Reluctant Partnerships

by Ariel Tachna

  Martin nodded. “I can live with that. I’ll make sure we have donor blood for tomorrow night so Pierre can feed, if nothing else. Hopefully I’ll be able to get the drugs to test that as well, but I don’t know how that will go.”

  “It’s not necessarily about success,” Denis said. “It’s about knowing we tried everything in our power to help him. If he’s beyond aid, we’ll figure out what to do then.”

  “You don’t think it will work, do you?” Martin asked.

  Denis shrugged. “Not easily or consistently, no. The dosing will be problematic at the best of times, and if he misses a dose and gets out of control, he could kill dozens of people before we realized what was happening and could stop him. I don’t really know what other options there are, but I don’t see this as a viable long-term solution.”

  “Is it worth trying at all, then?” Martin asked.

  “I think it is,” Denis said. “For one thing, I could be wrong. I’m not a doctor or a scientist. I’m not an expert on magic of any kind, even the kind that animates us. I know what I’ve learned about my nature from my own experience over the past ninety-odd years, but that doesn’t mean I know everything. Jean seemed to think it might work, and he’s had far longer to study vampire nature than I have. I’d like him to be right. I’d like to be able to send Pierre off into the world, secure in his ability to control his baser instincts and to come in at set intervals for treatment. I’m not holding my breath, though.”

  “Are there other things we could do to help him?” Martin asked. “Magical things, maybe. A spell that would help him control his madness or at least his actions.”

  “Is there such a spell?” Denis asked.

  “There are binding spells and the Forçage, which can make someone do something against their will,” Martin replied. “Thierry and Sebastien talked about the wild magic that triggered a deepening of so many of the partnerships during the war, which again influenced behavior. Not that I’d recommend setting loose another maelstrom of wild magic, but if it happened then, in theory we could make it happen in a more controlled setting. The problem would be how to test it without endangering people because it didn’t work on Pierre.”

  “I’d volunteer to be your test subject, but your magic doesn’t work on me,” Denis said. “Could we ask another vampire to volunteer, perhaps?”

  “Perhaps.” Martin rose from his seat to pace the room. “We know the drugs worked on Pierre before he was turned, at least when he remembered to take them, so if we can make them work on him as a vampire, we’re relatively assured of him being functional.”

  “But was he functional?” Denis asked, his eyes following Martin as he strode back and forth, his long limbs full of harnessed power. Despite the seriousness of their conversation, Denis could not stop the thrill of appreciation that this man could be his partner if he was willing to make it work. “Really functional? From what I understand, he was still homeless, still ‘un clochard’. He wasn’t hurting anyone, even when he forgot his medicine, but I’m not sure I’d call that functional.”

  “So maybe we should go the magical route first,” Martin mused, running his hand through his hair as he concentrated. “I can use a Forçage to make someone do something. I wonder if I could cast it in such a way that I keep someone from doing something. I could cast it so he can’t feed while the spell is in effect and then remove it temporarily when it comes time for him to feed. That would keep him from attacking someone the way he attacked Adèle or Raymond last night.”

  “That might work,” Denis said, “if you can tailor the spell correctly.”

  “I guess I have some research to do, then,” Martin said with a smile. “I haven’t had a chance to explore l’Institut’s library yet, but it’s supposed to be one of the most complete magical libraries in the world.”

  “How did they manage that?” Denis asked. “L’Institut has only been open for nine months.”

  “My understanding is they combined Raymond’s personal library with Jean’s personal library as well as loaned copies from the library of Jean’s predecessor,” Martin explained, “and since l’Institut is one of a kind at the moment, there really isn’t anywhere else with a more comprehensive selection.”

  “Then we’d better get started.”

  “You don’t have to help,” Martin demurred.

  “Two of us can search faster than one alone,” Denis insisted. “Lead the way.”

  Chapter 15

  Three days into the seminar, Pascale reached the information overload stage. Leaving the abbey, she wandered into the courtyard, the cool breeze no deterrent now that she was a vampire. A few hardy flowers still held on in the flower beds that lined the area, the ground equally strewn with fallen petals and crackling leaves. The moon was bright above her head, giving her plenty of light to see by, but she had been amazed to discover how little light she now needed to make out every detail, often far more than she would have noticed even in full daylight before she was turned.

  “How are you settling in?”

  She looked up to see Justin Molinière, the vampire who had welcomed her on Monday evening at the start of the session. “It’s a lot to take in all at once,” Pascale admitted. “I had to come out here so I could sit and think.”

  “And now I’ve come and disturbed you,” Justin apologized. “Should I leave you alone?”

  “It’s fine,” Pascale said. “I’m going around in circles in my head anyway.”

