“What was her response?”
“She seemed pleased to have received the roses, but I must admit that I didn’t read her mind. I forgot. The way she looked at me made me forget. She’s really quite fetching. I guess she distracted me. There’s really no excuse for it.”
“She is beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Oh, yes Master. Very attractive.”
The author’s mouth hung open, and when he realized it he took care of it. What was going on here? Was the Master interested in a woman? That had a positive feel to it. That sounded as if it had the possibility of getting him out of his funk. Dracula turned and stared directly at Piers and could sense the gears turning. “Is this what this is all about? Are you infatuated? Smitten? Captivated by a lady that has spurned your advances? Are you lovesick? Dracula, are you enamoured?”
“I am not.”
“Depressed over a woman?”
“You are wrong again kemosabe. Stuart, I want you to do something for me.”
“Anything Master.” Stuart sat on the chair on the other side of Dracula. There was a long odd silence that ensued, as eyebrows were raised. They were aware that he despised having his interludes disrupted.
“See this fellow here. This is Piers Anthony the author.”
“Oh yes, I know him. He gave me his autograph once.”
“Well, you are to follow him around wherever he goes, for one month. We’ll see how he likes being pestered.”
“Yes master. Shall I follow him right into his house?”
“No. But do give me a report of what he does when he’s not annoying me.”
“Shall I start now?”
“Right now. And you shall be handsomely rewarded for your diligent work.”
Moon Diamond shook its head as it laughed on the inside. Finally, something delicious that wasn’t a mouse.
Piers turned his head to the left to observe Stuart staring back at him. Then he turned to face Dracula. “You can’t be serious?”
“Oh, but I am.”
Piers didn’t like the sound of that, but there was no dissuading Dracula from anything that he put his mind to, especially when he was attempting to make a point. “So who is this lady friend that you pursue? I heartily encourage it. Do I know her? That should get the old blood pumping or ah whatever.”
“Just an old flame.”
Piers showed a smile that was just a little annoying to the Master. “Long walks on the beach? Picnics in the meadow? Dinner by candle light? Smooching under the full moon?”
“I’m a vampire not a werewolf.”
Piers nodded and nodded. “I imagine I’ll get all the juicy information out of the little fellow.”
A fight ensued between Piers and Stuart, with fists and legs flying everywhere. Stuart’s attack was furious, with punches more powerful than Mike Tyson in his prime. The author managed to block some, with others getting through. The more they fought, the more Dracula laughed, as it was great entertainment; he shook his head to dissuade the cat from jumping into Stuart’s face. Piers had to permit some of his vampire instinct in order to defend against the dwarf. It was a brief altercation and they seemed evenly matched, with multiple blows being landed from both.
“He doesn’t like to be called little.”
Piers sat back in the chair as if nothing happened. “Will you court her with chocolates as well? And when do I get to meet her?”
Dracula got comfortable and closed his eyes. “One would assume that you would eventually run out of words, but no.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
MICHAEL AND LAUREN WALKED up and down Brighton Beach holding hands and simply enjoying the atmosphere of it all. Their feet sunk into the white sand and it felt good to be close to nature. They were getting closer to one another with each day that passed. The more they knew about one another the more the attraction grew, although Lauren continued to be guarded. She tried hard not to show that she was in fact slowly becoming enamoured. She of course knew that men initially concealed their true selves, sometimes for months. When the monster was finally let out of the cage it was impossible to get him back in.
The scent of saltwater was in the air. “Michael, I love the smell of the beach. This air is invigorating. I remember building castles here as a child.”
Lauren wore a yellow bikini and looked scrumptious, except for the swords on her back. Facing another vampire without a sword would be too much of a disadvantage. Michael wore blue swimming trunks even though he wasn’t much of a swimmer, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He liked the beach but disliked the water. They ignored the other people as if they had the beach all to themselves, walking close with hands on each other’s sides. The day was special simply because of one another’s company, and they fed off the good vibes. It felt nice to relax for a change.
