by Aiden James
“Txema, how wonderful to see you.” he said. “I see that Racco is bringing you up to speed on how things work around here.”
I just happened to notice he was entirely naked, as Abyaha was.
“If you’re out here all day, how do you sleep?” I desperately needed something to keep my gaze from falling below his waistline.
“We don’t often rest,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at the other cats who all had their heads pointed at our table. “Racco doesn’t need much rest either, and I’m sure he has at least told you some of why that is. But my kind often go months without resting. Speaking of which, it’s almost time to see who’s getting thrown into the lagoon today.”
He winked, which made me worry that he meant me.
“He’s teasing you, Txema,” said Racco, who shared a knowing smile with Koimala. “At least about throwing you in the water. As far as going for months without stopping, that’s definitely true. The cell regeneration for his bloodline far exceeds mine, and is also vastly superior to any other vampire group upon this planet. At least if Ralu or Huangtian Dadi ever did find our hideout, you would still have twenty-four hour protection with Koimala’s vampires.”
“You’ve got the best protection in the world right here, Txema.” said Koimala, and he smiled wide enough to reveal his fangs again, before disappearing.
“He’s right, ma chérie amour,” said Racco. “You should stay right here for as long as you can. If you’ll do that, you won’t ever have to worry about something unfortunate happening to Alaia or to you, Txema. That will hold true even if you decide there is no place for me in your heart or life.”
He seemed both sad and at peace with his words as he said this. Racco might have his faults like any other man, eternal or mortal; at least he was trying to do the right thing by me and Alaia.
After we finished our meal, he invited me to walk with him along the beach. I didn’t realize at the time that I had slept late again, and it was already past noon. I worried that it might turn into a romantic situation where I’d be overmatched against centuries of experience versus nineteen years on Earth―the number one thing I always fret about when dealing with Racco. Instead, it was a very enjoyable stroll around the island, never staying on the beach or in the shady jungle areas for too long. We talked about so many things, including the island’s history, his plans for rebuilding his beloved castle in France, and my eventual dreams of finishing my college degree that I had barely started. We also discussed me eventually spending quality time with my family―if we could ever meet somewhere safe, far away from Richmond.
Even though we talked for hours, neither one of us broached the painful subject of Peter, or even the ongoing costly war between our vampire friends and Ralu. And, as much as I wanted to ask Racco about his daughters, I never mentioned them that afternoon. I decided to hold off until that night, when I could get a woman’s perspective.
I could hardly wait to speak with Chanson.
When darkness arrived, and I had yet to see my four female companions, I started to worry something was amiss. Normally, whatever nocturnal creature was in my vicinity would make their presence known before the last vestige of daylight disappeared on the horizon.
But that moment came and went on this particular night. Maybe it was the fact I chose to eat my dinner earlier than usual, which was something still lingering from the pair of transcontinental/transatlantic trips in less than three days. It would take most of the next week for me to get back into a rhythm.
“You can stay with us, if you’d like,” said Racco, who had volunteered to watch Alaia while I sought a private audience with my cousin. Alaia had a certain glow about her whenever she was near him, and having a father figure in her life would be good… at least for her. Maybe after speaking with Chanson about their relationship, I’d have a better feel about things between us. At least I hoped for something to help me decide if I should give him the chance he desired, or if I things should continue unchanged.
“I might do that if she and the others don’t show up tonight,” I said, and as soon as the words left my mouth I began to seriously worry… what if something terrible happened to them on the hunt last night, and no one wanted to relay tragic news?
“Oh, they’ll be here—I guarantee it,” he said, confidently. “As a matter of fact, look what the big cats have dragged in.”
He laughed quietly while pointing at the southern doorway to the reception area. We had been sitting on the same Roman couch we shared during my emotional crisis the night before, and I fought the urge to run up to Chanson and say ‘Let’s go talk, come on!’ While I didn’t want her to know how consumed I was about her fling with Racco from centuries ago, I realized the issue wouldn’t simply disappear from my head on its own, and thinking it would be the same as telling any vampire I encountered.
For better or worse, it needed to be settled so I could move on. Hopefully, it wouldn’t open old wounds for her in regard to him. Surely, such pain must’ve existed at some point, based upon the facts I did know. But no relationship that ends without death ends well… even in my brief experience on Earth, I had heard that the best result two people can hope for is a mutual understanding and respect as they part ways.
“You’ve been waiting for me, cousin,” Chanson said, smiling knowingly as she and Nora followed Adripathi and Aadi through the tall marble archway separating the reception area from the main palace corridor. Tyreen and Raquel lingered outside with one of the other young males from Koimala’s family. “You forget how easy your thoughts travel—especially when you worry.”
I have no doubt my face turned beet red from embarrassment, made worse by Racco’s knowing smirk.
“I guess I really need to work on that, huh?” said, once she and Nora joined us.
“I doubt it can be helped, dear.” Nora offered a compassionate smile. “Unless you put into practice the Buddhist teachings you learned in Nepal.”
