her, but as time progressed she increasingly denied me. I began to occupy myself with the pleasures of life; I had many concubines, food and drink. I would spend my days at sport or enwrapped in my own study, and philosophy. My love for my priestess queen had turned from ardor, to reverence. I had not lain with her as my wife in over a year before the priests brought to my attention that we had yet to have a child. I needed a male heir to inherit the throne. I went to her to express my need of a child to protect my throne, and she obliged me, but after another year she had yet to give birth. The priests said it was time for me to pick another queen, one who would give me a male child. Again, with my heart troubled I sought her. She gave her consent that I should father a child, and that she would raise the child as her own. Her only condition was that I would not take the child’s mother as another queen, and that she would be forever kept as sole queen to the throne. I gave her my promise.”
“I conversed with the priests, and they boasted of a woman who was fertile, and who would give me a son. They had groomed her in hopes that I would take her as a future queen.”
Radames took a deep breath, “Be leery of men of the cloth, Bill.”
“When I arrived in my chambers the next evening; I found a remarkable creature lying among pillows. The creature movements were not human, she moved without disguising, unlike you and me. Her voice had the timbre of trickling water. I was beside myself. I moved closer to her and before I could speak, she was upon me. Tearing into my neck and sucking me to the edge of my life. She then tore at her wrist and instructed me to drink, if I wanted to live. When I became cognitive, it was to the sound of Makeda screaming. The screams tore through me, and I discovered, I was bound in sand. I could feel the warmth on the sand above me, and even though I had not yet learned what the sun could do to us; my body was reacting from the heat. She called my name until her voice became weak, and I could no longer hear her. As soon as the sun sunk behind the desert sky; I arose from my sandy grave to find her. I ran across miles of desert to the Aten temple where her bloodied body lay. She had been stabbed and left to die. The smell of her blood put me in a frenzy, and at that moment, I had learned what I had become. My fangs extracted and I had a hunger for her that was unlike any pain I had felt before. Her blood was all over me as I picked up her still breathing body to lick at her wounds; tasting the life that was leaving from her. I could not control myself , and I bit into her and suckled her being into me. The last words she uttered to me were, ‘You are not mine’.” She knew that I was no longer a mortal man. I laid her body into a concealed tomb and said that I would search for her. "
Radames was quiet, contemplating if he should continue.
“I killed the priests that murdered her, my brothers who plotted, and their wives and children.”’
I was silent, picturing the massacre he committed from the horror of losing his beloved.
“If I had not sought out what the priests wanted , then she would have lived, and I would have experienced a full life as a mortal man.”
“We all meet our makers, whether they are the gods of our conscious, or the ones with fangs.” I mused.
Radames smiled, “You were paying attention.” He slapped his hand over mine in camaraderie.
“Bill, the life that I drained from Makeda is now in Marie, but the spirit, although it inhabits a human form is not of this world. I saw something when I drank from her and I have been trying to recreate that ecstasy every night since her death.”
“What did Marie have to say about me?”
“I asked her who you were, and she said you were very important.”
“I do not know of my significance to her.”
“She is resting now, but she will be accompanying us to my home; she has many questions regarding her previous life. I am pleased to have you visit my home Bill, I think the experience will leave you with some answered questions as well.”
..................
I smelled her before she spoke a word.
“Hello Bill”, she said sliding into the empty seat next to me. She was dressed for the climate we were headed to, but still in black. She wore a caftan that stopped mid thigh and her bronze legs were exposed to my delight. Her hair was full and adorned her like a lion's mane. I had not seen in her since Radames fled the ball with her, and even though I hardly knew her; I felt a sudden pang of relief seeing her face.
I soaked up the warmth of her smile, “Hello, trouble.”
She laughed and leaned in closer to me, “I’m sorry for the circumstances, if it eases you; I want you to know that I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.” She teased.
“What time is it?” I asked. I had just risen from the confinement of the light proof box that I was boarded onto the plane in. The plane was silent, and dark aside from the runway carpet lights.
“Everyone is still asleep but us; we have another thirty minutes before landing.” She replied, whisking her hair into a ponytail and brushing the tendrils from her face.
“I know you have it, Bill.”
She was referring to her journal. After I listened to Radames reveal that Marie was his Makeda; I had spent the rest of the evening reading the entries of her life. I had learned that she was a lonely child, which had a bright future as a scholar, but began to witness occurrences that were not there. She was diagnosed as a schizophrenic, and her mother saved her from a life of mental hospitals and coma inducing drugs, by simply believing her daughter. Her mother sought out a therapist that used hypnotherapy to help Marie control her visions, and seek answers from them. Marie learned how to self induce hypnosis, and write what she was experiencing; this self control of her visions helped her to cope with her everyday life.
I wondered if she still felt lonely because it was an emotion we shared. From my birth as a vampire, I had spent the time as an onlooker- a watcher of life- until I was opened up by Sookie. When Sookie left me, I spiraled down quickly, and now I was struggling to be content with watching again.
From not knowing inkling about Marie, to reading her most intimate thoughts; I yearned to know more of her. I was aroused that this woman was seeking me out, and I came to the conclusion that she and I were much alike in our pain. But, unlike me, she found a way to work through it; she found a way to live. It was this essence of her that I desperately wanted to have. I had hoped her book would be filled with my name; that maybe, she had glimpses of what was to become of me, but the only page that I was mentioned, was her exclaiming she found me.
“I do.” I said answering her question.
“Was it an exciting read?”
“Very, and it does not seem to be fiction.”
She laughed.
“Can I have it back?”
“Not until you tell me the ending.”
“I don’t know the ending.”
I turned to face her, “Oh, but I think you do. Why were you looking for me?”
Her face was so close to mine that our lips touched, “I’ve been having visions of you for about six months now, the last one I had led me to Vegas, I haven't had another one.”
“You have no clue as to why you have been seeing me in these visions?”
“Not yet, but it'll come. In the meantime I wanted to get to know the vampire that has stolen most of my sleep.” She smiled.
I was titillated by her words. I felt closer to her now, and I wanted more. She was so much more confident then the scared girl in her journal and knowing this, I fought the urge to pet her.
“You knew who I was in the elevator?”
“Yes, I also knew the reason why you were so hurt in that elevator.”
I glanced over to the seat across from us, to see blonde hair dangling; Sookie was still sleeping.
“Ah, that explains why you asked my name after inviting me to your room, you already knew it.”
She smiled, and leaned her head onto my shoulder,and nuzzled her head into my neck. The action was intimate, and welcomed.
“From your journal, it seems that your thoughts are occupied with Darius Porter, as well.”
She moved away; the moment was broken by his name.
“Yes.”
“You have been spying on him quite a lot Marie; in your writing you counterpoint each of his radical ideas with your own. I must say, it is remarkable information, you spin his every word into something beautiful, I think it would be helpful to Sookie for you to share with her what you know of Darius.”
She didn’t respond.
“You made an impression with Radames; he is very fond of you.” She said, ignoring my questions.
“The feeling is mutual.” I was still reeling from my impression of Radames ; from his actions in the meeting, and his candidness about his life to me. “He’s wise, unorthodox, but wise. He has a very different outlook on our existence; I have never heard anyone express themselves quite like him. “
“He is fond of you as well, as you must know.” I said, wishing she would lay her head on me again.
“He is fond of Makeda, not me.”
“Are you not Makeda, as well.”
“No. Makeda is dead, he knows that; I can recall bits of my life as Makeda with him, but this life is my own. I need him to share more of who she was, so I can better understand my life now. “
“What have you learned so far?”
“Not much.” She laughed, “The night he took me away, he spent the evening getting to know me, he asked many questions of whom I was and where did I come from. He wanted to know everything; it was like he couldn’t get enough of me, especially knowing that I had visions of him. He wants to believe that I am the reincarnation of Makeda, but I am not her anymore. I’ve lived that life, and many more since then and I have to live this life as Marie. “
It occurred to me that he had not told her of what he had divulged to me. I thought it best to remain silent until speaking to him.
“He promised me, that if I came with him to his home, then he would give me information, and help me understand who she was. I said I would go, but you had to come as well.”
“Me? Why me, Marie? You and I hardly know each other, but yet you stake a claim to me as if we are intimate. Just because you are having visions of me does not mean anything; you said yourself that you have yet to receive any other visions pertaining to me. How do you know I am supposed to go with you?”
“Because.” She said, her voice trailing off, “Because, I’m not the only one who is looking for you.”
Chapter 3
I stood aimlessly in the doorway of Sookie’s room at Radames’s desert home. I had just learned from Marie that Darius Porter was looking for me and my mind was scrambling for reasons why. Marie vowed to me that she had yet to learn the motive for my being searched by both humans, and was hoping this visit with Radames would help her to know.
I was having a hard time believing her.
Marie had yet to be forthright with any information regarding her, and I had to learn who she was by nearly getting killed. I would have continued to press her for information on the plane, if Radames had not swept her from me to show her his home.
“Why are we here?” Eric blazed, bringing me back to the moment.
“You know full well why we are here, and don’t give me that face.” Sookie replied.
This was the first time being alone with the both of them since the fight in the Vegas hotel. Radames had us boarded onto the plane in light proof boxes as soon as possible; he wanted us at his home as night fell, so that he could spend the first evening properly entertaining us.
I knew Sookie and Eric were waiting for me to debrief them on the whirlwind of events that had taken place. I was just content being in the room with Sookie, and watching her enjoy her temporary room. She seemed delighted by it, and was welcoming when I found a seat by her balcony. Eric on the other hand was not going to let me bask in the enjoyment, and prompted me for answers.
“Why is Marie here? Compton, you are to fill Sookie and me in on what has transpired since the Ball?” Eric sat on the wooden carved chair, opposite of me.
“Marie is his wife.” They both stopped short with questioning faces, “Well, she is the reincarnation of his dead wife.”
“And she just remembered him when she saw him?” Eric said in disbelief, “What else do we not know, Bill? Is she really a stranger to you? How did she know he was going to be at the ball?”
“Marie has visions that allow her to recall her past lives, and it gives her glimpses of her future life as Marie.”
“Did she tell you this?”
“No, I read her diary.”
“Radames believes her?” Eric said, still not believing that Marie was his wife.
“Radames said that both women possess the same spirit.”
“It’s kind of romantic; his lost love is now back in his life.” Sookie replied, pulling her bags on top of the colossal canopy bed.
“Well, before Radmaes was made vampire, he was a Pharoah of Egypt.”
“You are kidding me!” Sookie exclaimed in excitement. “Shut up.”
“Yes, and Marie was his queen, Makeda, who was murdered before he could rescue her, he had been tricked and turned into a vampire, his priests killed her during the day where he could not get to her. “
Eric and Sookie looked at each other longingly, and I wanted to disappear.
“Why did the priests kill her?”
“They thought she was a heretic; she was trying to convert the people to a new religion…Aten is what Radames called it.” I said, wandering off from my thought process.
I eyed Sookie and envisioned us sharing her bed. Her white tank top set off her tan, and I kept getting lost in my desire to peel the top from her. I knew I needed to continue with my debrief, but I did not want to interrupt my fantasy.
“There is something else. She said Darius Porter is looking for me.” I continued.
Eric snapped, “So that is why we are here, she is trying to keep you, and he’s trying to keep her, and Sookie and I got thrown into this. We should be in Louisiana, where I can keep her safe, and not in the harm of danger yet again ,because of Marie."
"Why is Darius Porter looking for you?" he pressed on.
"She does not know, it has not been revealed to her yet." I said with sarcasm.
Sookie was quietly unpacking her garments, and placing them into the garnished armoire. It seemed she wanted to avoid a repeat of the last gathering with the three of us.
“Sookie, you know all about our politics. Why did you feel compelled to agree?” Eric questioned.
“You and I both know that when Felipe asked it really was a request, and, yes, I do know a little about ya’lls politics, but, not enough to negotiate vamps future with Darius.” She said, disregarding Eric’s interrogation.
Eric went to the bed and pulled the suitcase from her reach.
“Lover, I told you that he had servants who could do these things for you.” he said, pulling her body to sit on the bed.
She promptly raised herself up to continue her task, “I was raised to take care of myself, and putting up my own clothes is not a chore, I’m sure Radames’s servants have more important things to do.”
Eric quickly picked up the suitcase and threw it against the stucco wall.
“We are not supposed to be here.” Eric hissed, glaring at us both before fleeing the room.
I immediately went to the suitcase to pick up her spilled clothes. She came and stood by me, with her hair fallen around her face; she began to sob silently.
I felt the need to apologize and she stopped me.
“Why are you apologizing? He is the one who threw it and left; I know he’s upset, but we have to be here.”
She was wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
“I am apologizing for everything, for everything.” I said, placing the suitcase on my empty chair.
She understood and replied, “It’s too late to apologize to me Bill, you and I, we keep moving forward even with these giant holes inside of us.”
She began to cry harder and I reached out my hand to her and she quickly grabbed it. I pulled her close to let her weep against my chest. I allowed myself to hug her deeply, and run my hands over her hair.
I whispered in her ear, “You are so courageous Sookie, look at you, you are here taking on such a daunting task to help us and dealing with both of our emotions. I am sure it is taking a toll on you.”
My hands moved from her hair to the small of her back, and she moved to press her forehead into the center of me. She looked up from my chest and her face was searching in mine. I saw the want in her eyes; I knew that she had let go of the pain, even if for a moment. Her mouth parted and I leaned down to meet her mouth with mine.
“Dinner is being served.”
One of Radames’s servants interrupted our near kiss. We both looked to the waiting servant, but I still held her steadfast, not wanting to let her go.
She pulled away from me swiftly, and followed him to our waiting host.
...............
“Please, Please come..sit.”
Radames beckoned with a smile, lying among many colored pillows, wearing only his silk pants. The ancient vampire was a desirable specimen. He still had the golden pallor of his mortal life and the same dark eyes and hair like Marie.
Sookie smiled in approval of the half naked Radames.
Eric was quietly seated and still fuming from the earlier events. Sookie sat opposite him, closer to me.
“I would like for us to dine together; I have an excellent chef here for my human guests, I hope you enjoy what he has prepared for you Sookie?”
I looked over the dining arrangement before us; silver trays were garnished with human food and floated around the many pillows. Bottles of wine and other libations were being poured into empty glasses and candles were being lit. The dining area looked out to the courtyard fountain and was only separated from the moonlight by white sheers draped from the ceiling.
Sookie smiled, taking a slice of candied orange, “I’m sure I will love it.”
“And for us...“, he nodded to Eric and I. “I have something more decadent.”
In walked his spectacle of humans, lovely beings that were there for our entertainment and sustenance. They were kept as a harem for Radames’s pleasure; young men and women of all colors swayed their bodies, and enjoyed the feast lying amongst them. I observed the prey that was handpicked for their exceptional beauty by the ancient vampire; I longed to be just as carefree as them. They were jovial about their here and now; there was no concern on their smiling faces that their present future was to be fed on.
Sookie uneasy about the humans, moved closer to Eric, and the jealousy that would usually rise was replaced with a new emotion- indifference.
I was tired of shedding emotions for a human that did not want them.
“Ms. Stackhouse, our first lesson will begin tomorrow evening; I hope you are not offended by my inquiring of your knowledge base. I know that you have been a dear resource for us, and I am humbled. But, we have a history that we would like to keep clandestine, all the while trying to have rights as humans. I have this arcane knowledge of who we are and I will teach you, and trust that you will use it wisely.”
“I will use what you teach me wisely.” She assured.
“I want to teach you these things because it will help you to reason with Darius, it will give you leverage in understanding on how to persuade him, if you can persuade yourself how beneficial the world can be with vampires cohabiting with humans.", he laughed. “ I do not agree with the notion, but it is what he majority wants, so I will indulge them because they are intent on having you as their ambassador, but I am intent on making sure you have the proper armor. Do you understand?”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “I am honored to have been chosen to act as an ambassador, and I’m even more honored that you will be taking the time to help me.”
“Eric, I am sure Felipe will be very happy with you, knowing that your bonded will be carrying such a hefty position in our world. Are you still a sheriff?”
Eric affirmed and Radames continued on what accolades awaited Eric for having Sookie as his bonded.
My attentions were diverted to a copper haired doll. She was leisurely eating a plum, and the juice from the fruit was dripping from her porcelain chin. She slowly licked over her mouth, and her hand, not wanting to waste the nectar. She conversed with two male humans, and caught my gaze on her and smiled.
“Ah, I see you like Lourdes.” Radames said, “She is delicious.” he stated, approving of my choice.
Lourdes beamed with pride from Radames's compliment.
“There you are my pet, I was starting to worry.” Radames stood to greet Marie. He held her hands in his and kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment to inhale her. She had adorned her self in an onyx sari,showing the contour of her breasts. Huge gold hoops were in her ears and hit the side of her face as she moved.
"I am pleased that you are wearing my gifts." Radames said with affection.
Everyone offered her their greeting, but I could not find any pleasantries to say to her. All I could think of was shaking her and demanding for her to tell me everything.
“We were waiting to feast till you arrived, my pet.”
"‘I’m sorry that I am late, but that shouldn’t have kept you from eating.” She said, taking her place on a gold cushion near Radames.
Her hair was still pulled up in its pony tail, but more curls had escaped and framed her piquant face. Her beauty was not that of a cute doll like Lourdes, but an expressive piece of art. Her wide mouth smiled at me, but I could not do the same in return.
I was ambivalent to her. She was the root of my confusion. Her neglect to tell me the truth, and her unwavering hold on not to tell me why she was searching for me, made me angry. But, the anger was coupled with my budding fascination with her.
“It is still early, and I like to enjoy them before deciding which one I would like to taste for the evening.” Radames said, leaning back onto his elbows, admiring Marie. He caught a lock of her curls, and twisted his fingers in them playfully.
“Radames, if you don’t mind, I’m feeling a little tired and would like to get some rest.” Sookie pleaded.
Sookie did not want to tell the vampire that she thought he was disgusting to feed in front of her, and that there was no way in hell she would allow Eric to feed on anyone, but her.
“Of course, you both are free to go, Sookie if you wish, I can have food brought up to you or anything else you may want.” He said seductively, and Eric stuck his chest out, ready to pounce on his host.
Sookie looked away, “That won’t be necessary; I’m fine until the morning.”
“Eric, I will have Laslo, show you our quarters underground. My entire home is open to the elements of nature, so there is no spot in the home that is light proof. I am a child of the sun and I love the smell of it inside the house when I rise.”
“I will make sure to find my way down before dawn.” Eric said, escorting Sookie back to her room.
I could not look at her as she left and I could not face the woman who stayed.
Radames gave me a quizzical look.
“He does not drink from her in public.” I stated.
“Ah, interesting.” He replied.
He was still puzzled, when he asked.”Does he have no desire to make her one of us?”
“I don’t think Sookie desires to be a vampire.” Marie replied, before I did.
“How do you know, pet?” Radames purred, still playing with her hair.
“Even though she loves him; she doesn’t like what he is. And, he clearly loves her, so maybe he doesn’t wish to make her one of you.” Marie said, refilling her glass with wine.
“Very perceptive, but I know this existence, and he will want to turn her; she is his companion.” Radames said.
“The love he has for her will not let him.” I replied.
They both knew that I was speaking from my own conviction, not Eric’s.
“The inertia of loneliness is what make men create, so that they won’t feel the paralysis. It is the same force that compels us to become ‘makers’. It is not love that moves us to create more of us Bill; it is our fear of being alone.” Radames said, beckoning one of the girl humans to him.
The young girl promptly rose and fell into the open arms of the vampire. She lay in between him and Marie, creating a barrier, and Radames turned all of his attention from Marie to her.
“Are you not thirsty?” he said, not moving his interest from the girl.
“Very.” I said, staring at Marie.
She sat still, waiting for my next move.
“Not every creature is so selfish, Radames.” She said finally. I knew she was wavering on if she should say it, but her heart would not let it pass.
Radames lifted his face from his human and reached out his hand to her, “I have hopes that you will one day decide to join me; I know that you do not know me now, but you will come to enjoy what I have to offer you.”
She accepted his hand, “I have never seen a vampire drink before, and I wish to see you do it now.”
He grinned provocatively and nodded his head. “I will do whatever you wish, my pet.”
Radames lovingly took the girl and groaned with pleasure. The girl let out a little moan and wrapped her small arms around his neck. Marie turned her face away from the passionate embrace.
My copper haired Doll was now walking towards me.
The doll straddled me; both of her knees digging into the pillow on either side of my waist. Her breasts were pushed up against my chin and I slid my hands down her spine, over her hips, and the back of her legs. I pushed her neck to the side, and there was Marie staring into me.
We sat locked into each other for an eternity.
For a moment I thought about not taking my drink from the woman on me, instead, crawling through the mist of pillows to Marie. Her gaze was ardent, and she was asking me with her whole being to come to her, to follow her.
But I was done.
I forced the human’s neck down and bit. I closed my eyes and felt the gush of blood come into me. I decided that I did not want to straddle this line, this invisible line of what was expected of me, she could not give me all of her, just like Sookie, and I was through with giving and not receiving in return.
I would just take.
When I opened my eyes; she was gone.
....................
“Check mate.” Eric smiled at Marie, taking her king from the chess board.
“I don’t know why I offered to play you; I’m sure you have been playing this game for centuries.” She laughed.
“Correct young lady.” He said, setting up the board again for another round.
The three of us were lounging outside Radames’s library; waiting for him and Sookie to finish their first lesson together.
“Bill, how about you play me, and give me some real competition.” He teased, and Marie pretended to be offended and rose from her spot at the game.
“Plus, it will give you a chance to stop staring at that damned door.” He said.
He was right, but it was all of us that were staring at the damned door. I knew he was anxious about Sookie being alone with him; he did not know what power the seasoned vampire might possess, and he had not come to adore him, as I had. I felt a renewal from my proximity to his joie de vive. The evening before, I was able to enjoy my drink from a lovely woman without the single hint of mortal remorse. I was impatient to know what unprecedented events he had in store for us this evening.
I took my place at the chess game, and moved my first pawn forward two spaces.
Marie leaned against one of the grand pillars holding up the beautiful home. She was trying not to fidget but she was just as impatient as I was; she wanted entry into the library, and she wanted to have it to herself.
“Marie, Bill tells us that you can see things.” Eric stated, strategizing his next chess move.
She laughed nervously, and glanced at me from the side of her eyes, “Yes, I have the ability to see my past and my future sometimes.”
She felt exposed, and I immediately wished I had not told Eric about her secret. She moved from the pillar to lie on a chaise. She turned her body from us, not wanting to engage in the conversation any further.
Eric understood, “ Compton, how did last night play out for you.” He grinned.
Before I could answer, Radames opened the door, letting Sookie walk out to our smiling faces.
“Wow, were you all just waiting here?” She laughed. She bent to kiss Eric and fell into his arms for an embrace.
“Pet, you may have the library now.” Radames said to the lounging Marie, he stroked her hair, but she did not move immediately. She allowed the petting and then silently walked into the library and shut us out.
Radames was concerned, and faced Eric and I. We both shrugged our shoulders, but I knew the reason for her silence.
“We will have dinner together again this evening, but to accommodate Ms. Stackhouse, we will wait to satisfy our appetite until she has had her fill.” He smiled at Sookie.
Sookie at ease with her teacher vampire now, bowed graciously, “I appreciate the effort, Radames.”
“Your bonded is a brilliant human, Eric, I hope you recognize just how grand she really is. She allowed me to fill her brain with prehistoric ghost stories, and still managed to remain serious at the end.” He laughed. “If someone would have told me those stories, I would have thought them batty.”
“They weren’t batty stories, Radames, I think it will be integral in debating Darius.”
“I do know how brilliant she is, and if you two do not mind, I would like to show her.” He said, causing Sookie to blush. Eric grabbed Sookie protectively, still not trusting Radames.
Radames laughed, “Do not let us keep you, dinner will be served at nine; Bill let me show you around the property.” He said leading me out into the courtyard.
I was elated to be away from the two of them.
“She loves you too, I hope you know that.” He said, in a matter of fact way.
“Who?” For a split second, I thought he was speaking of Marie.
“Sookie, of course, she loves you both, but he captivates her; you, my sulky friend must learn to do the same.” He smirked.
“I am learning.”
“And, I can see the small change.”
I was delighted that he could see the development. We stood in front of the oxidized fountain, with lilies floating in its spout, and the moonlight creating ripples in the water. I appreciated the beauty, and took in how gracious I felt to be there.
“Bill, How come you did not feed from Marie, the evening you met her?”
I deadpanned and thought about being cautious, but I did not want to hold back from my new friend.
“I had been mainstreaming up until my meeting her, I was living on the synthetic blood drink True Blood.”
Radames looked at me puzzled. I laughed, “I take that you have never heard of True Blood.”
“No, and why would you want to replace human blood.” He said in disbelief, “There is nothing sweeter.”
I smiled, acknowledging the debauched vampire had no use for anything, but human life. “Well, that was what initially made me not want to drink from her, but I have to say, it was she that glamoured me. She mesmerized me that evening, and I have been trying to understand it ever since.”
Radames face was unreadable, he gestured for me to follow him past the lovely courtyard. We strode through the airy rooms, and settled among the dinner pillows from the night before.
“Bill, when I fled Egypt after Makeda’s death, I went to my maker, Oria.” He finally said after the long silence. “ Oria was the one of first of our kind, Bill, she called me to her, and I found her in Babylonia.”
“Does Oria still walk the earth?”
“No, she met the sun long ago. She was ancient before she had even laid eyes on me, Bill.” He laughed, “ She said she was the divine procreation of angels and mortal women, She was a part of the nephilim.”
“What is the nephilim?”
“The nephilim were the creatures that came from the lovemaking of angels and women. Do you know the biblical account? How angels walked the earth, and were awestruck with the beauty of mortal women. The mortals gave birth to creatures that were not human, and God was displeased.” He said looking at me, questioning how much I knew.
“I have heard of that story, but like most religious stories, I had reduced it to fallacy.”
“Bill, I am sure by now that you know that some fairy tales are real.” He smiled, “She said that God had banned the angels from walking the earth in their celestial form so they could not entice the women, and the children were forced to live off the life of others, and walk the earth devoid of the light of the sun.”
“Are you trying to tell me that we are descendants from these creatures?”
“Yes.” He said without blinking an eye.
“Why did he not destory the children, why did this God allow them to walk as damned creatures?”
“Oria explained to me that God cherished his divine offspring.”
“If he cherished us so much, then how could he doom us to this existence?”
Radames laughed, “Bill, only you see this life as damning. We are the direct link to celestial beings, Bill, we are not bound to the same morality as humans. We are marvelous beings, Bill.”
He could see the disappointment in my face. I could not understand how any god who could do such a thing could be deserving of worship.
“Bill you struggle with what is right and what is wrong; there is no such thing my friend, only blood for us.” He grabbed my shoulder to contain me.
“So these angels, they were forced to walk the earth in human form then on, how can one tell if it is an angel or not?” I asked, troubled by what he had explained to me.
“By tasting them.”
.....................
I sat among the dinner party waiting for her to arrive, but she never came. I toyed with an ample woman, and engaged in conversation with Radames and Eric, but still she had yet to come. Sookie and Eric retired to her room, and Radames found himself preoccupied with a beautiful man, and her place among us remained empty. Her absence left me distracted, and I could not feed. I excused myself from the melee of vampires and humans feasting to find her face.
Marie had holed herself in the library since the conclusion of Radames’s lesson.
“I believe this belongs to you.” I said, placing the leather journal softly onto the desk.
She sat alone in the grandiose library, with a small lamp, laboring over some forgotten tome.
“Are you sure you don’t want to give it to your friends to read? Maybe pass it around and compare notes?” She said, not bothering to address me.
“Your secrecy has put us in danger before, and they have the right to know the reason for Radames bringing you.” She continued to read, avoiding me.
“You should eat something.” I said, looking at her untouched tray of food. I could sense she was low blood sugar.
“I’m not hungry.” She rubbed the cover of the journal affectionately. "Thank you for returning it.”
I was relaxed in this dim lit room with her, becoming drunk on her scent. I had little concern on whether she was angry with me or not. I had no intention of leaving.
“Bill, I don’t hide things from you intentionally. I am just lost, and trying hard to keep my head above water with my visions, and what it all means.”
She rested her head on her left palm.
“I want to trust you.” I said lightly, but what I meant was that I don’t trust you, so give me a reason to.
“I want to trust you too.” She snapped, her eyes piercing me.
She stood abruptly to find another book from the dusty rows. “
Where is Radames?” She asked, searching with her fingertips.
“He is still dining.” I said, looking over the books she had scattered across the grand desk.
“You speak Aramaic?” I laughed, holding up one of the scrolls.
She smiled back at me, “When the mood fits me.”
“What other dead languages do you speak?”
“I never know until I need it.”
“You mean unless you used it in a previous life.”
“Exactly.”
“Does it scare you still? Your visions?”
“Yes, but there is a reason I was chosen to receive them; so I have to be braver than my fear.” She said, finally finding her book.
She was exhausted, but she exuded excitement from discovering what she desired. She raked her fingers through her hair, pulling it from her smiling face, and I was entranced.
“You are beautiful.” I said, awestruck.
We were only separated by the desk, with the little illumination of the green desk lamp.
“Thank you; you are not too bad yourself, especially when you have fed.” “I can tell that you haven’t eaten either, why not?” She said, coming from around the desk.
“I plan to feed.” I said, running my finger over the curve of her cheek.
“Do you know why I did not drink from you the first evening I met you, Marie?”
“No.”
I laughed, “I do not know either.”
We both laughed together, enjoying the diminishing space between us.
“What does it feel like to drink from a human?”
“Ecstasy” I said, flinging her hair from her collar and kneading the side of her neck, feeling her wane under me.
“Is that what you felt last night?”
“Yes.” I said, remembering the taste of Lourdes’s blood.
She bit the bottom of her lip in anticipation. I tenderly grazed my lips over the throbbing vein in her neck.
My face was buried into the crevice of her neck, “What do you want from me?”
“What I want, you can’t give.” She breathed into my waiting ear.
Sookie.
She knew that I was held captive by the blonde who was at that moment filling Radames’s home with her cries of passion.
Damn Radames’s open home. There were no windows to the balconies of the bedrooms, and their lovemaking carried from the room, out to the balcony, and floated down into the courtyard, and filled every nook of the bottom floor.
Marie let out a sigh of defeat, and returned to her chair.
.........................
I left Marie to find Radames in the courtyard, basking in the fragrance of Sookie and Eric’s lovemaking.
He was a fiend in the moonlight, wearing only a robe, eyes closed, and holding a soft smirk on his face.
He danced alone to an imaginary waltz.
“What a remarkable scent, Bill. She smells like love.” He said, continuing to waltz blindly around me.
The stench repulsed me, and my fangs bore down in disgust.
Radames knowingly hit my back, “We will have fun tonight."
I followed him to the bath house.
We entered the old bath house, reminiscent of a mosque with its red dyed walls and Turkish ceramic tiles. Silver candelabras burned in the grated arched windows and the sunken floor was flooded with warm indigo water. An orgy of exquisite women, men and vampires frolicked through the liquid, kissing, touching, and enjoying each other’s bodies.
He disrobed and waded into the water; greeting his lovers for the evening.
I stripped bare and followed.
I was battling inside from Marie’s words, Sookie’s smell, and the need to satisfy my craving for blood.
I found a spot in the corner of the bath and resorted myself to relishing the scene unfolding before me.
Water splashed, as limbs moved carelessly trying to find any body to yield to a wanting hand. Men kissed one another with abandon, while pleasing vampires. Women in passionate embraces wrapped their glorious legs around each other trying desperately to keep their gorgeous faces afloat. Laughter and passion filled the bath house to the brim.
A dark haired vampire was climaxing with her human lover next to me, and her feral moans aroused me.
I smiled in my enjoyment, just wanting to receive the energy of all the bodies, and forget the events of earlier in the evening.
But, blonde hair had shone through the confusion of bodies, and I found myself honing in on a grinning face.
She resembled Sookie, and I had a desire to consume her whole.
I waded through the water to the fresh faced blonde, who continued to grin, and didn’t speak as she leaned in to me. I grabbed her face with both hands, and bruised her mouth with my kiss. I urgently pinned her against the tile with my chest, and forced her legs open. My hands deftly moved between her thighs and I cupped my fingers into her wanting flesh. She let out a groan, and I kissed her, timing my movement inside of her to the tempo of our kiss. The water undulated from the many bodies that splashed around with their love making.
We exchanged no words. I kept my eyes closed imagining Sookie’s scent.
The woman tensed, pulsated and, tightened herself around my fingers; her breaths were quick and short. I pushed her neck back and sunk my fangs into her. She yelped with pleasure, as she came and I drank from her, sucking hard ,feeling her tremble with her orgasm. I was dazed and backed away from her slowly, taking my hand from inside of her, and setting her body onto the ceramic steps. I pressed hard into her chest, forcing her to lie back, and I tenderly licked at her wounds. Her nails trailed my back and she rubbed her slippery legs on the sides of my waist.
“I see you have found someone to entertain you; good, you must not let others dictate your mood, Bill.” Radames interrupted. He was sitting on the steps being massaged by a young man. The human would break between caresses to kiss Radames and Radames would return the kiss with fervor.
“Is this not beautiful, all of these glorious creatures enjoying life’s greatest gift. The mingling of blood, sweat and cum is beautiful, Bill, just beautiful.” He sat back admiring the scenery, like a painter admires his work.
My blonde drifted away from me to enjoy the array of other bodies to be had. I lingered on the steps next to Radames and his lover.
“Divine chaos, Bill, divine chaos, there is no need for order, because order defines itself. Take this evening, all of these bodies cast into this water all searching for something and everyone ends up with the result they wanted.”
Only Radames could use an orgy as an analogy on the order of life.
“We are the divine chaos.” I said.
I had mulled over the wisdom of Radames, the awareness that we were created from celestial beings and humans, and punished for it. But as Radames put it, we were not punished, simply given an existence without a delineation of right and wrong. I was sick with this revelation.
“Yes, we are Bill, we are fantastic executioners, and we drink indiscriminately.”
“Why are you helping Felipe with mainstreaming vampires? I am beginning to believe that we should become heir to the earth as the creatures we were destined to be.”
Radames smiled, “I grow weary of strong convictions, centuries pass and I see the error in what I held as truth. Even though, I do not seek to mainstream, it may be the path for their future; you are all much younger than I, and I do not wish to crush your youthful dreams.”
Radames was a remarkable contradiction.
“Also I am the oldest and the strongest, that automatically makes me a ruler, and I wish to please. Felipe has been vital in mobilizing us all into an army. It is because of him that I am able to exist without fear knowing that I have the protection of the Elders and Felipe’s armies. There are rogue fledglings that wish to see me obliterated.”
“Why?”
“They want to remain exotic as I wish to, they do not desire to play as humans, but reign as the beautiful animals that we are.” He said, drifting in thought.
“So why do they despise you since you sympathize with that belief?”
“That is why they hate me, Bill. They know these things and call me a traitor. They think I am weak, and if they annihilate me and the Elders, then they can control the vamps.”
“Do they have a leader?” I was concerned about my friend.
“We have plenty of time for this discussion.” He said, kissing the young man’s hand.
“A pity, your friends could not come; I had hoped to see the Viking make love to his human.”
“She is not for display.”
I could feel the unwanted anger mount.
“I do not mean to upset you my friend, but there is no need to be upset, as you just witnessed there is no disgrace in lovemaking for others to adulate.”
I stretched one leg in front of me, and rested on my elbow turnning to face Radames. His lover had stopped massaging him and let Radmes rest his head onto his pubescent chest.
I was feeling so many emotions at this moment. My blood thirst was satiated but my lust was being held hostage.
“Where is Marie?” He asked.
“Still studying.”
He laughed, “As I expected.”
“We spoke briefly on the plane and she disclosed to me, that you promised her if she came here you would tell her about Makeda. “
Radames straightened his self, casting his lover’s arms from him, “And, what did you tell her?” His voice alarmed.
“I did not reveal anything, but I must ask, have you told her all of what you have told me?”
“No.”
“May I ask why?”
“Marie recalls pieces of her life.” He said, protectively. “And I will tell her everything in due time, for now I would like to take pleasure in her.”
“She will not even allow me to lay with her.” He laughed as if the notion of a woman declining him was ridiculous.
“History repeats itself.” I smiled
He shook his head, “I want her, Bill; I want her to save me.” He said, “I cannot continue this without her; it has been too long. It is the same desire that compels you to fawn over Sookie, you also anticipate eventually, she will come to love you again.”
The love I thought I wanted from Sookie deteriorated when I heard the sound of her and Eric fucking.
I crested the water with my hands, enjoying the liquid pushing back, “I am not sure I want it anymore, Radames.”
.......................
I avoided Marie and Sookie, and engaged myself with my new love.
Radames.
He and I scaled the clay walls of the citadel which he continued to refer to as his home, and overlooked the plains of black sand, taking pleasure in the unexpected breeze over the night desert. On those nights, up high, he would recount his mortal life as an Egyptian, and his love for his father.
Bored one evening, we dashed across the desert into the city, and dressed as natives, cloaked in scarves and Bedouin garb. We walked arm in arm, down narrow cobbled streets and pretended to drink tea in cafes. We debated heatedly and laughed in these cafes, mesmerizing the humans around us. We drank from glamoured souls that by fate found themselves in the grasp of us. In those lonely back alleys, they would awaken to remember they were divinely kissed.
We spent night after night locked in each other’s company. I had poured my soul into the ancient vampire, and he listened. He would acknowledge my pain when I needed him to, but he never held it. He always found a way to get me to continue to cast off the shackles of my mortal morality. “Useless baggage.” He called it.
I had never admired someone so much, not Lorena, nor Sookie, no one.
He was my brother.
Sookie caught me once, lying in the fountain. I was fascinated by the moonlit liquid and wanted to be immersed in it. I leisurely lounged in the huge fountain with my arms propping my head above the water. “Something is wrong with you Bill.” She laughed, “What are you doing just lying in that water?” She shook her head and would marvel at me through out the evening.
I was happy.
I had not used the word happy since the birth of my children, who were long deceased now.
I drank blood when I wanted, made love to whomever, and howled at the moon like an animal.
I was intoxicated by his devotion and friendship.
Marie could not sleep at night because of it. She had taken to rising at dawn, and going to bed as we were waking to avoid us. We would sing like mad men outside her balcony, beckoning her to come out. Radames would proclaim his love for her while licking his lover for the evening’s face.
It was our joke.
I would hear her scream at him in the library to tell her what she needed, and he would dance around the subject.
“How did you come to worship Aten, Radames?” She would interrogate.
“It was always one of our gods, and one of the devout priests instructed me on its glory, pet. When you became my wife, you followed suit.”
“You’re lying.”
“My pet, every historical account will attest to my heresy.” He laughed, “I was the first individual, and I would think by spending this time with me, you would have realized my madness.”