“Are you enjoying yourself? You look happy.” Michael looked down into her magnificent gray-blue eyes. He wanted to taste those luscious lips but would wait for a better opportunity that he was sure was approaching.
“I am. It feels good to take a little time off.”
There was a combination of sun and cloud. The minutes seemed to fly by as seconds. They made it back to their brown and yellow patched quilt on the white sand, where Lauren’s boom box remained. She had kept an eye on it from quite a distance, and of course the swords on her back had not gone unnoticed by the passers-by. It simply wouldn’t be at all smart for a human to steal something that belonged to a vampire. She shook some of the sand off her feet, and inadvertently shook her breasts as well. Michael’s pupils expanded.
“Michael, what were you looking at?”
“Nothing. They entered my line of vision.”
“My eyes are up here.”
“Exquisite eyes I must say. You have the most beautiful eyes that I’ve ever seen.”
“I have my mother’s eyes.”
Lauren put her swords down beside the blanket. They got comfortable on the covering and she initiated a kiss. Michael preferred to let Lauren make the first moves even though it probably wasn’t the male thing to do; he didn’t want to be split in two with one of her swords. That thought made him smile. He could sense her energy from quite a distance, and so when they touched it was heartwarming, literally. The kiss turned out to be longer and infused with more passion than either had anticipated. They got looks from passers-by.
On the ocean in the distance were three sailboats that appeared to be lined up, but were actually quite a distance apart from one another. The largest one had red, white and blue stripes at the top of its sail; it appeared to be quite large and expensive. The boats on the ocean made the scene picturesque. A motorboat sped by with a single male occupant seemingly enjoying the water. Seagulls added audible ambiance, at least for Lauren. Waves rolled in as waves do and Michael tracked them from quite a distance away. There amongst the whitecaps he noticed a coke bottle.
Lauren looked at his eyes as they looked out to sea. She thought that he was fixated on something; looking at him and then back out to the ocean he seemed distracted. “Michael, what do you see out there?”
“Ha, believe it or not it looks like a note in a bottle.”
That immediately took her interest. “What? Where? Are you joking?”
“No, I’m serious. Look, right there, can you see it?”
Michael pointed into the ocean but it wasn’t easy for her to track it down in such a grand expanse. But she continued to scan the water. If there really was a bottle out there with a note in it she simply had to know what was on it. It was as if she had won a prize but had no idea what it was. It would bother her for days if she couldn’t get her hands on it. But was there really a bottle out there or simply Michael’s sense of humor? She was becoming frustrated so she stood up and got behind Michael attempting to follow his line of vision. She stared over him and into the water.
“Michael, if you’re teasing me. Not at all funny.”
“I’m trying not to take my eyes off it but it’s qu
ite far out. Keep looking and you’ll get it. See it?”
“No I don’t, damn it!” Then Lauren squealed with delight. “I see it. I see it. It’s a Coke bottle and it does appear to have a note it. I’m going out to get it. Guard my swords. Probably something some kid threw out there but still.”
Before Michael could say another word, Lauren blurred into the water and swam out to the bottle faster than any mortal could. The water splashed as people were fascinated as how rapidly she could swim. When she got to its general area she lost sight of it. She looked back at Michael for directions. He gestured that it was behind her and she turned and spotted it and swam backwards. She was excited as she exited the water with the bottle. “I got it.”
“You look so pleased. You should see your face.” Michael smiled at her happy face.
She pulled the white cloth out of the end of the bottle but due to the moisture inside had to tap it several times before it released the note into her hand. She held it as if it was the most precious thing. “What do you think it says?”
“I’m stranded on a deserted island. Send food. Anything but fish.”
Lauren unrolled the note, and as she read it she couldn’t believe it. Her face had become such a delightful thing, as if receiving a hug from a long lost friend. She looked into Michael’s eyes and then back at the note. “No way! No freaking way!”
