“You’re not joking, then. Who’s in charge of making sure everyone respects these laws?”
“I am not allowed to talk to you about that. You are not supposed to know as much as you do about Talanus and Ysis either. But it will facilitate your meeting with them.”
I was just about to take a swallow of lemonade when I realized the importance of what he just said.
“What? You want me to meet them? But you said that their home was forbidden to humans!”
“In these circumstances, they will understand the necessity of meeting you. I will call them as soon you go upstairs to bed.”
I couldn’t get over it. He wanted me to meet the ones he had such immense difficulty talking about! While the prospect of finding myself with the most powerful vampires in the region terrified me, the thought of having a face-to-face with two figures from history, ones who had known Augustus and Cleopatra personally, made me want to hurry to their house with a notepad and ask them a million questions. But still . . .
“Why do I have to go there with you? You just have to tell them what happened. You know as much as I do.”
“I did not see the inside of the warehouse . . .”
Thinking about that gave me stomach pains. I kept quiet until they subsided.
“It was awful . . . all those people hooked up, being emptied . . . as if they were worthless bags of blood. And Melanie . . .” The memory of that brave girl made me go quiet.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “Melanie? Who is that?”
“She would have been lying down on one of the stretchers like the others, having her blood drawn and stored in refrigerated cases, but Heath was making her walk around naked like a dog on a leash, to demean and dehumanize her . . . She died a heroine . . . I know her name is Melanie because I saw a missing persons notice with her photo in the newspaper.”
My boss waited a beat before responding.
“This situation is very serious. We have to use all the means we have to discover who is in charge of this blood trafficking. Your eyewitness account may be crucial. Ysis will be able to see your memories.”
“What?”
I started to worry . . .
“She has the ability to read minds.”
. . . and I clearly wasn’t wrong to.
Imagining a quasi–vampire queen having access to my more-than-complicated mind gave me goose bumps. I stood up abruptly.
“I don’t want anyone rummaging around in my head. What’s this about all vampires having an extra superpower? Speed and Herculean strength aren’t enough?”
Phoenix moved to reassure me.
“These extra superpowers, as you call them, are very rare. Do not worry, she can read minds, sure, but she can only see what you are focusing on. Just avoid thinking about Matthew, for instance, and it will all be fine . . .”
He was trying to be friendly, but his remark about Matthew was irritating. It was time to go to sleep. In two days, I’d had my fill of emotions, wounds, fatigue. I wasn’t going to add more anxiety to that list.
“We’ll see about that . . . Maybe they won’t want to see me at all. On that note of scant hope, I wish you good night.”
I left the parlor.
On the stairs leading to my room, I remembered the rage that I’d felt in my bedroom the last time I was in it, and all the things I’d sent flying to break against the door. My boss would have cleaned it all up.
However, when I pushed open my door, I encountered resistance, just like at my childhood home. Debris was scattered across the floor, though I could see that someone had made a path through the room. Phoenix.
He wouldn’t have left this mess without a good reason, and he’d already given it to me: he’d left to look for me. Someone had paid enough attention to me to immediately go after me, and knowing that warmed my heart.
Perked up now, I cleaned the room and made note that I really only had to replace the DVD player. When I was done, I changed into my nightgown, and just as I was drawing back the covers to climb into bed, there was a knock at my door.
“Come in,” I said, pulling on a bathrobe.
Phoenix came through the door.
“I brought up your suitcase, and I wanted to tell you that Talanus and Ysis have agreed to meet with us tomorrow evening at nine.”
He rolled the suitcase over to the dressing table.
“Very well.”
That wasn’t exactly what I was thinking, but it was all I could manage to say at that moment. He gave me a soft smile and was about to leave when he stopped in the doorway, turning back to me.
“I’m happy you’re back, Sam.”
“Me too,” I answered, sincerely.
“Good night,” he said as he left.
“Good night.”
I was delighted to reclaim my soft bed, and I slept incredibly well for someone about to face a rather challenging day.
The first thing I did when I woke up was hurry to my big mirror for a complete diagnosis.
One, my rib was definitely back in place; two, the scrapes on my arms had disappeared, as well as the bump on the back of my head; three, I still looked like a raisin from all the purplish bruises that covered my body, even if my head had been spared; four, I felt perfectly healthy, as if all the accumulated tiredness of the past few weeks had miraculously gone away.
I suspected that this sudden alertness was also not random: Phoenix’s blood had taken effect. But I would have liked it to have taken care of my bruises too. It would take days for them to go away. I could at least consider myself lucky to be in generally good condition.
With my inspection done, I returned to my usual morning routine. I exercised a little, and I wrote a report for Talanus and Ysis of the incident of two nights before, trying to give as much detail as possible.
When I finished my work, I headed to Angela’s bookshop. I needed some girl time.
As usual, the little bell rang out to announce the arrival of a customer. My friend was busy helping two teenagers who were asking for books for their project on ancient Egypt. I kept myself from laughing at the irony: that very evening, I would be meeting with one of Egypt’s former inhabitants . . .
