by Nadia Heaton
So Rashid raised you?
Something like that. He always said it would be best for me to learn from a variety of different vampires. I don’t know anything about my biological family, but I’ve had many families over the years. It’s a strange life, but not a bad one. What about you? How did you grow up?
It’s very boring compared to your story. Typical suburban family. I left to study accounting after school, and up until now, I’ve had a relatively normal life.
Ariana wondered if it would be out of line to ask him if he had a girlfriend or wife. Temptation overcame her, and she scrawled the message out before she had a chance to change her mind. Do you have anyone waiting for you at home?
Just Janet. Her heart sank. My Labrador. Ariana almost laughed in relief.
Will she be okay without you?
Yes, my neighbor will take care of her. I’ll still have to come up with a very good excuse as to why I disappeared.
I’ll help you come up with one. Vampires have to learn to be good at lying, whether we want to or not. It’s necessary when keeping our secret from humans.
I’d appreciate that.
They talked for ages. This way of doing it was slow and frustrating, but Ariana could tell that Julio appreciated her taking the time to write out her messages just like he had to.
Even though he insisted he was boring, Ariana was fascinated by him. She’d never spent much time with humans, and found his life story quite as exotic as he found hers. Ariana found herself wondering what would happen once Julio got his voice back.
Would he just go back to his life as if nothing had happened? It seemed like he’d been happy before, from the way he talked. Ariana had also been happy, but now that she’d met Julio, she found that she’d very much like her future to include him.
Was it all humans, or was it just Julio who was particularly alluring?
It didn’t feel right to ask him for promises about the future now. Everything depended on Julio getting his voice back. He’d make his decisions then, and Ariana didn’t want to pressure him.
Fortunately, Lisette was likely to have a busy schedule, what with being queen and all, so she and Julio would probably be waiting at least a few days, possibly more, before a cure came through. Ariana resolved to enjoy her time with him as thoroughly as possible. Hopefully, she’d get more after the curse was lifted, but if she didn’t, she would at least have the wonderful memories.
Vampires who lived many centuries said that it often became difficult to remember things that had happened near the beginning of their lives. Some of them kept journals, or took photos and kept them in huge albums. Ariana had never felt that was necessary, but if she and Julio did part ways, maybe she’d journal about her time with him. She certainly wouldn’t want to forget it, no matter how old she got.
Eventually, the conversation petered out into comfortable silence. Ariana was left wondering what she could do with Julio to best enjoy her time with him. Her mind came up with a few shockingly dirty options, but she forcibly pushed those aside.
Julio pointed at the couch, his eyes flicking between her and the painting. It was clear he wanted her to lie back down so that he could continue with it. As much as Ariana liked the idea, she wanted more than to lie still while Julio painted her.
She shook her head, taking his hand. “Not yet. There’s something else I want to do first. We should wash up and get ready to head out.”
Julio shrugged, but seemed to agree to her request, as he headed for the bathroom. Ariana already knew that he liked the outdoors. He enjoyed hiking and observing the scenery. She knew just the thing for him.
7
They were both soon ready to go out, and Ariana led Julio quietly through the house, avoiding other vampires. She doubted he’d want to socialize with them, and besides, she wanted to keep him to herself.
Julio tapped her arm and shrugged. Ariana was quickly getting to know him, and could make a decent guess at what he was asking. “We’re going biking. This chateau is built in a beautiful area, with miles of countryside all around.”
He nodded enthusiastically, his face suddenly excited. They quickly made it to the old carriage house that Rashid had converted into a garage. Ariana went straight to her bright blue bike, running a hand down its gleaming side. She’d missed it.
“The red one there is Rashid’s,” she told Julio. “He won’t mind if you borrow it. Go on.”
Julio didn’t need much convincing. The two of them got onto the bikes and headed down the long path that went from the garage to the end of the estate. Julio put his bike’s headlight on, and Ariana did the same. She didn’t need them to see, but Julio probably did, and she didn’t want him hurting himself by crashing into her in the dark.
Ariana led the way, being able to see the road before them as though it was daytime. She smiled as they rode. She’d gone this route many times before, but never with company, much less someone like Julio.
As the road widened, Julio pedaled slightly faster so that he was riding next to her. Ariana started pointing out things as they passed, hoping that the moonlight would be enough to let him see at least part of what she could.
“That’s the old mill. It’s in ruins now, but a number of foxes have taken up residence there. And see that river? It starts all the way up at the mountain there, and goes down to the sea. Once when I was exploring, I morphed to a manta ray and swam all the way down from the source to the ocean.”
A stream of butterflies came out of Julio’s mouth, and Ariana laughed at the way he answered her. Of course, it was the only option he had, but it was still beautiful. Julio was laughing too; he didn’t seem frustrated by his lack of voice, at least not right now, which was a nice change. Ariana hated it when he was frustrated and she couldn’t do anything to help him.
They rode for a long time at a leisurely pace. Ariana was mindful of the fact that Julio was human and didn’t have vampire stamina. Eventually, they reached a copse of trees near a field of lavender. The moon bathed the field in a ghostly light. It was beautiful, and one of Ariana’s favorite spots to come to.
