Real Vampires: When Glory Met Jerry

by Gerry Bartlett

  “Jeremiah! Gods!” I lost all sense of time or place and just fell apart. My knees locked around him while I raked his chest with my nails. I drew blood. But did I care? No. I leaned forward and licked it clean, quivering inside and desperate to show him how much he’d given me. Was I turning vampire as well? I didn’t care about that either.

  Suddenly I was cradled in his arms, his hands gentle as I sobbed, lost to all reason. Something inside me had broken open. Could I actually love this man? Impossible. He was a vampire, a blood drinker. And yet I couldn’t deny he’d saved me, still protected me, and showed me care. He carried me to bed and almost stumbled over the open trunk.

  “What the devil is going on here?” He dropped me on the bed, his eyes hard when he stared down at me. “You aren’t thinking of leaving, are you?”

  Chapter Eleven

  “No, of course not. We have to move. I thought you’d read it in my mind.” I pulled the sheet over my naked body. He still looked dangerous, but at least he wasn’t aiming that anger at me now.

  “What happened?” He ran a hand through his wet hair.

  I told him, watching him pace the floor. Perhaps it was foolish of me not to be worried. Instead I just watched the play of candlelight on his hard body.

  “Damn them! Of course this is all Marin’s doing. She wants you, and Jean-Claude will do anything to please her. I don’t like the idea of hiding from her, Fergus has to know that.” He strode from the room.

  I grabbed a dressing gown from the trunk, slipping it on as I followed him. I realized he’d gone into his room. I stopped at the threshold. I’d never been allowed inside. What did I expect to see? It was a plain room with a cot and large trunk to hold his things. There was a table with papers strewn over it. His leather belt and sporran—he’d told me that was what the pouch he carried was called--lay on top, along with a pair of knives. While I watched he plucked a plaid from the trunk and quickly wound it around his waist, securing it with the belt.

  “We must move this very night. If whoever came during the day had managed to get to you, it would have been…” I couldn’t say it.

  “I know, Gloriana. ’Tis why Fergus is usually here, on guard. Of course if they are determined to end me, they could bring an army, and Fergus would be no match for them.” Jeremiah sat on his cot and gestured for me to come to him. “I understand it’s been hard for you to stay inside this past week, without any chance to see the sun. I don’t usually keep a mistress for long for just that reason. Mortals don’t adjust well to my hours.”

  He pulled me into his lap. “I should have tired of you by now. For some reason I don’t want to send you on your way just yet. And now it wouldn’t be safe to do so.” He brushed my hair back from my face and kissed my forehead, then my lips. What started out as a gentle gesture quickly turned eager.

  I held onto his shoulders and kissed him almost frantically. The idea that he could have been killed on this very bed terrified me. When had I come to care so much for him? I think it had started when he’d sought me out in that alley the first night. He’d seen my desperation but had spared my pride. And he always sensed my needs before I had to speak of them. Mind reader.

  He pressed me down to the cot, his hand inside my gown and sliding over my breast. Oh, but he knew how to make me want him. Want. Was it only lust between us? And his thirst for my blood? My thoughts and feelings were in a whirl. Master Shakespeare said love and hate were two sides of the same coin. I could believe it.

  A noise at the front door had Jeremiah springing to his feet, almost dumping me on the floor in his haste. He grabbed both knives and was out of the room in a moment.

  “Fergus! Announce yourself next time. I could have thrown a knife through your heart before I’d known who was coming through the door.” Jeremiah turned back to me. “We need to finish packing. I don’t like to run and hide, but for your sake we will move this very night. Then I’ll make sure this problem with Marin and Jean-Claude is finished for good.” He tossed his knives onto the table and pulled me to my feet, carefully closing my dressing gown.

  “What will you do?” I handed him a shirt from a peg on the wall.

  “Nothing so cowardly as arrange an ambush for them in their death sleep.” He pulled the shirt over his head then aimed me out his door. “Go, ready yourself for our move. Dress in dark colors and wear a dark cloak. We don’t want to draw attention.”