“I second that idea,” said Chanson, eyeing me lovingly but with some amusement, much as I imagine I’ll look at Alaia someday when she starts to date boys and deal with the emotional rollercoaster of young love. “I’ve been expecting this conversation to come up for quite some time. Don’t fret any longer about it before the night is out, I’ll gladly answer any and all of your questions.”
“Are you sure?” I worried she might not realize the depth of my questions to come. “In no way do I wish to jeopardize the way you look at me, and if things get too intense, I swear I’ll drop whatever questions I have.”
Racco’s expression at this point was priceless, as he had been wearing the same ornery smirk until he seemed to gather my scope of questions most certainly would involve him. With so much hanging in the balance for him, in terms of our budding relationship, the smirk melted into a thin hard line, and then a worried grimace.
“Allow me a moment to speak with our host and hostess, and then we can go for a little walk,” said Chanson, a second before she disappeared.
Since I had an idea where she might show up next, I looked toward the last spot I had seen Koimala and Mohini, near a pair of golden thrones next to the taller of the two indoor waterfalls. Our host and hostess were still in that general area, and an instant later, Chanson reappeared before them.
“Hey, sister, what’s up with those loud thoughts of yours?”
I whirled around to find Tyreen standing next to me, ready to scold her for sneaking up on me like that. Before I could open my mouth, Raquel snuck up behind me and whispered ‘Boo!’ in my left ear. It was the first time since last year that my birthmark tingled for a few seconds. Such a familiar sensation from my youth told me how my blood must have been calling her. Their feeding upon me would resume soon. Even as careful as I knew they’d be, it still freaked me out a little.
“When we get time, Chanson and I will show you how to turn down the volume,” said Raquel. “Because your head is definitely fucking with my beauty sleep.”
She looked as strik
ing as ever, without any sign of the lack of rest she complained about. They all looked stunning that night, dressed in colorful sarongs that matched each of their personal tastes in the choice of dominant colors. Tyreen always looks fabulous in green, and Raquel acts as if she owns the international trade rights to anything crimson. Nora had chosen dark purple and Chanson sapphire blue. All of their sarongs included softer shades accented with an orchid print, which worked well for all of them.
“Were my thoughts really that loud?” They both nodded emphatically. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“Perhaps we can clear some of those nasty worries out of your mind tonight,” said Chanson, who popped in out of nowhere. “Let’s go somewhere private where we can talk freely.”
She wrapped her arm around my waist, and before I could draw in a preparatory breath, we were already flying through the air. We moved past the wondrous garden and lagoon I visited earlier that day, and I soon found myself stumbling upon the first beach I visited with Racco that afternoon.
The full moon was four days past its prime, and yet it cast enough light upon the ocean waves to where they looked even more magical than the night before. An especially soft breeze blew around us, and I realized my cousin’s normal frigid presence and body temperature were much warmer tonight. She had obviously fed, which may have been the reason they were all late arriving at the palace. I tried not to think about what my four chaperones’ had for dinner.
“Nothing that would offend you,” said Chanson, motioning for me to walk with her on the beach. “Koimala brought us to a native tribe living in the Seychelles Republic, which are a chain of islands southwest from here. As part of their religious ceremonies, they allow ‘peaceful’ gods and goddesses to feed on their blood. They achieved their state of ecstasy, and we took enough blood to satisfy our hunger.”
I was impressed with how matter-of-factly she answered my first unspoken question.
“They must’ve tasted so good last night that you went back for seconds tonight, huh?” I hoped my lighthearted joke wouldn’t be perceived as aggressive cynicism.
“That’s actually pretty funny,” she said, smiling wryly. “Koimala told us last night that we could feed like this for three days, and then we would need to move on to a related tribe on a different island. So, that’s what we did. Next question.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you and Racco were once lovers long ago?” I cut to the chase while keeping my tone respectful. “I would’ve never come near him if I had known that information.”
She kept quiet for a few minutes as we walked, though she slowed down slightly as if collecting her thoughts.
“I thought about telling you, but decided not to,” she said. “Instead, I made sure he didn’t alter what needed to happen between you and Peter. It might surprise you, but I have no sexual interest in Racco, and haven’t for hundreds of years. But I once loved him more than any man I’ve ever known.”
“What happened to that love you once felt?” I settled on one question after several new ones bombarded my mind at once. I also sought to ignore the initial sting from learning that Peter and I had been selected to breed a vampire blood supply baby. Maybe it’s a bit harsh, but that was my initial reaction.
“I became a vampire,” she said, and her tone told me those four words fully defined her answer, with little need to elaborate. I’m just glad she did. “When someone moves from human to undead, their entire world and the way they look at things changes. The myth about colors, smells, sounds, and so many other things becoming amplified a hundred times is true. It can be an incredibly fulfilling experience, and yet also be one that is the loneliest a merciful God could ever concoct. A true double-edged sword.”
“Is that why you’re no more keen about Garvan’s romantic interest in me as Racco’s?” Really, I had a slightly different question in mind, but believed this one would get me to the same place.