His teasing infuriated her.
“So you were buried in the sand when the priests murdered me, and what happened when you found me? You just found a tomb to put me in?”
“Yes.” He lied.
That evening, he fled the library because Marie had resorted to throwing random objects at him for lying.
Leaving Radames again after another night in the city, I made my way underground to my quarters. I was inebriated from the blood and mirth shared, and was welcoming rest.
I entered before the dawn, and I could feel her lurking.
Marie waited in the shadows of my room.
“Why are you in here?” I said without turning to face her.
”He is changing you.”
“He has opened my eyes, Marie.”
“You too will come to love him.” I said, not wanting to look at her. I knew if I did, I would want her to stay. I would have loved to inhale her next to me while I slept.
“He won’t tell me anything Bill.” She said between clenched teeth.
“He will over time, we have only been here a week. You have forever to get to know one another.” I teased, as if she were to let him make her a vampire.
I knew how much Radames wanted her, and it was because of this, I needed for her to leave my room.
I turned quickly and grabbed her harshly by the elbow, “You have to leave, I must rest, and the sun is rising.”
“Why can’t I stay here with you?” She said, not moving.
Her words caused me to stagger. “He loves you, Marie.” I said with all of my strength.
She laughed hysterically, “He doesn’t love me!” “Ha! Can’t you see Bill; he just wants to keep me here, in hopes that in keeping me he will be forgiven for Makeda’s death.”
“Why not give him a chance at forgiveness?” I spat.
She was wide eyed and desperate, “Bill, I can’t stay here, do you hear me? I can’t stay with Radames to make him feel better about his past. I have to…”
I caught her open mouth with my lips before she could finish her sentence. Her sweet tongue yielded to me, and she pressed her breast against my chest. She wrapped her lithe arms around my neck, brushing her hand up into my hair, pressing me to kiss her deeper. I slid my hands up her back, caressing the nape of her neck, clenching handfuls of her hair. She moaned while she kissed me, crumbling underneath my embrace.
I found restraint.
I unhinged myself from her grasp, and forcefully pushed her away from me.
She hit the wall with a hard thud and eyed me in anger.
“You have to leave, you have to leave now!” I said over and over, grabbing her hand to lead her to the door.
She snatched her hand away from my grasp, and whispered," I won’t be kept, Bill.”
.....................
“Brother, I would love to have you live here with me; I see no reason for you to continue in Bontemps from what you have told me.” Radames said.
It was one of our moments, dinner had ended, and he and I remained among the wreckage we caused, hanging on to each other’s words.
“Or,we can travel from here if you like; we can live where ever we want, become folklore in the places we drink.” He smiled; a sleeping human was resting her head in his lap and he petted her like a cherished cat.
I contemplated over my time with Radames, and how much I had transformed. I yearned to continue our relationship, and I wondered what places my new path would take me.
“I am ordered to be in Bontemps, Radames, I have work there.” I said, wishing I could just say yes to his offer.
“Bill, you can do whatever you wish. I can arrange it so that you are free.”
I smiled, “Where shall we go?”
“Anywhere you want, we can live in the abandoned pyramids in the jungles of Guatemala, we can entertain beautiful models on a yacht off the Amalfi coast, we can do whatever we want, Bill, we can pretend to be anyone.”
I delighted in that idea. I could be whoever, assume whatever persona needed. I was learning to entice and play with my humans, as Radames did, instead of just glamouring them. Radames thought glamouring was so dull, he said it took the fun out of seducing them.
I knew that Radames was offering me a life without restraint or an attachment to him. If I wanted to leave him eventually, he would not hold his power over me to stay; he would not hold my love for him like a leash.
I would be completely free.
“Once Sookie is safe at home after the initial meeting with Darius, then I will join you.” I said, giving in.
He was estatic, "You and Marie delight me. I look forward to our adventures, the three of us, trekking the earth.”
“Do you think she will go with us?” I said, trying to block her kiss. Once he said her name, it was impossible.
“Go where?” Her voice carried behind us. Radames and I smiled at each knowingly. He continued to caress his human pet.
It was impossible for her to surprise us; we could detect her even if she were buried at the center of the earth.
She walked over to join us, and Radames and I both were startled.
She wore red.
A crimson gossamer tunic, that clung to her as if she were wet.
I had never seen the woman don anything but black, and the color set her skin alight. Her bronze skin had flecks of gold; her eyes were outlined with coal, as they were when she lived as queen of Egypt. Her every movement was a piece of music, from the shiny bangles and jeweled anklets. Her ebony tresses were pinned up from her right shoulder with a diamond encrusted sunburst, displaying a perfect, smooth, virginal neck.
Her veins were the objects of desire.
Radames was glamoured, and he tapped his human to remove herself from him.
Marie was the only thing that existed now.
“Marie, you are stunning.” He said, “What has made you grace us with your presence this evening? Are you hungry, my pet?” He stood, holding her hands in his, and drinking her in with his eyes.
“Ravenous.” She purred, taking him down into the cushions with her.
“Laslo, please have the chef send some food and wine for Marie.” Radames commanded to the waiting Laslo.
They both held each others gaze, laughing, and she allowed him to caress her.
“Marie, Bill and I were just discussing our future together. If you could go anywhere in the world, pet; where would you want to go?” He asked, pulling Marie onto his lap.
She settled into his embrace, and wrapped one arm around his neck.
“Where ever you go, I will follow.”
She didn’t acknowledge me, and she avoided eye contact.
“When you were my wife, you entranced me in this same manner.” Radames admitted, brushing curls away from her face, and holding her dear, like one would do with a small child.
She wanted something.
It was just hours earlier, that she kissed me and expressed that she did not want to stay with Radames. But, here she was allowing him to adore her as he wanted from the moment he put her over his shoulder in Vegas.
“Then I will take you to the ends of the earth, places that humans have not seen for centuries.” He said, playing with her fingers.
She was too yielding, and he was amused.
“Would that please you, pet?”
“Yes, when do we leave?”
He faced me with a raised eyebrow and laughed.
“Pet, you are ruthless; more so than any vampire I have met.” He said, holding her face between his fingers, crushing her cheeks in his firm grip. “There is no need to patronize me, Marie, I will give you want you want.” He said with his fangs down.
His amused disposition was gone; I was apprehensive that he might tear into her. I could feel from him that her fake indulgence was a wounding blow.
She smiled, “Then I will give you what you want.” She refused to be frightened by him.
He laughed, loosening his grip to caress her again, “I swear, even Oria could not possess me like this.”
“Who is Oria?” She tested, using her free arm to reach for a glass of wine.
“My maker, she was the vampire who made me into the splendid being you see before you.” He said with his face buried in her neck, kissing her lightly.
“Where is she?”
“She is gone, what else would you like to know?”
I did not want to be here with them. My friend was being bewildered by the woman I lusted after, there was not anything that could come from this evening that would ease me. I thought living an existence with Radames would bring me happiness, but I had not anticipated a life with Marie.
“I will leave you both be.” I said, beginning to rise.
“No, stay Bill, you must get use to this since I plan for the three of us to be family.” He said, with his face still buried.
“Pet, Bill has agreed to travel with us, we will explore the world, the three of us, and we will be lovers.”
“Is that so?” She said, looking at me. She was still angry, and gave me a loathsome smirk.
I could not permit myself to stand it anymore. I was disgusted at her behavior, and for Radames allowing her to play with him.
“Brother, I will let you be with your love, I am sure she wants to be alone to enjoy you.” I said smugly, finally rising.
“As I want to her enjoy her.” He moaned, not acknowledging my departure.
She had won him over.
.............................
“Fangtasia was attacked.” Eric seethed between his fangs. His eyes were giant black orbs, and his anger was only being restrained by the soothing blonde who caressed him.
I had opened my eyes to find Eric and Sookie standing in my room.
“What happened? How do you know?” I said alert, reaching for my discarded pants on the nightstand.
“He woke up mid day yelling that he could feel pain from Pam.” Sookie said, with her face wrought with fear. “I ran down here since there isn’t any light and tried to contact her but didn’t get an answer, I contacted Sam to go check on the club and her, and when he got there he saw that the club was burned to the ground. The coroners had taken some vampire bodies from the wreckage but he said he didn’t think any of them were Pam. He’s searching the area for her now.”
She had to speak for the vampire. He could not bring himself to say that his livelihood was ruined and his child may no longer be.
“She is not dead. I can feel it.” Eric managed to say. “Compton, I have to leave now and I need for you to protect Sookie here.” Eric stood in front of Sookie, holding her at bay from him in his anger. He towered over me, his fangs exposed, and impatiently waited for me to assure him that I would protect his love.
“What? We are not all leaving together? “I sat up on the edge of the bed with my head down, wrapping my brain around what happened.
“Eric, I should go with you, I can help look for her with you and I don’t wanna be here alone.” She pleaded with the vampire, tugging at his hand to turn to her.
I was bemused that Sookie said she would be alone when Eric left.
“Compton, I do not want to take her into the hands of danger, if they attacked Fangtasia, it was because they were searching for me or Sookie. I cannot risk her life; she must stay protected here with you. I will meet both of you in Vegas after I have found Pam.”
“I will guard her to my death.” I whispered even though I would have protected her if he had asked me to or not.
“Thank you.”
“I can take care of myself thank you and I want to go with you, I only have a couple of days left here and it will be better for me to be there for you just in…” She stopped midsentence, rethinking her last words.
“Just in case she is dead is what you wanted to say!” Eric yelled. “I told you Sookie, that I could feel if she were dead. She is my child!”
Her face fought the urge to sob.
Eric could feel her apology and he spun around to Sookie, and held her chin, “Lover I am not abandoning you, I cannot protect you while I am hunting the vampires that did this.”
“How do you know they were vampires?” I questioned.
“They left a calling card.” He said.
“One of the vampire patrons was taken out to the front of the club and nailed with silver to a wooden cross; he was there when Sam found him, burned to a crisp from the sun, with a sign that said Lucian.” Sookie said muffled from her face buried in Eric's chest.
“Who is Lucian?”
“Your friend has not told you of Lucian?” Eric smirked, “He is the rogue vampire’s leader, he and his brood wish to see us all driven underground as we lived before.”
“Sookie, I have to leave you here my love, I have to and you have to trust me. I will kill the ones who did this before you arrive so that it will be safe for you to return. I will meet you both in Vegas and we will see what Felipe has us do next in regards to Lucian.” He said, pulling his hand from Sookie’s tightly held grip.
“You will not kill Lucian there?”
I was puzzled. Why would he wait to seek permission from Felipe to kill the one that attacked his club, and possibly murdered his child?
“Lucian is not there, it is possible that he was not even there when the vampires did this act. These vampires that follow him cause destruction in his name. To kill him, I will need an army of me; I will need Felipe to give the order to send reinforcements.”
“Eric, you have my word that I will protect her, and deliver her safely to Vegas. You go swiftly my friend, and if you need me in Bontemps after Vegas to fight, I will be there.” I stood and pledged my devotion to her protection.
“I must leave now; Radames has his jet waiting for me.” Eric said, allowing himself to depart now that he knew I would protect his love.
“Wait Eric, why did you ask if he had told me about Lucian? How does Radames know him?”
“Radames is the one who made him.” Eric said, leaving Sookie and I alone.
...................................
Sookie sadly retreated to her bedroom after Eric departed for Bontemps. She did not leave the safety she felt from her room for her lesson with Radames, or to eat dinner with us.
Radames, Marie and I waited for her to appear.
Radames had known of the attack before I had rose to be informed by Eric and Sookie, but as we recounted the events of the attack together it became clear that it was Marie’s first time to hear of it.
Her pensive face turned to fury at Radames, who held her close to him as he did the night before.
I mulled over Eric’s assertion of Radames being Lucian’s maker, and I felt the urge to question him on why he never told me.
“Radames, why have you never told me that Lucian is your child?”
Radames flashed his brilliant eyes at me, holding the angry Marie even tighter to him; he said softly, “I had planned to tell you both.”
She stared at him wide eyed in disbelief, with their faces close enough to embrace. Her lips moved to speak, brushing his lightly with each word that escaped her mouth, “You will never be forgiven.”
Marie brushed off his hands from her and rose from his lap. She walked backwards from the room, facing us, still in disbelief from what she heard.
He was stricken with fear.
“I am sorry Radames, I should have waited to converse with you about Lucian.” I said, angry with myself for hurting my friend.
“Do not apologize to me brother, I should have told you before and I promise to tell you everything, but for now you must go to Sookie.”
I was taken aback, “She does not wish to see any of us; she is upset about his departure, and I think it is best for me to wait until she is ready to speak.”
“No, you must go to her now.” He said, leaving to find Marie.
I followed my friend’s advice and climbed the staircase that led up to the human’s quarters of the home.
I knocked softly on Sookie’s closed door, “Sook, it is me, I wish to see you if you would allow me in.”
I heard her sigh, walk over to the knob, and reluctantly open it to my smiling face.
“She lives!” I playfully exclaimed at the sight of the tear stained Sookie.
She cracked an unwilling smile.
“Sookie I know you did not want Eric to leave you here, but sweetheart you are not alone.” I said, running my hand down her arm to comfort her.
She stepped aside and gave me a gesture to enter.
Her room was even sad. It was completely devoid of any light but the moon, and her bed was crumpled because she had spent the day buried underneath the covers.
“Thank you for checking on me.” She whispered, getting back into the bed to hide from the world.
“You are welcome.” I said, pulling the cover aside to slide in next to her. She had opened her mouth to protest, but gave in.
She turned her back to me and buried her face into her pillow. I melded my body to the curve of her back, and caressed her face.
“I am so scared Bill.”
“Of what sweetie?” I said, inhaling the perfume of her hair.
“Of everything, of now this new vamp Lucian, of having to meet Darius, of what might have happened to Pam.” She listed, going out of breath.
“I am scared here without Eric.”
“Soooookkkkiiiieee” I purred in my faint southern accent. It came and went as I wanted, but whenever I was with Sookie, I settled back into it.
She laughed, “I haven’t heard you say my name like that in ages.”
“I did it to show you that I am here, I have always been here and you should not be afraid.”
She turned around so that we were face-to-face.
“I know you will protect me Bill, I never doubted that for a moment, but you aren’t the same Bill that got off that plane a week and a half ago, and that’s what I meant by saying I would be alone. With Eric gone physically, and you gone mentally, I feel alone.”
“Sookie, I have changed some of my opinions and outlooks but you must know that I am still the same Bill.”
“Are you?” She questioned, shining her bright blue eyes on me.
“The time has come Sookie. I have come to the realization that Eric is your bonded and it is time for me to move on. You know how I feel about you, but you and he are intent on creating a life together with just the two of you.”
“What are you telling me Bill?”
“I have decided to stay with Radames, Sookie. He and I plan to travel the world, and I am ready to go with him, I am ready to leave Bontemps."
She pulled her face away as if being so close to me was putting me out of focus. Her eyes gave away that she wanted to fight me on my announcement, but she gave in again.
“I am bonded to Eric, this is true. But, I never for a moment thought there would be a time in my life, where I would not have you a heartbeat away from me.”
" A heartbeat?"
She laughed, “You know what I mean.”
Her laughter warmed me.
“Bill, I always thought at some point you and I would find our way back to one another, even with all the pain. I know that me being with Eric hurt you, but you have stayed in my life as my ever constant protector and friend, and I love you.” she mumbled.
“What did you say, Sook?” I asked, wanting her to repeat those words.
“I said that I love you.”
When I heard those lovely words again, I became aware of just how much I had evolved. Two weeks ago I would have fell to her feet and kissed them for admitting that she loved me. I would have become delirious with plotting the death of the Viking to set her free from his bond. There would have not been one thing that could keep her from me, but now the only thing that was holding me away from her was me.
I knew Sookie, although she had let escape she loved me; she was not ready to be mine.
And, I was not willing to settle for anything less than all of her.
I kissed the top of her blonde head and whispered, “I love you too.”
We laid in silence, her breathing was the only words between us. She drank me in with her eyes, contemplating her life if we were one.
She slowly moved her face forward, and I met her mouth with mine. She kissed me as if it was our first time at this embrace, and her lips trembled. I held her head in my hand, not wanting to let her go. We had kissed many times before, but at that instant, I thought this kiss was the sweetest.
We kissed until she feared what I wanted next.
“So here we are.” She laughed nervously, and nuzzled her face into the center of my arm.
“Are you nervous?” I teased.
“You seem all shiny and new.”
“Same Bill.” I assured again.
“Not at all.” She smiled, “This Bill plans to live and travel with a vampire he barely knows.” She teased, “I like him too, Bill. If I were to do something crazy as travel the world, he would be the one I would travel with.” She laid there admiring me, and petting me.
“I am excited.”
“Will Marie travel with you both?”
“I assume so, but after tonight she may rethink his offer.”
“Good.”
I was perplexed; I had thought that Sookie and Marie were affable.
“Sookie, I did not know that you did not like Marie?”
“It’s not that I don’t like her Bill, I do like her. She tries desperately to be friendly, but she gives me the creeps.” She said shaking her head to the idea of having to travel with Marie.
“Why sweetie?”
She sighed deeply, “When we first got here, she asked me to have lunch with her during the day to get to know one another , until I learned that she just wanted to have them to press me for information. The first lunch I made the mistake of telling her that it was Makeda that introduced Radames to Aten, from what you had told Eric and me the night before. Well, her doe eyes lit up and I knew instantly that I had put my foot in my mouth.”
I felt daft. I had never anticipated that Marie would search for the answers she wanted through Radames’s pupil.
“Did you tell Radames?”
“No. I told Eric about it and he told me to avoid giving anymore information to her.” She said worried, “I have been avoiding her during the day but she caught me on the way up here after Eric left and she freaked me out yet again.”
“Why, what did she say.”
“She told me that I should have left with Eric because I would have a hard time with Darius in Vegas. I asked her why, like maybe she had overheard Radames talking to Felipe or something, but she said that I wouldn’t be able to read Darius’s mind just like I can’t hers. Did you tell her that I can read minds or that I couldn’t read hers?
“No.” I said, startled.
I was enraged from the conniving antics of Marie. She had to be dealt with, either Radames had to tell her everything or she had to be sent away from us.
“Well, that wasn’t even the part that freaked me out; it’s what she said next.”
“What did she say Sook?” I said not amused anymore, but ready to find the conniver.
“When I meet with Darius, I should kill him."
...........................................
I lay with Sookie until I could feel her sleep approach.
I indulged in her in peace, even though once she told me of Marie prodding her for information; I was ready to go interrogate Marie.
Once I saw Sookie’s heavy eyelids remain shut; I was out the door.
I almost wanted to laugh at the situation with Marie. Here was this human woman who constantly put me in a baffling predicament, and I allowed it.
How could it be that this human was able to have so much power over us?
I would have continued my bafflement with her, and she could have forged ahead with her quasi relationship with Radames, and I would have entertained her in silence. I would have even been willing to share a part of my existence with her in tow, but all of that was gone the minute Sookie told me she advised her to kill Darius.
Such an act by Sookie would catapult a war.
Heading down the winding staircase, I caught the ascending scent of the woman I sought. I waited steps above her sight, watching her somber face turn to surprise once she saw me.
She halted two steps beneath me, and looked up into my eyes, “Are you going to let me pass?”
“How do you know Sookie will not be able to read Darius’s mind?” I questioned, fangs down.
“Because he is not human.”
“What is he?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Is he a reincarnate of someone you know?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, Bill. It was recently revealed to me that he was not human, which is why I wanted to warn Sookie, I don’t think she should meet with him unless she intends to kill him.”
“Do you know what would happen to her if she just killed him, Marie? Do you have any clue what you advised Sookie? Felipe could have her ordered to die for not following his order; she would jeopardize the future of the mainstreamers, and would give Darius’s followers more fuel to annihilate us. Is that what you predicted when you suggested this to her? "
“It is not for me to justify the end. He is supposed to die, Bill, if she doesn’t do it. I will.”
I forcefully pushed her up against the stairway wall.
“Listen to me; you are to never speak to her again. Do you understand? Never! I will speak with Radames and tell him of what you advised, and that I cannot see myself in your presence any longer. Sookie and I will travel to Vegas earlier than expected, and I will make sure that you will not be coming along.”
“That is not for you to decide, Bill. I am going to Vegas to meet Darius whether you are okay with that or not. I don’t answer to you.” She said, not turning away from my intense gaze.
I backed away from her, and she walked up the stairs away from me, and I reached out to her in my anger, pulling her back down a step.
My fangs barely scraped her cheek, “You do on this matter, Marie.”
“I answer to no one or thing that walks this Earth.”
She pulled her cheek away to face me dead on.
“Radames is not here to protect you.”
“I don’t need him to protect me.”
“Do not test me, Marie.”
“Bill, you are the one testing me.”
I let go of her unyielding arm, but she didn’t make a move. We stood still, staring at one another, both weighing the other’s threat.
She sighed deeply, and her face softened. Her eyes were weary, and I could feel her fatigue.
She tenderly caressed my face with the back of her hand, and I caught it abruptly, and pulled her into my embrace.
Her luscious mouth parted and met my tongue with aggression. Her kiss swirled and searched, longing for me to suck.
I pushed her by her shoulders away from me and pinned her to the wall. I was spinning from my emotions; I wanted so much from her at that moment. I considered making love to her or killing her, as she remained pinned under my strength, breathing heavy from anticipation.
I leaned into her, moving my hands from her shoulders to her waiting hands. I intertwined my fingers in hers and slid them over her head.
“I do not know what I am to do with you.” I admitted to her softly.
She did not speak, but her heart unfolded through her eyes. She did not want to be my enemy, and the truth is, I did not wish for her to be either.
I took in her scent, her lovely intoxicating scent. I drew it inside of me, becoming aroused by the mingling soft fragrance that came from between her legs.
I let go of her hands and cradled her face in them, kissing her lightly on the mouth.
The staircase was lit by candlelight, and the golden light on her skin guided me downward.
I kissed her tenderly down the front of her dress, tasting the fabric. She raked her fingers through my hair, kneading my neck as I bent on my knees to kiss her further.
I stopped my lips at the center of her stomach, and I reached my hands under the hem of her dress. I gingerly ran my fingers over her calves, the lines of her thighs, and I resisted a strong urge to bite in to the succulent curve of her hip.
Her bottom half was completely exposed in the stairwell for my pleasure. I was still face to face with her navel, and I kissed it again gently, “Do not defy me.” I whispered.
I buried kisses into her, and moved my hands over her breasts, enjoying their weight in my palms.
She took one of my hands and kissed the palm fervently.
My hunger was upon me, and I stood so that she could see the monster that I was.
Vampires are intriguing to humans; our entire being is enticing to them, but when we are aroused to drink, we are unsightly.
I knew that my pupils were dilated to pools of black, and my wane pallor was the color of chalk. My fangs were fully extended and I longed to consume her.
She ran her fingers over my face, feeling my fangs between them.
She came to her decision about me, and sought my mouth quickly, kissing me passionately despite my fangs.
I reached around her hips and lifted her up and she wrapped her thighs around my waist.
I carried her from the stairwell to her bedroom, holding her in that embrace while she kissed me.
I did not care about anything but having her, and she felt the same.
Holding her up against her closed bedroom door, I kissed her mouth with abandon, and grabbed handfuls of her hair to caress with my mouth. Every part of her held the divine scent, and I wanted to devour it.
“I want you to drink from me.” She escaped in between my kisses.
I carried her to her bed, and lay next to her , and nuzzled my face into her neck.
I had her.
Here was the moment I had been waiting for since I first stepped on to that fated elevator.
Her scent was all around me, inside of me, I rested on a bed of it.
I had her warm body pulsating underneath me.
“Are you sure?” I whispered, with my fangs scraping her.
“Yes” she moaned.
My fangs punctured the salted skin, and droplets of blood trickled. She gasped from the initial pain, and I delved deeper in to the tender flesh. The blood came in waves into my open mouth.
I could hear the distinct pull of the blood from each organ in her body; it came up to the tiny wounds I made with my piercing kiss.
The taste of the blood aroused me even more and I suckled at her greedily, crushing her body against me.
Her life moved into me, undulated, breathed in and out, contracted and expanded.
This was my nature, the nature of taking.
My mind wanted everything to stop so that it could get a foothold, find my position, so I could figure out how to control this bliss.
Bliss.
Everything was heightened as I drank from her. I could hear the breeze whistle lightly through her open window, the drum beat of her pounding heart, and the soft flutter of her eyelashes.
I followed the glorious light in her blood. It was within reach, this stillness and peace.
I was no longer in the bed with her; I was no longer crushing her.
I was out of my vampire body; I was inside of her, inside her head.
I chased the passion in her, trying to catch it like a child tries for butterflies. It danced from each clasp, and I followed it going into the abyss of the divine light that was her.
The light overwhelmed me, and I wanted to turn away but could not. Crimsom tears escaped my eyes, and I clung to her neck, sucking until I could find the source of that light.
I heard her mouth move to say, “Bill”, but, she was too weak to utter words.
I was draining her.
I knew I needed to pull away but I couldn’t; I didn’t want to be torn away.
I growled, fighting myself to let go, but I was mesmerized and I felt if I just received another drop then the bliss would be mine.
Then the light opened itself to me, and I saw a vision of Marie smiling inside of it.
Flashes of her life blipped across my mind; I saw her as a lonesome child and then a cherished baby. I saw images of her as an Indian man, listening to his friend speak of God by the Ganges,and a Jewish prophet that attested to salvation by baptizing others in a river, and then as Radames’s wife.
Makeda.
Makeda, the one that fascinated an impressionable young prince, who would become King and change his entire religion because of her.
The light begged me to go further, and I tumbled down deeper, and then I saw it.
I saw what she was, and I trembled.
I let out a loud gasp when I finally pulled myself away from her, and fumbled blindly onto the floor.
I could not see.
She lay still on the bed, quiet. I could hear her shallow breathing, and her body rising and falling slowly.
She needed for me to close her wound, but I could barely see. My mind was still lost in the blood that I had consumed from her.
I used her scent and my hearing to detect her, and I bit into my own wrist to have the droplets fall onto her open wound.
I fought a wrenching desire to place my mouth back over her neck.
I sat on the edge of the bed, hovering over her still body. I took her hand and placed it over mine.
She offered a weak smile, “What did you see?” She asked the question because she wanted me to tell her what she was. She was too terrified to believe all what her visions showed her. Sometimes ,we just do not want to belive the truth of what we are.
Warms tears seeped from her eyes, waiting for me to reveal to her what she was, but I could not speak.
I could not vocalize what I saw.
My body shook to the core from a sob that was mingled with the bliss and pain I felt. I placed my mouth to her forehead, and removed her fingers from my hand.
I stood, backing away from her. “Bill?” she was frightened from my behavior, “Don’t leave me please, I need you.” She wailed.
I could not be in the room with her blood calling to me. It was inside of me pulsating, and commanding me to drink from her again.
“You know, don’t you? Tell me.”
I flung open the door to race to my room before the dawn’s light.
“I cannot Marie.”
I left her to seek the safety of my room, but it followed me. I closed the iron door to my bedroom and rested my back against the cool metal, closing my eyes. And I saw it again, and I let out a blood curdling scream, and felt the joyful tears it caused escape again.
I did not know as I wept underground, that Radames had stood outside Marie’s balcony window as he had many times before, and heard us, just as he heard Sookie and Eric.
My heartbroken friend scaled up his citadel’s wall, and sat there contemplating what he should do next.
He loved us both.
He would sit there, going over the horrendously beautiful images of his existence; he thought of his father and maker, and Makeda that no longer existed even if she breathed under his roof.
He wrestled with the pain that he would not come to taste again, what he drained from her centuries before.
He decided to meet the splendor he worshipped as a mortal youth.
If he could not have her again, he did not wish to continue, because he feared she loved me, and I would not be willing to part with something so divine.
For he and I both knew what she was.
We both had tasted an Angel.
........................
Vampire wails penetrated through the underground, and reverberated into my sleep.
“Our master is dead.”
I was up out of the room half dressed; I spilled into the hallways to be greeted by weeping vampires.
“Radames has left us.” One yelled, tearing at his blond hair.
“Our father is dead.”
I didn’t believe their words.
Blood tears covered the tunnel stairwell that led up to the ground floor.
“Where is Radames?” I yelled at Laslo, who was consoling a crying Sookie.
“He has met the sun, Mr. Compton.”
“What?” I questioned, looking over the many lovers of Radames with their heads down mourning.
Sookie released herself from Laslo to seek comfort in my arms. I pushed her away, “That cannot be. Where is Radames?” I questioned, Sookie.
She sobbed harder, taking my hands in hers. “Sweetie, he is dead.”
Radames would not leave this earth with Marie here, not when she had agreed to travel and live with us.
“Where is Marie? Does she know?” I asked both Sookie and Laslo.
Her absence from the room was glaring.
“She was the first to be informed, Mr. Compton. She went directly to the library and asked not to be disturbed until it was time to board the jet.” Laslo said.
Sookie and Laslo swiftly followed me to the library. They were sensing my crazed mental state.
I wanted to find Marie and hold her. I wanted to feel her breathing; I needed to feel her life. At the loss of Radames, I yearned to embrace the creature he loved so deeply.
I flung open the library door, “Radames has killed himself.” I informed the lone occupant of the room.
She was magnificent against the backdrop of us, who were bereft with grief. She was all smiles and seduction in her black tank top, spandex pants and riding boots.
She was foreign to me.
The bits and pieces of her that I was able to form in my mind were completely shattered when I tasted her.
“He was already dead.” She said, stuffing a book into a duffle bag.
Sookie gasped and Laslo bowed his head from her disgrace.
Why had not the news of Radames’s death stirred her like all the rest of the occupants of the home?
“How can you be so cold when he loved you?”
“He never loved me.” She said as a matter of fact.
I was angered.
"You knew he would do this?” I growled, moving toward her.
“I told you that I would not be kept, Bill.”
“You knew that he would end it.” I bellowed with laughter at that realization.
I laughed to keep myself from crying from the anguish I felt. I could not help the feeling that Radames was stolen from me.
"Yes. I knew that Radames wouldn’t have been able to bear to look at either of us for betraying him. Instead of killing us both, he killed himself, and the result is our freedom.” She said, casually moving around to book case to book case.
“I did not want to be free of him.” I said so low that it came as more of as an admittance to myself.
“It is not a matter anymore. Radames is no longer and...”
“IT MATTERS TO ME!” I roared, hurling a chair over her head to smash into the wall.
My longing for her had caused the departure of my friend and I was beside myself with guilt. I could not grapple with the loss of Radames; I had to block it out. The only concern I could handle was getting Sookie to safety.
“We cannot stay here a moment longer, this place is no longer a safe haven for Sookie” I said, regaining my composure.
“I know. I have the jet waiting for us, but I have not found what I am looking for.”
“You will have to leave it, we have to leave now.” I said pressing her.
“I’m close.” She said pressing the books on the shelf she faced. She cursed under her breath, and did the same action to the shelf below. She was conspicuous in her delight at being able to search aspects of the library that I was sure had been hidden to her before.
Marie was finally able to get the answers that we all had kept from her.
“You are an egregious sight, my dear.”
She abruptly turned to face me. “Am I?”
“Yes, it hurts me to even look at you right now.”
She laughed and I could see livid tears forming at the corner of her eyes, but refused to fall from her eyelids, “I know that it was Makeda that introduced Aten to Radames, Bill. I also, know that it was Priya who enlightened Siddartha, and John who mentored Jesus. You would not say what I was last night, but your reaction from my blood confirmed to me what I speculated.” She said angrily.
I mockingly said, “How do you know what my reaction was supposed to be?”
“I’ve watched you and Radames devour human after human, Bill. I learned to see exactly what kind of reflex occurred, and I don’t believe last night was one of ecstasy, as you called it.”
She was wrong; the blood I had tasted from her put me in a supreme state.
“Say it, Bill; I want to hear you say what I am.”
I turned my back to her and made strides to exit, taking Sookie in hand. “Sookie, we need to board now.”
“What are you, Marie?” Sookie asked, pulling my arm back to her. Sookie was puzzled at me and Marie’s discourse.
“I am a messenger of God. I was sent to this earth to protect the ones for whom he has a plan, and for some reason, Bill, you are a part of that plan.” She stated proudly, like a solider reporting to battle.
“You? Protect me?” I questioned her in disbelief.
She pushed her last set of books, and the large bookcase withdrew from the rest of the wall revealing a hidden passageway.
Heavy thuds hit the roof and loud landings in the courtyard, and the sound of beings scrambling, and screaming seeped under the library’s door.
The distinct screech of a vampire dying, calling for its life caused us to freeze.
Laslo was the first to open his mouth and whisper, “Lucian has arrived.”
........................
I quickly gathered the pieces of broken wood from the chair and handed them to Sookie.
“If any of them come near you, you know what to do.” She nodded, quickly taking the small stakes from my arms. Her blue eyes were filled with confidence, and I was soothed knowing that we would fight together.
“Where does that passage lead to?” I asked Marie.
She was silent; the passage way was not what she was looking for.
“We will just have to find out.” Marie said grabbing her duffle bag and an object that looked like an assault rifle.
“Bullets will not kill a vampire.” I was exasperated. How could she expect to protect any of us with such a human weapon?
“I know.”
I hurried Sookie and Laslo into the dark passage, “Come on Marie!” I yelled, trying to push the book case to its original position before running into the passage myself.
“WAIT!” She yelled back, pushing book shelves on the other side of the library.
The library door imploded and pieces of wood flew around us.
A legion of vampires covered in the blood of humans and vampires rushed into the library.
Sookie screamed, and aroused the attention of one of the fiends; he charged towards me with his fangs bared.
Marie grabbed her assault rifle and aimed it at my attacker. A blue ray beamed from the gun and disintegrated his vampire body; tiny bits of ash fell like confetti over his brethren.
The vampires halted and turned to attack the one who killed their brother.
“Run down this passage now, get her out of here.” I said, to Laslo before pushing the bookcase closed.
I lunged for the nearest vampire and tore at his neck, pulling out his vocal cord with my teeth.
Lucian entered the room.
The beautiful being was pale as any other vampire, but his skin was luminous and sinewy over his solid build. His eyes were slits of emerald green and his straight black hair hung over his shoulders and hid his contoured face.
“Where is Radames?” He hissed with a faint Russian accent between his fangs.
“He is dead.” She said.
Lucian winced briefly and his eyes completely disappeared,"That is a shame.”
He was dressed for battle in military garb and boots; he paced back and forth of the library, questioning to himself who Marie and I were.
“I came here to give my father a chance to relent but his decision has already been made.” He glanced from me to Marie,” I can see that my father still loved pretty things” He cracked.
He glared at me, “All of your elders are dead. I am now your King.”
I leaped for the new king and was restrained by his fledglings, I struggled under their many hands, growling and kicking.
His laughter vibrated through the room, “Felipe, Kumal and Anastasia are no longer, I had them silver bound to crosses before I came to see my father.”
“Would you have done the same to him?” I spat, clawing into the flesh of the vampires that were holding me.
“If he would have defied me; yes.”
I was trying to feel for Sookie, hoping that the blood we had once shared would allow me to detect where she was headed. I said the first prayer since the start of my immortal life that Sookie was safely in the plane.
He moved at a human’s pace towards Marie, She held the gun closer to her chest, aiming it at Lucian’s head.
He playfully put his hands up like he was giving up.
“You are not human.” He said examining her.
“Kill him, we have to get Sookie!” I yelled.
“Your blonde is not being harmed even though she staked two of my children.” He answered back.
“Is that how you planned to escape?” He said, nodding knowingly to the closed bookcase, “I lived here before.” He smiled.
“Marie kill him.” I yelled, my bare chest and fangs were covered in vampire blood.
“She is looking for something or she would have killed me.” He spun to me, smiling.
“I need Oria’s book.” Marie admitted over the barrel of the gun.
“And if I show you where it lies, then what?”
“Then I won’t kill you.”
Before she could blink an eye he was behind her with his fangs at her neck, grabbing the gun from her hands and slinging it over his shoulder. “What threat do you have for me now?” He whispered at her ear.
For the first time of my knowing Marie, I saw that she was frightened. She had not anticipated Lucian taking away her weapon so deftly.
“Were you Radames’s pet?” He asked using Radames’s term of endearment. He wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her head back forcefully. She didn’t answer; her breathing quickened.
“Or was he?” He held her firmly, pointing at me.
She closed her eyes remaining silent, only letting her quick breaths escape.
He let go of her abruptly and cast her to the floor. He stepped over her body and walked to the corner of the library and pressed the books on the eye level shelf. The bookcase withdrew and he disappeared and reappeared holding a weathered scroll.
“This is Oria’s” he shook the scroll over Marie, who was still on the ground.
Her eyes lit up.
“Why were you looking for this?”
“It was possessed by Oria, but it was not written by her.” Marie quipped, pulling herself up to stand.
“Who wrote it?”
“Morning Star”
He looked puzzled but did not question her further; he slapped the scroll in his hand ready to bargain.
“I will let you leave with the blonde and this scroll, but he stays with me.”
“No, I need that scroll and I won’t leave here without Bill and Sookie.”
“BILL?’ He looked at me with recognition, his fangs extracted and he leaped towards me.
I kicked him in his jaw midflight, while his fledglings still held me captive. They growled around me for hitting their master and piled their weight on top of me, breaking my flesh with their fangs, but the smell of Marie’s blood filled the library.
She had punctured her wrists with one of the wooden splinters from the ground.
The animals were distracted by the bait.
“Leave him! Lucian, I will let you drink from me if you let us go with that scroll.”
He grunted with desire, and snapped his fangs away from me.
His children released me and crawled to the spot on the floor where her blood was pooling. They lapped at it like kittens at milk, groaning with visceral pleasure.
Lucian was at her neck, sniffing, his eyes closed, inhaling and moaning.
I grabbed one of the larger splinters, swiftly came behind him before he could taste her, and staked him in his back. Lucian gasped, gurgling on the blood that was coming up inside of him, and melted like hot candle wax, spouting that very blood on us both. The new king was now a goey bloody mess at our feet.
The gun dropped to the ground being the only thing that did not melt.
She grabbed the gun, the scroll and her duffle bag.
She sprayed his remaining descendants with the blue beam, they screeched to be saved, while she reduced them to piles of ash.
I ran out the library, leaving her behind to find Sookie. “Sookie!” I yelled.
“Sookie!”
"SOOKIE!!!!!!!" I roared and my echoes boomeranged to me.
“Bill. Bill. Bill” I heard her weak voice calling to me.
“Where are you my love?” I yelled back.
The house was filled with the stench of decaying flesh of humans and vampires.
Marie caught up with me as I ran from room to room trying not to slip on the blood and bodies that were cast haphazardly from the battle.
I could smell Sookie near.
I found her bound by rope at her hands and feet and hog tied together. She was breathing shallow and her eyes were closed. Distinct bite marks were visible on her neck.