  “Jeremiah’s right, Gloriana.” Fergus stacked a basket next to the door. It held my soap and the cloths I used after my bath. “I’ve done what I can to make the new place to your liking but ‘tis no palace, I’m sorry to say.”

  “I’m sure you’ve chosen well, Fergus.” Jeremiah glanced at me. “Gloriana, it’s necessary for us to put safety before comfort. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Of course.” I couldn’t forget those scratches on the outer door here. “You must be able to sleep during the day without worry.”

  “I’m dead during the day, sweetheart, with nary a thought in my head. No worries at all.” He pulled shirts down from the pegs on the wall and dropped them in his trunk.

  “Jeremiah, leave the packing to me.” Fergus took the shirts and began to fold them neatly. “You have other business to think about. The king is calling for his supporters to come to court in a show of force this night. The Catholics are at it again. They have tried once more to bring him down because he refused to send an emissary to meet with the Pope. Apparently their plot was a serious threat this time and he wants his lords from Scotland around him. After we are settled, you should appear there, to do the pretty.”

  Jeremiah frowned. “More politics! I don’t see the need for such plaid posturing. James has soldiers aplenty. But, you are right, I cannot let my clan be seen as disloyal.” He picked up his knives and tucked them in his belt. “I’ll not leave Gloriana unprotected while I go to court. You’ll both come with me. I won’t let Gloriana out of my sight while Marin and Jean-Claude still pose a threat to her.”

  I said nothing, secretly excited to go to court again. I always felt safe with Jeremiah. He was a fierce warrior no matter where he was, even in the midst of courtiers in fancy dress. It was his attitude, his stance. As if he dared anyone to challenge him. Of course no one did. Except that MacDonald. He’d be there again, I was sure. Hopefully they both knew better than to let their tempers override their good sense and continue their fight in front of the king.

  We soon managed to pack all we would need. Fergus carried my trunk and the basket. Jeremiah shouldered his own trunk. We made slow progress through mostly deserted streets as we avoided areas near the theaters and bawdy houses where crowds gathered at this time of night. Both Jeremiah and Fergus stopped frequently, sniffing the air and taking narrow alleyways, until we finally stopped next to a place that looked like little more than a burned out shell of a building next to the river.

  “Surely this isn’t where we are going to live.” I whispered this to Jeremiah.

  “Trust Fergus. He’s done this kind of thing many times.” Jeremiah set down his trunk and gestured for me to sit on top of it while Fergus took his time strolling up and down the dock next to the building, his own burdens on the stones next to us. Finally Fergus seemed satisfied that we were unobserved and came back to gesture at a charred door at the bottom of some steps.

  “This is it. I know it doesn’t look like much but it was once storage for wine. The stones are thick and there are large rooms behind the casks down below.” He pushed the door open then led the way. “I’ll come back for your things, Gloriana. Follow me.”

  It wasn’t easy to ignore the smell of burned timbers as I lifted my skirts and picked my way through broken stones and glass. Of course Fergus hadn’t swept the entrance since he wanted the place to still look deserted. Inside, we walked down a long hallway where a torch was mounted in a socket on the wall.

  “I lit this when I came earlier. It won’t be here every night. Not wise to show this place is in use.” Fergus held out
his hand when I tripped over a fallen board. “Careful now. We’re almost to our door. It’s got a strong lock on it. I have the key here.” He pulled a large key, like a jailer would use, from his waistcoat. The lock seemed well oiled and didn’t make a sound as he opened it and threw open the door.

  “Oh!” The smell of spilled wine hit me first. It was a sour smell. Broken casks so large they were taller than my head had been rolled out of the way so I could see a fireplace in the middle of a room that could have held dozens of the enormous wine casks.

  “Well done, Fergus. A smuggler’s den?” Jeremiah set down his trunk. “There are other chambers, are there not?”

  “Yes. One suitable for your bedchamber, Gloriana. And a place for your daily sleep, Jeremiah.” Fergus gave us a tour. The bedchamber was merely an open area on the other side of the massive fireplace, the hearth open to it as well. There was little privacy. Jeremiah’s space was a very tiny room, hardly bigger than the cot Fergus had placed there but it had a stout bolt on the inside of the door, obviously newly added. All our clothes would be kept in the so-called bedchamber.