Anyway, even for me, it wasn’t very funny, so I changed my angle of attack.
“Hello, Angela. Hello, gentlemen. What a joy to see that there are still young people who take the time to look in books rather than surf the Internet. This bookshop is an information goldmine,” I said with a beaming smile, winking at the two teenagers.
They both understood my meaning and that I knew they were using the pretext of a school project to come admire my friend. One of them looked like he was about to drool. Pathetic.
The two boys mumbled something about their parents waiting for them to go shopping and scurried away without further ado.
“What’s gotten into them?”
“Angela! You didn’t notice that those two teens were raging with hormones just from looking at you? If they’re not using the Internet to do their research, it’s just so they can come drool over your stunning figure.”
“What? You think so?”
She blushed. She might have a good head on her shoulders, but she was also blond and curvy. When it came to her beauty, her modesty bordered on naiveté. Frankly, if I had her figure, I would certainly have more self-confidence; I could even imagine I might become narcissistic . . .
“Honestly, with all these men circling around you, I don’t understand why you haven’t found the love of your life yet.”
I had that thought every time I saw Angela. The area wasn’t bereft of handsome men, so she had every chance to come across her future husband. And no, she wasn’t a lesbian.
“I know. Everyone says that to me all the time. But I can’t do anything about it. That’s just how it is.”
“Anyway, it’s better to take your time than end up with the wrong guy. But it must weigh on you, knowing that everyone wants you to marry Matthew.”
“Don’t talk about that! T
he minute anyone sees us together, we’re asked when the wedding will be. It’s really irritating. But it’s eased up a bit, probably because everyone knows that Matthew is interested in you . . . ,” she said, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
I sighed. I knew very well that at some point we would have that conversation, she and I. Being Matthew’s best friend since kindergarten, he must have told her he had feelings for me . . . and that I had turned him down.
“I like Matthew . . . but for the moment, I don’t see him as a potential boyfriend. We hardly know each other.”
Angela stared at me intensely, then made a pronouncement. “You’re with someone else.”
I was caught off guard.
“No, I’m not. What are you even talking about?” I stammered pathetically.
“Matthew is the most attractive man for miles around. He’s gorgeous! Your excuse for rejecting him is ‘we hardly know each other’? Come on, give me a break.”
Angela’s relentless logic made me turn scarlet. But I’d told the truth!
“No, no, there’s no one. I’m too complicated . . . and . . . and . . . that’s all there is to it. What’s your excuse, then, for not throwing yourself at him?”
Hooray! I could turn this right around.
“I think I know him too well. His habits would annoy me too much in the long run. I could never be his wife.”
“That seems clear.”
“Yes, but you, you left the door wide open for him. He won’t give up easily. I can tell you this, he really likes you, and he hopes that as you get to know him better, your feelings for him will change.”
What was wrong with me? No man had ever demonstrated the slightest interest in me, and the first time it happened—and it was someone charming to boot—I was irritated and embarrassed rather than pleased and flattered.
I’d taken time to think about my feelings for Matthew. I’d searched my inner heart and had only found respect and friendship. I didn’t have any experience in romance, and someone could have told me that, unconsciously, my heart was beating for him. But despite the fact that I was a novice in matters of the heart, I knew how I felt. I just wasn’t in love with Matthew, period.
As for knowing whether I would ever fall in love one day . . . given the combination of my usual lack of luck and my boss, whose vampire nature made me work at night and sleep part of the day, it was unlikely I would have any semblance of a social life that would allow me to meet someone. It was more likely that I would end up alone and wrinkly than married and satisfied—at least, if I lived long enough to see my first wrinkles appear.
“I think of Matthew as a friend. And for me, for now, that’s enough,” I said.
“I understand. But you should know he won’t let it go easily. He’ll wait, patiently. He’s a real romantic.”
I’d never wondered if the man of my dreams would be a romantic, especially since I certainly wasn’t one.
Suddenly, Phoenix’s face superimposed itself over that of Matthew in my head. A vampire with glowing eyes, fangs out, roaring like a raging lion, took the place of a handsome man with a gentle face. I shivered. Now there’s a man for whom talk of love caused nausea. Imagining Phoenix with stars in his eyes for his lady love was almost comical, given how much it contrasted with his character.
“Why are you smiling?” Angela asked me.
Oops.
“Um, uh, nothing. I lost track of what you were saying. In fact, can we talk about something else? This topic is making me uncomfortable.”
“As you wish.”
We chatted about this and that for a couple of hours, with only occasional interruptions by customers asking for recommendations. Given my previous career as a librarian, I was able to offer Angela a bit of help.
When it was nearly sunset, I left under the pretext that it was time to make dinner for my dear grandfather. In fact, it was my meal that I had to whip up. I would need energy for the upcoming meeting, so I cooked my favorite: steak and homemade fries (frozen fries—ew!). The days were longer now that it was spring, and I had more time to savor my evening meal.