“Garvan loves you, Txema,” she said, studying me. My cousin’s face was filled with such compassion, and devotion. “But it isn’t a sexual love, although there are romantic overtones. What I mean to say is he can’t consummate a union with you any more than a human can do that with a domestic dog or cat. Well, I guess a human can do that, but even you know such a relationship is highly unnatural and unsustainable.”
“Is that how you see us humans? As pets? Dogs or cats?”
“That’s not what I meant, just that we may look the same but we are very different animals, Txema. Please, never forget that.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t need to have sex with a vampire to make a relationship with one work,” I said, thinking about my ‘on again/off again’ fascination with Garvan. “I feel more protected around him than anyone else other than you and Kazikli.” I chuckled.
“And you damned well know neither I nor Kazikli has any romantic interest in you, cousin!” she said, laughing at the thought. “But, Garvan could be a great companion if ever you make the ultimate sacrifice for our bloodline.”
“Is that what you did?” I cleared my throat before going on. “Is that why you became a vampire, to protect our bloodline?”
It may seem redundant to ask something that came from a reliable source, namely Kazikli, but I desperately wanted to hear this from her, so that I’d know it was undoubtedly true.
“I had no choice,” she said, and stopped. With her back to me, she looked out toward the ocean as the evening tide sent gentle waves in our direction. “You’ve heard about my daughters, Jacqueline and Marissa, and you know that Racco was their father. I thought I would have the perfect life, and that my girls would grow up fairly normal, with their own happy and prosperous families. Racco being a wealthy merchant meant no expense would ever be spared… but then the vampires came to call on my little girls, and Gustav wasn’t able to prevent the hostile feeders who nearly killed them both by drinking too much blood. They were only babies, for Christ’s sake!”
I didn’t know what to say, but I understood how comforting a warm touch could be to me. I tenderly wrapped my arms around her rock-hard shoulders, forgetting beforehand that this gorgeous shapely woman could cut through an entire army division if she so desired, without receiving a single scratch to her person. She pushed me away to arm’s length and then stepped away, further increasing the distance between us.
“I love you, Txema, and the only reason I will go into this any further is because of that love,” she said, after another moment’s pause, her usually steady voice trembling in anger. “But know this: I’ll never speak about my daughters’ history again. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“The attacks changed my carefree children into frightened babies, afraid of their own shadows,” she said, while she continued to shake in anger. “By then, I already knew about Racco’s immortality, and thought at some point he would move on from me when I got old and gray—despite his fervent promises to the contrary. As for our children, we knew that each one’s lifespan would run several hundred years because of his mutated blood. So, my biggest fear was how would they survive as the only two females with our birthmark after my earthly death?”
I knew exactly what she meant, and said nothing at that moment, hoping she could hear my thoughts and the tremendous love I felt for my daughter, Alaia. My potential crossroads bore so many strong similarities to hers.
“Gustav was my guardian, much in the same way that I’ve cared for you, Txema,” said Chanson. “I approached him with my fears, and since we had often talked about the decision I might be faced with, it was an easy recommendation to become a vampire. Despite serious protests from Racco―who had been Gustav’s close friend for more than a millennium by then―after I was attacked and drained almost to the point of death by a Parisian band of rogues, he agreed to let me join the undead.
“I think he hoped that we would still be together, and forever in love,” she continued. “And, in truth, I have never stopped loving him, and never will stop loving him. But, I am
no longer in love with him, and haven’t been for two hundred and sixty-three years.”
“I get it,” I said.
But how could I truly understand the depth of her sacrifice, unless I lived it myself? I prepared to go back to the palace. There didn’t seem to be any point in talking further, as I felt totally numb from what she shared.
“Oh, but there is more, and I need to get this out now so that we never talk about it again.” she said, angrily, whirling around to face me. She had been weeping, and both cheeks were stained with tiny tributaries that fed two large crimson rivers. “After I became a vampire and had learned to control my desire to drink every human in reach bone dry, I returned to my daughter’s lives. Racco had by then taken another love into his life, and although it pained my heart, I understood. Not to mention, as I stated earlier, I no longer wanted him sexually. All of those desires were instead for my maker, Gustav, who, unfortunately for me, is asexual. He appreciates a woman, vampire or human, but after spending so many centuries in his undead state, he has no desire for sexual contact with anyone or anything.”
I instinctively moved toward her, feeling the urge to cry myself.
“Give me another five minutes, and I should be done, Txema,” she said, after motioning for me to let her tears flow, and to not try to wipe them or comfort her as I wished to do. “My daughters learned to accept me in this state, and for the most part grew up to be wonderful women. However, Marissa suffered slight brain damage during one of the violent feedings when she was young. Racco and I knew she’d never be suitable for marriage since she was given to fits, so we created a haven for her to live out her days in a remote village far away from France in Kazakhstan. I continued to keep an eye on Jacqueline in Perpignan, and she eventually married a fisherman.
“At that time, Jacqueline was the only fertile woman alive who carried the birthmark and who could produce children…”