Someone had tried to drain her.
I saw the drained corpse of Laslo lay next to her and the remains of the vampires that she staked.
I quickly undid the ropes and kissed at the marks it left at her wrists,” Sookie, you have to drink from me, now!” I commanded.
She was limp as a rag doll in my hands, her head bobbing and limbs all soft.
“Quick, help me get her to sit up.” I snapped at Marie.
Marie squatted behind Sookie and propped up her back with her knees and held her head between her hands.
“Sookie, you cannot leave me, you hear me! You cannot leave me. You have to drink my blood.”
I bit at my wrists and pushed the open wounds up to her mouth.
She licked at my wrist.
Her licks were sluggish at first and then became rapid; she found the strength in her hands to wrap them around my wrist. She began to suckle and pull the lifesaving blood into her. She groaned and her blue eyes flashed open.
“I love you”, I whispered still letting her suckle. I caressed her blonde head with my free hand and showered her with kisses.
Marie smiled and sighed at the sight of us. She was relieved that Sookie had not departed from us so soon.
“Pick her up, Bill, We have to leave.” Marie said standing, slinging the gun over one shoulder and the bag onto another.
I carried Sookie in my arms out of the home that was now a crypt of my memories of Radames and the dead that lay their rotting.
The jet seats reclined to beds, and I had wrapped Sookie up and laid her down to rest. “Was it the vampires that tied you up that tried to drain you, Sookie?” I questioned, petting her. I sat on the edge of the airplane bed, staring down at her. Her eyes began to fill with fearful tears and she shook her head, not wanting to relay what happened.
“It is okay my love; you do not have to speak now. Try to rest, and I will be right here when you awake.” She nodded and closed her eyes to find some solace in sleep.
Marie came from the cockpit after informing the pilots of our new destination. We could no longer go to Vegas with Felipe gone. I was taking us all back to BonTemps. I knew with Eric’s help, we could keep Sookie safe.
“We are BonTemps Bound” She said cracking a slight smile. Her tank top was completely gray with ash and her riding boots had dried blood up to her knees.
“Good. Once we land, we are heading straight to Eric’s home.”
She nodded in acknowledgment while scrounging through her duffle bag, she pulled out the scroll and smiled wide at me. She was lit up like a small child.
“You risked your life for that scroll; I hope it was worth it.”
“It is worth more than my life.” She said without hesitation.
“I am going to stay on the jet and travel to Vegas to find Darius while you tend to Sookie.” She said uncurling the scroll.
“You are not going anywhere without me.”
She looked at me in amazement. “I can take care of myself, Bill. Plus it is best that you stay with Sookie and Eric.”
“Now you sound like this one.” I laughed pointing at the sleeping beauty.
She laughed and I smiled in appreciation of just being lighthearted after what we had just been through.
“Darius sent Lucian to kill you, Bill. When I said your name he recognized who you were.”
“Darius and Lucian are working together? Why?”
“Their agendas benefitted each other. They both wanted for vampires to remain underground. Lucian would become king and Darius would get to rule his humans with the belief that their vigor in his new religion had expelled Vampires from living as them.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Radames did begin to tell me of the history and politics at the end, but not enough.” She trailed.
“I am assuming that when they attacked Fangtasia it was in an attempt to find me, they probably thought if they caught Sookie, they could have tried to bribe me? But, that does not explain his reasoning for wanting to kill me.”
She sighed, closing her eyes. The scroll was still held firm in her fingers on her lap.
“Darius wants to kill you because of who you are.”
“Who am I?” I questioned, amused by what her answer might be.
“You’re Bill.” She smiled back.
I was still half dressed, just wearing pants and barefoot. My body was covered in the same debris that covered Marie.
My hunger was the pain that I was feeling now.
I rubbed my face against my shoulder, groaning. I did not think this jet was stocked with True blood and I could not feed from Sookie. I glanced over at Marie. I reached over and caressed her hand gently.
Her eyes turned to me, “You’re hungry.”
I nodded, staring at her longingly.
She rose from her seat and grabbed my hand to follow her to the back of the cabin. She reclined the seats of the last row and made space so that I could lie next to her. We were ash covered face to ash covered face.
Her eyes and teeth were still bright from her smile, “Why do you get so angry with me?” she purred, touching my lips with hers.
“Because you never tell me what you are up to.”
“Why can’t you just trust me? I’m not here to harm you or Sookie.”
Her hand sought mine and she squeezed it tight.
“I think you also might be crazy.” I teased, “If Lucian had not retrieved Oria’s scroll for you, you probably would still be there right now trying to search for it.”
“Yes, you are right. I would.” She said laughing.
I turned on my side, so my mouth was near her veins.
“You said another name had written the scroll, who was it that you said wrote it?” I was becoming aroused and playfully nipping at her with my fangs.
“Morning Star.”
“Yes. Morning Star.” I rolled the named off my tongue, it sounded strangely familiar to me, “Who was Morning Star?”
“He was an angel and we were lovers.” She admitted between moans. I kissed her neck passionately and kneaded at the tender space between her thighs.
“Lovers?” I teased again, licking her salty skin, “Do you know if you will see Morning Star again?” I was salivating for her.
“I am with him now.”
.......................
“Say something, Bill.” Marie said, impatiently waiting for me to break the silence between us.
I laid flat on my back, shrouding myself with her silken curls over my face and neck. I played with each tendril between my fingers; taking pleasure in stretching each curl straight and releasing it to spiral back to their true form.
So, we were lovers.
I was weakening from the lack of blood, and even though my hunger was gnawing at me, I could not drink from her just yet.
I closed my eyes and spoke softly through the veil of her hair, “Woman, if you keep one more thing from me; I will kill you.”
I could not see her face, but I knew she was smiling.
“I won’t keep anything from you anymore.”
“Good. I am becoming very fond of you and would hate to see you go. Now, tell me how I was ever able to be an Angel, and have you as a lover then lose it all.”
“We weren’t lovers as humans use the term Bill; we were lovers of God. We were celestial extensions of him, and we regarded him and each other with great awe and devotion. You and I encapsulated all what humans try to obtain here- husband and wife, brothers, father and son, mother and child, - the love that humans attempt here can’t compare to what you and I had.”
“How did we come to be?”
“We were created from the breath and dust of divine love that is God. You and I were extensions of him and one of the same. We were parts that created the whole that delighted in the worship of God.
“What made Morning Star leave that?”
I was not comfortable yet thinking of myself and Morning star as being the same.
"God decided he wished to create a universe with creatures - humans. We were all ablaze with excitement over his creation, and begged to be sent to this Earth to touch them. God admitted a few of his lovers to go with the knowledge that they were not to disturb the humans as they were. He sent his most beloved ,Morning Star - son of his right- along with a small brigade to witness his creation. You became so enthralled by humans that you fell in love with a human woman and experienced the human act of lovemaking, and she became pregnant with Oria.”
“Oria is my daughter?”
She smiled hovering over my dumbfounded face, “She was your daughter.”
“Radames said that Oria was a part of the nephilim; I thought there were many vampires made from the angels who impregnated the women.”
“There were other angels who impregnated human women, but once God became aware of their sin, he gave them the ultimatum to relinquish their humans to return to heaven or live a human life on earth devoid of him. The brigade relinquished their time on earth, and their earthly seeds never lived pass the age of three. Your seed was the only one who would survive.”
“Bill, you marveled at everything and wanted to document your delight in your mortal life, love and the impending birth of your daughter. You were astounded that you were able to create life, like God had with his humans.”
“I documented all this in the scroll?”
“When you wrote that, you were the true self. You were not a reincarnate as you are now. You had no residual of each human life, all those fears, losses, and you didn’t feel so hopelessly trapped. You were supreme, and you had a supreme knowledge.
“Can you read it?”
She sighed deeply; confirming to me that she could not read the scroll she fought for.
“I can’t make anything of it; I was hoping that maybe you could. The scroll; well, for one thing, it was not suppose to happen. You used a form of communication that humans wouldn’t come to practice for thousands of years to come. Second; the words in there are in a language that no human has ever spoken. It is the language of God.”
I wondered if I would be able to understand it. It was after all my words even if they were words I had never used in this life.
“Because of your defiance, God was heartbroken. He wanted you to return as we all did, but it was of your free will to stay. God finally beckoned you, and you refused to come. He was stricken with grief and for some time he refused us all of his glory until he gave you the same ultimatum as he did the brigade. You still refused him and he sentenced you to walk the earth as a human; you would no longer be an angel.
“But for the accuser that was not enough. He claimed that you were jealous of your father and had created a daughter out of spite to challenge God with your own greatness. He said that you no longer loved him and he would prove it.”
“He punished me through Oria.”
She nodded, “Your daughter was born but she could not be exposed to light without screaming from being burned all the way in to her insides, and that she was only satiated from the blood of slaughtered beasts. You cursed god for letting your daughter suffer but it was the accuser who had administered your punishment for defying God. You killed yourself in despair to try to return to God, but were not allowed into Heaven. God could not bear his beloved to be cast to purgatory, so he sent you back down again and again, and you have repeated life over and over ever since. Souls are given a time of rest before transcending to another state, but you were not given that grace.”
“God told the accuser that once you were repentant of your defiance and had come to love him again, then he would allow you entry. We watched you over time fail but once we saw you live as William Compton and your building faith and love of God, we knew that your soul had found repentance and upon your death your soul would be allowed entry.”
The bible stories that my mother read to me as a child, and the image of the small wooden cross that was nailed over my bed came to my mind. The tales left me terrified of what might happen to me if I spoke back to my mother or forgot to pray. I would imagine eternal fires and would cry until my mother would console me.
That same fear drove me to behave according to how my parents, society, and eventually I deemed righteous. I was still imagining those eternal fires that waited if I deviated.
It was never love that inspired me.
For myself, it was always a religion of fear and rule, and even though I fearfully obeyed, I had never known this experience of divine love that Marie spoke of. I knew I did not possess it when I was alive. Did God not know the difference between being feared and loved?
“But, instead of dying I was made a vampire” I mused.
“The accuser sent Lorena to turn you so that you would be denied again.”
She pressed my hand against her lips.
“I went to see the accuser, my brother, your brother. I begged him to release the penance on you, and convince him you deserved another chance, but he refused. He saw it fit that you would be denied again by your sins that caused the offspring that was your daughter. He debated me for a hundred years, until he would not allow me entry to Purgatory.”
“Darius is the Accuser.” I said.
“He is creating an army in God’s name to annihilate vampires completely. He has been tracking you to kill you because you were destined; and now with the other rulers dead, there is only you. I have come to earth each time to transform a human that would be king, and each time they have attempted to pass on the message of love, but humans have used these teachings for their own selfish agendas and political attainment. God sent me as guardian to each of those beautiful souls and now I am with you.”
“Me?”
“Yes you.”
“I am not a King.”
“You will be.”
..................................
I did not rest.
I drifted to the sleep that every Vampire succumbs to during the day but my mind was active with the blood of Marie. I had fed from her before seeking refuge in the light proof box on the jet and hours later I was still feeling the effects.
I had experienced the death of a friend, nearly losing the love of my life and learning that I was a fallen angel; I should have been feeling despair.
But the only sensation I could feel was happiness. Her blood was my salve.
I had risen to find Marie in Eric’s kitchen. She was seated at the small bistro table eating ice cream from the carton, dressed in one of Sookie’s summer dresses. I laughed at the sight of her; the borrowed clothing did not suit her demeanor. I was still dirty from the escape, smudged chest and dirt caked pants. I told myself I would make a trek to my home in Bontemps to find clothes and seek rest there.
Marie was able to make contact with Eric, while Sookie and I slept on the jet. Eric had his day workers de-board me and bring us all to his home. Eric had informed Marie that she and I were welcome and that he preferred us there with him after what he had went through with Pam. He had just found the silver bound Pam the evening before, and she was recuperating in the ground below the home. She was too weak to feed on her own so he was bringing fangbangers to her until she regained all of her strength.
“Why does Sookie have marks on her neck?” Eric raged with his fangs out and ready. He had descended from the third floor to accost Marie and me in his kitchen.
“Those are not my marks, Eric; but, I did have to give her my blood to save her from dying.”
He was startled at the consequence of what I just told him. “Whose marks are they?”
“I do not know.”
“How can you not know Compton? You said you would protect her and you left her to be nearly drained.” He hissed through his fangs.
“He did protect her, he’s the reason she still breathes.” Marie asserted from the bistro table.
Eric snapped his head from me to look down at Marie, “Did I ask you to speak?”
She stood and broadened her chest. “I don’t need your permission to speak the truth, Northman.” She responded with such ferocity that Eric was amused.
“You are a guest in my home, Marie. You are wearing my lover’s clothes and eating the food that was purchased with my money. You will respect me in my home.”
“And you will respect your King.”
“What is this nonsense?”
Marie glared at him like she wanted to put her ray gun to use again.
“Did you know that I am an Angel, I am also destined to be King, and I am supposed to help this one kill Darius.” I joked, pointing at Marie.
Eric scrunched up his face, disregarding the madness that I was saying, “I need to know what happened with Radames and how were you able to kill Lucian.”
“Radames met the sun.”
“And, Lucian?”
“Lucian came charging in with his army but he lost his focus in the presence of divine blood.”
“Quit talking in code, Compton”
“I was able to stake him because he was distracted by Marie’s blood.”
“Why, is she a fairy?”
“Angel.” She replied for me.
He stared at the petite warrior dressed in his lover’s white halter dress. He dared not laugh at her, even though the dress was a bit of a mockery. He could see the fighter that blazed in her heart.
“I came down to get Sookie some water, but when I return, I expect a full debrief.” He stated before leaving us.
A voice that was not mine called to me.
Bill, where are you?
I looked up at the ceiling and penetrated through the floors and sought the scent that was Sookie.
Are you here?
I did not answer her back. I could feel her relief at seeing Eric return and then her distress that it was not I who came to her.
I stared up at the ceiling, smiling. I could feel Sookie!
Marie observed me. “We should me planning to kill Darius tonight.”
“We will kill him, Marie.” I said distracted by Sookie.
So, this is what Eric was able to experience. I wondered what else I would feel from her.
“Why can’t you let go?”
“I have let go.”
“Have you?”
“Did you plan the death of my friend?” It was the question I had been afraid to ask her since we had fled his home.
“No, no. I didn’t love him like you did, Bill. But, I was fond of him even though he had every intention of turning me to keep me bound to him. I didn’t know he would take his life, I just thought he would set us free.”
“I loved him.”
“I know you did.”
I turned my face back up to the ceiling. I could not hear Sookie anymore.
“What do you want from me?” I had asked her these words before.
“I don’t want what is left over inside of you, Bill.” She said, standing in front of me, waiting for me to stop looking towards the ceiling.
“What do you want, Marie?” I said, refusing to look down at her.
“Everything, I want everything.”
“Why? Why do you want me so much? Why did you leave Heaven for me?” I said, grabbing her by her shoulders.
She began to cry, “I’ve yearned for you since I felt your departure from Heaven. I was jealous. I was jealous that you were so enamored with your human that you no longer wanted to be with us; be with me. And then when I saw you make love to her; I yearned to do the same act with you. I wanted to feel you. I wanted to be human so you could make love to me like you did her.”
I saw the angel she was, waiting and waiting. Waiting for her turn to be able to make love to the soul she had loved for all eternity. She had loved me all this time and had yet to experience the love returned.
“Bill!!!!”, the scream came from upstairs.
“Sookie?” I whispered, letting go of Marie to climb the stairs to Eric’s bedroom floor.
The dead Viking was standing at the threshold of his door, “Why is Sookie calling for you?”
Sookie and I were bonding.
He growled at me as he stepped aside to let me through.
Sookie was sitting upright in his vast bed, frightened and a bit hysterical. “Bill, Bill” She waved to me to come to her, “Where were you?” She asked. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her lips a shade of blue.
I took her hands into mine, “I have been here, Sookie. What is wrong? Why are you so scared?”
She looked frantically to the hurt Viking and back to my worrisome eyes. She struggled and choked back tears, “Radames.” She finally blurted.
“Radames?” Eric puzzled. “What about Radames?” He said, coming closer to his love.
She commanded my full attention, she came closer to me as if she wanted to kiss me, I could feel she wanted to be closer to me. She looked at me as if she were trying to figure out who or what I was.
I observed Eric who was ready to kill me if she were to come any closer.
“Radames” She said, shaking and searching in my eyes to see if I understood.
“What about him sweetie?” I asked, forgetting the death stare of the Viking. I thoughtlessly ran my hands over her face, caressing her. I could feel she was terrified and she only wanted to be comforted by me.
Eric could feel it too.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head against my chest, tucking herself under my chin. “You asked me who tried to drain me. It was Radames.”
.........................
“He was scorched beyond recognition, but I knew it was him, Bill, I knew it was him” Sookie repeated over and over, not letting go of my hands.
She was frustrated with herself. She knew that she seemed hysterical, but she needed for us to believe her.
Eric and I both pondered how he was able to have survived the sun.
“I believe you.” I said, staring into her eyes.
She sighed with relief, “He killed the vampires, who tied me up, drained Laslo, and then he tried to drain me, but he heard your voice or smelled Marie. I don’t know which one caused him to stop drinking from me and hide, but that’s what he did when you and she appeared.”
“Did he say anything?”
“He kept saying Marie’s name over and over. I was too weak to tell you, but I feared he would attack you both when you found me, but he stayed hidden. “
Why would he hide from me?
Once she had said everything that had troubled her, she turned to the Viking. His pleasure to have her near him could be felt through the bond.
Strangely, it did not bother me.
I could feel their love for each other and longing for me to leave so that they could consummate their love.
“I think he will come here in search of Marie. He can detect where you have taken me from my blood he consumed.” She said, standing up from the bed, taking the bed covers with her.
It was that name alone that kept me from feeling any pangs of jealousy over what Sookie and Eric shared.
I would not let Radames take her.
“Why did he not take her when we he had the chance?” I asked her and Eric, hoping they had an answer.
“I don’t think he wanted her to see him as he was then. He is probably waiting until he has all of his strength. We should prepare, Compton.” Eric stated.
I did not think myself capable of loving any human but Sookie. But there was this passionate creature whose spirit was a part of mine breathing in a room below me.
I heard the turn of the spouts in the shower below and left Eric and Sookie to go join my human.
Steam billowed out over the glass shower and beads of condensation dripped down the foggy mirrors. Sounds of water hitting her skin, and the crisp fragrance of soap mixed in with her scent aroused me.
I undid the zipper of my pants and cast them from me. I yanked open the glass shower door.
She jumped startled, trying to catch her breath.
“I need to shower too.” I said, possessing her; covering her mouth with mine before she had a chance to respond.
The water rained down from the ceiling shower head above us, creating streams over the contours of our faces, and spilling into to our mouths as we kissed. I kneaded the sides of her waist and hips as I sucked on her supple lips. Electric shocks coursed from the pit of my stomach to the heat of my groin.
I ached to be inside of her.
“You wanted this from me?” I said, between moans.
“Yes” she smiled, water dripping from the tip of her nose. She was only eyes to me with her mane completey saturated and slick with liquid.
“What if I do not have anything to give?”
She pulled her face away, trying to hide the hurt, and wanting to deny me because of Sookie.
Watching her crumble at that moment, it was apparent to me what I was capable of.
I loved her.
I grabbed the edge of her chin and held it tightly in my grasp; yielding her.
”You are mine.” I said holding her firm. “You.” I kept repeating to her as I traced kisses over her cheeks and lips.
She became soft under my embrace.
I picked her warm wet body up against the tile and she wrapped her legs around my waist. She hung her arms around my neck and sucked on my bottom lip between her teeth.
I had her pinned, and I slid her down onto me forcibly.
She cried out from the pain, and I growled loudly through my fangs.
I could feel the warm blood surround me as I stroked her tempestuously.
She was a virgin. A delicious angel.
My eyes were closed and my lips were pressing on the crevice of her neck. I could taste the salt of her tears as it mingled with the water and trickled down over the artery. I passionately lifted her up and down on top of me, stroking her, making her ride me through the pain.
It turned me on to see her in pain.
I bounced her rhythmically, becoming delirious with the building orgasm that was near. I could feel the impending burst, and positioned my fangs on her neck, ready to sink as soon as I reached it.
Reaching.
Reaching.
My whole body convulsed, filling her insides with love while I drank from her. I sucked her blood inside of me, becoming dizzy with bliss.
She clung to me as if her life depended on it.
“You hurt me.” She purred at my ear.
I bent down on my knees and licked gently at the crimson beads that streamed from her little wound between her legs. I moaned and pulled her thighs tightly over my ears; I could feel the crescendo of her peak around each stab of my tongue.
Her thighs trembled against my cheeks, arousing me to sink my fangs into her again.
She gasped, holding my head between her hands while I sucked and experienced the same painful joy.
She and I were prisoners of each other. The beings that animated the bodies we possessed yearned for each other. It was our surface selves that fought them, causing them pain by being separated.
I was finally able to give her what she wanted from me.
“Tell me you are mine.”
“I am yours.”
I would send my friend back to hell if he tried to take her from me.
I remained naked and followed her to the bed that awaited us both. She pulled back the covers for me to slide in next to her, and before she could take another breath, I was behind her.
I spun her around to face me and she whimpered at the sight of my yearning state.
“I am not done with you yet.”
..........................
The tapping of rain on the roof kept the pace of my rapid thoughts.
Each thud was a revelation.
Marie’s head rested on my chest; her soft breathing and stirring was maddening.
I had yet to inform her that Radames lived, and was on his way to take back what he felt was stolen from him.
I knew that I would have to kill Radames in order to protect her. Killing my friend would not be an easy task for me, even if he was an enemy now. I longed to know his reasoning for it all. Was he hurt by me or Marie?
Sookie’s thoughts were also swarming inside of me.
I could feel her anxiousness and confusion. I wished I had her ability to read minds so I could figure out where her emotions were stemming from.
Eric’s home was stifling me.
I missed the openness of Radames’s home; I missed the moonlight and the courtyard fountain.
I missed Radames.
Marie stirred in my arms.
Bill.
I pulled my arm deftly from around Marie and pushed the pillow under her. She nuzzled it, accepting it as a replacement.
Bill.
I stood a moment to regard the sleeping angel. She hugged the pillow closer to her, and I knew she was thinking of me.
I had to protect Marie as vehemently as she protected me.
Bill.
Sookie was calling me.
Bill.
Always calling me but never wanting me.
I could not go to her now even if I wanted to; she was his. I had now made my decision and she had long ago made hers.
Bill.
Her saying my name was gnawing at my insides, but I shook it off.
I had pressing matters to attend to and did not need the distraction of her. I had to plan on how to protect Marie and myself from my best friend and an angel who had had it out for me for centuries.
I closed the bedroom door gently and sought the computer in Eric’s study to research where Darius would speak next. I googled the website to find his next speaking date was tomorrow evening in New Orleans’s at St. Louis Cathedral.
I stared at the face of the young blonde prophet on the computer screen.
Darius, my ancient brother, why do you want me dead? Do you know what I am destined for?
Marie could never answer that question. She just stated over and over that I was destined.
But, Darius had the answers, and I would get them tomorrow night.
Bill.
I could not stand it anymore.
Bill.
Stop calling me!!!! I mentally yelled back.
I just needed to be outside, to feel the air on my face.
As soon as I saw the moonlight and felt the big drops of Louisiana rain hit my face, I calmed down.
I walked down the grand steps of Eric’s home and started to cover the vast yard headed to the backwoods.
I was stark naked as I sat under a tree, which isn’t the smartest place to be in a rainstorm but I loved the smell of the rain through the leaves.
I heard the slam of the front door and smelled it was her.
I watched her intently approach me; I listened for any supes or humans who would cause harm to her as she walked swiftly to find me. I relaxed once I was aware that it was just she and I in these woods tonight.
Her long gown was becoming drenched with each drop as she traveled further into the woods. Her every movement was slowing down from her dripping garment but she pressed forward.
She was absolutely beautiful.
“Over here, Sookie!” I alerted her of my position in the dark woods.
She turned around in a circle until her eyes recognized the naked Vampire sitting quietly under a tree.
She smiled at the sight of me, and chuckled. “You’re naked.”
“I am aware of that.” I teased back.
The rain began to quell, and the night air was turning cooler. She briskly ran her hands over her arms to create warmth.
I fought the desire to pull her down to me and warm her up.
“Sookie, you will catch your death out here with me, go back into the house.” I said, staring up at her aroused breasts through her gown.
She mused at my use of that old saying; she understood that the death could come from the rain mixed with the night air or me.
“Why are you out here?” I quipped.
She stood silently looking down at me and then blurted, “I had to come; your blood is pulling me.”
“Really, well yours is hanging me.” I fumed back at her.
I pierced through her with my gaze and she exhaled deeply as if my gaze had caressed her.
She moved in closer and reached down to cradle the side of my face with the tip of her fingers. My fangs extracted from the pleasure of having her touch me, but I pushed her hand away.
“He knows you are out here.” I snapped.
“I know.” She said, looking quicky over her shoulder towards the house.
“I felt you make love to her, Bill.”
I sardonically smiled up at her. “Did you enjoy it?”
She winced from the blow, “Do you love her?”
“Why is that of any importance to you?” I said still smiling at her.
She bit her lip and shook her head in agreement and dramatically turned away from me and headed to the house.
I yelled to her, “Tell your lover we leave for New Orleans tomorrow.”
................
I then knew where the pangs had come from.
......................
“She called for you.” Radames said, caressing the top of Marie’s forehead. “But you never came, where were you Bill?”
If Radames had met the sun, there was nothing about him now to show that he had. His entire being was luminous and his dark eyes sparkled with sadistic delight. His tailored shirt and slacks covered his body but could not disguise the muscles in his arms and legs. The rebirth of him, like how the phoenix rises from its ashes, seemed to have only made him more beautiful and what I feared – stronger.
“What have you done, Radames?” I questioned the crazed vampire, who stared down at the dying girl. I bared my fangs at him from the murderous blood lust that overcame me.
He was killing her.
I scanned the bathroom for a weapon.
Radames smiled up at me knowingly, “I have come to repay you brother.”
He rolled up his right sleeve so that he would not wet his cuff as he crested the water around Marie. “You broke my heart, Bill.” He whispered, while gazing at Marie, who limply laid her head on the side of the tub.
“I met the sun and felt the pain of a thousand fires, I lay scorched in the desert but I welcomed the death and silence that would come because Bill, you had took everything away from me. You my friend, my brother had betrayed me.”
“How are you alive?”
“My humble servant, Laslo dragged my scorched body underground to my chambers before I had left this body. He wanted to bury his master and did not know that a vampire needed to be out in the Sun longer than the time I was allowed to fry. Like a good servant, he offered up his very blood for my recovery.”
“And, Sookie?”
“Well that was out of spite of course.” He laughed.
I noticed the bite marks on the side of Marie’s neck were still open and seeped blood slowly from the ragged wound. But, there was too much blood in the water to have come from the wound on her neck.
The divine scent of her blood was waning.
Radames raised both of Marie’s hands from the water to show off the torn wrists that bled freely down her arms.
A roar deep inside of me bellowed out.
“If you take a step towards me Bill, I will snap her neck before your blow even lands.”
“I thought you loved her Radames. Why are you killing her?” I seethed through my fangs.
He smirked, “She killed me.”
“We never intended to hurt you.”
“But you have, and you will pay for it, Bill.”
Marie sighed and closed her eyes.
“She has the last drop still in her, I could take it or you could. How would you like to be one of us dear?” He tormented her.
“No.” She weakly whispered.
“Oh but my love, I think you would enjoy being a Vampire. I always thought you would make a magnificent vampire, you have the heart for it.” He kissed the side of her face gently.
“No!” I stepped forward, and Radames stood abruptly meeting me face to face.
“Let me close her wounds, Radames. She still has life inside of her.” I yelled.
“You will do no such thing, brother. Either you turn her or I will…or we could always let this beautiful flesh rot.” “ Do you hear that Marie, either a vampire or a beautiful corpse.”
“You fucking sick bastard, remove yourself and let us be!”
It drove me crazy how close she was to me and that I could do nothing to save her.
Radames laughed hysterically, “I was a fool to not have noticed that you loved her. I knew you lusted after my pet, but I did not see that she had cast her spell on you as well. I should have seen it before you had a taste of her blood.”
“Her angel blood is exquisite is it not? How was it when you fucked her?” He asked, creating a barrier between me and the tub.
“I am going to kill you.” I hissed.
“Not before you make your decision, Bill. So what is it going to be? Which one will you choose Bill? Will you save her life and have her hate you or can you bear to see her turned and bonded to me?"
Her life was leaving; it was too late to close her wounds. She had lost too much blood.
“Will he do it, dear, will he save you or will he let you die?”
I had to turn her. I could not lose her now; we had just found each other.
“You are going to make your own prison Bill,” He said, standing aside. “It is only fitting that it be you to turn her, Morning Star.”
My face lit up that he knew who I was.
“Yes, Morning Star, I know who you were from our first meeting at the conference. I knew who ever Marie wanted to protect had to be the only Angel she could love. I asked for you to come along so that I could have Marie, she would not come without you, but what I did not anticipate is that I would love you too. Now do it, turn my love into one of us.”
I lifted the lifeless wrist up to my mouth. I licked over her wavering artery and sank my own fangs into her fleshy wound.
She was too weak to respond to the pain.
I suckled at her gently and thought about how her smile compelled everything inside of me. I savored the scented blood as I pictured the way her curls bounced as I followed her the first night I met her, the way she looked over her shoulder inviting me with her grin.
I had to turn her, she belonged to me.
The light that I cherished in her blood shone bright, and filled my entire being before growing dim and then faded completely.
She would forgive me; I knew she would.
She could not leave me now; she would be my vampire wife. I was not ready to part.
She loved me; she would forgive.
Marie’s body gasped to take in its last breath and fell.
But, I would never forgive myself.
Radames waited for me to give Marie my blood, but I caressed the angelic corpse and whispered, “I love you.”
I was not going to make Marie into something she did not wish to become.
Radames yelled, “Are you mad? Give her your blood quick!”
He frantically lunged forward, ready to tear at his own wrist.
I grabbed him by the back of his neck holding him firm with iron strength.
“Now you will share my suffering.” I hissed into his ear, yielding him.
Blood tears spilled from the ancient vampire’s eyes and plopped onto the white marble floor. His mouth made a perfect “o”, but no sound came out. His silent sob could only be heard to the Angel who had left us alone in this bathroom.
He extended his shaky hand out to touch her, and I pushed him so forcefully that he flew from the bathroom and out into the hall of the hotel room.
“You will never touch her again.”
He rose swiftly, weeping. He was broken.
“Is this not what you offered, Radames? I should turn her or you would, or we let her rot? I loved her enough to give her what she wanted; she never wanted to be what we are. You my friend, my brother, robbed me.” I said, kicking him to stand and face me.
“She’s dead?!” He cried in disbelief, flinging his arms around him. He cowered from me in his pain.
“Yes, we killed her.”
“I..thought you would…I thought you would turn her..she can not be dead. Why did you not turn her?” He screamed.
“Because I loved her.” I answered.
His body shook harder, and I felt sorry for the broken fiend.
“If you ever come near me again Radames, I will kill you.”
He bent his head full of sorrow, mouth gaped open at the realization that the corpse of Marie was lying in the tub, and we were the cause.
“I never thought you would let her go.” He said, pulling himself up to stand.
“Leave.” I growled.
He observed me in silence for a moment before flying out the balcony, leaving me alone with her.
It never cease to amaze me how something so horrific can happen to you but your will can carry you to do the tasks that you have to.
I longed to hear the sound of her breathing. I pulled the drain in the tub, and the gulp of the water draining out was the only sound that filled my ears.
I scooped my arms under her, and carried her out the bathroom to lay her on the bed.
I unzipped her bags and found the black dress she wore on the plane ride to Radames’s home.
It smelled of her.
I shrouded my face in the fabric of that dress, inhaling her, forcing that scent down into the pit of me.
I dried off her limbs and hair with a hotel towel before pulling the dress over her head and sliding her arms through the holes.
I half expected for her eyes to magically pop open and for her to smile at me.
I carried her out of the hotel and onto Bourbon Street. The quarter was in full swing now and the humans that swarmed around me, just thought I was carrying my drunk girlfriend from a bar.
I held her dear to me until I found a resting place in one of the oldest cemeteries in the Quarter. I kicked open the wooden door to the above ground crypt. I laid her down to remove the old stone from the tomb, casting out the remains of a human who had not existed for hundreds of years.
I placed her newly departed body into the tomb and covered her with the stone, burying her.
When all my tasks were done, it was then and only then that I felt the pain.
I laid face down on top of her tomb and cried, with my arms spread over the cold surface.
The tears pooled from my eyes and created a red stream down the sides of the tomb.
I had failed her when she needed me to save her.
She could have never been a vampire. She was God’s messenger and had to fulfill his plan. She never belonged to me.
“I love you. I know you can hear me, and I want you to know I am sorry my love, I am so sorry.” I sobbed.
The only redemption I had was that I had saved her from this life as a monster.
I thought of how Radames had cried on Makeda’s tomb eons before and his final words to her were that he would search for her forever.
But I did not repeat his words; I did not have to.
I knew she would find me.
..................................................
I could feel them around me.
The Demons.
They laughed and delighted over Marie’s death.
Her death had shifted the supernatural world, even I was more aware of a gnawing anxiety in me.
Something was coming.
I walked swiftly to Jackson square, focusing on the death of Darius. But what I really wanted was to hide myself from the world.
I had every intention of going far from here once he was dead. I wanted to be lost at the ends of the earth since she was no longer breathing in it.
I was drawing near the square. The old cobblestone under my feet was worn smooth over the centuries of usage and I glided over to the gated square, ready to kill.
Sookie held the black iron gate between her white hands; she let go of the rods as soon as she laid eyes on me. She ran into my arms, “I know, I know”. She felt my loss of Marie over the bond.
“You don’t have to do this, Bill.” She cried. She walked backwards, and talked swiftly.
She wanted to convince me to stop, but I could not.
“He sent Lucian after me, Sookie.” I said continuing on to the soldiers and Eric waiting.
She pressed her hands into me, trying to halt me. “You don’t know what Darius’s death is going to do the supes. You’re even unsure on why you’re doing it.”
She was right. Even though I was determined to shed Darius’s blood, I was still uncertain as to how our battle started. I was no longer Morningstar, why did he want me dead?
If it was going to be either my death or his, it was definitely going to be his.
“Marie wanted him dead.” I replied, ending the questioning.
“It is time.” Eric yelled, standing back with the vampires who awaited my command.
“These demons are not the spawns from Hell, Compton.” Eric stated. A fellow vampire Sheriff, affirmed with the Viking.
“Where are they from?”
“Here.” Sookie answered. She was wrought with fear for us. She was sober and concerned, not the tipsy girl who did not know who she belonged to. She was her own woman again. I smiled, “It will be okay, Sookie.”
“No, it won’t. Listen to me, Bill. The world has shifted since she died.”
“I know.”
We could hear them, calling for us to enter. They had human silhouettes but were just black matter; they were able to walk thru objects and living things to gather in the square. They were waiting for us.
“These are the demonic spirits of humans that have not crossed over, Bill.” She continued, “The New Orleans regime says that they have come with the arrival of Darius.”
“They have to come from hell if they came for Darius.” I answered back.
Before she could ask another question, I walked up to the entry of the square. Their excitement heightened. Their voices could not be heard outright only in our minds. “Enter!” They yelled.
Eric moved in front of me, “Let us rush inside and you follow behind, we will form a pathway with our selves for you to reach the church. Once the humans that want a fight come, then we will be ready for them.”
Sookie yelped, “I can hear the demons thoughts. They can’t harm you unless they can enter your spirit. You have to remain strong, Bill.”
I moved aside so Eric and his soldiers could rush inside the square. They locked themselves on either side of me forming a passageway. I could hear the demon’s scream and squeal, the vampires were stronger. I looked at Sookie and could tell she was concentrating to not let them enter into her.
“Wait here.” I said, looking back at her.
“No.”
“You must, the humans inside that church are going to spill out ready to kill us and I do not want you caught in that.” She gave into me, and nodded she would stay.
I ran through the passageway up to the old wooden doors of the Cathedral. I opened the double doors to the Old Catholic church and felt the many humans eyes turn from their charismatic speaker to the gaunt vampire that stood still at the holy threshold.
I did not know the full reasons why I was intent on killing this man who smiled from the pulpit. My heart was still laying on that cold tomb in a forgotten cemetery at the edge of the quarter.
Gasps and screams filled my head.
“He is one of them.” A dark haired man yelled.
I walked slowly down the aisle, looking from side to side.
“Kill him!” An older human screamed from behind me.
I could hear the swift steps of the vampires enter into the cathedral. They were near, waiting for the slightest disruption to suck everyone inside dry.
It was either fear or the call for blood. Those were the only thoughts that projected from these humans.
Darius, a blonde and handsome man smiled to me. He beckoned me to come closer with his hands. He was obviously delighted by my visit.
He laughed, “Do not fret followers, my brother has come to pay me a visit.”
The congregation gasped louder and made movements as to move but the vampires had blocked the doors. A daring human took one of the lit candelabras and threw it to the ground, setting the old carpet on fire. Screams filled the air, and yells asking Darius what they should do. Vampires leaped at the humans, as they all scrambled looking for another exit. It was a melee of vampires and humans, all wanting the other to die.
I drew nearer to my prey, “ Calm your congregation and we will calm the fire.”
“Brethren, please, please everything is okay. Do not be afraid.”
One of the vampires took the holy water from the entry and flew up to the fire and smote it with the blessed liquid.
The congregation quieted and calmed. Some even took seats back in the pew, while others stood, waiting for what happened next.
“Where is Marie?” Darius asked.
He knew she had existed. I wondered how long he had followed her as he had me.
“I drained her.”
Darius laughter bellowed throughout the cathedral.
“You have no idea what you have done?” She can never go back now. Heaven will not open for her. You have just sentenced her to hell with me.”
My insides wrenched.
I noticed the two bodyguards who stood behind us, they were demons disguised as humans. They were not the spirits who just wanted a host like the ones in the square. These were the beings nightmares of made of. They might have guised themselves as beautiful humans, but a demon can never disguise its disgusting stench. The bodyguards moved forward, expecting me to pounce on their leader. One had a knife at his side that sparked my curiosity.
“You’re lying, Darius. You are the King of Lies, Devil.”
He laughed, “You think you know me, Morningstar?” “Do you know that the angel you killed goes by the name of Gabriel? She was god’s messenger.”
“Gabriel?” I repeated in awe.
“Did she not tell you that she was not supposed to come to you? God sent her to groom someone else, but she could not resist finding you and trying to get you redeemed. Because of her defiance, God will not let her back into heaven, she will be with me. You both sinned against god.” He smiled wider, and grabbed his bible. He looked down at the book, flipping thru the pages.