“Here, this way.” She and Julio leaned their bikes against a nearby tree, and he followed her through the lavender bushes.
Near the center of the field was a huge oak tree, surrounded by small flowers. They sat with their backs to it, looking out at the scene before them. There was a gentle breeze, which caused the lavender flowers to sway slightly from side to side.
“If we sit here quietly for long enough, we’ll get to see some of the animals. Owls often hunt in this field, and there are loads of rabbits. I sometimes come here to feed if I’m tired of fish blood.”
Julio made a sad face as he pointed at the fuzzy ears of a rabbit poking up a few bushes away.
“I don’t have to kill when I feed, whether it’s a land or sea animal. I generally kill fish, as they’re too slippery and will get away easily, but even vampires find rabbits cute. I’ll mostly just take what I need from a few of them and then put them back in their burrows. It’ll take time for their blood to regenerate, but they’ll survive.”
He seemed pacified by this, and the two of them went back to watching the field. As Ariana had promised, once they had been still long enough to establish that their presence wasn’t a threat, an owl came out to hunt. Its vision at night was almost as sharp as hers, and it easily plucked up a field mouse.
Once it was gone, the rabbits started to emerge once more, hopping between lavender bushes. Julio opened his mouth, spitting some butterflies out. They fluttered away into the field. Ariana giggled as he let out stream after stream of butterflies. Soon, they were surrounded by the soft sound of flapping wings. Julio’s human ears probably couldn’t pick the sound up, but it was no problem for Ariana’s vampire hearing.
Julio stood up, offering Ariana his hand. She took it without hesitation, and the two of them walked into the middle of the field. He had a playful glint in his eyes as he let go of her hand, gesturing for her to c
lose her eyes.
Ariana wondered what he was up to, but closed her eyes anyway. The next thing she knew, Julio’s fingers were on her ribs, tickling her through her shirt. Ariana squealed and twisted away, easily pinning him to the ground.
“I’ll get you for that one,” she promised. Now Julio was the one giggling and trying to twist away. Feeling that it would be unsporting to use her vampire speed and strength here, Ariana let him get away.
He ran through the field, laughing and emitting butterflies as he did. It felt a bit strange to force herself to use a human pace and mimic the strength of human muscles, but Ariana knew how to do it. A number of her lessons growing up had been about how to fit in with humans, though it was certainly easier if you avoided physical activities with or in front of them.
Julio stumbled, which was enough for Ariana to catch him. A positive storm of butterflies came from his mouth as she tickled him, but then he turned the tables on her, and now it was her running for her life.
Their laughter was swallowed by the open countryside as they pursued each other back and forth through the lavender.
Eventually, Julio threw his hands up in surrender. Ariana tackled him lightly, and the two of them lay in the grass, staring up at the sky.
“I sometimes wonder what’s up there, you know.” Ariana gazed at the stars as she spoke. “Most of humanity thinks that vampires and witches are just fairy tales. How much else have they gotten wrong? Maybe we’re not the only life in the galaxy. What if it’s all just hidden from us, like my kind is hidden from humans?”
Julio shrugged, unable to respond except for a few small blue butterflies.
“If Lisette doesn’t get a move on with your cure, we’re going to have to learn sign language.”
At this, Julio nodded vigorously. It must be frustrating for him, but he seemed to be coping remarkably well, everything considered. He shivered, and Ariana moved closer, sharing her warmth. Vampires tended not to feel the cold as much as humans unless it was extreme cold – and extreme cold killed them quickly.
A sweet, soft sound had her looking around at Julio. He was humming. It didn’t seem to set off the curse, as no butterflies emerged. Ariana watched him, trying to place the song, but she couldn’t. Julio was watching the stars, a sweet smile on his face.
He rolled over to face her, perhaps misjudging the distance between them, because they ended up in each other’s arms. Neither of them moved, both watching the other. His eyes seemed to draw her in, and not for the first time, Ariana was hit with the desire to kiss him.
The moment stretched and grew more intense, and she knew if she didn’t break it now, she never would.
Ariana leapt up. “I’ll race you to the bikes!”
This time, she didn’t hold back, and her vampire speed got her there before Julio easily. Once he saw that she’d won, he slowed from his run to an easy walk. As he got closer, Ariana tried to get a handle on herself. She couldn’t fall in love with a mortal.
Of course, the fact that the queen’s witch sister was in love with a vampire may mean there was some change coming. If it was no longer taboo to fall in love with witches, surely humans would be allowed too?
She shook head, trying to shake the pesky thoughts away. Even if it was allowed, falling for Julio would be a bad idea. As a vampire, she was immortal, and he was a human. It might be all butterflies and lavender now, but as years passed, she’d watch him grow old and eventually die. Her heart would break, and Ariana would be left with an eternity to wander the Earth alone in her grief.
There was a reason vampires weren’t allowed to be with mortals. It never ended well. As Ariana watched Julio make his way through the bushes toward her, she had the distinct impression that it was far too late for her to be telling herself not to fall for him.