  It was obvious that there was no bathtub here or access to water. I hoped we wouldn’t have to make do with water from the nearby river. I had seen strange things floating in it. And the smell! But there was a wide bed, made up with clean sheets and a fine coverlet, set up for me. And of course for the times when Jeremiah joined me there. I flushed thinking about that. The fact that Fergus would either have to wait outside or hear our every move made my face even hotter.

  “We must dress for court now.” Jeremiah opened his trunk. “It’s a damned nuisance but King James as ally is not a bad thing. I would never turn another vampire over to the king’s men but the threat of it may help convince Marin to leave the country and forget her thirst for you, Gloriana.”

  “What good would speaking to the king do?” I knew he would never mention that he knew a vampire. “We have proved that no cell can hold her, Jeremiah.” I was frankly afraid of Marin and her ire. She had proved she had powers well beyond my understanding.

  Fergus set my trunk at the foot of the bed. “Let us hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  “We know where she lives, Gloriana.” Jeremiah looked grim. “If she does not leave you alone, I can let the king know where to send his men during the day. I will tell them to be sure to end her and her consort during their sleep.”

  “Jeremiah!” Fergus looked shocked. “You could betray one of your own kind?”

  “Only as a last resort.” Jeremiah touched my cheek. “Some things are worth such a high price.”

  “A high price indeed. If word got out to other vampires that you did such a thing …” Fergus shook his head. “I’d not give a farthing for your chances of convincing any of them that you wouldn’t do it again.” He glanced at me where I stood speechless. “I’ll dress on the other side of the fireplace. I brought my own finery here earlier.” He took off his cap and rubbed his head. His hair was still dull from our earlier walk. “It will be best if I wait outside the court, Jeremiah. If I wash the ash out of my hair, I’ll be too easy to recognize from the Tower.”

  “You may be right but I can’t allow it. We must take the chance so Gloriana is well guarded while I wait on the king. So wash out your hair or the other Scots may take note and wonder what we are about.” Jeremiah pulled out his fanciest waistcoat and shoes with diamond buckles. “Bran will also be wary but Macdonald will insist he attend him regardless. Gloriana told me your cousin was almost arrested just for looking very like you.”

  “Aye. And the same guards may well be near the king now. We must hope the new threats from the religious fanatics will have put the witch’s escape out of their minds.” Fergus saw me gazing around my new bedchamber. “I’m sorry these are such poor lodgings, Gloriana. I’ll figure out a way to get you baths in the future. Trust me on that.”

  I managed a smile. He was doing the best he could and right now our lodgings were the least of my worries. “This will be fine, Fergus. Go now and let me change my dress. You know I want to go to court. It will take my mind off of Marin and her obsession with me. In this lovely gown Jeremiah bought for me, no guard will ever think I was the doxy at the Tower.” I pulled out a beautiful blue velvet dress. The gold trim on it matched my hair, or so Jeremiah claimed. Foolishness, but I did love the way the dress moved when I walked.

  Unfortunately I had been eating too much, stuck underground for a week. Jeremiah laughed as he tugged free the laces on the dull brown dress I’d worn for our walk here and I gasped with relief.

  “La, but that was the first easy breath I’ve taken since I put the thing on. I swear I will not take one bite until these new dresses fit again. You cannot keep insisting I eat so much, Jeremiah.”

  “If you were vampire, you wouldn’t bother to breathe or eat, food that is.” Jeremiah turned me to face him. “Look at you. Your beauty would steal my own breath if I had need of it.” He drew me close. “I am sorry you are in danger because of my world. I pulled you into this and I will make sure you come to no harm. Do you believe me?” He’d lost his smile.

  “Yes, I do. What is it you say? Don’t fash yourself.” I brushed his hair back from his brow then kissed his lips. “You have made me feel safe since the moment we met.” I laughed. “Well after you fought off the two men who attacked us in that alley.”

  “I should have let you go then, Gloriana. My life is not an easy one.” He shook his head.