  “Would it help to talk about it?” Justin offered. “I can’t promise I have all the answers, but I probably have a few anyway.”

  “It’s not so much questions as it is decisions to make,” Pascale explained. “Pros and cons and how all of this affects me or how it could affect me if I choose to go forward.”

  “There’s always the chance you won’t find a partner,” Justin said. “Completing a seminar isn’t a guarantee of finding a partner.”

  “I already have a partner,” Pascale said. “That’s why I decided to do the seminar in the first place.”

  “Ah, I see,” Justin replied. “So you’re weighing everything you’ve heard against the personality of an actual person instead of just in theory.”

  “Yes, and not just a partner, but a reluctant one,” Pascale agreed. “It isn’t just a question of me deciding but also of her.”

  “Her decision is hers to make,” Justin said. “You can’t worry about what she wants right now. You have to decide what’s right for you. If your decisions differ, then you can discuss it, but until you know what’s best for you, it’s too easy to fall into the trap of giving in to someone else’s desires.”

  “How do I decide?”

  “What’s going through your mind right now?” Justin asked. “Don’t censor it for me. Just tell me.”

  “I’m a little freaked out,” Pascale admitted. “I’m looking at this major commitment, the kind I dreamed about maybe making someday before I was turned, eventually, after I’d lived with someone for a few years, and suddenly I’m hearing that the first time I bite Adèle, it will happen whether I want it to or not. Where’s my choice in the matter?”

  “Your choice is in choosing to bite her or not,” Justin said, “but that isn’t what you’re really asking. You’re wondering why her instead of someone easier to get along with, someone of the opposite sex maybe, or maybe someone older or younger or blonde instead of brunette.”

  “Yes, that’s it exactly,” Pascale agreed. “I didn’t choose Adèle, and she certainly didn’t choose me. How are we supposed to make a go of it when we’re so totally different?”

  “I wish I could tell you that magic is never wrong,” Justin said, “but while her magic’s ineffectiveness on you proves she’s your partner, it doesn’t mean she’ll be a good one for you. She and her previous partner were oil and water, and we’ve seen some others who didn’t click the way most partners have. It’s definitely uncomfortable when that happens.”

  “You clicked with your partner, obviou
sly.”

  “I did,” Justin said, “although we had some rough spots too. We worked through them like you do in any relationship.”

  “I guess it would help if I felt like we could have a relationship, but right now, I don’t feel like she wants one,” Pascale said.

  “There are partnerships where the relationship is only magical,” Justin reminded her. “Not many, and it seems to be a lot of work to keep them from becoming personal, but it is possible. Taking advantage of her blood so you’re protected from sunlight, letting that strengthen you over time… that’s not a bad thing.”

  “A little selfish,” Pascale said.

  “Not really,” Justin disagreed. “Not when she gets stronger at the same time. If she didn’t get anything out of it, that would be different, but Catherine, my partner, says she can do things now she never thought she’d be able to do. Her magical abilities were barely within the average range before we became partners, and now she’s above average. She still can’t compete with Raymond or Alain or a few of the others, but those wizards were so much stronger than her to begin with that it isn’t a fair comparison. She’s certainly stronger than most unpaired wizards these days.”

  “Will that hold true if we don’t become lovers?”

  “Apparently,” Justin replied. “Catherine says she started getting stronger almost right away, although she didn’t realize it until later, and even pairs I’ve talked to who are less wrapped up in each other seem to notice the increase. It might not be as significant an increase as in the case of other couples, but there is one in every case I’m aware of.”

  “Thank you,” Pascale said. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

  “We can keep talking if you’d like,” Justin offered.

  “I appreciate it, but this is something I have to work out for myself.”

  “I’ll be around all week if you change your mind,” Justin said. “You don’t have to go through this alone. If you’re not comfortable talking to me, we can find someone else.”

  “It’s not that,” Pascale promised. “It’s more that I don’t even know where to start. Maybe I’ll go for a walk. I can always make a list of questions and ask you about them tomorrow night.”

  “Just be careful if you pass outside the wards,” Justin said. “Vampires aren’t the only things that go bump in the night.”

  “What do you really think they could do to me?” Pascale asked. “I’ve already been turned.”

  “Being a vampire protects you from many things,” Justin agreed, “but being eviscerated by a werewolf wouldn’t be one of them.”

  “There haven’t been wolves in le Morvan for years,” Pascale scoffed.

  “Not wolves,” Justin agreed, “but it’s the full moon tomorrow. Werewolves need space to run. The parc naturel would be the perfect place for them.”

  “I won’t go far,” Pascale promised, “but I feel like the walls are closing in around me. I’ve got to get some fresh air if nothing else.”

  Justin nodded and let her go.