“Read it to me.”
Lauren read the note as she beamed. “Lauren, there is no one else that I’d rather spend the day with, and it’s signed Michael. Oh, I’m keeping this note. I’ll never forget this. How the hell did you do this?”
“Remember that motorboat that went by a few minutes ago? He threw it in the water.”
“Oh my GOD! I’m getting this framed. You are so sneaky.”
“You forgot to mention cute.” He hadn’t expected such a reaction from the red sheriff.
“Well, THAT goes without saying. What made you think of such a thing?”
Michael shrugged.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
AFTER BUMPING INTO FRIENDS and talking for over an hour, they finally went their separate ways. Jenny and Allison walked pass the Dress Barn and had sandwiches at the Potbelly Sandwich Shop. They had an appointment at the KK Salon on Maiden Lane but had lots of time to spare. They enjoyed going to places where they’d never been and simply exploring, so they had given themselves extra hours to do so. Outings were adventures in shopping and discovery. They had a wonderful relationship and they knew they would never become estranged as some families. As Jenny exited the sandwich shop she turned to her mother.
Allison looked down at her. “I know that look.”
“We’re being followed.”
Allison scanned the area and observed lots of people, but no one that she could guess was on their tail. “A biter is deliberately following us?”
Jenny flicked her hair out of her eyes and concentrated. “Not out to hurt us. They seem to be lost in the crowd. More than one vampire nearby and for some reason I can’t tell which one is actually following us. Strange. Mother, someone is hiding in plain sight, and for some reason it’s working.”
“Well, if they mean us no harm the best thing to do is get on with our day. You could probably kick his ass anyway.”
Jenny laughed. “Probably.”
“Not ganging up on you are they?”
“Nope, just one that’s interested in me.”
“You can’t read his mind?”
“No, he’s got some sort of block in there. I can’t get around it. It’s like I can get into the pantry but no further into the house. If I had lots of time maybe.”
Jenny and Allison continued on their way in a pleasant state of mind. So many vampires around that they had to let go of the ones that meant no harm. No one seemed to know their true numbers but lots of people guessed at it. Some continued to remain out of sight though in plain view, living their lives in the slow lane. They both got cuts to maintain their styles at the KK Salon. They had been there several times before and Jenny rather liked the place. While Jenny was getting her hair trimmed, a vampire showed up dressed in blue classic-fit kakis and a black t-shirt with the word Saturday on the front. He was a tall old man with a short white beard. He bent down and took some of Jenny’s blond hair off the floor and left. Allison didn’t notice the episode as she was in conversation with her hairdresser. Jenny’s cute face looked puzzled but she made no attempt to stop the hair thief.
That night Jenny dreamt about someone with vague features tossing her hair into the fire, and it had been disturbing.
CHAPTER FIFTY
BORDON STARED OUT at the boats in the water near the Dolphin Swim and Boat Club on Jefferson Street until sufficient time had passed for the meeting. He believed that on the ocean he would be as free as the birds in the sky, and was looking forward to buying one within the next few months. The biter knew that Stephen would be in pursuit and he had plans to leave the country as soon as he sold the dagger. The beautiful waters of Greece called to him. The island had preoccupied his mind for days. His thoughts wandered to Lefkada Island on the Ionian Sea, joined to Greece by a floating bridge. He would remain there for a century or two, enjoying its beauty and character. He remembered Egremni on the western side of Lefkada, a beautiful beach with white sand surrounded by imposing cliffs and crystal clear water. The plan was to spend a week or two before going out in search of a boat. Access to the beach was from a car park down 347 steep steps that hugged the weathered cliff face; it was a spectacular view from those steps. Bordon would walk the long sandy coast, eating a tourist every now and then. He looked forward to visiting the beach of Porto Katsiki as well; he would take a cruise there in his new boat after visiting his friend Abrax in the town of Nydri.