  “And leave me to starve? Or fall prey to a man who likes to add pain, my pain, to his bedding?” I held his head and looked deep into his eyes. “Read my mind, lover. I am quite content being here. I have no regrets. Nay, not even with the blood drinking. I am sure when we come home, you will finally take my blood tonight. I want to remember it. Will you let me?” I tried to show him that I was ready for that. It was something we could share. Now that I knew how important it was, I would freely give him that part of me. Because it helped him live.

  I’d never had the power to do something so vital for Michael. Our relationship had no deeper meaning than two people who fell into bed together. If he hadn’t died, I wasn’t sure he might not have tired of me. He had a wandering eye and most actors I’d met seemed to enjoy variety. Without the bonds of matrimony to tie us, it was very likely he might have someday passed me on to someone else or given me a few coins and sent me on my way.

  “Gloriana! You value yourself too cheaply. No man with any sense would cast you off without a care.” Jeremiah hugged me closer. “Or tire of you. You have a good heart. I see that in you daily. Believe me, I’ve lived long enough to have met many who take what they can and think of no one but themselves. You are rarer than you know.” He rubbed my back as he held me against his chest.

  I listened for his heart beat. There were times when I wondered if he had one. Yes, it was there but faint and slow, so slow. Not thundering like mine to hear his sweet words. I leaned back to look into his face.

  “Thank you, Jeremiah. I hope you don’t regret fighting for me. Marin and Jean-Claude seemed determined to bring you grief over me. I doubt I am worth it.” I ran my hand over his jaw, so firm and very masculine. He should shave before going to court. Many men wore beards but he didn’t favor them. With his rough new growth he merely looked careless of other’s opinions and more dangerous than usual. “We must get ready. It won’t do to have his majesty upset with you.”

  “You are right.” He kissed me then set me on my feet. “Fergus! Is there warm water to be had for a quick shave?”

  Of course he’d read my mind and that concern. I was getting used to that, but still found it irritating. I sometimes wished I could have a stray thought that he didn’t immediately read.

  He grabbed my arm and looked into my eyes. “If it makes you feel any better, I must be in the same room with you to read your thoughts.”

  “You did it again.” I hit his chest. “Truly? If I went into the next room with Fergus, you couldn’t know what I was th
inking?”

  “Right. I need to see a person to read his or her thoughts. It’s the way a vampire’s powers work. And it’s really easier if I’m touching the person. Then the thoughts are clear and strong.” He ran his hands down to my bottom and held me close. “Ah, you are plotting already.” He smiled. “No, holding something in front of you won’t help. Though if it was as thick as a wall… are you that strong, lass?” He leaned down and kissed me hungrily before he leaned back. “Can you read my thoughts now?”

  “That bulge between your legs doesn’t make it necessary, sir.” I was breathless and not above lifting my skirts for this man who made me want him desperately.

  “Water’s hot. Best hurry with that shave, Jeremiah.” Fergus’s voice came from the other side of the fireplace. It was proof enough for me that we would have no private moments as long as we were staying here. “Gloriana, if your decent, I’ll bring in a pitcher and bowl.”

  I wrapped a shawl around my open bodice. “Come on, Fergus.” I busied myself finding the gold slippers I would wear while Fergus came in with the steaming pitcher, soap and bowl for Jeremiah.

  “I’ll be outside as soon as I’m dressed.” He nodded. “I’m that sorry that we’re so crowded here, Gloriana. Jeremiah and I are used to rough conditions.” Fergus was careful to keep his eyes away from the bulge in Jeremiah’s trews.

  “Yes, we are and much worse than this.” Jeremiah picked up a razor after soaping his face. “We will get used to this.” He winked at me then started to shave.

  I fumbled with my shawl to stay well covered, wincing to see him take the first swipe at his lean cheek. How he could do it without a mirror was beyond me.

  Jeremiah smiled. “Vampires cannot see their reflection in a mirror, lass. Did you not notice how we avoid them?” He laughed. “Fergus has been very clever about bringing one in for you then whisking it away before you knew it was a vampire you lived with.”