  Pascale walked toward the lake that bordered l’Institut on one side, simply moving out of the courtyard giving her a feeling of freedom she had not had since she was turned. The breeze eddied around her ankles and blew her hair in her face. She brushed it away but did not bother going back for a band to confine it. Glancing upward, she watched the clouds skitter across the face of the moon and hoped it would storm. She would relish the power of lightning arcing through the air, something to make her feel alive again.

  She stood there for uncounted minutes, content to rest her mind and body, to simply be outside on a windy fall night, part of a larger world instead of isolated with her petty problems. In that moment, she knew the path she would take. She still feared the possibility of being trapped in the magical equivalent of a loveless marriage, and she worried about Adèle’s need to control everything around her, but the combined lures of sunlight, of a partnership, of a normal life were too strong. She could work on convincing Adèle of her own quiet strength. No, she did not have the wizard’s physical presence or confident demeanor, but that did not make her weak. It made her different. Adèle would come to recognize that eventually if they spent enough time together. The woman was a detective. She was observant enough to see what was in front of her. It perturbed Pascale to be partnered with a woman who had never shown any interest in women before now, but even that was not an insurmountable obstacle. They did not have to engage in a sexual relationship if Adèle truly could not adjust to it. Pascale could feed from Adèle and find release elsewhere if the need became too great. Angelique had assured her hunting would grow easier with time.

  If the women she chose were pale imitations of the one she wanted, no one would ever be any wiser. She refused to pine away over a woman who did not want her. She had more self-respect than that.

  Feeling more confident now that she had a plan, she strolled along the lake. She would have to arrange to meet with Adèle to discuss her thoughts and to see what Adèle felt, but at least she knew her own mind.

  The sudden echo of howls across the lake sent shivers down her spine. Deciding she had walked enough, she hurried back to the courtyard and inside.

  “Can we really expect the penal system to house and feed a vampire for twenty or forty years?” Raymond asked. “Even with only feeding every three days, that’s a lot of blood.”

  “I know,” Jean said, “but unless the vampire feeds from the other inmates, I don’t see what choice we have. Shortening the sentence isn’t really an option. We want there to be a deterrent, and a few months or even a few years is nothing to a vampire. We can’t really force them into hibernation either because there’s no guarantee their makers will still be extant when their sentence is up, even if they are when the sentence begins. Accidents happen to vampires too.”

  Raymond flinched at the reminder of his own part in Jude Leighton’s demise six months earlier. If he had not insisted Jude go with him as he investigated an intruder at l’Institut, the vampire might still be in existence. Before he could say anything else, a sharp scream interrupted them.

  “What was that?” Raymond asked.

  “I have no idea,” Jean said, getting to his feet, “but I think we need to find out.”

  They ran down the hall and out into the courtyard to find Aimée Naizot, the daughter of their housekeeper, on her knees in the grass, her face buried in her hands as she shuddered and sobbed.

  “Aimée, what’s wrong?” Raymond asked. “What happened?”

  “The… the vampire, the one in the locked room,” Aimée said through her hiccupping sobs. “He got loose and tried… he tried to grab me.”

  “Merde,” Jean cursed. “Where is he now?”

  Aimée pointed wordlessly to a pile of ashes near the doorway. “I ran,” she said. “I know not all vampires are evil, but I was scared, and my grandmother always said you were safe from vampires in sunlight. I didn’t think. I just dashed outside. I didn’t think he’d follow me.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Raymond said soothingly. “You did what you needed to do to protect yourself, and that’s the most important thing. If you’d stayed inside with him, he would have hurt you, because he wasn’t in control of himself.”

  “Where were you when you saw him?” Jean asked.

  “At the top of the stairs that lead down to the kitchen,” Aimée said. “He was at the other end of the hall. He saw me and let out this noise… I don’t even know how to describe it. So I ran down the stairs as fast as I could and out the door.”

  “Would someone have opened his door, not realizing who was inside?” Jean asked Raymond.

  “I suppose it’s possible,” Raymond replied. “I set the ward on the door so he couldn’t get out, not so others couldn’t get in. If someone opened the door and didn’t close it, he could have gotten out, but I thought everyone knew not to open it.”

  “Is there anyone here today who isn’t normally here? A substitute on the staff,
maybe, who heard him pounding on the door and opened it, not realizing the situation?” Jean suggested.

  “Not that I’m aware of,” Raymond said, “but as many people as work here in the kitchens and on the grounds, I suppose it’s possible.”

  “But they shouldn’t have been upstairs,” Aimée said. “That doesn’t mean they weren’t, I guess, but no one but Maman, Chantal, and myself should have been up in those rooms. Oh, God, do you think he somehow tricked one of them into opening the door?”