“But you can save her Bill, you can save her if you just repent. Are you repentant of your crime against your god?”
“I committed no crime.”
“You fell in love with his creation; you were the supreme, why would you divert your love from him to his creation.”
“He loves them.”
“There you go again, putting yourself on the same plane as your creator. You were to only love him and you decided to create on your own. You decided to play God.”
“Is to love to play God?”
“They do not deserve our love, they are made of this earth, they succumb to death, sickness and their minds cannot fathom truth. They were just pets for him, they were only meant to be admired as one does a flower, not to give the knowledge of our father.”
“So you punished me because of the scroll not for creating Oria.”
“You were intent on sharing our knowledge with them. Bill, God did not want these creatures to have it.”
My fangs bore down; his laughter aroused my lust for his death.
“I was once on my way to being saved and you made me into this. You sent Lorena to turn me into a vampire, and now you call for us all to be expelled. Why do you wish me to die and continue my barring from Heaven?”
“It is because of you that there is a Hell. You led them to defy their Creator. I was not given the task as a persecutor until you fell from God’s grace. I was once in Heaven and near God, and you ruined it all.” He continued on, moving in closer to me, “Bill, those stories of Adam and Eve being tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge that was you, dear brother.”
“Lies!”
“Humans just did not have the real account. There was no written history for them to know that it was not fruit from a tree but a scroll by a cherished angel, God’s beloved Morningstar.”
“Speak truth, Devil!”
“All those Bible stories that you recall that led you to believe I was the Devil, was wrong. Think about it, who was called God’s “Morningstar”? “Who was God’s beloved who betrayed him?’ “Who was it that educated humans with the knowledge that changed the world forever? Morningstar is just one of your many names, Bill.”
I leaped to put my hands around his thick neck.
“Liar!”
His bodyguards tried to grab hold of me but failed. My vampire comrades were upon them tearing at their flesh. The human Darius, was at his knees, coughing and gasping for air.
“I had loved you too, Morningstar. Gabriel and I both did. You betrayed us all. It was not I who turned your daughter into a vampire; I could not have the power to do so even if I wanted to.”
“Who did it?”
“He did.” He said, casting his eyes up.
“Then why would I want to repent to a God who would do that?”
I reached for the knife that was at the hip of the dead bodyguard and realized it was made of silver. That is what had aroused my curiosity, I could smell the silver. The guard had every intention of making sure the wounds he inflicted on me did not heal.
I grabbed a hold of Darius’s neck again, and he laughed. “He is your creator. You do not question.”
“Give her back to me and I will let you live.” I bargained with him. I hovered over him, holding the knife at his face, with him on his knees in front of me.
“I cannot, she will reside in Hell with me. It is up to him for her to be saved…”
Before he could say another word; I slit the prophet’s neck from ear to ear. He opened his mouth to gasp but blood spilled out; the blood streamed down the front of his white shirt. I dropped the body to the ground to grab the communion cup from the altar. I snatched the dying body by his hair and let the blood dribble into the gilded goblet. I titled my head back and drank the remains.
Humans that were crouched under the pews were crying out in horror. Some yelled ‘Demon!”, as they tried to find their ways to another exit that was not being blocked by vampires.
I could feel the Earth shifting again, as it did with the dying of Marie.
I took the silver knife and began to sever the head of Darius from his body.
I took the head of Darius and carried it in the nook of my arm, as I walked steady down the aisle to the double doors. Everyone was still. There was no more raucous, or disruption. Vampire, demon and human alike were all still, as I walked with a bleeding and raggedly cut head in my possession. Vampires who had blocked the door, stepped aside quickly and opened one door to allow me to exit.
The night air hit my face and the full moon shone down on me. It was a beautiful night and the earth was letting me know it was ready for its change.
The Jackson Square demons were quiet.
Sookie waited patiently behind the decorated iron gates, she smiled wide. I felt her wave of relief over the bond turn into concern when she saw what I was holding like a trophy. I strode unafraid and alone into the moonlight and placed the head onto the horse statue in the middle of Jackson square. The demons who had howled for us to enter and waited for a weak mind to infiltrate were now bowing before me. The demons that walked the earth could smell the death of their leader.
“I am your King.”
Marie had been right on that I would become king, but she was wrong on whose king I would become. These demon human souls who had not found their resting place called to me. They beckoned for me to lead them to a resolution.
“The King you had followed was a Liar and did not wish for your souls to rest. I will help you find peace.”
Those words would be carried all over the world, to the ones awake and to the ones who were resting. It would permeate into them and they would find that they are being called to me.
Sookie rushed into the square, I was not afraid for her because I knew these demons would not dare to enter her. Sookie ran to me, she could feel it. I was completely ripped apart and the fragmented pieces were forming a Bill she no longer recognized. “Bill, what you have done?” She cried.
I saw past her, at the vampires and the leading Viking who were headed toward us. “You will always be a part of me.” I said hugging her close.
The vampires let the frightened and lost humans leave the cathedral, once they realized they did not wish to fight. After seeing their prophet decapitated they yearned to just to be given a chance to run away.
“Where are you going?” She yelled, as Eric held her firmly. She wanted to run to me, but she and I both knew I was going to be gone for a while.
I was crazed, and yearned for an answer.
I needed the scroll.
I walked away from Sookie and Eric, heading back to Bourbon Street to get lost in the crowd. I maneuvered unnoticed through the debauched crowd, the stench of vomit and human blood arrested my nostrils. The clack of the young black boys’ tap dancing for money, prostitutes waiting for the right john, and police officers beating up a drunk as he stumbled out of a bar.
Why did any human deserve to be saved?
They were just as depraved as me.
I continued toward the Bourbon hotel, stepping on cracked beads and spilled beer.
I recalled seeing Marie pack the scroll in her bag. I would just pick up her bag and head to where my heart took me.
I hungered for blood and smelled a familiar scent in the crowd.
I looked up and I thought I saw her. “Marie.” I yelled, out of desperation and hope.
I heard her distinct whole hearted laugh, and I could have sworn I saw her move through the crowd in front of me. Always just steps ahead. I followed it all the way up to the gates of the cemetery, where I had buried her. I felt foolish to say her name again, but I yelled it anyway.
I knew it was her.
I went through the gates and walked through the maze of tombs following the thing until it disappeared as I neared the tomb where she rested.
I halted in my tracks when the tomb came into my eyesight.
There was a blinding light that shone through every open crevice, the light shot thru and lit up the surrounding area of the tomb.
I put my arm up to my eyes to filter the rays.
There was a swift beating that thumped and hit the sides of the tomb. A hard flutter.
Something was alive in Marie’s tomb.
I closed in on the tomb, listening to the flutter grow quicker, and the rays moved as the creature moved inside the tomb.
I opened the tomb and was immediately hit backward by a fluttering wing.
I laid on the ground, staring up at the radiating creature.
I could hear its swift movements and I saw it stretch its wings outside of the cramped tomb. The white feahers of the wings enveloped the creatures shape.
I laid still on the ground, “What are you?"
Both wings opened up and a familiar voice spoke to me. “Morningstar?”
“Yes.”
The winged creature that gave off the light of the sun was Marie. She stretched her wings to its full potential to reveal her angelic form. She was as beautiful as before, she possessed the same curvy human body, and she was completely naked except for the white wings that protruded from her back.
“Marie.” I yelped, gathering myself from her feet.
“Marie?” She was puzzled.
I stepped closer to her, and she stepped back from me.
“Yes, Marie. It is me Bill, er um, Morningstar, my love.”
“Why do you call me, Marie? I am Gabriel.”
I recalled Darius saying that her real name was Gabriel, for she was the Messenger Angel.
“Yes, you are Gabriel.”
“Morningstar, why am I here in my celestial form?” She said, looking down at her body and over both sides of her shoulders at her wings.
Her smell was intensified, her scent aroused me and it was hard for me to concentrate, and the bell like voice, was sending waves of pleasure thru my being.
I stepped to her and her wings fluttered. She did not have any knowledge of humility for she left herself uncovered instead of trying to hide herself with her arms or wings. Her breast was bare and the nipples were full and aroused, her pubis bone exposed, her taunt and delicious body was uncovered and she was completely unaware that this Demon King wanted her.
My fangs bore down with lust.
“I do not know my love.” I said, closing in on her. Her hair was longer and the black glossy curls were wilder, more untamed. The tendrils fell all around her and over the tops of her nipples.
I wanted to taste her.
“Gabriel, do you know why you are here.” I said, trying to compose myself.
She was frightened. “No.” She looked around, and realized where she was. The cemetery had taken on a different look, with her standing in it. Her light radiated throughout and the ground and the sky right above us felt as if God was in our presence.
I wanted to cry from the pleasure she was giving me.
I leaned in closer to her, and her left wing swooped down across me, but I held it from knocking me down. She had every intention of protecting herself from me; she was scared and did not know why she was not in Heaven. I held the wing and her eyes widened.
“I will not hurt you.” I said, saddened that she was petrified of me.
“I can see Morningstar in you, but you are not him.” She said.
“No, my love, I am not him.”
“Why do you call me, your love?”
“Because that is what you are.”
“Vampires do not love Angels.” She said as a matter of fact.
I know that I should not have been surprised that she knew I was a vampire, but I was. She acted like just seeing the grass below her was a first, so for her to know that I was vampire blindsided me.
“They do, I promise.” I smiled, leaning in closer then what she had allowed before.
“Have you just fed, is that why you are covered in blood?” She asked curiously, not frightened by the human blood on me.
“Yes.” I did not divulge the rest of the events that had taken place and how they had come to affect her.
“God has sent me here and I do not know for whom.”
“For me, Gabriel. He has sent you to me.” I lied, taking her hand into mine.
Her eyes lit up, “He sent me to redeem you?”
“Yes.” I said, taking her black curls in my fingers, as I did many times before.
“Morningstar, I have asked to be sent to you since your departure. I am grateful to my father for allowing me to do so.” She looked up and said a silent thank you to a God who had cast her out.
She opened her eyes, when she did not feel him answer her back. “I do not feel him anymore.”
“You will not feel him again, Gabriel. Not until my redemption.”
She opened her mouth to scream, and her face wrenched up in terror. I grabbed her close, pulling her arms around my neck. The wings surrounded us both, creating a feathered cocoon.
I covered her mouth with kisses. “Quiet, my love.”
The kisses startled her. She had no recollection of sensual touch in her Angel form; this was her first time to be on Earth in this guise.
“You can kiss me?” She exclaimed in delight.
I smiled, “I can do more than just kiss you, Gabriel.”
Her eyes brightened, and she smiled wide. She traced her fingers over my face and lips. I opened them slightly to show off the tips of my fangs.
“Will it hurt?” She cocked her head to the side, admiring my fangs.
“I do not know if you can feel pain while in this form or not.”
“I do not care if it causes pain.” She beamed, moving her hands to my chest, caressing me.
I had tasted and suckled the angelic blood before, but wanting to take her in this form just reminded me more of who I was.
A Vampire.
A vampire that now ruled over the demons that walked this earth.
I rubbed the side of her neck and forced her to bend it to the side with the pressure of my thumb. She was about to give herself over to a blood drinker, not her Morningstar. I kissed her veins and inhaled the scent of her blood, and bit down slowly, She did not gasp as she had done as Marie, but instead dug her hands into my back. She pulled me closer to her.
I drank slowly.
The warm blood flooded into my mouth, the same blood that had existed inside of Marie. The blips of her human life flashed across as it did before, but this time the images included more of Marie’s life. I saw the frightened Marie that fought Radames before succumbing to his almost draining of her, before I would arrive to finish her off. I could feel the sorrowful tears rise inside of me.
“Do not cry, Morningstar.” She whispered, when I drew myself from her neck.
I was about to prick my finger and let the blood drop on her wound, but as soon as I withdrew, the wound was gone.
She could heal herself.
She smiled, “I could feel it. I have never felt pain before.” “I also saw Marie with you; you saw visions of her in my blood.”
My voice cracked as I confirmed that I did see Marie.
“You may call me Marie, if you wish.” She said, clinging to me now.
“I will call you by the name you want to be called.”
“Marie.”
“Then I will call you, Marie.” I smiled, inhaling the Angel.
She pressed her face forward and kissed me gently, “What is your name on earth?”
“Bill.” She looked puzzled and whispered the name to herself.
“Marie, I must get you out of New Orleans, my love. Can you control these wings before they see, please, humans do not react well to things they cannot understand.”
She did not respond or protest. She closed her eyes and the beautiful wings retracted slowly into her shoulder blades. Human skin healed over the openings that allowed the wings to be.
I took off my shirt for her to cover herself. She slipped the blood caked shirt over her glowing body. She stood still, a radiating angel wearing her vampire lover’s blood caked shirt.
I laughed.
“Why do you laugh?” She asked, amused by the sound of my laughter.
“I love you.” I said, kissing the tip of her forehead.
Every touch amused her. She beamed wide, staring up at me.
A demon was making its way to the cemetery. He wanted to know what had fallen from Heaven. Her wings were gone, but Marie’s blood and radiance was not human, and supes could detect her a mile away.
“A demon is near.” She said, shuddering with fear.
“There is nothing to fear.” I said, standing in front of her. The demon caught sight of me, recognized his king, and quickly fled the cemetery.
She calmed down sensing the demon's depature. I extended my hand out to her, she accepted and began to follow me to the exit to the main street.
Before I opened the gate to let us out, I turned to her and said, “I do not want you to be frightened where ever I take you, my love. Please know that wherever we go, I will protect you, and in the end, I will save us both.”
Then we took our first steps outside the cemetery and into the world.
The End.
Sookie had just ordered me from her and Eric’s quarters of the Vegas hotel, and I was seething with emotion that transcended the word pain.
I stepped into the elevator and was greeted by a tempting smile. I moved the muscles in my face to form the same human expression as to not to disturb the smiling face. I slowed my gestures as I pressed the button for the seventh floor. I turned my back and stood right in front of the break of the elevator doors, not wanting to engage with the smiling face, but she broke the silence.
“There isn’t enough room on this elevator for you, me and your anguish.”
The voice carried to a place inside where I’m sure my heart would have been if I still had one. I remained silent. My thoughts started to race to what should I respond, but I hadn’t fed, so my senses were dulling. I was in no mood to make new acquaintances. I could feel her smile brighten on the back of my neck. The movement of the elevator was moving at the pace of molasses, and I had many things I needed to accomplish before the break of dawn. The court ball was tomorrow evening, and I suspected that there would be trouble to meet us. We should not have brought Sookie here.
A female hand tenderly caressed my right shoulder; the touch sparked me to spin around to meet her face-to-face. Her hand fell lazily at her side, and my face was full of disbelief at her act. I showed the tip of my fangs to warn the brazen creature who I was. She smiled again and said, “There is nothing to fear, everything will be okay.”
The elevator doors opened at her floor. She moved past me and held the door open with one bare arm. “You shouldn’t be alone right now; you are welcome to visit me in my room,” she stated, completely unaffected by what I had just showed myself to be - a vampire. I had not fed on human blood in quite some time, and I believed this woman to be offering. I was intrigued and slowly followed her down the long corridor to her door. I watched her seductive gait as she walked, clad in black. I watched as her jet black curls bounced in unison as they hit the back of her camisole. Her pencil skirt fit snug over her hips, buttocks and calves. Her silhouette reminded me of a violin, and she moved her body as if she were performing for an audience.
She slipped her card into the door and stepped aside to let me over the threshold first.
I immediately caught her scent in the room. I used my senses to search the room for any objects that would be used to harm me, but the only energy I received from her quarters was one of serenity.
“Please sit.” She moved a chair from the desk area closer to her bed. She ushered me to the chair and continued to use that smile to entice me.
Caught up in our bizarre interaction, I didn’t allow myself to drink in that the woman was stunning. She turned on one of the night lamps, which cast a soft golden glow on the room and her bronze skin.
“Why did you invite me here?” I said in a voice I didn’t recognize as my own. I was sitting in the chair wondering if I should just drink from her swiftly or just take my leave from her presence.
“Because I would like company this evening, and you seemed like you needed some as well.”
She cast off her heels in the corner and sat gently onto the bed. She sunk her back into the feather pillows and moved her legs under her. There was a sudden shift in the energy of the room and her scent became more flagrant. I needed to make a decision on what to do with her quickly. I was amused by her. She didn’t seem like the stereotypical fangbanger, and I could not see any visible marks on her. I did not pick up that she might be a supe, and her scent was definitely that of a human woman - an intoxicating human woman.
“I can tell that you think I’m crazy to invite a vampire to my bedroom for just wanting to have company”
“Yes.”
“What is your name?”
“Bill and yours?”
“Marie.”
She laughed and moved her body deeper into the pillows.
“I guess I should have asked your name before inviting you to my room.”
“Perhaps.” I smiled back at her.
“Are you hungry? I’m sure you know this hotel caters to you ... I can order you True Blood or a fresher dinner, your call.” Her words were filled with concern on feeding this vampire. I relaxed and crossed my legs, which meant my body had decided to enjoy the stay in her room.
“O-Negative please.”
“Great. I’ll order a bottle of Cabernet for myself, as well.”
She picked up the phone to place our orders with room service. I turned around in my chair to take in all of her room. She had the curtains open wide so the entire view of the Vegas skyline was invited in.
My thoughts went back to earlier in the evening after de-boarding the plane with Sookie. Sookie was in complete awe, having never been to Las Vegas. I had been here many times, but seeing her face light up had made me want to relive the experience of seeing it with fresh eyes. The King of Nevada had invited Eric and I to bring Sookie to the court ball to introduce her to other royalty so that she might have their protection. We knew there was more to Felipe just wanting to introduce her, and we needed to discover quickly what were his intentions.
“They’ll be up in ten minutes.”
“Great.” I moved from the chair to look at the stacks of books she had on her dresser. She had no less than forty books and writing tablets. I had noticed them upon first glance but one of the titles had me move in closer to see the rest.
“Are you a student?’ I said holding up the book that peaked my interest. It was the Tibetan Book of the Dead along with other books on spirituality and mysticism.
“Yes and no. I mean I’m not in any formal education program but I have a deep curiosity in religious studies."
How interesting, a spiritual woman who seeks out vampires. I had once believed in a God that has long since been dead to me, and now I had come to the resolution that there was only this existence and nothing more.
“Do you believe in God?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I laughed uncontrollably. She cast her eyes down and said, “We all must question before we come to know the truth.”
“The truth is that there is nothing but this, my dear, this reality, just you and a vampire sitting in a room trying to hold a conversation.”
“As you wish, Bill, but do you really think our meeting was by accident?”
My senses quickened. What did she mean by that? I knew that Vegas was filled with religious zealot hunters, but I didn’t think that I would befall to one so cunning.
“Meaning that everything happens for a reason, I think I was meant to bump into you in the elevator so that you and I might spark a friendship of some kind.”
My muscles relaxed, and I moved to sit next to her on the bed.
“Friendship? Is that what you think will become of this brief meeting of ours?
“Why not?”
“Because I have no use of a mortal friendship.”
“You think you don’t? Who else is going to be willing to get your brakes on your car fixed in the middle of the day? Huh? A mortal friend ... thats who.”
I smiled.“ Possibly.” I remembered all the dire things I needed to have done around my home that Sookie use to take care of for me while I was sleeping.
“Why are you so sad?” she purred.
“I do not wish to discuss that.” It was the truth; I did not want to lay out my feelings for Sookie to a stranger. But something on the look on her face gave me the impression that she knew what was eating inside of me.
There was a knock at the door, to which she quickly answered to retrieve our drinks. I moved to her space at the bed and crushed the back of my head into the pillows. Her scent was arousing me. She smelled unlike anyone I had ever inhaled. Her fragrance left me with a feeling of tranquility, passion and fear all wrapped in a cloud of jasmine.
She handed me an opened True Blood.
“Cheers,” we both said as my O-negative clinked her glass of Cabernet.
“Why are you in Vegas?” I asked after the first sip of the metal-tasting drink.
“Work.”
“You?”
“Work and pleasure; I’ve been invited to a Royal Ball here.”
“How very Cinderella of you,” she laughed, and I couldn’t help but laugh with her.
“Do you think I will find my Princess Charming there?”
“Haven’t you found many already?” I could smell the passion in her scent become more flagrant. She sat at the edge of my feet and cocked her head over her shoulder. Her eyes pierced through me.
“No, I have not.” She caressed my leg and said, “That’s a shame.”
It was too much for me, between her words and her scent I was not going to make it. Either I was going to pin her down into the down of this white bed and suck her to the brink of her life, or I needed to leave.
“I need to go feed, and I would not dare do that in front of you. I appreciate the True Blood, but it is not going to be enough.” I got up quickly from the bed.
She was not startled. She laid back to her old spot from which I was now removed.
“I did enjoy my time with you.”
“ I enjoyed you as well,” she smiled again.
I had a thought - a very selfish and petty thought. I needed a distraction from Sookie tomorrow evening. This creature would do nicely. Eric was beginning to solidify the blood bond with Sookie, and I could feel whatever emotions she had for me were fading rapidly. I knew the time would come for me to give her up, but I still just could not seem to let go. I needed a distraction.
“You are very intriguing, Marie, and if you are not doing anything tomorrow evening, it would be my pleasure to have you accompany me to a ball where everyone there will be hoping to get a taste of your blood.”
“It would be my honor.” I left her room with a feeling of confusion and lust. I knew that by bringing her to the ball I was putting her and my dearest in danger, but it seemed like the only option I had standing in that glow-filled room. I walked slowly back to the elevator and tried to concentrate on how to explain her being there tomorrow.
................
It must be noted that Vampires do not just dream, they have lucid dreams. We are completely aware that we are dreaming, and sometimes initiate what we choose to dream about and it feels astonishingly vivid.
My lucid dream was of Marie.
After leaving her to find an obliging fangbanger on the casino floor, Marie’s scent haunted me all the way to my room. I kept retracing our uncanny meeting from the elevator to the enthralling words said to each other in her room. It wasn’t that we had such a compelling conversation, but it was in the behavior of the words expressed. In my dreams of her, I was able to taste her very blood. It put me in an orgasmic frenzy.
My arousal is what woke me.
I arose and turned over to see that the clock read 6:30 p.m. The evening festivities would begin at 8, so I had some time to gather my thoughts and prepare.
The message light was blinking on my phone.
“Bill, this is Marie, you never gave me a time to be ready; I’m in room 1449; call me when you wake.”
I dialed front desk and asked for Room 1449.
“Hello, Bill,” she said, and I could hear her smiling.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Who else would it be?”
Did no one else know that this woman was in Las Vegas? I knew that people came to Las Vegas for many different reasons, most of them for debauchery, but I didn’t get that from Marie. If she was here for work, then would not her work be aware of where she was? I had many questions.
“Marie, I’ll be down to pick you up at 7:45 p.m.”
“Okay, I’m assuming that this is formal, so a floor length gown would be expected”
“Yes it would,” I said, picturing her wearing nothing.
“I will see you at 7:45.”
What the hell was wrong with me? Did I really think that bringing Marie would stir something in Sookie?
I was bringing a woman not familiar with me or vampire politics to the most political event in our community and jeopardizing all of our safety. Over the past months that I had pined for Sookie, only to see her continuously avoid my advances and develop a romantic relationship with Eric. On the way to Vegas, she had sat next to Eric reading her book in silence. There had not been a display of affection from her to him, but the very act of her choosing to sit in his company was enough to put me in rage. Sookie had risked her life time after time to rescue our kind, and Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada, wanted to show his gratitude for her help and introduce her to our royalty. Eric and I had discussed in private ulterior motives Felipe might have for Sookie to meet with our royalty; we were worried that he would ask to keep her in Nevada so he could have full time access to her telepathic abilities.
I knew that this ball would have fangbangers and bonded humans in attendance, so my bringing Marie would generally go unnoticed. Only I needed to explain her appearance to Eric and Sookie.
I turned on the news for some welcome noise as I went through the ritual of preparing myself for the evening.
The voice of Darius Porter, the rising religious right politician, boomed from the TV. He was on a panel discussing how Christians, Muslims and Jews should ban together in their effort to fight evil. The young politician who had not proclaimed to be of any of the three groups he indoctrinated with the message of “unity to fight” was becoming very popular. The panel was an assembly of religious leaders and our own vampire spokeswoman, Nan Flannigan.
“Mr. Porter, it seems to me that you are spreading the message of hate and genocide,” she spat.
“Ms. Flannigan, your kind are not living beings, so it is not genocide, you don’t produce life; you take from it. This was not God’s intention. You are the very embodiment of the many spirits of hell.
“Mr. Porter, this country was built on the separation of church and state, Vampires are tax-paying individuals, and we deserve the same liberties as other Americans. Despite your message of hatred, the Declaration of Independence clearly lays out how an oppressed minority can seek freedom despite an unenlightened majority.”
The panel host intervened before Mr. Porter could form his rebuttal and asked him, “Mr. Porter, of which religious group do you think will be the first to welcome your message to unify?”
“I believe that it is best that I do not side with just one of the religions of Abraham, but use my influence to exemplify the similarities between the three so that they may find peace and unity among brothers and expel the kind of Ms. Flannigan and others like her.”
I turned the TV off to take my shower and let my thoughts soak in the views expressed by Darius Porter.
When I was a newly made vampire, I questioned the morality of my existence in the context of the Christian religion instilled in me from my human birth to my mortal death. There had never been mention of a creature like me anywhere in the bible that had been brow beaten into me by my mother and father. After years encountering many beings that men believed to only have existed in fairy tales, but never any God, I had come to the resolution that we were all just flukes of creation.
I dressed in a tailored 60’s era inspired black suit and a slim black tie. I found it humorous that at some point everything old became new again.
.............
“Well, don’t you clean up nicely,” Sookie said from the flung-open door. Eric was by the floor length windows of the suite adjusting his tie.
“Sookie, you look beautiful,” I said, bending over to kiss her cheek. She flinched slightly, but allowed the lingering kiss. Her lustrous blonde tresses were painstakingly curled and hung loosely over her bare shoulders aside the skinny spaghetti straps of her dress. Her dress was of the finest silk and was the color of sapphire to match the sapphire glow in her eyes.
I caught the image of my first night with her, her desire for me as she ran barefoot into my arms. I had swept her up into my arms, and with my being filled to the brim with love for this gorgeous woman, I had made love to her. She had offered herself to me along with her maidenhood and the very blood that had coursed her body. She had never known that I had been absolutely terrified that evening. As I had sucked at her neck I had been in fear that she would later regret my doing so and come to hate me.
She closed the door behind us and asked that I speak with Eric while she finished dressing. I walked over to the 1,000-year-old Viking and thought about the many ways he could/should have died over the years. My affection for Eric was one of brother rivalry. I hated him immensely, but respected him at the same time. My hatred for him at the moment was due to him sleeping with the woman I loved. I had known Eric for a hundred of my years as a vampire, but still found him as elusive as the first meeting. There had been a time he had been my friend, but I had been chosen by our queen to get the loyalty of a certain gift that was Sookie. He did not approve. He did not believe Sookie was not merely a duty, but that I had fallen in love with her. Sookie was of the same sentiment as Eric these days.
“What are the plans for tonight?” I asked, taking a seat on the plush couch to look over the Vegas strip.
“Be cool, act natural,” he said, finally getting his tie the way he wanted.
“Did you get that line from a movie?”
“It works for this situation.”
“What does she know or pick up?”
“She’s nervous and a bit frightened. I mean, we both know how these outings usually end up for her.”
He was right. Every time Sookie got involved with supes of any nature, she ended up within of an inch of her life.
“Did you watch the news at all today? Nan was debating Darius Porter on a panel about our civil liberties.”
“I did, I have a suspicion that we were called here to discuss Darius Porter with the royalty after the festivities.”
“Ah, so that is why they want Sookie.”
“She would be their best weapon to find out what he has in store for our kind”.
I contemplated the many outcomes that could result from Sookie helping the royalty learn of Darius Porter’s motives. None of them ended with me feeling comfortable.
“I’m bringing someone this evening,” I blurted. I needed to get this over with.
“Oh?” he said; his left eyebrow went up in interest, and he took a seat on the couch facing me.
“I met someone who does not leave me bored and would be willing once the festivities turn from a Disney movie to Nosferatu,” I lied. I had not exactly figured out if Marie would be willing to let me drink from her. To be honest, I had not figured out much about Marie, save that she read a lot of spiritual books and smelled good enough to eat, literally.
“That’s wonderful; I think it’s good that you will have someone there to occupy your thoughts from Sookie,” he smiled.
“What are you guys talking about?” Sookie chimed in.
“Bill is bringing a meal.”
She was hurt. I could feel it over the emotions and blood we had once shared. This was not the outcome I had intended.
“Let us be on our way, my lover,” Eric said to Sookie, ushering her to the door.
“Are you coming Bill?” He glanced back at me.
“I must pick up my companion for the evening; I will meet you to both at the ball.” The door closed behind them.
...........
I arrived at Marie’s door.
She opened the door, and a rush of her scent swirled itself into my being. I was paralyzed. My intrinsic nature was to sink my teeth into that scented flesh and drink her life into me. I wanted to be one with her - to know what she knew. I kept my fangs from drawing and took a moment to see the beauty before me.
She looked like an Indian goddess that was only satiated with the blood of men sacrificed at her feet, or a seductive jinni of Sumer or Babylonia. Her gown was the color of coal and made of gauze that was transparent enough to see the roundness of her thighs and the alluring curve of her stomach. The bodice was simple and was open to display the tenderness of the sun-kissed flesh that lay between her breasts. Her dark doe eyes were ablaze with excitement and her raven curls cascaded down her back. She wore no jewelry, but her skin was illuminated as if she had eaten bits of the sun and they were able to radiate from her pores.
“Hello," she exclaimed, back-dropped by an ethereal glow in her room.
“Hello to you; are you ready? And where did you get all of these candles?"
Her hotel room was short of being a hotel fire.
“I travel a lot and I like to make my space feel serene as possible.”
“Are you nervous about going?"
“Not at all.”
I started to blow out some of the candles near me.
She moved past me to blow out the others, and I stopped to inhale the perfume of her skin. Building inside my loins was a fire and a gnaw to consume her blood and salt. She seemed comfortable with me, which led me to believe that she had been with a vampire before. I had not forced my thirst on any human since deciding to mainstream and falling for Sookie, but I was beginning to rethink that decision. My killing instinct was upon me and I moved swiftly to her side and pinned her to the wall.
“Have you ever been tasted?" I breathed into her neck. I searched her with my naked eye - to see where the marks on her might lay.
I scraped the side of her neck with my fangs and held her hands behind her.
“No I haven’t." She did not squirm.
“It is customary for a vampire to have a drink of his companions.” I teased.
“Oh, is that so.” she pressed her body closer to mine and whispered, “We are going to be late for your Ball." I backed away from her while still holding her in place. I needed a moment to come back to myself. I was silent as I led her out of the room.
....................
We glided to the entrance of the hotel ballroom door; she walked steady to my rapid pace. I knew I needed to be there with Eric and Sookie before the greeting to the royalty.
“Are you okay?"
“I am fine; are you ready to enter?” I looked her over and found myself staring at the crest of her neck.
“There are going to be a lot of people that will want to speak with me, but the event will be very exciting to watch."
The room was thick with lust, blood and vampires. We stood at the top of the stairs that led down into the Garden of Eden. Crimson and violet silks created a sensual womb as they were draped from the ceiling and hung in clusters covering the banquet walls. Decadent chandeliers were suspended from the silk-draped ceiling and cast dark shadows around the room giving a feeling spirits were among us. Small crystal candlelit lamps hung from branches of imported cherry blossom trees that were placed in the room to create a forest. The blossoms from the trees blanketed the ballroom floor. Sitar music floated from the small orchestra, which played without inhibition as one of the men sang Hindi prayers with his eyes closed. Each table and chair was covered with plum-colored damask satin and huge wooden carved vases stuffed with peacock feathers were placed as centerpieces. The finest of china was at each place setting, even though most of the attendees would never have any use for a fork or a plate.
The room was abuzz with the supernatural beings swarming around the humans - inspecting and taking from the energy that each human’s scent cast into the air. Vampire eyes wandered up the marble stairs to see who had entered.
“You are being admired Marie.” I said holding her hand in mine as we walked slowly down the stairs. I know what she looked like to them; they could smell her intoxicating scent just as strongly as I could. I knew she resembled a beautiful sacrifice gliding down those stairs with her executioner.
I led us through the crowd that stepped aside to inhale her. I picked up Sookie’s scent nearby and followed it with Marie in tow until I was standing behind her.
Eric noticed me first and turned Sookie to greet us.
“Sookie, Eric, I would like to introduce Marie.” I said not taking my eyes off Sookie.
Sookie was looking at me as she extended her hand to greet Marie, “Pleasure to meet you Marie, I’m Sookie.” She smiled wide and put on her Southern charm.
Eric bowed his head slightly to acknowledge Marie and turned to me, “You are here just in time for the greeting."
“Would you like a drink Marie? I know these guys forget themselves in offering; I guess because they never have to.” she laughed.
“I would love one, I’ll walk with you to the bar.” Marie said following Sookie to the human refreshments.
Once they were out of earshot, Eric grinned, “I can see why you had to bring her; her scent is exquisite."
“I can not seem to pinpoint it to anyone or thing I’ve known before; it is more a feeling than a scent, but then it is so many fragrances at once as well.”
“Well, one prominent scent I pick up is that she has never known a man or vampire before.”
“Impossible.” I thought of how her body responded to mine back in her room.
Eric laughed. “It’s true, her scent, although passionate, lacks the mingling of any male or vampire scent.”
I watched Marie as she conversed with Sookie. Sookie was telling her something that was making her laugh and, in between, she would take sips of her drink. Her throat moved with each drop that passed through her lips.
“If I were you, I would not have brought her here; we are under the stress of what Felipe wants with Sookie, but now you will be distracted with the near-crazed vampires, who can smell she is untouched and wanting to break into her flesh.”
He was right. In my jealousy I was being selfish. But, Eric underestimated me. I loved Sookie, and if my attention was called to protect her; I would move mountains to do so. I would kill for her.
“Eric and Bill, I’m so pleased that you could make it.” Felipe de Castro welcomed us. Eric and I both bowed to the Nevada King. Felipe was a man of Latin descent in his mortal life and, although handsome, he was of diminutive stature compared to myself, and, of course, Eric. He was illustriously dressed in thick, dark blue cloth with gold stitching. He wore a purple sash ornamented with medals and honors given to him by the elders.
“We are at your service.” Eric reassured.
Felipe’s face turned sober. “I am happy to hear that because I will need the help of your bonded, Eric, to protect the existence of our kind. We have news that has left us troubled, and I would like to discuss it with the three of you tomorrow evening”.
“Would Darius Porter be the reason for the discussion?” I blurted.
Eric gave me a face that showed that I undermined him in my behavior.
Felipe paused and began to speak slowly, choosing his words carefully. “We have cause to believe that he may be arousing more than just rhetoric."
Eric and I both looked at each other knowingly. We were right.
Sookie and Marie crept into the conversation, and Felipe turned his attentions to Sookie.
“Sookie, my darling savior, you are a breathtaking vision.” he greeted, while kissing her hand.
“Thank you,” she smiled bowing slightly to the King.
“Your blood smells as sweet as the first time I met you; I hope that you will let me introduce you to the elders. They have heard much about you and would love to meet you.”
“I would love to meet them, as well.”
“Let’s not keep them waiting; please Eric, Bill, follow us,” Felipe said, taking Sookie by her hand.
Being of high birth in his mortal life, Felipe had a penchant for snobbery. It had carried over into his immortal life and, because he never chose to expand further than what existence he had as a human, he chose not to introduce himself to Marie. Marie, in Felipe's eyes, was of very low rank, being a human and not even a bonded human. It really was of no concern of his to meet her.
I was about to force the introduction, but Eric stopped me short of uttering, “This is…"
Marie grasped my hand and squeezed it. She gave the energy that she did not want to meet him.
I turned to her, and she moved in closer to place her mouth next to my ear. “This is not what I expected.”
I moved back to see her sullen face.
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t feel the pain in here?"
She was speaking in code. I grabbed her closer to me and whispered in her ear, “Marie, stay put and within view of me please; do not leave this spot while I meet with the elders."
She nodded in agreement, and I let her hand go to catch up with the group.
..............
The elders - Radames, Kumal and Anastasia - were seated in gold leaf covered chairs on a plum carpeted platform hovering over the ballroom. Their children were seated on plush mulberry pappasan cushions gathered at their feet.
Kumal and Anastaisa dressed in the style of their mortal lives, Kumal had the traditional dress of a Sikh and Anastatia was adorned in a' turn of the century' dressing gown with her arms and breast bare. Radames chose to dress in the fashion of the day, wearing simple black slacks and a tailored shirt. Kumal and Anastasia both delighted in each other’s conversation while Radames looked aimlessly out into the crowd. Radames had no decoration on him like Felipe to show his importance as the eldest of our kind. He was over 4,000 years old and our King of the Tigris region. His golden face showed no animation as he observed the undertakings of the event from his lofty seat.
Felipe stopped us short from climbing the stairs to greet our ancestors, “Sookie, I hope that you may also consider this evening, a ceremony of taking each elder's blood."
I knew he had something like this up his sleeve. I looked over at Eric and saw his grip tighten on Sookie.
Sookie squirmed slightly and asked, “I’m honored, but I don’t see why I would need more blood; I’ve had enough already to be quite frank.”
Leave it to Sookie to speak her mind.
Felipe was taken aback but regained composure. “The blood is an offering of our protection for you, so that any vampire existing will not be able to harm you."
Just when Sookie was about to give another protest as to why she would not be drinking of any vampire blood tonight; we were interrupted by the distinct shift in the energy of the room. I could smell the sense of attack in the air and looked over to see what was causing the disruption.
Marie was standing on the last step of stairs leading up to the elders.
She stood still as a statue with her eyes intent on the elder, Radames. She seemed to be in a daze and possessed by a need to worship him with her stare. Marie was pulled to Radames, and I looked to see if he was glamouring her, but he was still scanning the room uninterested, and conversing with his three children.
She stood at the base of the steps and yelled, “So, we meet again Radames."
....................
Radames did not make any movements. His brood gathered to block her further ascension onto the steps leading up to him.
She threw her head back and laughed. “You went from worshipping the sun to hiding from it for eternity.”
This awakened him from his uninterested gaze, to the human who addressed him.
I turned to Sookie, “What is she doing Sookie, tell us her thoughts quickly!”
“I can’t read her; her mind is completely blank to me.” She spat in frustration.
Felipe turned to us and asked, “What is your human doing?” I had no answer.
I turned to Eric, “You must leave with Sookie now.”
“How does she know Radames, Bill?" Eric questioned with his fangs down.