Nevertheless, I didn’t wait for my boss to wake up before getting changed. I needed to look elegant and worthy of appearing before Talanus and Ysis. I didn’t know the protocol, but I suspected the less disheveled the better in front of the area’s vampire leaders.
I selected a red suit; the skirt was short but tasteful. A white top and black heels completed the look. The result, with a bit of makeup, a necklace, and earrings, astonished me. I looked sexy, which wasn’t really the image I was going for.
But before I had time to consider changing, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said softly.
There was no need to speak loudly with a vampire—he could hear you whistle from several hundred feet away.
When Phoenix entered my room, his classic elegance and charisma impressed me, as always. Clearly his black suit had been tailored to measure. Though I was no fashion expert, I could tell that the suit was made by a high-profile designer. Despite my effort to dress elegantly, next to my boss, I once again I felt like I was wearing a potato sack.
As for him, he’d stopped in his eagerness to talk to me and was instead staring at me.
“What? Do I have a stain somewhere?” I said, turning around and around looking for some flaw in my clothes.
“Hm . . . no, you’re perfect,” he said, turning away. “I will wait for you downstairs.”
If I’d been perfectly dressed for the occasion, he certainly had a strange way of showing it. I cast one last glance at the mirror before leaving my room and joining him below.
I tried to be friendly, smiling as I said, “You look sharp.”
He gave me my coat and instead of responding to the compliment he said, “We’re expected. We can’t be late.”
He set off for the garage, where there was only the very hallmark of discretion: the Camaro.
Following him, I couldn’t help whispering a comment under my breath, knowing full well he would hear it. “Translation, you’re in a bad mood.”
Though the beginning of the trip was made in silence, before long Phoenix did tell me about the kind of formality I should adopt with his employers. To start, others of his kind would certainly be there. I shouldn’t look at them, at least not before speaking to Talanus and Ysis. Next, I wouldn’t have to bow or curtsy or put on airs like humans do when meeting people of distinction. A simple nod would suffice. Finally, I had to do whatever they asked of me. I didn’t like that last part at all, but Phoenix promised me that by responding appropriately, I could hope to leave their nest alive.
What do you want? There are arguments like that, things we didn’t discuss, even if I wasn’t at all comforted by it.
“You’ll protect me?”
I must have seemed ridiculous asking that question, but knowing that Phoenix would watch over my safety gave me some comfort.
Silence.
Then finally, “I’ll be there, for the whole interview.”
“For my interrogation, you mean.”
He nodded.
“Thanks,” I said.
He had no reaction.
We arrived in Kerington at the appointed time. We were in Harper Hill, one of the posh areas of the city; Phoenix’s Camaro looked like a cart in comparison to the sports cars and hot rods that were parked there. No one here worried about carjackers because the perimeter was secured and guarded by a security company run by former military.
Our hosts’ property was in a somewhat remote location. And what a property it was. Phoenix had told me that several acres of woods and gardens blocked the street view of an enormous villa built in the style of Ancient Rome. Inside the gates, armed men stood guard. There was no need to wonder what their true nature was . . .
We gained entry at the gate after we identified ourselves via an intercom equipped with a camera.
The guards greeted my boss with a nod of the head before starin
g at me. I was already nervous, but the thought of being the first human to infiltrate this vampire nest petrified me. Phoenix had to walk around the car, open my door, and hold out his hand so that I could steel myself to get out. I was slightly dizzy, and my legs were like jelly, but my boss caught me and murmured, “You are strong, so show it.”
I nodded and regained my courage. A vampire butler led us into a vast entryway that was soberly and simply decorated. He took our coats and motioned for us to enter the great hall.
With every step we took, we passed another vampire. It seemed like all the area vampires had appointments. They were all remarkably beautiful, so much so they depressed me.
Phoenix and the others greeted one another courteously, but once they realized who they were greeting, they showed deference and stepped out of his path.
I looked at them surreptitiously, noticing that their attitude toward him was partly one of respect but more so of fear. That was truly something.
When their gazes landed on me, their faces registered surprise, curiosity, even total disbelief. I felt them inspecting me from head to toe, watching every step we took, while I kept my eyes on my boss’s back as he walked in front of me.
Finally, after we passed by a seemingly interminable parade of faces, we arrived in a large room. At the back of the room, two majestic figures waited for us, seated on . . . thrones? Oh, well, they certainly knew their status.
At the same time, anyone who met them wouldn’t have denied that they had a royal aura about them. They were soberly dressed, which could have made them appear austere, but on the contrary it gave them a powerful magnetism, even more so than Phoenix. I felt very small compared to them.
Talanus had been a Roman general in the empire of Augustus. His face still had traces of the great battles he had led before his death. Far from making him ugly, they gave him a fierce and terrifying beauty that made me want to know him and flee him at the same time. With his short hair, his military bearing, and conqueror’s posture, he had all the qualities of a ruthless leader of armies.
Samantha Watkins: Chronicles of an Extraordinary Ordinary Life (Samantha Watkins Series Book 1) Page 17