Bordon was spotted when the Stockton bus had to slam on its brakes to avoid hitting him as he jaywalked across North Point Street in San Francisco. He was recognized by a biter on the bus who smiled knowingly as the word had been put out to the vampire underworld by Stephen with a handsome reward offered. There was nothing like easy money. Bordon was heading for the Gary Danko restaurant to have some lobster risotto; he had craved that food since the last time he had been at the restaurant. Just prior to that Bordon had met an old man at the Buena Vista Café, a human named Carl Finch.
At the Café, Carl turned out to be distinguished looking gentlemen with a silver handled walking stick. He wore a top hat and attire that made him look as if he had stepped out of the 1800’s. An eccentric little guy with a stooped back that liked to buy his influence and he wasn’t stingy with his money. He was fascinated by vampire relics and had the means to make anyone rich for the right object. His impressive possessions were all about boasting to his friend, and claimed to have a gold vampire ring that had once belonged to Dracula. Hithroma, an object that could actually kill Dracula would be the old fellow’s most prized possession, even if it turned out to be one of the copies and not the original. No way to validate it except to plunge it into the Master. He would hang it on the wall and there it would stay; it would be difficult for the vampires to track it down, if not impossible, which was what Bordon liked about it.
The transaction at the cafe was easy as the sum of one million American dollars was deposited into his checking account with a single phone call from Carl. When Bordon called his bank his account was richer by one million dollars. The old man knew the story of Hithroma, and even if the weapon wasn’t the genuine article, he figured it to be worth the million as no one else would have one. Forged by Ninian, a famous vampire artisan that disliked the thought of mortals owning his works; his mark on the weapon made it worth plenty. Every sword and dagger that he had ever created contained several drops of his extraordinary blood. A tiny headless vampire was etched into the base of the blade. It would be a great conversation piece to discuss with his only friend in the world, Mason.
When Bordon exited the Gary Danko restaurant, which was to be his last meal before his departure, Luke and Noah wer
e waiting for him. The look on Bordon’s face at the sight of the three vampires was a mixture of terror and surprise. He bolted but was almost immediately tripped, and with his speed he ended up tumbling on the hard sidewalk and ripping some skin off his hands and knees. They forced him to tell them what he did with Hithroma, which hadn’t been difficult because of his low threshold for pain. His screams were heard by many but it was over before anyone arrived to access the situation. They killed the old man and left Bordon’s bones on his front porch where it remained for two days, until a 15-year-old took it home to show his parents.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
THE FOREST SCENT WAS PLEASANT deep in the northern boreal forest of Quebec. The sky had a few clouds but not many. A bald eagle soared high in the sky as it searched for a meal. A light breeze moved the tops of the trees around, nature’s ballet. Surrounded by a predominance of coniferous trees was a large Ojibwe style wigwam. A black bear moved through the area but didn’t like the scent and stayed far from the dwelling, almost a mile. The round domed shelter, formed by a frame of wooden arched poles, mostly tree saplings, was unusually large, covered with various kinds of animal hides. It had a curved surface to allow it to stand up to strong winds and had been in place for almost five years. Something on the inside could be observed moving against the outside wall as it pushed against its surface.
A black crow’s feather floated on the air; it refused to touch the ground as it was kept aloft by a magical force. The quill fell and rose awkwardly around the dwelling, occasionally hovering and quivering in one location before continuing its path around the wigwam.
“AaaaaaaaOoooooh.”
Chanting floated out of the wigwam and into the light cool breeze that appeared to have a dreamlike quality to it. The voice was deep and resonant with exotic words being repeated over and over. The voice was unusually deep. Dark smoke floated from the dwelling and reached for the sky’s embrace. A large black raven cocked its head as it looked down upon the scene from a nearby tree branch, trying hard to comprehend the goings-on. The animal followed the feather as it went around and around. It jumped from branch to branch as it waited patiently.
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