I could feel the urgency because I had the same feeling. He pulled Sookie closer to him and I stepped in front of her to create a barrier between her and the crowd that would ensue upon us from Marie’s actions.
Marie pressed forward even with fangs now down to attack her. The three protectors were waiting for the slightest approval for attack from their maker.
“Did you think you would never see me again?” she said in amusement, boldly moving forward.
“Let the human come to me.” He commanded still seated, but now at full alert.
His children backed away from her, but did not retract their fangs. She pressed forward not even taking in that she was nearly torn apart.
With all my heightened senses I listened to Marie’s voice for any fear or the scent of a fresh break of sweat, but she displayed calmness; as if she were in the company of someone she knew intimately.
Before she stepped to the last step that would bring her to the 4000 year old vampire, she bowed deeply and kissed his feet. She looked up into his face. “You failed me my love, but your departure from Aten was a failure to the world.”
Radames snatched her wrists and stood abruptly taking Marie with him. “Who are you creature? “
“You know who I am, Radames.”
His hands moved from clenching her wrists to her arms and he raised her up above his face to throw her from the platform. “You speak now; or I will throw you to the bottom of these stairs for my children to drain you of your life." he growled.
“You wept over my tomb and promised to my lifeless body, that you would search for me for over a thousand lifetimes; well, Radames, here I am.”
Radames was still as he held Marie contemplating what she was saying. Her feet dangled as she was perched above him, showing no expression of concern. He penetrated through her with his eyes, searching for the answer he needed. He then swiftly brought her body over his shoulder and yelled to his children “Follow me."
Radames flew from the stairs holding Marie as his captive to the gilded exit doors with his progeny in suit.
.....................
Eric! Let him go. Please, let him go!” Sookie pleaded pulling at Eric’s arms to let go of my neck. It was a futile attempt; the 1000 year old vampire could not hear her; his brain was concentrating on blood.
“You fool! You could not stand to see Sookie with me; so you invited some crazy bitch to come, and kill us all. Do you have any clue, what kind of situation we are in? Do you?” he yelled, spitting blood.
“You do not love Sookie.” he said.
I stopped hearing Sookie’s screams at that moment.
The only thing I could process was, “You do not love Sookie”. It played in front of me like a stack of flashcards and each one held the same phrase, “You do not love Sookie”.
I could see the tears in Sookie’s eyes and her opened mouth but no sound came. I could still feel the pressure from Eric’s iron clad grasp around my neck, but his spurts of angry words were empty to me now. I laughed in my delirium.
I pushed him back from me and I lunged at his knees. We both crashed into the glass coffee table. Shards flew everywhere and I thought one might have pierced Eric. I wished.
“Do not speak to me of what I feel for Sookie; you do not have the slightest inkling of what I possess for this woman” I said. I had him pinned to the glass covered floor, and he was flailing his arms to get a grip to throw me from him.
I had bit through my lips from anger and the blood was dripping onto Eric’s face.
“Get off of me.” He grunted and growled.
“Compton, I will kill you if you don’t remove yourself from me now.”
“That is if, I do not kill you first.”
Sookie was now beating at my back. I turned my attention to look up into her face and Eric was able to throw me from him.
My back hit the wall and the force left a human sized hole into the next empty room.
“Stop it. Stop it. The both of you just stop.”
Eric and I both glared at each other from across the room. Sookie collapsed onto the couch, “We don’t have time for you two to fight; we need a plan and we need a plan quick.” she said, gesturing for us both to take seats closer to her . Eric and I moved in closer to her, but declined taking seats.
We were ready to spar again.
“Look, I’m worried about my butt getting beaten, shot or bombed. I don’t have the luxury of being immortal so I need ya’lls help on a plan to get us out of this situation. Bill, darling, please, just take a seat and Eric just, just behave, okay?”
I granted her request and took a seat across from her. She gave me a weary smile and mouthed, “Thank You”. Eric moved to sit next to her, kissed her hand, and placed it over his chest.
The three of us sat in silence in the war torn room among broken furniture and glass.
“My head is spinning from all that has happened this evening. From the possibility of having a sampling of every older than dirt vampire there, to Bill’s date almost getting slaughtered, to ya’ll turning this lovely room into a boxing ring.” She shook her head slowly. “Eric, what did Felipe say as we were escorted from the ball?”
“Felipe was not happy with the turn of events, but he said he would speak to Radames before any action on his part. So, there is a possibility that we won’t reap any repercussions from Bill’s folly.”
“What does that mean?” she said.
“It means that if Radames is unhappy, then the three of us will be punished.”
“Oh, well that’s just lovely.”
“Have you told her of the meeting with the elders, regarding Darius?” I piped in before Eric‘s next statement of how foolish I had been to bring Marie, which would have sparked another fight.
Sookie looked puzzled. “What meeting are ya’ll talking about?”
“Felipe has requested for your help, and would like for us to meet with him and the elders tomorrow evening” I said.
“Why wasn’t this told to me earlier?”
“Lover, it happened so fast, and right before Bill’s date went rogue.”
“Why do the elders wanna discuss Darius Porter; he’s a crazed religious freak.”
“That is why.” I said. The wheels turned quickly and she shook her head. “They want me to get information from him; they want me to read his mind.”
“That is what we speculate.” I wish I could have moved closer to her to comfort her. But, knowing Sookie; she wasn’t one for being coddled.
“Lover, I will not let any harm come to you.” Eric said putting his arm around her.
“What else don’t I know?” she said, moving Eric’s arm from around her.
Eric and I were silent.
“Okay, Bill, who is Marie?” She stared at me, demanding an answer with her eyes.
“A woman I met the evening before.”
“That’s it? She’s not an old fangbanger of yours, or a supe you forgot to mention that you had a relationship with?”
I knew where she was going with this. I knew she was hurt by my bringing Marie, but I did not think she would care enough to voice it.
“Is she human?” she asked.
“Yes.” Eric and I both answered.
“I wonder why I couldn’t read her mind.” Sookie stood and walked slowly around the couch. She was still dressed in her evening gown that had small tears and smudges of vampire blood. Her curls had become limp and her makeup was smeared in streams from crying.
She poured herself a glass of gin at the bar and drank slowly.
Her voice came from behind me. “Why did you bring her if you had just met her?”
I didn’t want to answer this. I did not want to admit how small I had been in deciding to bring Marie to the ball. How could I explain to her that for a moment; I equated her jealousy over Marie to love.
“Answer her, Bill.”
I could feel the anger build again.
“Sookie, my love, I don’t know why I brought her.”
“Tell her the truth, Bill.”
Sookie was now standing behind Eric with her glass in hand. “Tell me, Bill.”
I was quiet. I wanted to say because not having you is killing me. That each time I see your face, I believe in something. I do not know what ‘it’ is, but in you it resides. My eternity in this guise will have been but a despair if it not been for you. That just by sparking the basest of love’s emotions from you – that is jealousy- I was overjoyed to receive. But, the only words that I could utter were, “Because I love you.”
Eric laughed and Sookie shushed him.
“Bill, you claim to love me so much, but you continuously do the opposite.”
I got up and walked over to face her. “Everything I have ever done has been because I love you.”
Her face changed to anger.
“Oh, really! Was cheating with Lorena for me? How about forming a relationship with me; just so your queen could use me!” She pushed me.
“Is that what you call love, Bill?” She pushed into me again.
I let her push me until we both were against the wall. She was crying and pressing her hands into my chest. “I trusted you, and gave you love, and you betrayed me.”
Eric was standing behind her but not touching her; he didn’t want to upset her anymore.
The pressure of her hands on my chest sent bursts of pleasure through my body. It was the most passionate contact I shared with her in a long time. I lifted my hand to caress her face, but she quickly hit my hand from touching her.
“You don’t know what love is, and now you have got us into a situation that may very well leave one of us dead. Please leave my sight.”
She quickly removed her hands from my chest, walked to the restroom, and slammed the door behind her.
...............
Anger.
Boiling. Hot. Anger.
I flew out of my room as soon as my internal clock knew that I could leave my domicile.
The fight with Sookie and Eric left me filled with rage.
I bypassed the elevator and headed for the emergency stair case.
I was livid with Eric for mocking me, Sookie for holding me to the sins of the past, and myself for having created them.
I moved swiftly up the flights of stairs.
Most of all, I was full of rage at the stranger.
My blood thirst this evening was more than just a hunger; it was the desire to kill.
My strength bended each rail that I pulled.
I wanted blood and I knew exactly whose blood would quell the desire.
I rammed Marie’s door in, and it went flying into the dresser, splintering into pieces. I flew in hoping to find a frightened Marie, but she was not there.
Where was she?
Her room was disarray from the evening before; unlit candles were still scattered in the room.
I flicked on the nearest lamp.
Did Radames still have her? Or had he drained her by now?
I stepped over the clutter to rummage through her things.
Her opened closet had more than a month’s worth of clothes hung on wooden hangers.
How long had she been in Vegas?
I went through each pocket, searching for any scraps of information.
Nothing.
Her suitcases were empty and all tags had been cut and discarded of. She must have known someone would want to track her. Why else would someone be this meticulous?
Even though she was absent from the room, her scent was alive.
I threw back the covers of the bed and pushed my face deep into the smell of her. I could not help myself. Despite being in the face of danger because of her, I still had a yearning for her scent. This enraged me more.
I pulled the cool sheets up against my face, and a small thud moved my attention to the floor.
A small leather journal looked up at me.
March 1,2007
I had to leave school, and I don’t know how long I will last at work. I’m very upset and my mom thinks it is best that I move in with her. She is worried about what I might do to myself. I’m scared with her. Sometimes, I sit in the bathroom contemplating slitting my wrists open to escape. I don’t want this. Who am I? Why do I keep seeing things that aren’t there...
March 23, 2007
I was put under hypnosis today; my therapist thought it would be a good way to find the root of my visions……..
Visions?
April 7, 2007 I saw him again. I now know his name is Radames and he lived in ancient Egypt. I have to research more on who he is and why I keep seeing him when I sleep……..
So, she knew who he was.
I did not have much time before the meeting with the elders, and I wanted to have some hard facts on who she was when questioned. I hurriedly flipped to the last entry.
Nov 1, 2008
I’ve found Bill.
.....................
The clandestine meeting was held in an underground location of the hotel. The room was rather unremarkable; Eggshell colored walls, a walnut table, swivel chairs, and a teleconference phone were the only items in the room.
The only things that brought this rather dull room to life were its supernatural occupants and Sookie.
Eric, Sookie and I sat on the opposite side of the Elders, while Felipe took his spot at the head of the long table.
“First we must address last night’s disruption, Bill...” Felipe began, but was quickly interrupted.
Radames held up his hand.
“The human is with me, and will remain with me. “
Radames claim to Marie jolted me. Eric and Sookie turned to me, as if I were to create an objection. He obviously knew more than I did at that moment.
“Radames, we were worried about her addressing you; your safety is our genuine concern.” Felipe said in his defense.
“She poses no threat to me. Please, continue with the call of this meeting.”
Felipe walked around us, looking down at his feet.
“ Darius Porter is building a strong following to his campaign, we all fear that this will bring a backlash to all the progress we have made with our coming out. In California there are numerous, temples, mosques and churches that are holding conferences to give this man a platform to speak. There has been report of over 100 vampire murders within the California area. This vigilante behavior cannot continue before one of our Captains take this matter into their hands, and that would do a great disservice to our future.“
Anastasia became alarmed, “Should we prepare for war?”
“No, we must use diplomacy.” Felipe responded.
“When it comes to humans; war is inevitable.” Radames said, leaning in his chair.
“We have our own history of war as well.” I said.
“Truth, finally, spoken from Mr. Compton.” Radames grinned, and the table enjoyed his lighthearted energy but Felipe was annoyed.
Radames gave the gesture for Felipe to continue.
“We would like for Sookie to be our ambassador. We want you to meet with Darius Porter in two weeks when he is here on his tour, to form an alliance that both parties can live in peace with.”
“You want me to read his mind for you?”
She was not in the mood for covert appointments, especially ones that could endanger her life.
“We would like for you to act as our spy and extract information from him. Find out what are his next steps.” Kumal said.
“What do you plan to do with that information?” Sookie asked.
“Ha!, I like this girl. “ Radames could not be contained.
Sookie tried to mask a giggle.
Felipe ignored Radame’s outbreak , “We will act according to how we see fit.”
“Kill him, is what he meant to say.” Radames chimed.
Kumal and Anastasia remained quiet but their allegiance was with Felipe.
“We will not kill him Radames, we will use the judicial system that we, who in live in this country adhere to. It is time for a new chapter in the history of our kind, Radames, no more hiding and being at their whim. We will carve our community onto the world stage and Sookie Stackhouse will help, starting with the concern in California.” Felipe said, pumping his fist into the air.
“This is their world and we are just the animals that inhabit it.”
“Radames, with all due respect, but are you not weary of 4,000 years of being on the fringe of society?”
“No, but I am weary of emulating humans. We are different from them. Let us not pretend.”
“We are not so different, to where we can not reason.”
“There is no reasoning with zealots.”
“The humans have their faith, but we can appeal to their intellect.”
“Humans and their gods.”Radames laughed, “I’ve lived longer than any of their Prophets; we should be the ones worshipped, we are the legends that actually are true.”
Radames turned to me, “Sir, I have died and risen in less than 3 days.”
I had come to the conclusion that Radames was mad. His dark eyes were piercing us across the table and his languid movements were the embodiment of confidence. He had no hang ups or ulterior motives. He gave off the distinct energy that he had no desire to be in this room, but would happily give us a glimpse into his gifted mind.This meeting was clearly a game to him and I was amused by his candor.
“All these men, these glorious thinkers, their messages have been mangled, mangled to benefit greed and power. History has a funny way of distorting itself.”
The three of us on the opposite side of the table were clearly preoccupied by Radames’s behavior. Felipe had lost control of the meeting from the ancient vamp and was trying desperately to take the reins.
Felipe cleared his throat, “We have to continue our progress and move forward with our vision of cohabiting with Humans. Sookie, please say you will accept, I know that this will be hard, but we would like to extend a monetary gift for your consideration.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
I hated when she did this. I would see to that she received that money somehow, even if I had to filter it through Eric.
“Felipe, I know that you have jurisdiction of what must be done in this region, but putting Ms. Stackhouse as a representative without the knowledge base needed, and the proper protection is very naïve.”Radames said.
“I have protection.” Sookie exclaimed, pointing at both, Eric and me.
“Well, perhaps you would be so gracious as to bring Ms. Stackhouse up to par of Vampire Politics, and offer her residence at your compound until meeting Mr. Porter.”
“Wait? I can’t be away from my home that long, and I have protection; these guys can take care of me.”
Eric spoke, “We appreciate your concern of Sookie’s well being, but we are equipped in Louisiana to protect her.”
“Please do not take my suggestion as an insult, it would be wise for the three of you to reside at Radames’s home while Sookie is brought up to speed on our politics , his home is a fortress that no human will be able to penetrate.” Felipe said, seeking Eric’s approval.
“Ms. Stackhouse, Eric, please consider my home, I would be pleased to have you there and it will be a pleasure to get to know you. Plus, the presence of your friend, Bill, has been requested, so I would assume he would want you there with him.” Radames said, smiling at us.
My presence was requested?
Sookie was silent ,but spoke for herself when she finally said, “We would be delighted.”
Felipe adjourned the meeting, and before I could assemble with Eric and Sookie, Radames’ voice boomed, “Bill, would you be so kind to speak with me alone.”
Chapter 2
“What do you know of Marie?”
I laughed to myself. It was the burning question. Everyone asked it of me and I constantly asked it of myself, but I was still unsure. I could feel the journal against by back and promised myself I would read it from cover to cover once in the safety of my room.
“Not very much, I’m afraid to say.”
Radames shifted in his chair and stared at the wall before saying, “Marie is of great importance to me.”
He must have tasted her.
“Bill, do you know how long I have walked this earth?”
Before I could answer, he responded. “4,000 years, and for 4,000 years I have been searching for the same woman; tragic is it not? He cocked his head, amused with himself.
“I was caught off guard by the human you brought addressing me, and it must be said that her fragrance is what challenged me to listen to her. She does not resemble my woman in appearance or demeanor but they embody the same spirit.”
I tried to picture this crazed vamp before me pining after a woman for that long. I found myself believing the search for her might have been the root of his insanity.
“Bill, before I was made into the fiend I am now; I ruled the world from the throne of Egypt as Pharaoh.” He laughed as if he could not believe the absurdity of what he was saying. “I ruled with my queen; Bill, Marie is the reincarnation of my wife. My queen -Makeda.”
I grinned, “So, you must be ecstatic to see her again."
His golden skin crinkled into a smile, “I am.”
Radames buried his head into his hands, and slid his fingers down his face. “You did not know any of this did you?”
“No.”
“How do you know her?”
“She is a stranger, I brought her to the ball in hopes of tasting her.”
He stopped and turned to face me, “But you did not, I mean, you did not taste her.”
“I am sure you know that.”
He laughed, “I do, she may be a stranger to you, but she is profoundly protective of you, I wonder why?”
He squint his eyes at me, as if the answer would appear on my forehead.
“I am dying to know myself; may I be candid with you Radames?”
“I wish that you would.”
“What was she saying on the steps?
He paused, “You really don’t know.”
“I was hoping you would indulge me.”
“Makeda was a gift given to my father from the land of Kush. He had his fill of concubines, and bestowed her upon me. She had been groomed from birth to be a Pharaoh’s lover; she was intelligent and a brilliant story teller. She would express the grandeur in the god of her people, Aten and I would spend evenings lost in her tales, and would covet her god that had her so captivated." His eyes sparkled in rememberance.
" I was bred from birth that the world was at my command, I thought myself an extension of the gods, but Makeda created a different world for me with her devotion to Aten, and I followed."
He leaned back into his chair, “It is the same tale of every great man, is it not? Their obsession with a woman leads them astray from their rule. “
I smiled, seeing Sookie’s face in that comment.
“I went against custom and made her my queen upon the death of my father. My brothers and priests were upset with my choice, but the people along with me, adored her.” he said.
“Makeda would spend hours in prayer, and debating with Priests. I would receive their complaints that Makeda was “questioning” our beliefs and asking about the creator of our gods. They thought she was a heretic. You see Bill, Egyptians had worshipped the sun for centuries before I or even Makeda was conceived, but Makeda was convinced that Aten was divine. She expressed day and night that the people of Egypt should not worship the sun, for the sun was just the creation of the divine, not the divine itself. Her vigor to see Aten worshipped was palpable. To please her and my people, I had all other gods banished and cease to be worshipped. I had the inscription of Aten depicted as the sun, to wean the sun worshippers. “
“This created a rift between us, she cried to me that I was going against Aten’s plan. She said, “You have Aten as just another idol, Aten is not the sun; he is the creator of the sun." She wrote a ‘Great Hymn to Aten’, and had each priest sing it from each temple upon the sun’s rising. Her words were completely foreign to us Egyptians. The people followed reluctantly, and the priests were content with the worship of Aten, as long as they were to receive their fees for temple worship. She then expressed that we should build a new city to honor Aten, and that the priests would not be needed; because Aten could be worshipped by anyone. The Egyptian people did not have to pay to be blessed; Aten could hear them. “
"What did you do?"
“I had her city built.”
“I could not deny her, but as time progressed she increasingly denied me. I began to occupy myself with the pleasures of life; I had many concubines, food and drink. I would spend my days at sport or enwrapped in my own study, and philosophy. My love for my priestess queen had turned from ardor, to reverence. I had not lain with her as my wife in over a year before the priests brought to my attention that we had yet to have a child. I needed a male heir to inherit the throne. I went to her to express my need of a child to protect my throne, and she obliged me, but after another year she had yet to give birth. The priests said it was time for me to pick another queen, one who would give me a male child. Again, with my heart troubled I sought her. She gave her consent that I should father a child, and that she would raise the child as her own. Her only condition was that I would not take the child’s mother as another queen, and that she would be forever kept as sole queen to the throne. I gave her my promise.”
“I conversed with the priests, and they boasted of a woman who was fertile, and who would give me a son. They had groomed her in hopes that I would take her as a future queen.”
Radames took a deep breath, “Be leery of men of the cloth, Bill.”
“When I arrived in my chambers the next evening; I found a remarkable creature lying among pillows. The creature movements were not human, she moved without disguising, unlike you and me. Her voice had the timbre of trickling water. I was beside myself. I moved closer to her and before I could speak, she was upon me. Tearing into my neck and sucking me to the edge of my life. She then tore at her wrist and instructed me to drink, if I wanted to live. When I became cognitive, it was to the sound of Makeda screaming. The screams tore through me, and I discovered, I was bound in sand. I could feel the warmth on the sand above me, and even though I had not yet learned what the sun could do to us; my body was reacting from the heat. She called my name until her voice became weak, and I could no longer hear her. As soon as the sun sunk behind the desert sky; I arose from my sandy grave to find her. I ran across miles of desert to the Aten temple where her bloodied body lay. She had been stabbed and left to die. The smell of her blood put me in a frenzy, and at that moment, I had learned what I had become. My fangs extracted and I had a hunger for her that was unlike any pain I had felt before. Her blood was all over me as I picked up her still breathing body to lick at her wounds; tasting the life that was leaving from her. I could not control myself , and I bit into her and suckled her being into me. The last words she uttered to me were, ‘You are not mine’.” She knew that I was no longer a mortal man. I laid her body into a concealed tomb and said that I would search for her. "
Radames was quiet, contemplating if he should continue.
“I killed the priests that murdered her, my brothers who plotted, and their wives and children.”’
I was silent, picturing the massacre he committed from the horror of losing his beloved.
“If I had not sought out what the priests wanted , then she would have lived, and I would have experienced a full life as a mortal man.”
“We all meet our makers, whether they are the gods of our conscious, or the ones with fangs.” I mused.
Radames smiled, “You were paying attention.” He slapped his hand over mine in camaraderie.
“Bill, the life that I drained from Makeda is now in Marie, but the spirit, although it inhabits a human form is not of this world. I saw something when I drank from her and I have been trying to recreate that ecstasy every night since her death.”
“What did Marie have to say about me?”
“I asked her who you were, and she said you were very important.”
“I do not know of my significance to her.”
“She is resting now, but she will be accompanying us to my home; she has many questions regarding her previous life. I am pleased to have you visit my home Bill, I think the experience will leave you with some answered questions as well.”
..................
I smelled her before she spoke a word.
“Hello Bill”, she said sliding into the empty seat next to me. She was dressed for the climate we were headed to, but still in black. She wore a caftan that stopped mid thigh and her bronze legs were exposed to my delight. Her hair was full and adorned her like a lion's mane. I had not seen in her since Radames fled the ball with her, and even though I hardly knew her; I felt a sudden pang of relief seeing her face.
I soaked up the warmth of her smile, “Hello, trouble.”
She laughed and leaned in closer to me, “I’m sorry for the circumstances, if it eases you; I want you to know that I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.” She teased.
“What time is it?” I asked. I had just risen from the confinement of the light proof box that I was boarded onto the plane in. The plane was silent, and dark aside from the runway carpet lights.
“Everyone is still asleep but us; we have another thirty minutes before landing.” She replied, whisking her hair into a ponytail and brushing the tendrils from her face.
“I know you have it, Bill.”
She was referring to her journal. After I listened to Radames reveal that Marie was his Makeda; I had spent the rest of the evening reading the entries of her life. I had learned that she was a lonely child, which had a bright future as a scholar, but began to witness occurrences that were not there. She was diagnosed as a schizophrenic, and her mother saved her from a life of mental hospitals and coma inducing drugs, by simply believing her daughter. Her mother sought out a therapist that used hypnotherapy to help Marie control her visions, and seek answers from them. Marie learned how to self induce hypnosis, and write what she was experiencing; this self control of her visions helped her to cope with her everyday life.
I wondered if she still felt lonely because it was an emotion we shared. From my birth as a vampire, I had spent the time as an onlooker- a watcher of life- until I was opened up by Sookie. When Sookie left me, I spiraled down quickly, and now I was struggling to be content with watching again.
From not knowing inkling about Marie, to reading her most intimate thoughts; I yearned to know more of her. I was aroused that this woman was seeking me out, and I came to the conclusion that she and I were much alike in our pain. But, unlike me, she found a way to work through it; she found a way to live. It was this essence of her that I desperately wanted to have. I had hoped her book would be filled with my name; that maybe, she had glimpses of what was to become of me, but the only page that I was mentioned, was her exclaiming she found me.
“I do.” I said answering her question.
“Was it an exciting read?”
“Very, and it does not seem to be fiction.”
She laughed.
“Can I have it back?”
“Not until you tell me the ending.”
“I don’t know the ending.”
I turned to face her, “Oh, but I think you do. Why were you looking for me?”
Her face was so close to mine that our lips touched, “I’ve been having visions of you for about six months now, the last one I had led me to Vegas, I haven't had another one.”
“You have no clue as to why you have been seeing me in these visions?”
“Not yet, but it'll come. In the meantime I wanted to get to know the vampire that has stolen most of my sleep.” She smiled.
I was titillated by her words. I felt closer to her now, and I wanted more. She was so much more confident then the scared girl in her journal and knowing this, I fought the urge to pet her.
“You knew who I was in the elevator?”
“Yes, I also knew the reason why you were so hurt in that elevator.”
I glanced over to the seat across from us, to see blonde hair dangling; Sookie was still sleeping.
“Ah, that explains why you asked my name after inviting me to your room, you already knew it.”
She smiled, and leaned her head onto my shoulder,and nuzzled her head into my neck. The action was intimate, and welcomed.
“From your journal, it seems that your thoughts are occupied with Darius Porter, as well.”
She moved away; the moment was broken by his name.
“Yes.”
“You have been spying on him quite a lot Marie; in your writing you counterpoint each of his radical ideas with your own. I must say, it is remarkable information, you spin his every word into something beautiful, I think it would be helpful to Sookie for you to share with her what you know of Darius.”
She didn’t respond.
“You made an impression with Radames; he is very fond of you.” She said, ignoring my questions.
“The feeling is mutual.” I was still reeling from my impression of Radames ; from his actions in the meeting, and his candidness about his life to me. “He’s wise, unorthodox, but wise. He has a very different outlook on our existence; I have never heard anyone express themselves quite like him. “
“He is fond of you as well, as you must know.” I said, wishing she would lay her head on me again.
“He is fond of Makeda, not me.”
“Are you not Makeda, as well.”
“No. Makeda is dead, he knows that; I can recall bits of my life as Makeda with him, but this life is my own. I need him to share more of who she was, so I can better understand my life now. “
“What have you learned so far?”
“Not much.” She laughed, “The night he took me away, he spent the evening getting to know me, he asked many questions of whom I was and where did I come from. He wanted to know everything; it was like he couldn’t get enough of me, especially knowing that I had visions of him. He wants to believe that I am the reincarnation of Makeda, but I am not her anymore. I’ve lived that life, and many more since then and I have to live this life as Marie. “
It occurred to me that he had not told her of what he had divulged to me. I thought it best to remain silent until speaking to him.
“He promised me, that if I came with him to his home, then he would give me information, and help me understand who she was. I said I would go, but you had to come as well.”
“Me? Why me, Marie? You and I hardly know each other, but yet you stake a claim to me as if we are intimate. Just because you are having visions of me does not mean anything; you said yourself that you have yet to receive any other visions pertaining to me. How do you know I am supposed to go with you?”
“Because.” She said, her voice trailing off, “Because, I’m not the only one who is looking for you.”
Chapter 3
I stood aimlessly in the doorway of Sookie’s room at Radames’s desert home. I had just learned from Marie that Darius Porter was looking for me and my mind was scrambling for reasons why. Marie vowed to me that she had yet to learn the motive for my being searched by both humans, and was hoping this visit with Radames would help her to know.
I was having a hard time believing her.
Marie had yet to be forthright with any information regarding her, and I had to learn who she was by nearly getting killed. I would have continued to press her for information on the plane, if Radames had not swept her from me to show her his home.
“Why are we here?” Eric blazed, bringing me back to the moment.
“You know full well why we are here, and don’t give me that face.” Sookie replied.
This was the first time being alone with the both of them since the fight in the Vegas hotel. Radames had us boarded onto the plane in light proof boxes as soon as possible; he wanted us at his home as night fell, so that he could spend the first evening properly entertaining us.
I knew Sookie and Eric were waiting for me to debrief them on the whirlwind of events that had taken place. I was just content being in the room with Sookie, and watching her enjoy her temporary room. She seemed delighted by it, and was welcoming when I found a seat by her balcony. Eric on the other hand was not going to let me bask in the enjoyment, and prompted me for answers.
“Why is Marie here? Compton, you are to fill Sookie and me in on what has transpired since the Ball?” Eric sat on the wooden carved chair, opposite of me.
“Marie is his wife.” They both stopped short with questioning faces, “Well, she is the reincarnation of his dead wife.”
“And she just remembered him when she saw him?” Eric said in disbelief, “What else do we not know, Bill? Is she really a stranger to you? How did she know he was going to be at the ball?”
“Marie has visions that allow her to recall her past lives, and it gives her glimpses of her future life as Marie.”
“Did she tell you this?”
“No, I read her diary.”
“Radames believes her?” Eric said, still not believing that Marie was his wife.
“Radames said that both women possess the same spirit.”
“It’s kind of romantic; his lost love is now back in his life.” Sookie replied, pulling her bags on top of the colossal canopy bed.
“Well, before Radmaes was made vampire, he was a Pharoah of Egypt.”
“You are kidding me!” Sookie exclaimed in excitement. “Shut up.”
“Yes, and Marie was his queen, Makeda, who was murdered before he could rescue her, he had been tricked and turned into a vampire, his priests killed her during the day where he could not get to her. “
Eric and Sookie looked at each other longingly, and I wanted to disappear.
“Why did the priests kill her?”
“They thought she was a heretic; she was trying to convert the people to a new religion…Aten is what Radames called it.” I said, wandering off from my thought process.
I eyed Sookie and envisioned us sharing her bed. Her white tank top set off her tan, and I kept getting lost in my desire to peel the top from her. I knew I needed to continue with my debrief, but I did not want to interrupt my fantasy.
“There is something else. She said Darius Porter is looking for me.” I continued.
Eric snapped, “So that is why we are here, she is trying to keep you, and he’s trying to keep her, and Sookie and I got thrown into this. We should be in Louisiana, where I can keep her safe, and not in the harm of danger yet again ,because of Marie."
"Why is Darius Porter looking for you?" he pressed on.
"She does not know, it has not been revealed to her yet." I said with sarcasm.
Sookie was quietly unpacking her garments, and placing them into the garnished armoire. It seemed she wanted to avoid a repeat of the last gathering with the three of us.
“Sookie, you know all about our politics. Why did you feel compelled to agree?” Eric questioned.
“You and I both know that when Felipe asked it really was a request, and, yes, I do know a little about ya’lls politics, but, not enough to negotiate vamps future with Darius.” She said, disregarding Eric’s interrogation.
Eric went to the bed and pulled the suitcase from her reach.
“Lover, I told you that he had servants who could do these things for you.” he said, pulling her body to sit on the bed.
She promptly raised herself up to continue her task, “I was raised to take care of myself, and putting up my own clothes is not a chore, I’m sure Radames’s servants have more important things to do.”
Eric quickly picked up the suitcase and threw it against the stucco wall.
“We are not supposed to be here.” Eric hissed, glaring at us both before fleeing the room.
I immediately went to the suitcase to pick up her spilled clothes. She came and stood by me, with her hair fallen around her face; she began to sob silently.
I felt the need to apologize and she stopped me.
“Why are you apologizing? He is the one who threw it and left; I know he’s upset, but we have to be here.”
She was wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
“I am apologizing for everything, for everything.” I said, placing the suitcase on my empty chair.
She understood and replied, “It’s too late to apologize to me Bill, you and I, we keep moving forward even with these giant holes inside of us.”
She began to cry harder and I reached out my hand to her and she quickly grabbed it. I pulled her close to let her weep against my chest. I allowed myself to hug her deeply, and run my hands over her hair.
I whispered in her ear, “You are so courageous Sookie, look at you, you are here taking on such a daunting task to help us and dealing with both of our emotions. I am sure it is taking a toll on you.”
My hands moved from her hair to the small of her back, and she moved to press her forehead into the center of me. She looked up from my chest and her face was searching in mine. I saw the want in her eyes; I knew that she had let go of the pain, even if for a moment. Her mouth parted and I leaned down to meet her mouth with mine.
“Dinner is being served.”
One of Radames’s servants interrupted our near kiss. We both looked to the waiting servant, but I still held her steadfast, not wanting to let her go.
She pulled away from me swiftly, and followed him to our waiting host.
...............
“Please, Please come..sit.”
Radames beckoned with a smile, lying among many colored pillows, wearing only his silk pants. The ancient vampire was a desirable specimen. He still had the golden pallor of his mortal life and the same dark eyes and hair like Marie.
Sookie smiled in approval of the half naked Radames.
Eric was quietly seated and still fuming from the earlier events. Sookie sat opposite him, closer to me.
“I would like for us to dine together; I have an excellent chef here for my human guests, I hope you enjoy what he has prepared for you Sookie?”
I looked over the dining arrangement before us; silver trays were garnished with human food and floated around the many pillows. Bottles of wine and other libations were being poured into empty glasses and candles were being lit. The dining area looked out to the courtyard fountain and was only separated from the moonlight by white sheers draped from the ceiling.
Sookie smiled, taking a slice of candied orange, “I’m sure I will love it.”
“And for us...“, he nodded to Eric and I. “I have something more decadent.”
In walked his spectacle of humans, lovely beings that were there for our entertainment and sustenance. They were kept as a harem for Radames’s pleasure; young men and women of all colors swayed their bodies, and enjoyed the feast lying amongst them. I observed the prey that was handpicked for their exceptional beauty by the ancient vampire; I longed to be just as carefree as them. They were jovial about their here and now; there was no concern on their smiling faces that their present future was to be fed on.
Sookie uneasy about the humans, moved closer to Eric, and the jealousy that would usually rise was replaced with a new emotion- indifference.
I was tired of shedding emotions for a human that did not want them.
“Ms. Stackhouse, our first lesson will begin tomorrow evening; I hope you are not offended by my inquiring of your knowledge base. I know that you have been a dear resource for us, and I am humbled. But, we have a history that we would like to keep clandestine, all the while trying to have rights as humans. I have this arcane knowledge of who we are and I will teach you, and trust that you will use it wisely.”
“I will use what you teach me wisely.” She assured.
“I want to teach you these things because it will help you to reason with Darius, it will give you leverage in understanding on how to persuade him, if you can persuade yourself how beneficial the world can be with vampires cohabiting with humans.", he laughed. “ I do not agree with the notion, but it is what he majority wants, so I will indulge them because they are intent on having you as their ambassador, but I am intent on making sure you have the proper armor. Do you understand?”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “I am honored to have been chosen to act as an ambassador, and I’m even more honored that you will be taking the time to help me.”
“Eric, I am sure Felipe will be very happy with you, knowing that your bonded will be carrying such a hefty position in our world. Are you still a sheriff?”
Eric affirmed and Radames continued on what accolades awaited Eric for having Sookie as his bonded.
My attentions were diverted to a copper haired doll. She was leisurely eating a plum, and the juice from the fruit was dripping from her porcelain chin. She slowly licked over her mouth, and her hand, not wanting to waste the nectar. She conversed with two male humans, and caught my gaze on her and smiled.
“Ah, I see you like Lourdes.” Radames said, “She is delicious.” he stated, approving of my choice.
Lourdes beamed with pride from Radames's compliment.
“There you are my pet, I was starting to worry.” Radames stood to greet Marie. He held her hands in his and kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment to inhale her. She had adorned her self in an onyx sari,showing the contour of her breasts. Huge gold hoops were in her ears and hit the side of her face as she moved.
"I am pleased that you are wearing my gifts." Radames said with affection.
Everyone offered her their greeting, but I could not find any pleasantries to say to her. All I could think of was shaking her and demanding for her to tell me everything.
“We were waiting to feast till you arrived, my pet.”
"‘I’m sorry that I am late, but that shouldn’t have kept you from eating.” She said, taking her place on a gold cushion near Radames.
Her hair was still pulled up in its pony tail, but more curls had escaped and framed her piquant face. Her beauty was not that of a cute doll like Lourdes, but an expressive piece of art. Her wide mouth smiled at me, but I could not do the same in return.
I was ambivalent to her. She was the root of my confusion. Her neglect to tell me the truth, and her unwavering hold on not to tell me why she was searching for me, made me angry. But, the anger was coupled with my budding fascination with her.
“It is still early, and I like to enjoy them before deciding which one I would like to taste for the evening.” Radames said, leaning back onto his elbows, admiring Marie. He caught a lock of her curls, and twisted his fingers in them playfully.
“Radames, if you don’t mind, I’m feeling a little tired and would like to get some rest.” Sookie pleaded.
Sookie did not want to tell the vampire that she thought he was disgusting to feed in front of her, and that there was no way in hell she would allow Eric to feed on anyone, but her.
“Of course, you both are free to go, Sookie if you wish, I can have food brought up to you or anything else you may want.” He said seductively, and Eric stuck his chest out, ready to pounce on his host.
Sookie looked away, “That won’t be necessary; I’m fine until the morning.”
“Eric, I will have Laslo, show you our quarters underground. My entire home is open to the elements of nature, so there is no spot in the home that is light proof. I am a child of the sun and I love the smell of it inside the house when I rise.”
“I will make sure to find my way down before dawn.” Eric said, escorting Sookie back to her room.
I could not look at her as she left and I could not face the woman who stayed.
Radames gave me a quizzical look.
“He does not drink from her in public.” I stated.
“Ah, interesting.” He replied.
He was still puzzled, when he asked.”Does he have no desire to make her one of us?”
“I don’t think Sookie desires to be a vampire.” Marie replied, before I did.
“How do you know, pet?” Radames purred, still playing with her hair.
“Even though she loves him; she doesn’t like what he is. And, he clearly loves her, so maybe he doesn’t wish to make her one of you.” Marie said, refilling her glass with wine.
“Very perceptive, but I know this existence, and he will want to turn her; she is his companion.” Radames said.
“The love he has for her will not let him.” I replied.
They both knew that I was speaking from my own conviction, not Eric’s.
“The inertia of loneliness is what make men create, so that they won’t feel the paralysis. It is the same force that compels us to become ‘makers’. It is not love that moves us to create more of us Bill; it is our fear of being alone.” Radames said, beckoning one of the girl humans to him.
The young girl promptly rose and fell into the open arms of the vampire. She lay in between him and Marie, creating a barrier, and Radames turned all of his attention from Marie to her.
“Are you not thirsty?” he said, not moving his interest from the girl.
“Very.” I said, staring at Marie.
She sat still, waiting for my next move.
“Not every creature is so selfish, Radames.” She said finally. I knew she was wavering on if she should say it, but her heart would not let it pass.