8
Julio reached the bikes and mounted his, waiting for her to lead the way. Ariana heard his stomach grumbling, and realized that neither of them had eaten in hours.
“Come on, there’s an all-night café open in town. At least, it was here the last time I stayed with Rashid. I guess we’ll see.”
She waited for Julio’s nod before taking them to a small path that quickly widened into a road. There was no sound but for the bike wheels turning and the normal noises of the night. The town was mostly dark and quiet, but there were a few lit windows, and just as Ariana remembered, a small café on the corner near the center of town.
She and Julio leaned their bikes against the wall before walking in. There were only two other customers, and one waiter. He handed them menus before retreating behind the counter.
Ariana could really use some blood, but human food would do until they returned to Rashid’s chateau. She didn’t want to end her time alone with Julio just yet.
“What can I get you?” The waiter looked expectantly at them.
“Apple pie and a mug of tea, please.” Ariana turned to Julio, suddenly wondering how he was going to order, but Julio seemed to have it covered. He held the menu up to the waiter and pointed out two items.
“He’s mute,” Ariana explained at the man’s quizzical look.
“Ah, I see. I’ll be right back with your order.”
Julio mimed writing, looking hopefully at her. Ariana could have kicked herself. she should have brought that notepad so that they could talk. They managed to communicate relatively well without it, considering, but she still loved having proper conversations with Julio, even if those conversations were on paper.
When the waiter came back with the order, Ariana asked him for paper and a pen. Julio took it at once, writing out his message.
Do you come here often?
Quite often when I’m staying with Rashid, but I sometimes go as much as a year between coming back here. I view this as my home town, but really, I’ve had many homes.”
“I always wanted to travel. What’s your favorite place that you’ve lived in?
The conversation continued for some time, both of them ignoring the strange looks they got from the other patrons. Ariana got so drawn into it that she completely forgot to watch the sky. It was an elementary mistake, one she hadn’t made in many years.
“We have to go!” She leapt up, throwing a wad of cash on the table, not bothering to wait for change.
Julio followed her, his eyes full of questions.
“The sun,” Ariana murmured. “It’s rising. Ride quickly.”
Keeping to Julio’s human pace was difficult now that Ariana was worried they wouldn’t make it back to the chateau in time, but she forced herself to slow for him. It was still dark enough that he could easily get lost in the area surrounding Rashid’s chateau. He could also fall and hurt himself in the dim light, and Ariana would never forgive herself if she wasn’t there to help him if something like that were to happen.
Butterflies came from his mouth as they pedaled quickly. Julio was breathing hard, trying to keep up the pace.
“The sun won’t kill me if I don’t stay out in it for long,” Ariana explained, guessing what his question was. “If I’m out in it without protective clothing, though, it’ll burn me. Kind of like sunburn in humans, except we get it a lot more easily, and it heals slower. We’ve experimented over the years with various types of sunblock, but none of them seem to work for us.”
They made it to the chateau just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. The light prickled uncomfortably against Ariana’s skin, but it wasn’t enough to harm her as long as she got out of it quickly.
She closed the garage door as soon as they got in, sighing in relief. Julio was giving her an apologetic look, but Ariana waved him off.
“It’s not your fault. Making sure I’m not out in the sun is my responsibility. I should have paid better attention to the time passing.”
She expected Julio would have more to say about it when they returned to their room and the well-used notepad, but for now, Ariana simply gestured for him to follow.
They didn’t get far. Rashid was waiting just
inside the house, his arms folded as he frowned suspiciously at the two of them. “Where have you been?”
“Out.” Ariana frowned right back at him. Why did he care where she was? He never made a fuss about her coming and going as she pleased when she stayed with him.
“Where?” Rashid snapped.
“We went biking, out to the lavender field. Afterward, we went to that all night café in town. Why? What’s your problem?”
Rashid sighed, giving her a relieved smile. “I was just worried, that’s all. This area is crawling with witches right now. They’re gathering, probably for some kind of assault. It’s not safe to go out alone.”
Ariana hadn’t been told where she could or couldn’t go in years, and Rashid’s instructions bothered her. “I thought we were here to fight the witches, not hide from them?”
“Yes, but we have to do it as a group. Trying to go up against a large contingent of them by yourself would go very badly. Besides, they may be looking for Julio.”
Julio spat out several butterflies in alarm, and Ariana put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “They have no reason to look for Julio – if they’d wanted to kill him, they would have done so in the first place, rather than taking away his voice.”
“It sounds like he took them by surprise, and they acted instinctively. They may well reconsider and decide that it’s better to silence him permanently, especially since Lisette has been turned. Mirabelle knows that Lisette has thrown her loyalty in with the vampires. It’s not a far stretch to figure out that Julio may find her and get the curse reversed, especially since he was cursed in the same area Lisette is staying in at the moment.”
Rashid had a good point. Ariana wasn’t sure if Julio truly was in danger, but if there was even a chance that he was, she wanted to keep him safe. Before she could acknowledge this, Rashid continued with his lecture.
“They may have already seen Julio here, which means we need to be extra careful. Witches don’t dare attack this place, but that may change if they find out we have someone who could potentially reveal their secrets.”