Radames lifted his face from his human and reached out his hand to her, “I have hopes that you will one day decide to join me; I know that you do not know me now, but you will come to enjoy what I have to offer you.”
She accepted his hand, “I have never seen a vampire drink before, and I wish to see you do it now.”
He grinned provocatively and nodded his head. “I will do whatever you wish, my pet.”
Radames lovingly took the girl and groaned with pleasure. The girl let out a little moan and wrapped her small arms around his neck. Marie turned her face away from the passionate embrace.
My copper haired Doll was now walking towards me.
The doll straddled me; both of her knees digging into the pillow on either side of my waist. Her breasts were pushed up against my chin and I slid my hands down her spine, over her hips, and the back of her legs. I pushed her neck to the side, and there was Marie staring into me.
We sat locked into each other for an eternity.
For a moment I thought about not taking my drink from the woman on me, instead, crawling through the mist of pillows to Marie. Her gaze was ardent, and she was asking me with her whole being to come to her, to follow her.
But I was done.
I forced the human’s neck down and bit. I closed my eyes and felt the gush of blood come into me. I decided that I did not want to straddle this line, this invisible line of what was expected of me, she could not give me all of her, just like Sookie, and I was through with giving and not receiving in return.
I would just take.
When I opened my eyes; she was gone.
....................
“Check mate.” Eric smiled at Marie, taking her king from the chess board.
“I don’t know why I offered to play you; I’m sure you have been playing this game for centuries.” She laughed.
“Correct young lady.” He said, setting up the board again for another round.
The three of us were lounging outside Radames’s library; waiting for him and Sookie to finish their first lesson together.
“Bill, how about you play me, and give me some real competition.” He teased, and Marie pretended to be offended and rose from her spot at the game.
“Plus, it will give you a chance to stop staring at that damned door.” He said.
He was right, but it was all of us that were staring at the damned door. I knew he was anxious about Sookie being alone with him; he did not know what power the seasoned vampire might possess, and he had not come to adore him, as I had. I felt a renewal from my proximity to his joie de vive. The evening before, I was able to enjoy my drink from a lovely woman without the single hint of mortal remorse. I was impatient to know what unprecedented events he had in store for us this evening.
I took my place at the chess game, and moved my first pawn forward two spaces.
Marie leaned against one of the grand pillars holding up the beautiful home. She was trying not to fidget but she was just as impatient as I was; she wanted entry into the library, and she wanted to have it to herself.
“Marie, Bill tells us that you can see things.” Eric stated, strategizing his next chess move.
She laughed nervously, and glanced at me from the side of her eyes, “Yes, I have the ability to see my past and my future sometimes.”
She felt exposed, and I immediately wished I had not told Eric about her secret. She moved from the pillar to lie on a chaise. She turned her body from us, not wanting to engage in the conversation any further.
Eric understood, “ Compton, how did last night play out for you.” He grinned.
Before I could answer, Radames opened the door, letting Sookie walk out to our smiling faces.
“Wow, were you all just waiting here?” She laughed. She bent to kiss Eric and fell into his arms for an embrace.
“Pet, you may have the library now.” Radames said to the lounging Marie, he stroked her hair, but she did not move immediately. She allowed the petting and then silently walked into the library and shut us out.
Radames was concerned, and faced Eric and I. We both shrugged our shoulders, but I knew the reason for her silence.
“We will have dinner together again this evening, but to accommodate Ms. Stackhouse, we will wait to satisfy our appetite until she has had her fill.” He smiled at Sookie.
Sookie at ease with her teacher vampire now, bowed graciously, “I appreciate the effort, Radames.”
“Your bonded is a brilliant human, Eric, I hope you recognize just how grand she really is. She allowed me to fill her brain with prehistoric ghost stories, and still managed to remain serious at the end.” He laughed. “If someone would have told me those stories, I would have thought them batty.”
“They weren’t batty stories, Radames, I think it will be integral in debating Darius.”
“I do know how brilliant she is, and if you two do not mind, I would like to show her.” He said, causing Sookie to blush. Eric grabbed Sookie protectively, still not trusting Radames.
Radames laughed, “Do not let us keep you, dinner will be served at nine; Bill let me show you around the property.” He said leading me out into the courtyard.
I was elated to be away from the two of them.
“She loves you too, I hope you know that.” He said, in a matter of fact way.
“Who?” For a split second, I thought he was speaking of Marie.
“Sookie, of course, she loves you both, but he captivates her; you, my sulky friend must learn to do the same.” He smirked.
“I am learning.”
“And, I can see the small change.”
I was delighted that he could see the development. We stood in front of the oxidized fountain, with lilies floating in its spout, and the moonlight creating ripples in the water. I appreciated the beauty, and took in how gracious I felt to be there.
“Bill, How come you did not feed from Marie, the evening you met her?”
I deadpanned and thought about being cautious, but I did not want to hold back from my new friend.
“I had been mainstreaming up until my meeting her, I was living on the synthetic blood drink True Blood.”
Radames looked at me puzzled. I laughed, “I take that you have never heard of True Blood.”
“No, and why would you want to replace human blood.” He said in disbelief, “There is nothing sweeter.”
I smiled, acknowledging the debauched vampire had no use for anything, but human life. “Well, that was what initially made me not want to drink from her, but I have to say, it was she that glamoured me. She mesmerized me that evening, and I have been trying to understand it ever since.”
Radames face was unreadable, he gestured for me to follow him past the lovely courtyard. We strode through the airy rooms, and settled among the dinner pillows from the night before.
“Bill, when I fled Egypt after Makeda’s death, I went to my maker, Oria.” He finally said after the long silence. “ Oria was the one of first of our kind, Bill, she called me to her, and I found her in Babylonia.”
“Does Oria still walk the earth?”
“No, she met the sun long ago. She was ancient before she had even laid eyes on me, Bill.” He laughed, “ She said she was the divine procreation of angels and mortal women, She was a part of the nephilim.”
“What is the nephilim?”
“The nephilim were the creatures that came from the lovemaking of angels and women. Do you know the biblical account? How angels walked the earth, and were awestruck with the beauty of mortal women. The mortals gave birth to creatures that were not human, and God was displeased.” He said looking at me, questioning how much I knew.
“I have heard of that story, but like most religious stories, I had reduced it to fallacy.”
“Bill, I am sure by now that you know that some fairy tales are real.” He smiled, “She said that God had banned the angels from walking the earth in their celestial form so they could not entice the women, and the children were forced to live off the life of others, and walk the earth devoid of the light of the sun.”
“Are you trying to tell me that we are descendants from these creatures?”
“Yes.” He said without blinking an eye.
“Why did he not destory the children, why did this God allow them to walk as damned creatures?”
“Oria explained to me that God cherished his divine offspring.”
“If he cherished us so much, then how could he doom us to this existence?”
Radames laughed, “Bill, only you see this life as damning. We are the direct link to celestial beings, Bill, we are not bound to the same morality as humans. We are marvelous beings, Bill.”
He could see the disappointment in my face. I could not understand how any god who could do such a thing could be deserving of worship.
“Bill you struggle with what is right and what is wrong; there is no such thing my friend, only blood for us.” He grabbed my shoulder to contain me.
“So these angels, they were forced to walk the earth in human form then on, how can one tell if it is an angel or not?” I asked, troubled by what he had explained to me.
“By tasting them.”
.....................
I sat among the dinner party waiting for her to arrive, but she never came. I toyed with an ample woman, and engaged in conversation with Radames and Eric, but still she had yet to come. Sookie and Eric retired to her room, and Radames found himself preoccupied with a beautiful man, and her place among us remained empty. Her absence left me distracted, and I could not feed. I excused myself from the melee of vampires and humans feasting to find her face.
Marie had holed herself in the library since the conclusion of Radames’s lesson.
“I believe this belongs to you.” I said, placing the leather journal softly onto the desk.
She sat alone in the grandiose library, with a small lamp, laboring over some forgotten tome.
“Are you sure you don’t want to give it to your friends to read? Maybe pass it around and compare notes?” She said, not bothering to address me.
“Your secrecy has put us in danger before, and they have the right to know the reason for Radames bringing you.” She continued to read, avoiding me.
“You should eat something.” I said, looking at her untouched tray of food. I could sense she was low blood sugar.
“I’m not hungry.” She rubbed the cover of the journal affectionately. "Thank you for returning it.”
I was relaxed in this dim lit room with her, becoming drunk on her scent. I had little concern on whether she was angry with me or not. I had no intention of leaving.
“Bill, I don’t hide things from you intentionally. I am just lost, and trying hard to keep my head above water with my visions, and what it all means.”
She rested her head on her left palm.
“I want to trust you.” I said lightly, but what I meant was that I don’t trust you, so give me a reason to.
“I want to trust you too.” She snapped, her eyes piercing me.
She stood abruptly to find another book from the dusty rows. “
Where is Radames?” She asked, searching with her fingertips.
“He is still dining.” I said, looking over the books she had scattered across the grand desk.
“You speak Aramaic?” I laughed, holding up one of the scrolls.
She smiled back at me, “When the mood fits me.”
“What other dead languages do you speak?”
“I never know until I need it.”
“You mean unless you used it in a previous life.”
“Exactly.”
“Does it scare you still? Your visions?”
“Yes, but there is a reason I was chosen to receive them; so I have to be braver than my fear.” She said, finally finding her book.
She was exhausted, but she exuded excitement from discovering what she desired. She raked her fingers through her hair, pulling it from her smiling face, and I was entranced.
“You are beautiful.” I said, awestruck.
We were only separated by the desk, with the little illumination of the green desk lamp.
“Thank you; you are not too bad yourself, especially when you have fed.” “I can tell that you haven’t eaten either, why not?” She said, coming from around the desk.
“I plan to feed.” I said, running my finger over the curve of her cheek.
“Do you know why I did not drink from you the first evening I met you, Marie?”
“No.”
I laughed, “I do not know either.”
We both laughed together, enjoying the diminishing space between us.
“What does it feel like to drink from a human?”
“Ecstasy” I said, flinging her hair from her collar and kneading the side of her neck, feeling her wane under me.
“Is that what you felt last night?”
“Yes.” I said, remembering the taste of Lourdes’s blood.
She bit the bottom of her lip in anticipation. I tenderly grazed my lips over the throbbing vein in her neck.
My face was buried into the crevice of her neck, “What do you want from me?”
“What I want, you can’t give.” She breathed into my waiting ear.
Sookie.
She knew that I was held captive by the blonde who was at that moment filling Radames’s home with her cries of passion.
Damn Radames’s open home. There were no windows to the balconies of the bedrooms, and their lovemaking carried from the room, out to the balcony, and floated down into the courtyard, and filled every nook of the bottom floor.
Marie let out a sigh of defeat, and returned to her chair.
.........................
I left Marie to find Radames in the courtyard, basking in the fragrance of Sookie and Eric’s lovemaking.
He was a fiend in the moonlight, wearing only a robe, eyes closed, and holding a soft smirk on his face.
He danced alone to an imaginary waltz.
“What a remarkable scent, Bill. She smells like love.” He said, continuing to waltz blindly around me.
The stench repulsed me, and my fangs bore down in disgust.
Radames knowingly hit my back, “We will have fun tonight."
I followed him to the bath house.
We entered the old bath house, reminiscent of a mosque with its red dyed walls and Turkish ceramic tiles. Silver candelabras burned in the grated arched windows and the sunken floor was flooded with warm indigo water. An orgy of exquisite women, men and vampires frolicked through the liquid, kissing, touching, and enjoying each other’s bodies.
He disrobed and waded into the water; greeting his lovers for the evening.
I stripped bare and followed.
I was battling inside from Marie’s words, Sookie’s smell, and the need to satisfy my craving for blood.
I found a spot in the corner of the bath and resorted myself to relishing the scene unfolding before me.
Water splashed, as limbs moved carelessly trying to find any body to yield to a wanting hand. Men kissed one another with abandon, while pleasing vampires. Women in passionate embraces wrapped their glorious legs around each other trying desperately to keep their gorgeous faces afloat. Laughter and passion filled the bath house to the brim.
A dark haired vampire was climaxing with her human lover next to me, and her feral moans aroused me.
I smiled in my enjoyment, just wanting to receive the energy of all the bodies, and forget the events of earlier in the evening.
But, blonde hair had shone through the confusion of bodies, and I found myself honing in on a grinning face.
She resembled Sookie, and I had a desire to consume her whole.
I waded through the water to the fresh faced blonde, who continued to grin, and didn’t speak as she leaned in to me. I grabbed her face with both hands, and bruised her mouth with my kiss. I urgently pinned her against the tile with my chest, and forced her legs open. My hands deftly moved between her thighs and I cupped my fingers into her wanting flesh. She let out a groan, and I kissed her, timing my movement inside of her to the tempo of our kiss. The water undulated from the many bodies that splashed around with their love making.
We exchanged no words. I kept my eyes closed imagining Sookie’s scent.
The woman tensed, pulsated and, tightened herself around my fingers; her breaths were quick and short. I pushed her neck back and sunk my fangs into her. She yelped with pleasure, as she came and I drank from her, sucking hard ,feeling her tremble with her orgasm. I was dazed and backed away from her slowly, taking my hand from inside of her, and setting her body onto the ceramic steps. I pressed hard into her chest, forcing her to lie back, and I tenderly licked at her wounds. Her nails trailed my back and she rubbed her slippery legs on the sides of my waist.
“I see you have found someone to entertain you; good, you must not let others dictate your mood, Bill.” Radames interrupted. He was sitting on the steps being massaged by a young man. The human would break between caresses to kiss Radames and Radames would return the kiss with fervor.
“Is this not beautiful, all of these glorious creatures enjoying life’s greatest gift. The mingling of blood, sweat and cum is beautiful, Bill, just beautiful.” He sat back admiring the scenery, like a painter admires his work.
My blonde drifted away from me to enjoy the array of other bodies to be had. I lingered on the steps next to Radames and his lover.
“Divine chaos, Bill, divine chaos, there is no need for order, because order defines itself. Take this evening, all of these bodies cast into this water all searching for something and everyone ends up with the result they wanted.”
Only Radames could use an orgy as an analogy on the order of life.
“We are the divine chaos.” I said.
I had mulled over the wisdom of Radames, the awareness that we were created from celestial beings and humans, and punished for it. But as Radames put it, we were not punished, simply given an existence without a delineation of right and wrong. I was sick with this revelation.
“Yes, we are Bill, we are fantastic executioners, and we drink indiscriminately.”
“Why are you helping Felipe with mainstreaming vampires? I am beginning to believe that we should become heir to the earth as the creatures we were destined to be.”
Radames smiled, “I grow weary of strong convictions, centuries pass and I see the error in what I held as truth. Even though, I do not seek to mainstream, it may be the path for their future; you are all much younger than I, and I do not wish to crush your youthful dreams.”
Radames was a remarkable contradiction.
“Also I am the oldest and the strongest, that automatically makes me a ruler, and I wish to please. Felipe has been vital in mobilizing us all into an army. It is because of him that I am able to exist without fear knowing that I have the protection of the Elders and Felipe’s armies. There are rogue fledglings that wish to see me obliterated.”
“Why?”
“They want to remain exotic as I wish to, they do not desire to play as humans, but reign as the beautiful animals that we are.” He said, drifting in thought.
“So why do they despise you since you sympathize with that belief?”
“That is why they hate me, Bill. They know these things and call me a traitor. They think I am weak, and if they annihilate me and the Elders, then they can control the vamps.”
“Do they have a leader?” I was concerned about my friend.
“We have plenty of time for this discussion.” He said, kissing the young man’s hand.
“A pity, your friends could not come; I had hoped to see the Viking make love to his human.”
“She is not for display.”
I could feel the unwanted anger mount.
“I do not mean to upset you my friend, but there is no need to be upset, as you just witnessed there is no disgrace in lovemaking for others to adulate.”
I stretched one leg in front of me, and rested on my elbow turnning to face Radames. His lover had stopped massaging him and let Radmes rest his head onto his pubescent chest.
I was feeling so many emotions at this moment. My blood thirst was satiated but my lust was being held hostage.
“Where is Marie?” He asked.
“Still studying.”
He laughed, “As I expected.”
“We spoke briefly on the plane and she disclosed to me, that you promised her if she came here you would tell her about Makeda. “
Radames straightened his self, casting his lover’s arms from him, “And, what did you tell her?” His voice alarmed.
“I did not reveal anything, but I must ask, have you told her all of what you have told me?”
“No.”
“May I ask why?”
“Marie recalls pieces of her life.” He said, protectively. “And I will tell her everything in due time, for now I would like to take pleasure in her.”
“She will not even allow me to lay with her.” He laughed as if the notion of a woman declining him was ridiculous.
“History repeats itself.” I smiled
He shook his head, “I want her, Bill; I want her to save me.” He said, “I cannot continue this without her; it has been too long. It is the same desire that compels you to fawn over Sookie, you also anticipate eventually, she will come to love you again.”
The love I thought I wanted from Sookie deteriorated when I heard the sound of her and Eric fucking.
I crested the water with my hands, enjoying the liquid pushing back, “I am not sure I want it anymore, Radames.”
.......................
I avoided Marie and Sookie, and engaged myself with my new love.
Radames.
He and I scaled the clay walls of the citadel which he continued to refer to as his home, and overlooked the plains of black sand, taking pleasure in the unexpected breeze over the night desert. On those nights, up high, he would recount his mortal life as an Egyptian, and his love for his father.
Bored one evening, we dashed across the desert into the city, and dressed as natives, cloaked in scarves and Bedouin garb. We walked arm in arm, down narrow cobbled streets and pretended to drink tea in cafes. We debated heatedly and laughed in these cafes, mesmerizing the humans around us. We drank from glamoured souls that by fate found themselves in the grasp of us. In those lonely back alleys, they would awaken to remember they were divinely kissed.
We spent night after night locked in each other’s company. I had poured my soul into the ancient vampire, and he listened. He would acknowledge my pain when I needed him to, but he never held it. He always found a way to get me to continue to cast off the shackles of my mortal morality. “Useless baggage.” He called it.
I had never admired someone so much, not Lorena, nor Sookie, no one.
He was my brother.
Sookie caught me once, lying in the fountain. I was fascinated by the moonlit liquid and wanted to be immersed in it. I leisurely lounged in the huge fountain with my arms propping my head above the water. “Something is wrong with you Bill.” She laughed, “What are you doing just lying in that water?” She shook her head and would marvel at me through out the evening.
I was happy.
I had not used the word happy since the birth of my children, who were long deceased now.
I drank blood when I wanted, made love to whomever, and howled at the moon like an animal.
I was intoxicated by his devotion and friendship.
Marie could not sleep at night because of it. She had taken to rising at dawn, and going to bed as we were waking to avoid us. We would sing like mad men outside her balcony, beckoning her to come out. Radames would proclaim his love for her while licking his lover for the evening’s face.
It was our joke.
I would hear her scream at him in the library to tell her what she needed, and he would dance around the subject.
“How did you come to worship Aten, Radames?” She would interrogate.
“It was always one of our gods, and one of the devout priests instructed me on its glory, pet. When you became my wife, you followed suit.”
“You’re lying.”
“My pet, every historical account will attest to my heresy.” He laughed, “I was the first individual, and I would think by spending this time with me, you would have realized my madness.”
His teasing infuriated her.
“So you were buried in the sand when the priests murdered me, and what happened when you found me? You just found a tomb to put me in?”
“Yes.” He lied.
That evening, he fled the library because Marie had resorted to throwing random objects at him for lying.
Leaving Radames again after another night in the city, I made my way underground to my quarters. I was inebriated from the blood and mirth shared, and was welcoming rest.
I entered before the dawn, and I could feel her lurking.
Marie waited in the shadows of my room.
“Why are you in here?” I said without turning to face her.
”He is changing you.”
“He has opened my eyes, Marie.”
“You too will come to love him.” I said, not wanting to look at her. I knew if I did, I would want her to stay. I would have loved to inhale her next to me while I slept.
“He won’t tell me anything Bill.” She said between clenched teeth.
“He will over time, we have only been here a week. You have forever to get to know one another.” I teased, as if she were to let him make her a vampire.
I knew how much Radames wanted her, and it was because of this, I needed for her to leave my room.
I turned quickly and grabbed her harshly by the elbow, “You have to leave, I must rest, and the sun is rising.”
“Why can’t I stay here with you?” She said, not moving.
Her words caused me to stagger. “He loves you, Marie.” I said with all of my strength.
She laughed hysterically, “He doesn’t love me!” “Ha! Can’t you see Bill; he just wants to keep me here, in hopes that in keeping me he will be forgiven for Makeda’s death.”
“Why not give him a chance at forgiveness?” I spat.
She was wide eyed and desperate, “Bill, I can’t stay here, do you hear me? I can’t stay with Radames to make him feel better about his past. I have to…”
I caught her open mouth with my lips before she could finish her sentence. Her sweet tongue yielded to me, and she pressed her breast against my chest. She wrapped her lithe arms around my neck, brushing her hand up into my hair, pressing me to kiss her deeper. I slid my hands up her back, caressing the nape of her neck, clenching handfuls of her hair. She moaned while she kissed me, crumbling underneath my embrace.
I found restraint.
I unhinged myself from her grasp, and forcefully pushed her away from me.
She hit the wall with a hard thud and eyed me in anger.
“You have to leave, you have to leave now!” I said over and over, grabbing her hand to lead her to the door.
She snatched her hand away from my grasp, and whispered," I won’t be kept, Bill.”
.....................
“Brother, I would love to have you live here with me; I see no reason for you to continue in Bontemps from what you have told me.” Radames said.
It was one of our moments, dinner had ended, and he and I remained among the wreckage we caused, hanging on to each other’s words.
“Or,we can travel from here if you like; we can live where ever we want, become folklore in the places we drink.” He smiled; a sleeping human was resting her head in his lap and he petted her like a cherished cat.
I contemplated over my time with Radames, and how much I had transformed. I yearned to continue our relationship, and I wondered what places my new path would take me.
“I am ordered to be in Bontemps, Radames, I have work there.” I said, wishing I could just say yes to his offer.
“Bill, you can do whatever you wish. I can arrange it so that you are free.”
I smiled, “Where shall we go?”
“Anywhere you want, we can live in the abandoned pyramids in the jungles of Guatemala, we can entertain beautiful models on a yacht off the Amalfi coast, we can do whatever we want, Bill, we can pretend to be anyone.”
I delighted in that idea. I could be whoever, assume whatever persona needed. I was learning to entice and play with my humans, as Radames did, instead of just glamouring them. Radames thought glamouring was so dull, he said it took the fun out of seducing them.
I knew that Radames was offering me a life without restraint or an attachment to him. If I wanted to leave him eventually, he would not hold his power over me to stay; he would not hold my love for him like a leash.
I would be completely free.
“Once Sookie is safe at home after the initial meeting with Darius, then I will join you.” I said, giving in.
He was estatic, "You and Marie delight me. I look forward to our adventures, the three of us, trekking the earth.”
“Do you think she will go with us?” I said, trying to block her kiss. Once he said her name, it was impossible.
“Go where?” Her voice carried behind us. Radames and I smiled at each knowingly. He continued to caress his human pet.
It was impossible for her to surprise us; we could detect her even if she were buried at the center of the earth.
She walked over to join us, and Radames and I both were startled.
She wore red.
A crimson gossamer tunic, that clung to her as if she were wet.
I had never seen the woman don anything but black, and the color set her skin alight. Her bronze skin had flecks of gold; her eyes were outlined with coal, as they were when she lived as queen of Egypt. Her every movement was a piece of music, from the shiny bangles and jeweled anklets. Her ebony tresses were pinned up from her right shoulder with a diamond encrusted sunburst, displaying a perfect, smooth, virginal neck.
Her veins were the objects of desire.
Radames was glamoured, and he tapped his human to remove herself from him.
Marie was the only thing that existed now.
“Marie, you are stunning.” He said, “What has made you grace us with your presence this evening? Are you hungry, my pet?” He stood, holding her hands in his, and drinking her in with his eyes.
“Ravenous.” She purred, taking him down into the cushions with her.
“Laslo, please have the chef send some food and wine for Marie.” Radames commanded to the waiting Laslo.
They both held each others gaze, laughing, and she allowed him to caress her.
“Marie, Bill and I were just discussing our future together. If you could go anywhere in the world, pet; where would you want to go?” He asked, pulling Marie onto his lap.
She settled into his embrace, and wrapped one arm around his neck.
“Where ever you go, I will follow.”
She didn’t acknowledge me, and she avoided eye contact.
“When you were my wife, you entranced me in this same manner.” Radames admitted, brushing curls away from her face, and holding her dear, like one would do with a small child.
She wanted something.
It was just hours earlier, that she kissed me and expressed that she did not want to stay with Radames. But, here she was allowing him to adore her as he wanted from the moment he put her over his shoulder in Vegas.
“Then I will take you to the ends of the earth, places that humans have not seen for centuries.” He said, playing with her fingers.
She was too yielding, and he was amused.
“Would that please you, pet?”
“Yes, when do we leave?”
He faced me with a raised eyebrow and laughed.
“Pet, you are ruthless; more so than any vampire I have met.” He said, holding her face between his fingers, crushing her cheeks in his firm grip. “There is no need to patronize me, Marie, I will give you want you want.” He said with his fangs down.
His amused disposition was gone; I was apprehensive that he might tear into her. I could feel from him that her fake indulgence was a wounding blow.
She smiled, “Then I will give you what you want.” She refused to be frightened by him.
He laughed, loosening his grip to caress her again, “I swear, even Oria could not possess me like this.”
“Who is Oria?” She tested, using her free arm to reach for a glass of wine.
“My maker, she was the vampire who made me into the splendid being you see before you.” He said with his face buried in her neck, kissing her lightly.
“Where is she?”
“She is gone, what else would you like to know?”
I did not want to be here with them. My friend was being bewildered by the woman I lusted after, there was not anything that could come from this evening that would ease me. I thought living an existence with Radames would bring me happiness, but I had not anticipated a life with Marie.
“I will leave you both be.” I said, beginning to rise.
“No, stay Bill, you must get use to this since I plan for the three of us to be family.” He said, with his face still buried.
“Pet, Bill has agreed to travel with us, we will explore the world, the three of us, and we will be lovers.”
“Is that so?” She said, looking at me. She was still angry, and gave me a loathsome smirk.
I could not permit myself to stand it anymore. I was disgusted at her behavior, and for Radames allowing her to play with him.
“Brother, I will let you be with your love, I am sure she wants to be alone to enjoy you.” I said smugly, finally rising.
“As I want to her enjoy her.” He moaned, not acknowledging my departure.
She had won him over.
.............................
“Fangtasia was attacked.” Eric seethed between his fangs. His eyes were giant black orbs, and his anger was only being restrained by the soothing blonde who caressed him.
I had opened my eyes to find Eric and Sookie standing in my room.
“What happened? How do you know?” I said alert, reaching for my discarded pants on the nightstand.
“He woke up mid day yelling that he could feel pain from Pam.” Sookie said, with her face wrought with fear. “I ran down here since there isn’t any light and tried to contact her but didn’t get an answer, I contacted Sam to go check on the club and her, and when he got there he saw that the club was burned to the ground. The coroners had taken some vampire bodies from the wreckage but he said he didn’t think any of them were Pam. He’s searching the area for her now.”
She had to speak for the vampire. He could not bring himself to say that his livelihood was ruined and his child may no longer be.
“She is not dead. I can feel it.” Eric managed to say. “Compton, I have to leave now and I need for you to protect Sookie here.” Eric stood in front of Sookie, holding her at bay from him in his anger. He towered over me, his fangs exposed, and impatiently waited for me to assure him that I would protect his love.
“What? We are not all leaving together? “I sat up on the edge of the bed with my head down, wrapping my brain around what happened.
“Eric, I should go with you, I can help look for her with you and I don’t wanna be here alone.” She pleaded with the vampire, tugging at his hand to turn to her.
I was bemused that Sookie said she would be alone when Eric left.
“Compton, I do not want to take her into the hands of danger, if they attacked Fangtasia, it was because they were searching for me or Sookie. I cannot risk her life; she must stay protected here with you. I will meet both of you in Vegas after I have found Pam.”
“I will guard her to my death.” I whispered even though I would have protected her if he had asked me to or not.
“Thank you.”
“I can take care of myself thank you and I want to go with you, I only have a couple of days left here and it will be better for me to be there for you just in…” She stopped midsentence, rethinking her last words.
“Just in case she is dead is what you wanted to say!” Eric yelled. “I told you Sookie, that I could feel if she were dead. She is my child!”
Her face fought the urge to sob.
Eric could feel her apology and he spun around to Sookie, and held her chin, “Lover I am not abandoning you, I cannot protect you while I am hunting the vampires that did this.”
“How do you know they were vampires?” I questioned.
“They left a calling card.” He said.
“One of the vampire patrons was taken out to the front of the club and nailed with silver to a wooden cross; he was there when Sam found him, burned to a crisp from the sun, with a sign that said Lucian.” Sookie said muffled from her face buried in Eric's chest.
“Who is Lucian?”
“Your friend has not told you of Lucian?” Eric smirked, “He is the rogue vampire’s leader, he and his brood wish to see us all driven underground as we lived before.”
“Sookie, I have to leave you here my love, I have to and you have to trust me. I will kill the ones who did this before you arrive so that it will be safe for you to return. I will meet you both in Vegas and we will see what Felipe has us do next in regards to Lucian.” He said, pulling his hand from Sookie’s tightly held grip.
“You will not kill Lucian there?”
I was puzzled. Why would he wait to seek permission from Felipe to kill the one that attacked his club, and possibly murdered his child?
“Lucian is not there, it is possible that he was not even there when the vampires did this act. These vampires that follow him cause destruction in his name. To kill him, I will need an army of me; I will need Felipe to give the order to send reinforcements.”
“Eric, you have my word that I will protect her, and deliver her safely to Vegas. You go swiftly my friend, and if you need me in Bontemps after Vegas to fight, I will be there.” I stood and pledged my devotion to her protection.
“I must leave now; Radames has his jet waiting for me.” Eric said, allowing himself to depart now that he knew I would protect his love.
“Wait Eric, why did you ask if he had told me about Lucian? How does Radames know him?”
“Radames is the one who made him.” Eric said, leaving Sookie and I alone.
...................................
Sookie sadly retreated to her bedroom after Eric departed for Bontemps. She did not leave the safety she felt from her room for her lesson with Radames, or to eat dinner with us.
Radames, Marie and I waited for her to appear.
Radames had known of the attack before I had rose to be informed by Eric and Sookie, but as we recounted the events of the attack together it became clear that it was Marie’s first time to hear of it.
Her pensive face turned to fury at Radames, who held her close to him as he did the night before.
I mulled over Eric’s assertion of Radames being Lucian’s maker, and I felt the urge to question him on why he never told me.
“Radames, why have you never told me that Lucian is your child?”
Radames flashed his brilliant eyes at me, holding the angry Marie even tighter to him; he said softly, “I had planned to tell you both.”
She stared at him wide eyed in disbelief, with their faces close enough to embrace. Her lips moved to speak, brushing his lightly with each word that escaped her mouth, “You will never be forgiven.”
Marie brushed off his hands from her and rose from his lap. She walked backwards from the room, facing us, still in disbelief from what she heard.
He was stricken with fear.
“I am sorry Radames, I should have waited to converse with you about Lucian.” I said, angry with myself for hurting my friend.
“Do not apologize to me brother, I should have told you before and I promise to tell you everything, but for now you must go to Sookie.”
I was taken aback, “She does not wish to see any of us; she is upset about his departure, and I think it is best for me to wait until she is ready to speak.”
“No, you must go to her now.” He said, leaving to find Marie.
I followed my friend’s advice and climbed the staircase that led up to the human’s quarters of the home.
I knocked softly on Sookie’s closed door, “Sook, it is me, I wish to see you if you would allow me in.”
I heard her sigh, walk over to the knob, and reluctantly open it to my smiling face.
“She lives!” I playfully exclaimed at the sight of the tear stained Sookie.
She cracked an unwilling smile.
“Sookie I know you did not want Eric to leave you here, but sweetheart you are not alone.” I said, running my hand down her arm to comfort her.
She stepped aside and gave me a gesture to enter.
Her room was even sad. It was completely devoid of any light but the moon, and her bed was crumpled because she had spent the day buried underneath the covers.
“Thank you for checking on me.” She whispered, getting back into the bed to hide from the world.
“You are welcome.” I said, pulling the cover aside to slide in next to her. She had opened her mouth to protest, but gave in.
She turned her back to me and buried her face into her pillow. I melded my body to the curve of her back, and caressed her face.
“I am so scared Bill.”
“Of what sweetie?” I said, inhaling the perfume of her hair.
“Of everything, of now this new vamp Lucian, of having to meet Darius, of what might have happened to Pam.” She listed, going out of breath.
“I am scared here without Eric.”
“Soooookkkkiiiieee” I purred in my faint southern accent. It came and went as I wanted, but whenever I was with Sookie, I settled back into it.
She laughed, “I haven’t heard you say my name like that in ages.”
“I did it to show you that I am here, I have always been here and you should not be afraid.”
She turned around so that we were face-to-face.
“I know you will protect me Bill, I never doubted that for a moment, but you aren’t the same Bill that got off that plane a week and a half ago, and that’s what I meant by saying I would be alone. With Eric gone physically, and you gone mentally, I feel alone.”
“Sookie, I have changed some of my opinions and outlooks but you must know that I am still the same Bill.”
“Are you?” She questioned, shining her bright blue eyes on me.
“The time has come Sookie. I have come to the realization that Eric is your bonded and it is time for me to move on. You know how I feel about you, but you and he are intent on creating a life together with just the two of you.”
“What are you telling me Bill?”
“I have decided to stay with Radames, Sookie. He and I plan to travel the world, and I am ready to go with him, I am ready to leave Bontemps."
She pulled her face away as if being so close to me was putting me out of focus. Her eyes gave away that she wanted to fight me on my announcement, but she gave in again.
“I am bonded to Eric, this is true. But, I never for a moment thought there would be a time in my life, where I would not have you a heartbeat away from me.”
" A heartbeat?"
She laughed, “You know what I mean.”
Her laughter warmed me.
“Bill, I always thought at some point you and I would find our way back to one another, even with all the pain. I know that me being with Eric hurt you, but you have stayed in my life as my ever constant protector and friend, and I love you.” she mumbled.
“What did you say, Sook?” I asked, wanting her to repeat those words.
“I said that I love you.”
When I heard those lovely words again, I became aware of just how much I had evolved. Two weeks ago I would have fell to her feet and kissed them for admitting that she loved me. I would have become delirious with plotting the death of the Viking to set her free from his bond. There would have not been one thing that could keep her from me, but now the only thing that was holding me away from her was me.
I knew Sookie, although she had let escape she loved me; she was not ready to be mine.
And, I was not willing to settle for anything less than all of her.
I kissed the top of her blonde head and whispered, “I love you too.”
We laid in silence, her breathing was the only words between us. She drank me in with her eyes, contemplating her life if we were one.
She slowly moved her face forward, and I met her mouth with mine. She kissed me as if it was our first time at this embrace, and her lips trembled. I held her head in my hand, not wanting to let her go. We had kissed many times before, but at that instant, I thought this kiss was the sweetest.
We kissed until she feared what I wanted next.
“So here we are.” She laughed nervously, and nuzzled her face into the center of my arm.
“Are you nervous?” I teased.
“You seem all shiny and new.”
“Same Bill.” I assured again.
“Not at all.” She smiled, “This Bill plans to live and travel with a vampire he barely knows.” She teased, “I like him too, Bill. If I were to do something crazy as travel the world, he would be the one I would travel with.” She laid there admiring me, and petting me.
“I am excited.”
“Will Marie travel with you both?”
“I assume so, but after tonight she may rethink his offer.”
“Good.”
I was perplexed; I had thought that Sookie and Marie were affable.
“Sookie, I did not know that you did not like Marie?”
“It’s not that I don’t like her Bill, I do like her. She tries desperately to be friendly, but she gives me the creeps.” She said shaking her head to the idea of having to travel with Marie.
“Why sweetie?”
She sighed deeply, “When we first got here, she asked me to have lunch with her during the day to get to know one another , until I learned that she just wanted to have them to press me for information. The first lunch I made the mistake of telling her that it was Makeda that introduced Radames to Aten, from what you had told Eric and me the night before. Well, her doe eyes lit up and I knew instantly that I had put my foot in my mouth.”
I felt daft. I had never anticipated that Marie would search for the answers she wanted through Radames’s pupil.
“Did you tell Radames?”
“No. I told Eric about it and he told me to avoid giving anymore information to her.” She said worried, “I have been avoiding her during the day but she caught me on the way up here after Eric left and she freaked me out yet again.”
“Why, what did she say.”
“She told me that I should have left with Eric because I would have a hard time with Darius in Vegas. I asked her why, like maybe she had overheard Radames talking to Felipe or something, but she said that I wouldn’t be able to read Darius’s mind just like I can’t hers. Did you tell her that I can read minds or that I couldn’t read hers?
“No.” I said, startled.
I was enraged from the conniving antics of Marie. She had to be dealt with, either Radames had to tell her everything or she had to be sent away from us.
“Well, that wasn’t even the part that freaked me out; it’s what she said next.”
“What did she say Sook?” I said not amused anymore, but ready to find the conniver.
“When I meet with Darius, I should kill him."
...........................................
I lay with Sookie until I could feel her sleep approach.
I indulged in her in peace, even though once she told me of Marie prodding her for information; I was ready to go interrogate Marie.
Once I saw Sookie’s heavy eyelids remain shut; I was out the door.
I almost wanted to laugh at the situation with Marie. Here was this human woman who constantly put me in a baffling predicament, and I allowed it.
How could it be that this human was able to have so much power over us?
I would have continued my bafflement with her, and she could have forged ahead with her quasi relationship with Radames, and I would have entertained her in silence. I would have even been willing to share a part of my existence with her in tow, but all of that was gone the minute Sookie told me she advised her to kill Darius.
Such an act by Sookie would catapult a war.
Heading down the winding staircase, I caught the ascending scent of the woman I sought. I waited steps above her sight, watching her somber face turn to surprise once she saw me.
She halted two steps beneath me, and looked up into my eyes, “Are you going to let me pass?”
“How do you know Sookie will not be able to read Darius’s mind?” I questioned, fangs down.
“Because he is not human.”
“What is he?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Is he a reincarnate of someone you know?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, Bill. It was recently revealed to me that he was not human, which is why I wanted to warn Sookie, I don’t think she should meet with him unless she intends to kill him.”
“Do you know what would happen to her if she just killed him, Marie? Do you have any clue what you advised Sookie? Felipe could have her ordered to die for not following his order; she would jeopardize the future of the mainstreamers, and would give Darius’s followers more fuel to annihilate us. Is that what you predicted when you suggested this to her? "
“It is not for me to justify the end. He is supposed to die, Bill, if she doesn’t do it. I will.”
I forcefully pushed her up against the stairway wall.
“Listen to me; you are to never speak to her again. Do you understand? Never! I will speak with Radames and tell him of what you advised, and that I cannot see myself in your presence any longer. Sookie and I will travel to Vegas earlier than expected, and I will make sure that you will not be coming along.”
“That is not for you to decide, Bill. I am going to Vegas to meet Darius whether you are okay with that or not. I don’t answer to you.” She said, not turning away from my intense gaze.
I backed away from her, and she walked up the stairs away from me, and I reached out to her in my anger, pulling her back down a step.
My fangs barely scraped her cheek, “You do on this matter, Marie.”
“I answer to no one or thing that walks this Earth.”
She pulled her cheek away to face me dead on.
“Radames is not here to protect you.”
“I don’t need him to protect me.”
“Do not test me, Marie.”
“Bill, you are the one testing me.”
I let go of her unyielding arm, but she didn’t make a move. We stood still, staring at one another, both weighing the other’s threat.
She sighed deeply, and her face softened. Her eyes were weary, and I could feel her fatigue.
She tenderly caressed my face with the back of her hand, and I caught it abruptly, and pulled her into my embrace.
Her luscious mouth parted and met my tongue with aggression. Her kiss swirled and searched, longing for me to suck.
I pushed her by her shoulders away from me and pinned her to the wall. I was spinning from my emotions; I wanted so much from her at that moment. I considered making love to her or killing her, as she remained pinned under my strength, breathing heavy from anticipation.
I leaned into her, moving my hands from her shoulders to her waiting hands. I intertwined my fingers in hers and slid them over her head.
“I do not know what I am to do with you.” I admitted to her softly.
She did not speak, but her heart unfolded through her eyes. She did not want to be my enemy, and the truth is, I did not wish for her to be either.
I took in her scent, her lovely intoxicating scent. I drew it inside of me, becoming aroused by the mingling soft fragrance that came from between her legs.
I let go of her hands and cradled her face in them, kissing her lightly on the mouth.
The staircase was lit by candlelight, and the golden light on her skin guided me downward.
I kissed her tenderly down the front of her dress, tasting the fabric. She raked her fingers through my hair, kneading my neck as I bent on my knees to kiss her further.
I stopped my lips at the center of her stomach, and I reached my hands under the hem of her dress. I gingerly ran my fingers over her calves, the lines of her thighs, and I resisted a strong urge to bite in to the succulent curve of her hip.
Her bottom half was completely exposed in the stairwell for my pleasure. I was still face to face with her navel, and I kissed it again gently, “Do not defy me.” I whispered.
I buried kisses into her, and moved my hands over her breasts, enjoying their weight in my palms.
She took one of my hands and kissed the palm fervently.
My hunger was upon me, and I stood so that she could see the monster that I was.
Vampires are intriguing to humans; our entire being is enticing to them, but when we are aroused to drink, we are unsightly.
I knew that my pupils were dilated to pools of black, and my wane pallor was the color of chalk. My fangs were fully extended and I longed to consume her.
She ran her fingers over my face, feeling my fangs between them.
She came to her decision about me, and sought my mouth quickly, kissing me passionately despite my fangs.
I reached around her hips and lifted her up and she wrapped her thighs around my waist.
I carried her from the stairwell to her bedroom, holding her in that embrace while she kissed me.
I did not care about anything but having her, and she felt the same.
Holding her up against her closed bedroom door, I kissed her mouth with abandon, and grabbed handfuls of her hair to caress with my mouth. Every part of her held the divine scent, and I wanted to devour it.
“I want you to drink from me.” She escaped in between my kisses.
I carried her to her bed, and lay next to her , and nuzzled my face into her neck.
I had her.
Here was the moment I had been waiting for since I first stepped on to that fated elevator.
Her scent was all around me, inside of me, I rested on a bed of it.
I had her warm body pulsating underneath me.
“Are you sure?” I whispered, with my fangs scraping her.
“Yes” she moaned.
My fangs punctured the salted skin, and droplets of blood trickled. She gasped from the initial pain, and I delved deeper in to the tender flesh. The blood came in waves into my open mouth.
I could hear the distinct pull of the blood from each organ in her body; it came up to the tiny wounds I made with my piercing kiss.
The taste of the blood aroused me even more and I suckled at her greedily, crushing her body against me.
Her life moved into me, undulated, breathed in and out, contracted and expanded.
This was my nature, the nature of taking.
My mind wanted everything to stop so that it could get a foothold, find my position, so I could figure out how to control this bliss.
Bliss.
Everything was heightened as I drank from her. I could hear the breeze whistle lightly through her open window, the drum beat of her pounding heart, and the soft flutter of her eyelashes.
I followed the glorious light in her blood. It was within reach, this stillness and peace.
I was no longer in the bed with her; I was no longer crushing her.
I was out of my vampire body; I was inside of her, inside her head.
I chased the passion in her, trying to catch it like a child tries for butterflies. It danced from each clasp, and I followed it going into the abyss of the divine light that was her.
The light overwhelmed me, and I wanted to turn away but could not. Crimsom tears escaped my eyes, and I clung to her neck, sucking until I could find the source of that light.
I heard her mouth move to say, “Bill”, but, she was too weak to utter words.
I was draining her.
I knew I needed to pull away but I couldn’t; I didn’t want to be torn away.
I growled, fighting myself to let go, but I was mesmerized and I felt if I just received another drop then the bliss would be mine.
Then the light opened itself to me, and I saw a vision of Marie smiling inside of it.
Flashes of her life blipped across my mind; I saw her as a lonesome child and then a cherished baby. I saw images of her as an Indian man, listening to his friend speak of God by the Ganges,and a Jewish prophet that attested to salvation by baptizing others in a river, and then as Radames’s wife.
Makeda.
Makeda, the one that fascinated an impressionable young prince, who would become King and change his entire religion because of her.
The light begged me to go further, and I tumbled down deeper, and then I saw it.
I saw what she was, and I trembled.
I let out a loud gasp when I finally pulled myself away from her, and fumbled blindly onto the floor.
I could not see.
She lay still on the bed, quiet. I could hear her shallow breathing, and her body rising and falling slowly.
She needed for me to close her wound, but I could barely see. My mind was still lost in the blood that I had consumed from her.
I used her scent and my hearing to detect her, and I bit into my own wrist to have the droplets fall onto her open wound.
I fought a wrenching desire to place my mouth back over her neck.
I sat on the edge of the bed, hovering over her still body. I took her hand and placed it over mine.
She offered a weak smile, “What did you see?” She asked the question because she wanted me to tell her what she was. She was too terrified to believe all what her visions showed her. Sometimes ,we just do not want to belive the truth of what we are.
Warms tears seeped from her eyes, waiting for me to reveal to her what she was, but I could not speak.
I could not vocalize what I saw.
My body shook to the core from a sob that was mingled with the bliss and pain I felt. I placed my mouth to her forehead, and removed her fingers from my hand.
I stood, backing away from her. “Bill?” she was frightened from my behavior, “Don’t leave me please, I need you.” She wailed.
I could not be in the room with her blood calling to me. It was inside of me pulsating, and commanding me to drink from her again.
“You know, don’t you? Tell me.”
I flung open the door to race to my room before the dawn’s light.
“I cannot Marie.”
I left her to seek the safety of my room, but it followed me. I closed the iron door to my bedroom and rested my back against the cool metal, closing my eyes. And I saw it again, and I let out a blood curdling scream, and felt the joyful tears it caused escape again.
I did not know as I wept underground, that Radames had stood outside Marie’s balcony window as he had many times before, and heard us, just as he heard Sookie and Eric.
My heartbroken friend scaled up his citadel’s wall, and sat there contemplating what he should do next.
He loved us both.
He would sit there, going over the horrendously beautiful images of his existence; he thought of his father and maker, and Makeda that no longer existed even if she breathed under his roof.
He wrestled with the pain that he would not come to taste again, what he drained from her centuries before.
He decided to meet the splendor he worshipped as a mortal youth.
If he could not have her again, he did not wish to continue, because he feared she loved me, and I would not be willing to part with something so divine.
For he and I both knew what she was.
We both had tasted an Angel.
........................
Vampire wails penetrated through the underground, and reverberated into my sleep.
“Our master is dead.”
I was up out of the room half dressed; I spilled into the hallways to be greeted by weeping vampires.
“Radames has left us.” One yelled, tearing at his blond hair.
“Our father is dead.”
I didn’t believe their words.
Blood tears covered the tunnel stairwell that led up to the ground floor.
“Where is Radames?” I yelled at Laslo, who was consoling a crying Sookie.
“He has met the sun, Mr. Compton.”
“What?” I questioned, looking over the many lovers of Radames with their heads down mourning.
Sookie released herself from Laslo to seek comfort in my arms. I pushed her away, “That cannot be. Where is Radames?” I questioned, Sookie.
She sobbed harder, taking my hands in hers. “Sweetie, he is dead.”
Radames would not leave this earth with Marie here, not when she had agreed to travel and live with us.
“Where is Marie? Does she know?” I asked both Sookie and Laslo.
Her absence from the room was glaring.
“She was the first to be informed, Mr. Compton. She went directly to the library and asked not to be disturbed until it was time to board the jet.” Laslo said.
Sookie and Laslo swiftly followed me to the library. They were sensing my crazed mental state.
I wanted to find Marie and hold her. I wanted to feel her breathing; I needed to feel her life. At the loss of Radames, I yearned to embrace the creature he loved so deeply.
I flung open the library door, “Radames has killed himself.” I informed the lone occupant of the room.
She was magnificent against the backdrop of us, who were bereft with grief. She was all smiles and seduction in her black tank top, spandex pants and riding boots.
She was foreign to me.
The bits and pieces of her that I was able to form in my mind were completely shattered when I tasted her.
“He was already dead.” She said, stuffing a book into a duffle bag.
Sookie gasped and Laslo bowed his head from her disgrace.
Why had not the news of Radames’s death stirred her like all the rest of the occupants of the home?
“How can you be so cold when he loved you?”
“He never loved me.” She said as a matter of fact.
I was angered.
"You knew he would do this?” I growled, moving toward her.
“I told you that I would not be kept, Bill.”
“You knew that he would end it.” I bellowed with laughter at that realization.
I laughed to keep myself from crying from the anguish I felt. I could not help the feeling that Radames was stolen from me.
"Yes. I knew that Radames wouldn’t have been able to bear to look at either of us for betraying him. Instead of killing us both, he killed himself, and the result is our freedom.” She said, casually moving around to book case to book case.
“I did not want to be free of him.” I said so low that it came as more of as an admittance to myself.
“It is not a matter anymore. Radames is no longer and...”
“IT MATTERS TO ME!” I roared, hurling a chair over her head to smash into the wall.
My longing for her had caused the departure of my friend and I was beside myself with guilt. I could not grapple with the loss of Radames; I had to block it out. The only concern I could handle was getting Sookie to safety.
“We cannot stay here a moment longer, this place is no longer a safe haven for Sookie” I said, regaining my composure.
“I know. I have the jet waiting for us, but I have not found what I am looking for.”
“You will have to leave it, we have to leave now.” I said pressing her.
“I’m close.” She said pressing the books on the shelf she faced. She cursed under her breath, and did the same action to the shelf below. She was conspicuous in her delight at being able to search aspects of the library that I was sure had been hidden to her before.
Marie was finally able to get the answers that we all had kept from her.
“You are an egregious sight, my dear.”
She abruptly turned to face me. “Am I?”
“Yes, it hurts me to even look at you right now.”
She laughed and I could see livid tears forming at the corner of her eyes, but refused to fall from her eyelids, “I know that it was Makeda that introduced Aten to Radames, Bill. I also, know that it was Priya who enlightened Siddartha, and John who mentored Jesus. You would not say what I was last night, but your reaction from my blood confirmed to me what I speculated.” She said angrily.
I mockingly said, “How do you know what my reaction was supposed to be?”
“I’ve watched you and Radames devour human after human, Bill. I learned to see exactly what kind of reflex occurred, and I don’t believe last night was one of ecstasy, as you called it.”
She was wrong; the blood I had tasted from her put me in a supreme state.
“Say it, Bill; I want to hear you say what I am.”
I turned my back to her and made strides to exit, taking Sookie in hand. “Sookie, we need to board now.”
“What are you, Marie?” Sookie asked, pulling my arm back to her. Sookie was puzzled at me and Marie’s discourse.
“I am a messenger of God. I was sent to this earth to protect the ones for whom he has a plan, and for some reason, Bill, you are a part of that plan.” She stated proudly, like a solider reporting to battle.
“You? Protect me?” I questioned her in disbelief.
She pushed her last set of books, and the large bookcase withdrew from the rest of the wall revealing a hidden passageway.
Heavy thuds hit the roof and loud landings in the courtyard, and the sound of beings scrambling, and screaming seeped under the library’s door.
The distinct screech of a vampire dying, calling for its life caused us to freeze.
Laslo was the first to open his mouth and whisper, “Lucian has arrived.”
........................
I quickly gathered the pieces of broken wood from the chair and handed them to Sookie.
“If any of them come near you, you know what to do.” She nodded, quickly taking the small stakes from my arms. Her blue eyes were filled with confidence, and I was soothed knowing that we would fight together.
“Where does that passage lead to?” I asked Marie.
She was silent; the passage way was not what she was looking for.
“We will just have to find out.” Marie said grabbing her duffle bag and an object that looked like an assault rifle.
“Bullets will not kill a vampire.” I was exasperated. How could she expect to protect any of us with such a human weapon?
“I know.”
I hurried Sookie and Laslo into the dark passage, “Come on Marie!” I yelled, trying to push the book case to its original position before running into the passage myself.
“WAIT!” She yelled back, pushing book shelves on the other side of the library.
The library door imploded and pieces of wood flew around us.
A legion of vampires covered in the blood of humans and vampires rushed into the library.
Sookie screamed, and aroused the attention of one of the fiends; he charged towards me with his fangs bared.
Marie grabbed her assault rifle and aimed it at my attacker. A blue ray beamed from the gun and disintegrated his vampire body; tiny bits of ash fell like confetti over his brethren.
The vampires halted and turned to attack the one who killed their brother.
“Run down this passage now, get her out of here.” I said, to Laslo before pushing the bookcase closed.
I lunged for the nearest vampire and tore at his neck, pulling out his vocal cord with my teeth.
Lucian entered the room.
The beautiful being was pale as any other vampire, but his skin was luminous and sinewy over his solid build. His eyes were slits of emerald green and his straight black hair hung over his shoulders and hid his contoured face.
“Where is Radames?” He hissed with a faint Russian accent between his fangs.
“He is dead.” She said.
Lucian winced briefly and his eyes completely disappeared,"That is a shame.”
He was dressed for battle in military garb and boots; he paced back and forth of the library, questioning to himself who Marie and I were.
“I came here to give my father a chance to relent but his decision has already been made.” He glanced from me to Marie,” I can see that my father still loved pretty things” He cracked.
He glared at me, “All of your elders are dead. I am now your King.”
I leaped for the new king and was restrained by his fledglings, I struggled under their many hands, growling and kicking.
His laughter vibrated through the room, “Felipe, Kumal and Anastasia are no longer, I had them silver bound to crosses before I came to see my father.”
“Would you have done the same to him?” I spat, clawing into the flesh of the vampires that were holding me.
“If he would have defied me; yes.”
I was trying to feel for Sookie, hoping that the blood we had once shared would allow me to detect where she was headed. I said the first prayer since the start of my immortal life that Sookie was safely in the plane.
He moved at a human’s pace towards Marie, She held the gun closer to her chest, aiming it at Lucian’s head.
He playfully put his hands up like he was giving up.
“You are not human.” He said examining her.
“Kill him, we have to get Sookie!” I yelled.
“Your blonde is not being harmed even though she staked two of my children.” He answered back.
“Is that how you planned to escape?” He said, nodding knowingly to the closed bookcase, “I lived here before.” He smiled.
“Marie kill him.” I yelled, my bare chest and fangs were covered in vampire blood.
“She is looking for something or she would have killed me.” He spun to me, smiling.
“I need Oria’s book.” Marie admitted over the barrel of the gun.
“And if I show you where it lies, then what?”
“Then I won’t kill you.”
Before she could blink an eye he was behind her with his fangs at her neck, grabbing the gun from her hands and slinging it over his shoulder. “What threat do you have for me now?” He whispered at her ear.
For the first time of my knowing Marie, I saw that she was frightened. She had not anticipated Lucian taking away her weapon so deftly.
“Were you Radames’s pet?” He asked using Radames’s term of endearment. He wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her head back forcefully. She didn’t answer; her breathing quickened.
“Or was he?” He held her firmly, pointing at me.
She closed her eyes remaining silent, only letting her quick breaths escape.
He let go of her abruptly and cast her to the floor. He stepped over her body and walked to the corner of the library and pressed the books on the eye level shelf. The bookcase withdrew and he disappeared and reappeared holding a weathered scroll.
“This is Oria’s” he shook the scroll over Marie, who was still on the ground.
Her eyes lit up.
“Why were you looking for this?”
“It was possessed by Oria, but it was not written by her.” Marie quipped, pulling herself up to stand.
“Who wrote it?”
“Morning Star”
He looked puzzled but did not question her further; he slapped the scroll in his hand ready to bargain.
“I will let you leave with the blonde and this scroll, but he stays with me.”
“No, I need that scroll and I won’t leave here without Bill and Sookie.”
“BILL?’ He looked at me with recognition, his fangs extracted and he leaped towards me.
I kicked him in his jaw midflight, while his fledglings still held me captive. They growled around me for hitting their master and piled their weight on top of me, breaking my flesh with their fangs, but the smell of Marie’s blood filled the library.
She had punctured her wrists with one of the wooden splinters from the ground.
The animals were distracted by the bait.
“Leave him! Lucian, I will let you drink from me if you let us go with that scroll.”
He grunted with desire, and snapped his fangs away from me.
His children released me and crawled to the spot on the floor where her blood was pooling. They lapped at it like kittens at milk, groaning with visceral pleasure.
Lucian was at her neck, sniffing, his eyes closed, inhaling and moaning.
I grabbed one of the larger splinters, swiftly came behind him before he could taste her, and staked him in his back. Lucian gasped, gurgling on the blood that was coming up inside of him, and melted like hot candle wax, spouting that very blood on us both. The new king was now a goey bloody mess at our feet.
The gun dropped to the ground being the only thing that did not melt.
She grabbed the gun, the scroll and her duffle bag.
She sprayed his remaining descendants with the blue beam, they screeched to be saved, while she reduced them to piles of ash.
I ran out the library, leaving her behind to find Sookie. “Sookie!” I yelled.
“Sookie!”
"SOOKIE!!!!!!!" I roared and my echoes boomeranged to me.
“Bill. Bill. Bill” I heard her weak voice calling to me.
“Where are you my love?” I yelled back.
The house was filled with the stench of decaying flesh of humans and vampires.
Marie caught up with me as I ran from room to room trying not to slip on the blood and bodies that were cast haphazardly from the battle.
I could smell Sookie near.
I found her bound by rope at her hands and feet and hog tied together. She was breathing shallow and her eyes were closed. Distinct bite marks were visible on her neck.
Someone had tried to drain her.
I saw the drained corpse of Laslo lay next to her and the remains of the vampires that she staked.
I quickly undid the ropes and kissed at the marks it left at her wrists,” Sookie, you have to drink from me, now!” I commanded.
She was limp as a rag doll in my hands, her head bobbing and limbs all soft.
“Quick, help me get her to sit up.” I snapped at Marie.
Marie squatted behind Sookie and propped up her back with her knees and held her head between her hands.
“Sookie, you cannot leave me, you hear me! You cannot leave me. You have to drink my blood.”
I bit at my wrists and pushed the open wounds up to her mouth.
She licked at my wrist.
Her licks were sluggish at first and then became rapid; she found the strength in her hands to wrap them around my wrist. She began to suckle and pull the lifesaving blood into her. She groaned and her blue eyes flashed open.
“I love you”, I whispered still letting her suckle. I caressed her blonde head with my free hand and showered her with kisses.
Marie smiled and sighed at the sight of us. She was relieved that Sookie had not departed from us so soon.
“Pick her up, Bill, We have to leave.” Marie said standing, slinging the gun over one shoulder and the bag onto another.
I carried Sookie in my arms out of the home that was now a crypt of my memories of Radames and the dead that lay their rotting.
The jet seats reclined to beds, and I had wrapped Sookie up and laid her down to rest. “Was it the vampires that tied you up that tried to drain you, Sookie?” I questioned, petting her. I sat on the edge of the airplane bed, staring down at her. Her eyes began to fill with fearful tears and she shook her head, not wanting to relay what happened.
“It is okay my love; you do not have to speak now. Try to rest, and I will be right here when you awake.” She nodded and closed her eyes to find some solace in sleep.
Marie came from the cockpit after informing the pilots of our new destination. We could no longer go to Vegas with Felipe gone. I was taking us all back to BonTemps. I knew with Eric’s help, we could keep Sookie safe.
“We are BonTemps Bound” She said cracking a slight smile. Her tank top was completely gray with ash and her riding boots had dried blood up to her knees.
“Good. Once we land, we are heading straight to Eric’s home.”
She nodded in acknowledgment while scrounging through her duffle bag, she pulled out the scroll and smiled wide at me. She was lit up like a small child.
“You risked your life for that scroll; I hope it was worth it.”
“It is worth more than my life.” She said without hesitation.
“I am going to stay on the jet and travel to Vegas to find Darius while you tend to Sookie.” She said uncurling the scroll.
“You are not going anywhere without me.”
She looked at me in amazement. “I can take care of myself, Bill. Plus it is best that you stay with Sookie and Eric.”
“Now you sound like this one.” I laughed pointing at the sleeping beauty.
She laughed and I smiled in appreciation of just being lighthearted after what we had just been through.
“Darius sent Lucian to kill you, Bill. When I said your name he recognized who you were.”
“Darius and Lucian are working together? Why?”
“Their agendas benefitted each other. They both wanted for vampires to remain underground. Lucian would become king and Darius would get to rule his humans with the belief that their vigor in his new religion had expelled Vampires from living as them.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Radames did begin to tell me of the history and politics at the end, but not enough.” She trailed.
“I am assuming that when they attacked Fangtasia it was in an attempt to find me, they probably thought if they caught Sookie, they could have tried to bribe me? But, that does not explain his reasoning for wanting to kill me.”
She sighed, closing her eyes. The scroll was still held firm in her fingers on her lap.
“Darius wants to kill you because of who you are.”
“Who am I?” I questioned, amused by what her answer might be.
“You’re Bill.” She smiled back.
I was still half dressed, just wearing pants and barefoot. My body was covered in the same debris that covered Marie.
My hunger was the pain that I was feeling now.
I rubbed my face against my shoulder, groaning. I did not think this jet was stocked with True blood and I could not feed from Sookie. I glanced over at Marie. I reached over and caressed her hand gently.
Her eyes turned to me, “You’re hungry.”
I nodded, staring at her longingly.
She rose from her seat and grabbed my hand to follow her to the back of the cabin. She reclined the seats of the last row and made space so that I could lie next to her. We were ash covered face to ash covered face.
Her eyes and teeth were still bright from her smile, “Why do you get so angry with me?” she purred, touching my lips with hers.
“Because you never tell me what you are up to.”
“Why can’t you just trust me? I’m not here to harm you or Sookie.”
Her hand sought mine and she squeezed it tight.
“I think you also might be crazy.” I teased, “If Lucian had not retrieved Oria’s scroll for you, you probably would still be there right now trying to search for it.”
“Yes, you are right. I would.” She said laughing.
I turned on my side, so my mouth was near her veins.
“You said another name had written the scroll, who was it that you said wrote it?” I was becoming aroused and playfully nipping at her with my fangs.
“Morning Star.”
“Yes. Morning Star.” I rolled the named off my tongue, it sounded strangely familiar to me, “Who was Morning Star?”
“He was an angel and we were lovers.” She admitted between moans. I kissed her neck passionately and kneaded at the tender space between her thighs.
“Lovers?” I teased again, licking her salty skin, “Do you know if you will see Morning Star again?” I was salivating for her.
“I am with him now.”
.......................
“Say something, Bill.” Marie said, impatiently waiting for me to break the silence between us.
I laid flat on my back, shrouding myself with her silken curls over my face and neck. I played with each tendril between my fingers; taking pleasure in stretching each curl straight and releasing it to spiral back to their true form.
So, we were lovers.
I was weakening from the lack of blood, and even though my hunger was gnawing at me, I could not drink from her just yet.
I closed my eyes and spoke softly through the veil of her hair, “Woman, if you keep one more thing from me; I will kill you.”
I could not see her face, but I knew she was smiling.
“I won’t keep anything from you anymore.”
“Good. I am becoming very fond of you and would hate to see you go. Now, tell me how I was ever able to be an Angel, and have you as a lover then lose it all.”
“We weren’t lovers as humans use the term Bill; we were lovers of God. We were celestial extensions of him, and we regarded him and each other with great awe and devotion. You and I encapsulated all what humans try to obtain here- husband and wife, brothers, father and son, mother and child, - the love that humans attempt here can’t compare to what you and I had.”
“How did we come to be?”
“We were created from the breath and dust of divine love that is God. You and I were extensions of him and one of the same. We were parts that created the whole that delighted in the worship of God.
“What made Morning Star leave that?”
I was not comfortable yet thinking of myself and Morning star as being the same.
"God decided he wished to create a universe with creatures - humans. We were all ablaze with excitement over his creation, and begged to be sent to this Earth to touch them. God admitted a few of his lovers to go with the knowledge that they were not to disturb the humans as they were. He sent his most beloved ,Morning Star - son of his right- along with a small brigade to witness his creation. You became so enthralled by humans that you fell in love with a human woman and experienced the human act of lovemaking, and she became pregnant with Oria.”
“Oria is my daughter?”
She smiled hovering over my dumbfounded face, “She was your daughter.”
“Radames said that Oria was a part of the nephilim; I thought there were many vampires made from the angels who impregnated the women.”
“There were other angels who impregnated human women, but once God became aware of their sin, he gave them the ultimatum to relinquish their humans to return to heaven or live a human life on earth devoid of him. The brigade relinquished their time on earth, and their earthly seeds never lived pass the age of three. Your seed was the only one who would survive.”
“Bill, you marveled at everything and wanted to document your delight in your mortal life, love and the impending birth of your daughter. You were astounded that you were able to create life, like God had with his humans.”
“I documented all this in the scroll?”
“When you wrote that, you were the true self. You were not a reincarnate as you are now. You had no residual of each human life, all those fears, losses, and you didn’t feel so hopelessly trapped. You were supreme, and you had a supreme knowledge.
“Can you read it?”
She sighed deeply; confirming to me that she could not read the scroll she fought for.
“I can’t make anything of it; I was hoping that maybe you could. The scroll; well, for one thing, it was not suppose to happen. You used a form of communication that humans wouldn’t come to practice for thousands of years to come. Second; the words in there are in a language that no human has ever spoken. It is the language of God.”
I wondered if I would be able to understand it. It was after all my words even if they were words I had never used in this life.
“Because of your defiance, God was heartbroken. He wanted you to return as we all did, but it was of your free will to stay. God finally beckoned you, and you refused to come. He was stricken with grief and for some time he refused us all of his glory until he gave you the same ultimatum as he did the brigade. You still refused him and he sentenced you to walk the earth as a human; you would no longer be an angel.
“But for the accuser that was not enough. He claimed that you were jealous of your father and had created a daughter out of spite to challenge God with your own greatness. He said that you no longer loved him and he would prove it.”
“He punished me through Oria.”
She nodded, “Your daughter was born but she could not be exposed to light without screaming from being burned all the way in to her insides, and that she was only satiated from the blood of slaughtered beasts. You cursed god for letting your daughter suffer but it was the accuser who had administered your punishment for defying God. You killed yourself in despair to try to return to God, but were not allowed into Heaven. God could not bear his beloved to be cast to purgatory, so he sent you back down again and again, and you have repeated life over and over ever since. Souls are given a time of rest before transcending to another state, but you were not given that grace.”
“God told the accuser that once you were repentant of your defiance and had come to love him again, then he would allow you entry. We watched you over time fail but once we saw you live as William Compton and your building faith and love of God, we knew that your soul had found repentance and upon your death your soul would be allowed entry.”
The bible stories that my mother read to me as a child, and the image of the small wooden cross that was nailed over my bed came to my mind. The tales left me terrified of what might happen to me if I spoke back to my mother or forgot to pray. I would imagine eternal fires and would cry until my mother would console me.
That same fear drove me to behave according to how my parents, society, and eventually I deemed righteous. I was still imagining those eternal fires that waited if I deviated.
It was never love that inspired me.
For myself, it was always a religion of fear and rule, and even though I fearfully obeyed, I had never known this experience of divine love that Marie spoke of. I knew I did not possess it when I was alive. Did God not know the difference between being feared and loved?
“But, instead of dying I was made a vampire” I mused.
“The accuser sent Lorena to turn you so that you would be denied again.”
She pressed my hand against her lips.
“I went to see the accuser, my brother, your brother. I begged him to release the penance on you, and convince him you deserved another chance, but he refused. He saw it fit that you would be denied again by your sins that caused the offspring that was your daughter. He debated me for a hundred years, until he would not allow me entry to Purgatory.”
“Darius is the Accuser.” I said.
“He is creating an army in God’s name to annihilate vampires completely. He has been tracking you to kill you because you were destined; and now with the other rulers dead, there is only you. I have come to earth each time to transform a human that would be king, and each time they have attempted to pass on the message of love, but humans have used these teachings for their own selfish agendas and political attainment. God sent me as guardian to each of those beautiful souls and now I am with you.”
“Me?”
“Yes you.”
“I am not a King.”
“You will be.”
..................................
I did not rest.
I drifted to the sleep that every Vampire succumbs to during the day but my mind was active with the blood of Marie. I had fed from her before seeking refuge in the light proof box on the jet and hours later I was still feeling the effects.
I had experienced the death of a friend, nearly losing the love of my life and learning that I was a fallen angel; I should have been feeling despair.
But the only sensation I could feel was happiness. Her blood was my salve.
I had risen to find Marie in Eric’s kitchen. She was seated at the small bistro table eating ice cream from the carton, dressed in one of Sookie’s summer dresses. I laughed at the sight of her; the borrowed clothing did not suit her demeanor. I was still dirty from the escape, smudged chest and dirt caked pants. I told myself I would make a trek to my home in Bontemps to find clothes and seek rest there.
Marie was able to make contact with Eric, while Sookie and I slept on the jet. Eric had his day workers de-board me and bring us all to his home. Eric had informed Marie that she and I were welcome and that he preferred us there with him after what he had went through with Pam. He had just found the silver bound Pam the evening before, and she was recuperating in the ground below the home. She was too weak to feed on her own so he was bringing fangbangers to her until she regained all of her strength.
“Why does Sookie have marks on her neck?” Eric raged with his fangs out and ready. He had descended from the third floor to accost Marie and me in his kitchen.
“Those are not my marks, Eric; but, I did have to give her my blood to save her from dying.”
He was startled at the consequence of what I just told him. “Whose marks are they?”
“I do not know.”
“How can you not know Compton? You said you would protect her and you left her to be nearly drained.” He hissed through his fangs.
“He did protect her, he’s the reason she still breathes.” Marie asserted from the bistro table.
Eric snapped his head from me to look down at Marie, “Did I ask you to speak?”
She stood and broadened her chest. “I don’t need your permission to speak the truth, Northman.” She responded with such ferocity that Eric was amused.
“You are a guest in my home, Marie. You are wearing my lover’s clothes and eating the food that was purchased with my money. You will respect me in my home.”
“And you will respect your King.”
“What is this nonsense?”
Marie glared at him like she wanted to put her ray gun to use again.
“Did you know that I am an Angel, I am also destined to be King, and I am supposed to help this one kill Darius.” I joked, pointing at Marie.
Eric scrunched up his face, disregarding the madness that I was saying, “I need to know what happened with Radames and how were you able to kill Lucian.”
“Radames met the sun.”
“And, Lucian?”
“Lucian came charging in with his army but he lost his focus in the presence of divine blood.”
“Quit talking in code, Compton”
“I was able to stake him because he was distracted by Marie’s blood.”
“Why, is she a fairy?”
“Angel.” She replied for me.
He stared at the petite warrior dressed in his lover’s white halter dress. He dared not laugh at her, even though the dress was a bit of a mockery. He could see the fighter that blazed in her heart.
“I came down to get Sookie some water, but when I return, I expect a full debrief.” He stated before leaving us.
A voice that was not mine called to me.
Bill, where are you?
I looked up at the ceiling and penetrated through the floors and sought the scent that was Sookie.
Are you here?
I did not answer her back. I could feel her relief at seeing Eric return and then her distress that it was not I who came to her.
I stared up at the ceiling, smiling. I could feel Sookie!
Marie observed me. “We should me planning to kill Darius tonight.”
“We will kill him, Marie.” I said distracted by Sookie.
So, this is what Eric was able to experience. I wondered what else I would feel from her.
“Why can’t you let go?”
“I have let go.”
“Have you?”
“Did you plan the death of my friend?” It was the question I had been afraid to ask her since we had fled his home.
“No, no. I didn’t love him like you did, Bill. But, I was fond of him even though he had every intention of turning me to keep me bound to him. I didn’t know he would take his life, I just thought he would set us free.”
“I loved him.”
“I know you did.”
I turned my face back up to the ceiling. I could not hear Sookie anymore.
“What do you want from me?” I had asked her these words before.
“I don’t want what is left over inside of you, Bill.” She said, standing in front of me, waiting for me to stop looking towards the ceiling.
“What do you want, Marie?” I said, refusing to look down at her.
“Everything, I want everything.”
“Why? Why do you want me so much? Why did you leave Heaven for me?” I said, grabbing her by her shoulders.
She began to cry, “I’ve yearned for you since I felt your departure from Heaven. I was jealous. I was jealous that you were so enamored with your human that you no longer wanted to be with us; be with me. And then when I saw you make love to her; I yearned to do the same act with you. I wanted to feel you. I wanted to be human so you could make love to me like you did her.”
I saw the angel she was, waiting and waiting. Waiting for her turn to be able to make love to the soul she had loved for all eternity. She had loved me all this time and had yet to experience the love returned.
“Bill!!!!”, the scream came from upstairs.
“Sookie?” I whispered, letting go of Marie to climb the stairs to Eric’s bedroom floor.
The dead Viking was standing at the threshold of his door, “Why is Sookie calling for you?”
Sookie and I were bonding.
He growled at me as he stepped aside to let me through.
Sookie was sitting upright in his vast bed, frightened and a bit hysterical. “Bill, Bill” She waved to me to come to her, “Where were you?” She asked. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her lips a shade of blue.
I took her hands into mine, “I have been here, Sookie. What is wrong? Why are you so scared?”
She looked frantically to the hurt Viking and back to my worrisome eyes. She struggled and choked back tears, “Radames.” She finally blurted.
“Radames?” Eric puzzled. “What about Radames?” He said, coming closer to his love.
She commanded my full attention, she came closer to me as if she wanted to kiss me, I could feel she wanted to be closer to me. She looked at me as if she were trying to figure out who or what I was.
I observed Eric who was ready to kill me if she were to come any closer.
“Radames” She said, shaking and searching in my eyes to see if I understood.
“What about him sweetie?” I asked, forgetting the death stare of the Viking. I thoughtlessly ran my hands over her face, caressing her. I could feel she was terrified and she only wanted to be comforted by me.
Eric could feel it too.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head against my chest, tucking herself under my chin. “You asked me who tried to drain me. It was Radames.”
.........................
“He was scorched beyond recognition, but I knew it was him, Bill, I knew it was him” Sookie repeated over and over, not letting go of my hands.
She was frustrated with herself. She knew that she seemed hysterical, but she needed for us to believe her.
Eric and I both pondered how he was able to have survived the sun.
“I believe you.” I said, staring into her eyes.
She sighed with relief, “He killed the vampires, who tied me up, drained Laslo, and then he tried to drain me, but he heard your voice or smelled Marie. I don’t know which one caused him to stop drinking from me and hide, but that’s what he did when you and she appeared.”
“Did he say anything?”
“He kept saying Marie’s name over and over. I was too weak to tell you, but I feared he would attack you both when you found me, but he stayed hidden. “
Why would he hide from me?
Once she had said everything that had troubled her, she turned to the Viking. His pleasure to have her near him could be felt through the bond.
Strangely, it did not bother me.
I could feel their love for each other and longing for me to leave so that they could consummate their love.
“I think he will come here in search of Marie. He can detect where you have taken me from my blood he consumed.” She said, standing up from the bed, taking the bed covers with her.
It was that name alone that kept me from feeling any pangs of jealousy over what Sookie and Eric shared.
I would not let Radames take her.
“Why did he not take her when we he had the chance?” I asked her and Eric, hoping they had an answer.
“I don’t think he wanted her to see him as he was then. He is probably waiting until he has all of his strength. We should prepare, Compton.” Eric stated.
I did not think myself capable of loving any human but Sookie. But there was this passionate creature whose spirit was a part of mine breathing in a room below me.
I heard the turn of the spouts in the shower below and left Eric and Sookie to go join my human.
Steam billowed out over the glass shower and beads of condensation dripped down the foggy mirrors. Sounds of water hitting her skin, and the crisp fragrance of soap mixed in with her scent aroused me.
I undid the zipper of my pants and cast them from me. I yanked open the glass shower door.
She jumped startled, trying to catch her breath.
“I need to shower too.” I said, possessing her; covering her mouth with mine before she had a chance to respond.
The water rained down from the ceiling shower head above us, creating streams over the contours of our faces, and spilling into to our mouths as we kissed. I kneaded the sides of her waist and hips as I sucked on her supple lips. Electric shocks coursed from the pit of my stomach to the heat of my groin.
I ached to be inside of her.
“You wanted this from me?” I said, between moans.
“Yes” she smiled, water dripping from the tip of her nose. She was only eyes to me with her mane completey saturated and slick with liquid.
“What if I do not have anything to give?”
She pulled her face away, trying to hide the hurt, and wanting to deny me because of Sookie.
Watching her crumble at that moment, it was apparent to me what I was capable of.
I loved her.
I grabbed the edge of her chin and held it tightly in my grasp; yielding her.
”You are mine.” I said holding her firm. “You.” I kept repeating to her as I traced kisses over her cheeks and lips.
She became soft under my embrace.
I picked her warm wet body up against the tile and she wrapped her legs around my waist. She hung her arms around my neck and sucked on my bottom lip between her teeth.
I had her pinned, and I slid her down onto me forcibly.
She cried out from the pain, and I growled loudly through my fangs.
I could feel the warm blood surround me as I stroked her tempestuously.
She was a virgin. A delicious angel.
My eyes were closed and my lips were pressing on the crevice of her neck. I could taste the salt of her tears as it mingled with the water and trickled down over the artery. I passionately lifted her up and down on top of me, stroking her, making her ride me through the pain.
It turned me on to see her in pain.
I bounced her rhythmically, becoming delirious with the building orgasm that was near. I could feel the impending burst, and positioned my fangs on her neck, ready to sink as soon as I reached it.
Reaching.
Reaching.
My whole body convulsed, filling her insides with love while I drank from her. I sucked her blood inside of me, becoming dizzy with bliss.
She clung to me as if her life depended on it.
“You hurt me.” She purred at my ear.
I bent down on my knees and licked gently at the crimson beads that streamed from her little wound between her legs. I moaned and pulled her thighs tightly over my ears; I could feel the crescendo of her peak around each stab of my tongue.
Her thighs trembled against my cheeks, arousing me to sink my fangs into her again.
She gasped, holding my head between her hands while I sucked and experienced the same painful joy.
She and I were prisoners of each other. The beings that animated the bodies we possessed yearned for each other. It was our surface selves that fought them, causing them pain by being separated.
I was finally able to give her what she wanted from me.
“Tell me you are mine.”
“I am yours.”
I would send my friend back to hell if he tried to take her from me.
I remained naked and followed her to the bed that awaited us both. She pulled back the covers for me to slide in next to her, and before she could take another breath, I was behind her.
I spun her around to face me and she whimpered at the sight of my yearning state.
“I am not done with you yet.”
..........................
The tapping of rain on the roof kept the pace of my rapid thoughts.
Each thud was a revelation.
Marie’s head rested on my chest; her soft breathing and stirring was maddening.
I had yet to inform her that Radames lived, and was on his way to take back what he felt was stolen from him.
I knew that I would have to kill Radames in order to protect her. Killing my friend would not be an easy task for me, even if he was an enemy now. I longed to know his reasoning for it all. Was he hurt by me or Marie?
Sookie’s thoughts were also swarming inside of me.
I could feel her anxiousness and confusion. I wished I had her ability to read minds so I could figure out where her emotions were stemming from.
Eric’s home was stifling me.
I missed the openness of Radames’s home; I missed the moonlight and the courtyard fountain.
I missed Radames.
Marie stirred in my arms.
Bill.
I pulled my arm deftly from around Marie and pushed the pillow under her. She nuzzled it, accepting it as a replacement.
Bill.
I stood a moment to regard the sleeping angel. She hugged the pillow closer to her, and I knew she was thinking of me.
I had to protect Marie as vehemently as she protected me.
Bill.
Sookie was calling me.
Bill.
Always calling me but never wanting me.
I could not go to her now even if I wanted to; she was his. I had now made my decision and she had long ago made hers.
Bill.
Her saying my name was gnawing at my insides, but I shook it off.
I had pressing matters to attend to and did not need the distraction of her. I had to plan on how to protect Marie and myself from my best friend and an angel who had had it out for me for centuries.
I closed the bedroom door gently and sought the computer in Eric’s study to research where Darius would speak next. I googled the website to find his next speaking date was tomorrow evening in New Orleans’s at St. Louis Cathedral.
I stared at the face of the young blonde prophet on the computer screen.
Darius, my ancient brother, why do you want me dead? Do you know what I am destined for?
Marie could never answer that question. She just stated over and over that I was destined.
But, Darius had the answers, and I would get them tomorrow night.
Bill.
I could not stand it anymore.
Bill.
Stop calling me!!!! I mentally yelled back.
I just needed to be outside, to feel the air on my face.
As soon as I saw the moonlight and felt the big drops of Louisiana rain hit my face, I calmed down.
I walked down the grand steps of Eric’s home and started to cover the vast yard headed to the backwoods.
I was stark naked as I sat under a tree, which isn’t the smartest place to be in a rainstorm but I loved the smell of the rain through the leaves.
I heard the slam of the front door and smelled it was her.
I watched her intently approach me; I listened for any supes or humans who would cause harm to her as she walked swiftly to find me. I relaxed once I was aware that it was just she and I in these woods tonight.
Her long gown was becoming drenched with each drop as she traveled further into the woods. Her every movement was slowing down from her dripping garment but she pressed forward.
She was absolutely beautiful.
“Over here, Sookie!” I alerted her of my position in the dark woods.
She turned around in a circle until her eyes recognized the naked Vampire sitting quietly under a tree.
She smiled at the sight of me, and chuckled. “You’re naked.”
“I am aware of that.” I teased back.
The rain began to quell, and the night air was turning cooler. She briskly ran her hands over her arms to create warmth.
I fought the desire to pull her down to me and warm her up.
“Sookie, you will catch your death out here with me, go back into the house.” I said, staring up at her aroused breasts through her gown.
She mused at my use of that old saying; she understood that the death could come from the rain mixed with the night air or me.
“Why are you out here?” I quipped.
She stood silently looking down at me and then blurted, “I had to come; your blood is pulling me.”
“Really, well yours is hanging me.” I fumed back at her.
I pierced through her with my gaze and she exhaled deeply as if my gaze had caressed her.
She moved in closer and reached down to cradle the side of my face with the tip of her fingers. My fangs extracted from the pleasure of having her touch me, but I pushed her hand away.
“He knows you are out here.” I snapped.
“I know.” She said, looking quicky over her shoulder towards the house.
“I felt you make love to her, Bill.”
I sardonically smiled up at her. “Did you enjoy it?”
She winced from the blow, “Do you love her?”
“Why is that of any importance to you?” I said still smiling at her.
She bit her lip and shook her head in agreement and dramatically turned away from me and headed to the house.
I yelled to her, “Tell your lover we leave for New Orleans tomorrow.”
................
I walked alone back to the elegant hotel nestled on Bourbon Street.
I had just left Eric with the soldiers of the New Orleans regime to map out an attack on the Lucian Followers that recently had flooded the area. The room was crowded with displaced vampires from different parts of the country who had their leaders murdered by the hands of the late Lucian and his followers.
There was also talk of demons that were spotted in the Quarter the evening before.
I was not concerned with the demons or the Lucian followers, I went solely to state that I would be killing Darius tonight and if there were any objections then I would kill the objector as well.
Everyone remained silent, pondering who I was to make such a bold statement. I was not known in the ranks of the vampire hierarchy, I actually abhorred it.
“We will not stop you brother.” The New Orleans commander finally said.
I thought I would have been met with opposition, considering I was planning to kill a leader that would catapult us further into a war with humans. The vampire kingdom was in complete disarray and needed a king but with no voice of authority to oppose me, I left the meeting satisfied.
I stated what I had to say and left the rest to Eric.
I entered the marble inlaid lobby of the hotel and took in the merriment of the humans who inhabited it. I smiled wide to mask what I was dealing with; I wanted to blend.
I picked up Sookie’s scent and ventured into the bar to find her doing a remarkable balancing act of just trying to sit squarely on her barstool.
I stood behind her and whispered, “Boo.”
She turned slowly, holding the straw and her drink. “I knew it was you.”
I pulled the straw from her lips and placed the drink behind me. “That is enough for you.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.” She snapped, reaching her arms around me to retrieve her drink.
I caught her arm firmly, “Sit.”
She sat back down on her bar stool and motioned for the bartender to come to her. “Can I please order another gin and tonic?”
The bartender looked at me, then her, then back at me.
“She is done for the evening.” I said to the young bartender, who was nervous about following Sookie’s request.
“Where is Eric?”
“He is still meeting with the New Orleans soldiers.”
She faced me dead on, and studied me. She looked me up from my feet to the tip of my forehead. “Where is Marie?”
“In our room.”
She placed a hand on both of my knees, and leaned forward. “Do you love her?”
“You are drunk.” I said holding her at her waist so she would not fall.
“Why can’t you answer the question?” She spat, pulling away. "I can feel everything from you Bill; I just want you to admit it to me."
She sat with her back pressed into the back of her chair. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, exposing her bitten neck to me.
I laughed, “I know who you belong to Sookie.”
“Do you still love me?”
"I thought you said you could feel everything from me now."
"Answer me."
“I never stopped loving you Sookie. Do you not understand that that is the problem? That you have such a hold on me that it was killing me.” I admitted as if I had just told her the weather. I wanted to remain blasé’ about my feelings when it came to her, she had a habit of turning my love for her into my noose.
She calmed down and regarded me for a moment before asking me if I loved Marie.
“I do.”
Her eyes filled with pain.
“So you don’t love me anymore.”
I growled, “My loving Marie does not correlate to me not loving you, Sookie, I had to find a way to break free of you. You would have me beg like a dog while you lay with him, while you call him your lover.” I said grabbing her aggressively by her bitten neck.
“And you show this off to me; do you think this is love?” I rubbed at the puncture marks.
Sookie yelped and pulled my hand from around her neck, “Let go of me!”
A bigger bartender at the end of the bar became alerted, “Hey buddy, you have to leave or I will call security.”
I showed him my fangs, and he backed off. “I don’t want any trouble, sir.”
I stood quickly, knocking over the bar chair to the floor. I had to get away from her.
“Like a dog.” I hissed at her before leaving the bar. She quickly got up and followed me out into the lobby.
“Bill, Stop!”
“Stop”
“Bill, I want to be with you.”
She knew what to say to halt me.
I grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway to an open elevator. She followed me silently and waited for me to speak. I pressed the button for her floor and waited for the doors to close.
“What does that mean to me, Sookie?” I finally asked.
“I no longer want to be with Eric; I want to be with you.”
I laughed thinking that I would have to kill Eric too.
“Easier said than done; Eric will not relinquish you without a fight.”
I suddenly felt a pang that was not mine.
Sookie leaned into me and kissed at my neck.
The pang came again, but this time it was deeper.
“Sookie are you okay sweetie?” I asked, troubled. I held her away from me to examine her.
“I’m fine” she drunkenly smiled at me.
“Sookie, do not repeat what you just revealed to me to Eric. Okay?”
“Why”
“Because you are drunk and I think you will rethink this as soon as you sober up.”
The elevator door opened and I looked out in the hallway holding her at bay before letting her come out the elevator.
Another pang shot through me.
“Aren’t you gonna come to the room with me?”
“I am going to follow you to your room but just to make sure everything is all clear.”
I walked Sookie up to her door, and she leaned in to kiss me, but a pang came so deep into me that I buckled.
“Bill?, what’s wrong.” Sookie said alerted.
“I do not know, but I need for you to stay here. I have to go check on Marie.”
“Okay” she nodded, closing the door behind her.
I hobbled forth through the cutting pangs back to the elevator up to my room. In my dealing with Sookie I had completely forgot that Marie was alone in our room.
I stepped into the empty hallway and could feel the eerie stillness.
I smelled our hotel room threshold and could only pick up her faint scent. I opened the door and the stench of the French quarter air flooded my nostrils from the opened balcony doors.
“Marie?”
No answer.
The bedroom was empty, she was not here.
“Marie?” I yelled again.
Her smell was present, I knew she was near.
I opened the bathroom and gasped.
Marie was lying in the marble tub, naked in a pool of bloody water. Her black hair floated around her inanimated face as she took shallow breaths above the liquid.
Sitting on the edge of the tub was the beautiful golden Vampire who had finally come to retreive her.
"Bill, what a pleasure for you to finally join us.” He said, smiling.
I then knew where the pangs had come from.
......................
“She called for you.” Radames said, caressing the top of Marie’s forehead. “But you never came, where were you Bill?”
If Radames had met the sun, there was nothing about him now to show that he had. His entire being was luminous and his dark eyes sparkled with sadistic delight. His tailored shirt and slacks covered his body but could not disguise the muscles in his arms and legs. The rebirth of him, like how the phoenix rises from its ashes, seemed to have only made him more beautiful and what I feared – stronger.
“What have you done, Radames?” I questioned the crazed vampire, who stared down at the dying girl. I bared my fangs at him from the murderous blood lust that overcame me.
He was killing her.
I scanned the bathroom for a weapon.
Radames smiled up at me knowingly, “I have come to repay you brother.”
He rolled up his right sleeve so that he would not wet his cuff as he crested the water around Marie. “You broke my heart, Bill.” He whispered, while gazing at Marie, who limply laid her head on the side of the tub.
“I met the sun and felt the pain of a thousand fires, I lay scorched in the desert but I welcomed the death and silence that would come because Bill, you had took everything away from me. You my friend, my brother had betrayed me.”
“How are you alive?”
“My humble servant, Laslo dragged my scorched body underground to my chambers before I had left this body. He wanted to bury his master and did not know that a vampire needed to be out in the Sun longer than the time I was allowed to fry. Like a good servant, he offered up his very blood for my recovery.”
“And, Sookie?”
“Well that was out of spite of course.” He laughed.
I noticed the bite marks on the side of Marie’s neck were still open and seeped blood slowly from the ragged wound. But, there was too much blood in the water to have come from the wound on her neck.
The divine scent of her blood was waning.
Radames raised both of Marie’s hands from the water to show off the torn wrists that bled freely down her arms.
A roar deep inside of me bellowed out.
“If you take a step towards me Bill, I will snap her neck before your blow even lands.”
“I thought you loved her Radames. Why are you killing her?” I seethed through my fangs.
He smirked, “She killed me.”
“We never intended to hurt you.”
“But you have, and you will pay for it, Bill.”
Marie sighed and closed her eyes.
“She has the last drop still in her, I could take it or you could. How would you like to be one of us dear?” He tormented her.
“No.” She weakly whispered.
“Oh but my love, I think you would enjoy being a Vampire. I always thought you would make a magnificent vampire, you have the heart for it.” He kissed the side of her face gently.
“No!” I stepped forward, and Radames stood abruptly meeting me face to face.
“Let me close her wounds, Radames. She still has life inside of her.” I yelled.
“You will do no such thing, brother. Either you turn her or I will…or we could always let this beautiful flesh rot.” “ Do you hear that Marie, either a vampire or a beautiful corpse.”
“You fucking sick bastard, remove yourself and let us be!”
It drove me crazy how close she was to me and that I could do nothing to save her.
Radames laughed hysterically, “I was a fool to not have noticed that you loved her. I knew you lusted after my pet, but I did not see that she had cast her spell on you as well. I should have seen it before you had a taste of her blood.”
“Her angel blood is exquisite is it not? How was it when you fucked her?” He asked, creating a barrier between me and the tub.
“I am going to kill you.” I hissed.
“Not before you make your decision, Bill. So what is it going to be? Which one will you choose Bill? Will you save her life and have her hate you or can you bear to see her turned and bonded to me?"
Her life was leaving; it was too late to close her wounds. She had lost too much blood.
“Will he do it, dear, will he save you or will he let you die?”
I had to turn her. I could not lose her now; we had just found each other.
“You are going to make your own prison Bill,” He said, standing aside. “It is only fitting that it be you to turn her, Morning Star.”
My face lit up that he knew who I was.
“Yes, Morning Star, I know who you were from our first meeting at the conference. I knew who ever Marie wanted to protect had to be the only Angel she could love. I asked for you to come along so that I could have Marie, she would not come without you, but what I did not anticipate is that I would love you too. Now do it, turn my love into one of us.”
I lifted the lifeless wrist up to my mouth. I licked over her wavering artery and sank my own fangs into her fleshy wound.
She was too weak to respond to the pain.
I suckled at her gently and thought about how her smile compelled everything inside of me. I savored the scented blood as I pictured the way her curls bounced as I followed her the first night I met her, the way she looked over her shoulder inviting me with her grin.
I had to turn her, she belonged to me.
The light that I cherished in her blood shone bright, and filled my entire being before growing dim and then faded completely.
She would forgive me; I knew she would.
She could not leave me now; she would be my vampire wife. I was not ready to part.
She loved me; she would forgive.
Marie’s body gasped to take in its last breath and fell.
But, I would never forgive myself.
Radames waited for me to give Marie my blood, but I caressed the angelic corpse and whispered, “I love you.”
I was not going to make Marie into something she did not wish to become.
Radames yelled, “Are you mad? Give her your blood quick!”
He frantically lunged forward, ready to tear at his own wrist.
I grabbed him by the back of his neck holding him firm with iron strength.
“Now you will share my suffering.” I hissed into his ear, yielding him.
Blood tears spilled from the ancient vampire’s eyes and plopped onto the white marble floor. His mouth made a perfect “o”, but no sound came out. His silent sob could only be heard to the Angel who had left us alone in this bathroom.
He extended his shaky hand out to touch her, and I pushed him so forcefully that he flew from the bathroom and out into the hall of the hotel room.
“You will never touch her again.”
He rose swiftly, weeping. He was broken.
“Is this not what you offered, Radames? I should turn her or you would, or we let her rot? I loved her enough to give her what she wanted; she never wanted to be what we are. You my friend, my brother, robbed me.” I said, kicking him to stand and face me.
“She’s dead?!” He cried in disbelief, flinging his arms around him. He cowered from me in his pain.
“Yes, we killed her.”
“I..thought you would…I thought you would turn her..she can not be dead. Why did you not turn her?” He screamed.
“Because I loved her.” I answered.
His body shook harder, and I felt sorry for the broken fiend.
“If you ever come near me again Radames, I will kill you.”
He bent his head full of sorrow, mouth gaped open at the realization that the corpse of Marie was lying in the tub, and we were the cause.
“I never thought you would let her go.” He said, pulling himself up to stand.
“Leave.” I growled.
He observed me in silence for a moment before flying out the balcony, leaving me alone with her.
It never cease to amaze me how something so horrific can happen to you but your will can carry you to do the tasks that you have to.
I longed to hear the sound of her breathing. I pulled the drain in the tub, and the gulp of the water draining out was the only sound that filled my ears.
I scooped my arms under her, and carried her out the bathroom to lay her on the bed.
I unzipped her bags and found the black dress she wore on the plane ride to Radames’s home.
It smelled of her.
I shrouded my face in the fabric of that dress, inhaling her, forcing that scent down into the pit of me.
I dried off her limbs and hair with a hotel towel before pulling the dress over her head and sliding her arms through the holes.
I half expected for her eyes to magically pop open and for her to smile at me.
I carried her out of the hotel and onto Bourbon Street. The quarter was in full swing now and the humans that swarmed around me, just thought I was carrying my drunk girlfriend from a bar.
I held her dear to me until I found a resting place in one of the oldest cemeteries in the Quarter. I kicked open the wooden door to the above ground crypt. I laid her down to remove the old stone from the tomb, casting out the remains of a human who had not existed for hundreds of years.
I placed her newly departed body into the tomb and covered her with the stone, burying her.
When all my tasks were done, it was then and only then that I felt the pain.
I laid face down on top of her tomb and cried, with my arms spread over the cold surface.
The tears pooled from my eyes and created a red stream down the sides of the tomb.
I had failed her when she needed me to save her.
She could have never been a vampire. She was God’s messenger and had to fulfill his plan. She never belonged to me.
“I love you. I know you can hear me, and I want you to know I am sorry my love, I am so sorry.” I sobbed.
The only redemption I had was that I had saved her from this life as a monster.
I thought of how Radames had cried on Makeda’s tomb eons before and his final words to her were that he would search for her forever.
But I did not repeat his words; I did not have to.
I knew she would find me.
..................................................
I could feel them around me.
The Demons.
They laughed and delighted over Marie’s death.
Her death had shifted the supernatural world, even I was more aware of a gnawing anxiety in me.
Something was coming.
I walked swiftly to Jackson square, focusing on the death of Darius. But what I really wanted was to hide myself from the world.
I had every intention of going far from here once he was dead. I wanted to be lost at the ends of the earth since she was no longer breathing in it.
I was drawing near the square. The old cobblestone under my feet was worn smooth over the centuries of usage and I glided over to the gated square, ready to kill.
Sookie held the black iron gate between her white hands; she let go of the rods as soon as she laid eyes on me. She ran into my arms, “I know, I know”. She felt my loss of Marie over the bond.
“You don’t have to do this, Bill.” She cried. She walked backwards, and talked swiftly.
She wanted to convince me to stop, but I could not.
“He sent Lucian after me, Sookie.” I said continuing on to the soldiers and Eric waiting.
She pressed her hands into me, trying to halt me. “You don’t know what Darius’s death is going to do the supes. You’re even unsure on why you’re doing it.”
She was right. Even though I was determined to shed Darius’s blood, I was still uncertain as to how our battle started. I was no longer Morningstar, why did he want me dead?
If it was going to be either my death or his, it was definitely going to be his.
“Marie wanted him dead.” I replied, ending the questioning.
“It is time.” Eric yelled, standing back with the vampires who awaited my command.
“These demons are not the spawns from Hell, Compton.” Eric stated. A fellow vampire Sheriff, affirmed with the Viking.
“Where are they from?”
“Here.” Sookie answered. She was wrought with fear for us. She was sober and concerned, not the tipsy girl who did not know who she belonged to. She was her own woman again. I smiled, “It will be okay, Sookie.”
“No, it won’t. Listen to me, Bill. The world has shifted since she died.”
“I know.”
We could hear them, calling for us to enter. They had human silhouettes but were just black matter; they were able to walk thru objects and living things to gather in the square. They were waiting for us.
“These are the demonic spirits of humans that have not crossed over, Bill.” She continued, “The New Orleans regime says that they have come with the arrival of Darius.”
“They have to come from hell if they came for Darius.” I answered back.
Before she could ask another question, I walked up to the entry of the square. Their excitement heightened. Their voices could not be heard outright only in our minds. “Enter!” They yelled.
Eric moved in front of me, “Let us rush inside and you follow behind, we will form a pathway with our selves for you to reach the church. Once the humans that want a fight come, then we will be ready for them.”
Sookie yelped, “I can hear the demons thoughts. They can’t harm you unless they can enter your spirit. You have to remain strong, Bill.”
I moved aside so Eric and his soldiers could rush inside the square. They locked themselves on either side of me forming a passageway. I could hear the demon’s scream and squeal, the vampires were stronger. I looked at Sookie and could tell she was concentrating to not let them enter into her.
“Wait here.” I said, looking back at her.
“No.”
“You must, the humans inside that church are going to spill out ready to kill us and I do not want you caught in that.” She gave into me, and nodded she would stay.
I ran through the passageway up to the old wooden doors of the Cathedral. I opened the double doors to the Old Catholic church and felt the many humans eyes turn from their charismatic speaker to the gaunt vampire that stood still at the holy threshold.
I did not know the full reasons why I was intent on killing this man who smiled from the pulpit. My heart was still laying on that cold tomb in a forgotten cemetery at the edge of the quarter.
Gasps and screams filled my head.
“He is one of them.” A dark haired man yelled.
I walked slowly down the aisle, looking from side to side.
“Kill him!” An older human screamed from behind me.
I could hear the swift steps of the vampires enter into the cathedral. They were near, waiting for the slightest disruption to suck everyone inside dry.
It was either fear or the call for blood. Those were the only thoughts that projected from these humans.
Darius, a blonde and handsome man smiled to me. He beckoned me to come closer with his hands. He was obviously delighted by my visit.
He laughed, “Do not fret followers, my brother has come to pay me a visit.”
The congregation gasped louder and made movements as to move but the vampires had blocked the doors. A daring human took one of the lit candelabras and threw it to the ground, setting the old carpet on fire. Screams filled the air, and yells asking Darius what they should do. Vampires leaped at the humans, as they all scrambled looking for another exit. It was a melee of vampires and humans, all wanting the other to die.
I drew nearer to my prey, “ Calm your congregation and we will calm the fire.”
“Brethren, please, please everything is okay. Do not be afraid.”
One of the vampires took the holy water from the entry and flew up to the fire and smote it with the blessed liquid.
The congregation quieted and calmed. Some even took seats back in the pew, while others stood, waiting for what happened next.
“Where is Marie?” Darius asked.
He knew she had existed. I wondered how long he had followed her as he had me.
“I drained her.”
Darius laughter bellowed throughout the cathedral.
“You have no idea what you have done?” She can never go back now. Heaven will not open for her. You have just sentenced her to hell with me.”
My insides wrenched.
I noticed the two bodyguards who stood behind us, they were demons disguised as humans. They were not the spirits who just wanted a host like the ones in the square. These were the beings nightmares of made of. They might have guised themselves as beautiful humans, but a demon can never disguise its disgusting stench. The bodyguards moved forward, expecting me to pounce on their leader. One had a knife at his side that sparked my curiosity.
“You’re lying, Darius. You are the King of Lies, Devil.”
He laughed, “You think you know me, Morningstar?” “Do you know that the angel you killed goes by the name of Gabriel? She was god’s messenger.”
“Gabriel?” I repeated in awe.
“Did she not tell you that she was not supposed to come to you? God sent her to groom someone else, but she could not resist finding you and trying to get you redeemed. Because of her defiance, God will not let her back into heaven, she will be with me. You both sinned against god.” He smiled wider, and grabbed his bible. He looked down at the book, flipping thru the pages.
“But you can save her Bill, you can save her if you just repent. Are you repentant of your crime against your god?”
“I committed no crime.”
“You fell in love with his creation; you were the supreme, why would you divert your love from him to his creation.”
“He loves them.”
“There you go again, putting yourself on the same plane as your creator. You were to only love him and you decided to create on your own. You decided to play God.”
“Is to love to play God?”
“They do not deserve our love, they are made of this earth, they succumb to death, sickness and their minds cannot fathom truth. They were just pets for him, they were only meant to be admired as one does a flower, not to give the knowledge of our father.”
“So you punished me because of the scroll not for creating Oria.”
“You were intent on sharing our knowledge with them. Bill, God did not want these creatures to have it.”
My fangs bore down; his laughter aroused my lust for his death.
“I was once on my way to being saved and you made me into this. You sent Lorena to turn me into a vampire, and now you call for us all to be expelled. Why do you wish me to die and continue my barring from Heaven?”
“It is because of you that there is a Hell. You led them to defy their Creator. I was not given the task as a persecutor until you fell from God’s grace. I was once in Heaven and near God, and you ruined it all.” He continued on, moving in closer to me, “Bill, those stories of Adam and Eve being tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge that was you, dear brother.”
“Lies!”
“Humans just did not have the real account. There was no written history for them to know that it was not fruit from a tree but a scroll by a cherished angel, God’s beloved Morningstar.”
“Speak truth, Devil!”
“All those Bible stories that you recall that led you to believe I was the Devil, was wrong. Think about it, who was called God’s “Morningstar”? “Who was God’s beloved who betrayed him?’ “Who was it that educated humans with the knowledge that changed the world forever? Morningstar is just one of your many names, Bill.”
I leaped to put my hands around his thick neck.
“Liar!”
His bodyguards tried to grab hold of me but failed. My vampire comrades were upon them tearing at their flesh. The human Darius, was at his knees, coughing and gasping for air.
“I had loved you too, Morningstar. Gabriel and I both did. You betrayed us all. It was not I who turned your daughter into a vampire; I could not have the power to do so even if I wanted to.”
“Who did it?”
“He did.” He said, casting his eyes up.
“Then why would I want to repent to a God who would do that?”
I reached for the knife that was at the hip of the dead bodyguard and realized it was made of silver. That is what had aroused my curiosity, I could smell the silver. The guard had every intention of making sure the wounds he inflicted on me did not heal.
I grabbed a hold of Darius’s neck again, and he laughed. “He is your creator. You do not question.”
“Give her back to me and I will let you live.” I bargained with him. I hovered over him, holding the knife at his face, with him on his knees in front of me.
“I cannot, she will reside in Hell with me. It is up to him for her to be saved…”
Before he could say another word; I slit the prophet’s neck from ear to ear. He opened his mouth to gasp but blood spilled out; the blood streamed down the front of his white shirt. I dropped the body to the ground to grab the communion cup from the altar. I snatched the dying body by his hair and let the blood dribble into the gilded goblet. I titled my head back and drank the remains.
Humans that were crouched under the pews were crying out in horror. Some yelled ‘Demon!”, as they tried to find their ways to another exit that was not being blocked by vampires.
I could feel the Earth shifting again, as it did with the dying of Marie.
I took the silver knife and began to sever the head of Darius from his body.
I took the head of Darius and carried it in the nook of my arm, as I walked steady down the aisle to the double doors. Everyone was still. There was no more raucous, or disruption. Vampire, demon and human alike were all still, as I walked with a bleeding and raggedly cut head in my possession. Vampires who had blocked the door, stepped aside quickly and opened one door to allow me to exit.
The night air hit my face and the full moon shone down on me. It was a beautiful night and the earth was letting me know it was ready for its change.
The Jackson Square demons were quiet.
Sookie waited patiently behind the decorated iron gates, she smiled wide. I felt her wave of relief over the bond turn into concern when she saw what I was holding like a trophy. I strode unafraid and alone into the moonlight and placed the head onto the horse statue in the middle of Jackson square. The demons who had howled for us to enter and waited for a weak mind to infiltrate were now bowing before me. The demons that walked the earth could smell the death of their leader.
“I am your King.”
Marie had been right on that I would become king, but she was wrong on whose king I would become. These demon human souls who had not found their resting place called to me. They beckoned for me to lead them to a resolution.
“The King you had followed was a Liar and did not wish for your souls to rest. I will help you find peace.”
Those words would be carried all over the world, to the ones awake and to the ones who were resting. It would permeate into them and they would find that they are being called to me.
Sookie rushed into the square, I was not afraid for her because I knew these demons would not dare to enter her. Sookie ran to me, she could feel it. I was completely ripped apart and the fragmented pieces were forming a Bill she no longer recognized. “Bill, what you have done?” She cried.
I saw past her, at the vampires and the leading Viking who were headed toward us. “You will always be a part of me.” I said hugging her close.
The vampires let the frightened and lost humans leave the cathedral, once they realized they did not wish to fight. After seeing their prophet decapitated they yearned to just to be given a chance to run away.
“Where are you going?” She yelled, as Eric held her firmly. She wanted to run to me, but she and I both knew I was going to be gone for a while.
I was crazed, and yearned for an answer.
I needed the scroll.
I walked away from Sookie and Eric, heading back to Bourbon Street to get lost in the crowd. I maneuvered unnoticed through the debauched crowd, the stench of vomit and human blood arrested my nostrils. The clack of the young black boys’ tap dancing for money, prostitutes waiting for the right john, and police officers beating up a drunk as he stumbled out of a bar.
Why did any human deserve to be saved?
They were just as depraved as me.
I continued toward the Bourbon hotel, stepping on cracked beads and spilled beer.
I recalled seeing Marie pack the scroll in her bag. I would just pick up her bag and head to where my heart took me.
I hungered for blood and smelled a familiar scent in the crowd.
I looked up and I thought I saw her. “Marie.” I yelled, out of desperation and hope.
I heard her distinct whole hearted laugh, and I could have sworn I saw her move through the crowd in front of me. Always just steps ahead. I followed it all the way up to the gates of the cemetery, where I had buried her. I felt foolish to say her name again, but I yelled it anyway.
I knew it was her.
I went through the gates and walked through the maze of tombs following the thing until it disappeared as I neared the tomb where she rested.
I halted in my tracks when the tomb came into my eyesight.
There was a blinding light that shone through every open crevice, the light shot thru and lit up the surrounding area of the tomb.
I put my arm up to my eyes to filter the rays.
There was a swift beating that thumped and hit the sides of the tomb. A hard flutter.
Something was alive in Marie’s tomb.
I closed in on the tomb, listening to the flutter grow quicker, and the rays moved as the creature moved inside the tomb.
I opened the tomb and was immediately hit backward by a fluttering wing.
I laid on the ground, staring up at the radiating creature.
I could hear its swift movements and I saw it stretch its wings outside of the cramped tomb. The white feahers of the wings enveloped the creatures shape.
I laid still on the ground, “What are you?"
Both wings opened up and a familiar voice spoke to me. “Morningstar?”
“Yes.”
The winged creature that gave off the light of the sun was Marie. She stretched her wings to its full potential to reveal her angelic form. She was as beautiful as before, she possessed the same curvy human body, and she was completely naked except for the white wings that protruded from her back.
“Marie.” I yelped, gathering myself from her feet.
“Marie?” She was puzzled.
I stepped closer to her, and she stepped back from me.
“Yes, Marie. It is me Bill, er um, Morningstar, my love.”
“Why do you call me, Marie? I am Gabriel.”
I recalled Darius saying that her real name was Gabriel, for she was the Messenger Angel.
“Yes, you are Gabriel.”
“Morningstar, why am I here in my celestial form?” She said, looking down at her body and over both sides of her shoulders at her wings.
Her smell was intensified, her scent aroused me and it was hard for me to concentrate, and the bell like voice, was sending waves of pleasure thru my being.
I stepped to her and her wings fluttered. She did not have any knowledge of humility for she left herself uncovered instead of trying to hide herself with her arms or wings. Her breast was bare and the nipples were full and aroused, her pubis bone exposed, her taunt and delicious body was uncovered and she was completely unaware that this Demon King wanted her.
My fangs bore down with lust.
“I do not know my love.” I said, closing in on her. Her hair was longer and the black glossy curls were wilder, more untamed. The tendrils fell all around her and over the tops of her nipples.
I wanted to taste her.
“Gabriel, do you know why you are here.” I said, trying to compose myself.
She was frightened. “No.” She looked around, and realized where she was. The cemetery had taken on a different look, with her standing in it. Her light radiated throughout and the ground and the sky right above us felt as if God was in our presence.
I wanted to cry from the pleasure she was giving me.
I leaned in closer to her, and her left wing swooped down across me, but I held it from knocking me down. She had every intention of protecting herself from me; she was scared and did not know why she was not in Heaven. I held the wing and her eyes widened.
“I will not hurt you.” I said, saddened that she was petrified of me.
“I can see Morningstar in you, but you are not him.” She said.
“No, my love, I am not him.”
“Why do you call me, your love?”
“Because that is what you are.”
“Vampires do not love Angels.” She said as a matter of fact.
I know that I should not have been surprised that she knew I was a vampire, but I was. She acted like just seeing the grass below her was a first, so for her to know that I was vampire blindsided me.
“They do, I promise.” I smiled, leaning in closer then what she had allowed before.
“Have you just fed, is that why you are covered in blood?” She asked curiously, not frightened by the human blood on me.
“Yes.” I did not divulge the rest of the events that had taken place and how they had come to affect her.
“God has sent me here and I do not know for whom.”
“For me, Gabriel. He has sent you to me.” I lied, taking her hand into mine.
Her eyes lit up, “He sent me to redeem you?”
“Yes.” I said, taking her black curls in my fingers, as I did many times before.
“Morningstar, I have asked to be sent to you since your departure. I am grateful to my father for allowing me to do so.” She looked up and said a silent thank you to a God who had cast her out.
She opened her eyes, when she did not feel him answer her back. “I do not feel him anymore.”
“You will not feel him again, Gabriel. Not until my redemption.”
She opened her mouth to scream, and her face wrenched up in terror. I grabbed her close, pulling her arms around my neck. The wings surrounded us both, creating a feathered cocoon.
I covered her mouth with kisses. “Quiet, my love.”
The kisses startled her. She had no recollection of sensual touch in her Angel form; this was her first time to be on Earth in this guise.
“You can kiss me?” She exclaimed in delight.
I smiled, “I can do more than just kiss you, Gabriel.”
Her eyes brightened, and she smiled wide. She traced her fingers over my face and lips. I opened them slightly to show off the tips of my fangs.
“Will it hurt?” She cocked her head to the side, admiring my fangs.
“I do not know if you can feel pain while in this form or not.”
“I do not care if it causes pain.” She beamed, moving her hands to my chest, caressing me.
I had tasted and suckled the angelic blood before, but wanting to take her in this form just reminded me more of who I was.
A Vampire.
A vampire that now ruled over the demons that walked this earth.
I rubbed the side of her neck and forced her to bend it to the side with the pressure of my thumb. She was about to give herself over to a blood drinker, not her Morningstar. I kissed her veins and inhaled the scent of her blood, and bit down slowly, She did not gasp as she had done as Marie, but instead dug her hands into my back. She pulled me closer to her.
I drank slowly.
The warm blood flooded into my mouth, the same blood that had existed inside of Marie. The blips of her human life flashed across as it did before, but this time the images included more of Marie’s life. I saw the frightened Marie that fought Radames before succumbing to his almost draining of her, before I would arrive to finish her off. I could feel the sorrowful tears rise inside of me.
“Do not cry, Morningstar.” She whispered, when I drew myself from her neck.
I was about to prick my finger and let the blood drop on her wound, but as soon as I withdrew, the wound was gone.
She could heal herself.
She smiled, “I could feel it. I have never felt pain before.” “I also saw Marie with you; you saw visions of her in my blood.”
My voice cracked as I confirmed that I did see Marie.
“You may call me Marie, if you wish.” She said, clinging to me now.
“I will call you by the name you want to be called.”
“Marie.”
“Then I will call you, Marie.” I smiled, inhaling the Angel.
She pressed her face forward and kissed me gently, “What is your name on earth?”
“Bill.” She looked puzzled and whispered the name to herself.
“Marie, I must get you out of New Orleans, my love. Can you control these wings before they see, please, humans do not react well to things they cannot understand.”
She did not respond or protest. She closed her eyes and the beautiful wings retracted slowly into her shoulder blades. Human skin healed over the openings that allowed the wings to be.
I took off my shirt for her to cover herself. She slipped the blood caked shirt over her glowing body. She stood still, a radiating angel wearing her vampire lover’s blood caked shirt.
I laughed.
“Why do you laugh?” She asked, amused by the sound of my laughter.
“I love you.” I said, kissing the tip of her forehead.
Every touch amused her. She beamed wide, staring up at me.
A demon was making its way to the cemetery. He wanted to know what had fallen from Heaven. Her wings were gone, but Marie’s blood and radiance was not human, and supes could detect her a mile away.
“A demon is near.” She said, shuddering with fear.
“There is nothing to fear.” I said, standing in front of her. The demon caught sight of me, recognized his king, and quickly fled the cemetery.
She calmed down sensing the demon's depature. I extended my hand out to her, she accepted and began to follow me to the exit to the main street.
Before I opened the gate to let us out, I turned to her and said, “I do not want you to be frightened where ever I take you, my love. Please know that wherever we go, I will protect you, and in the end, I will save us both.”
Then we took our first steps outside the cemetery and into the world.
The End.
TalulaJones |
Latest page update: made by TalulaJones
, Apr 26 2009, 10:45 PM EDT
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| ammonite7 | Redemption: Excellent and Intriguing Start! (page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... last page) | 141 | Aug 29 2009, 5:11 PM EDT by TalulaJones | ||
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Thread started: Dec 7 2008, 11:11 AM EST
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I was so happy to see a new fic, and what an intriguing one, to boot. You have a lot going for you as a writer here. I have edited theses and governmental reports, written articles and have been studying the craft of writing fiction for the last three years. I found several areas where you could use some help. Punctuation is one. In other words, you could use a beta reader. You have such potential, that I am offering.
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