Like a fury, she abandoned me to his arms and started pacing the room, muttering incomprehensibly. My throat hurt, and I’d had enough of her little game. Without my boss being able to stop me, I blocked the Egyptian’s path and met her anger with my own.
“Now that’s enough! If you have information about my so-called specialness, spit it out so we can end this charade! If you had directly told us what was wrong with me instead of confusing us with your nonsensical metaphors about the Night, Phoenix would certainly have done differently, so calm down and find someone else to be your scapegoat! We have enough problems without adding the ranting of a crazy vampire!”
In the ensuing silence, during which Phoenix and François simultaneously lowered their eyes, the Egyptian looked down at me with scorn from her full height, her eyes luminous and her fangs a chilling sight.
“I have killed for less than that,” she said sharply.
I stood up straight and stared right back at her. “I suppose that was also because your victims thought to give you a piece of their mind? Phoenix has nothing to do with this, so leave him alone, or you’ll have to deal with me.”
I was sincere, ready to fight if necessary.
Ysis, who was surely tougher than Karl, reacted the exact opposite from how I expected.
She smiled. “Perhaps all is not lost, then.”
In a blur, she grabbed me by the shoulders, turned me around, and threw me again at my boss. Tripping on the carpet, I fell forward, but he caught me at the last moment, all while keeping Ysis and Talanus in sight. Talanus, however, seemed just as dumbfounded as we did, and stared at his wife with total disbelief. She spoke again, addressing Phoenix.
“Until the Elders officially dismiss us, I am still your leader. As such, I order you to not hide her. It is vital that she remain in Scarborough.”
“Why?”
“Do not ask questions, just do it. In return, I shall forgive her disrespect.”
I was floored by this exchange. Ysis would forgive me only if I stayed at the manor? Phoenix must have arranged for François to take me to a safe place and thus avoid an unfortunate encounter with the overseers of vampire law. He hadn’t spoken to me of it because he suspected I would refuse, I’m sure of it. In a way, that suited me fine, but in another, I didn’t understand why it would be so important for me to stay in Scarborough. Ysis must still be in some state of delirium . . . anyway, it was better I keep that opinion to myself.
Talanus intervened. “Believe me. If you trust her visions just once in your life, now is the time.”
Visibly skeptical, Phoenix seemed to weigh the pros and cons. “At any rate, if the Greats really want to, they will find her,” he sighed. “Agreed . . . But I want your word that you will not tell them about that mark.”
Ysis rolled her eyes. “We are not foolish enough to tell them that. They will likely make us all pay. Now go.”
The matter was closed; we were ordered to leave. Without waiting, we walked out in a deathly silence.
I didn’t allow myself to relax one bit until we had put some distance between us and Kerington. Not a word had been exchanged since our departure.
“Is what she said true? You wanted to make me leave?” I ventured, knowing the answer in advance.
“I do not know if they will send their men to the manor, or what they will do if they find you there. I would prefer to put you somewhere safe.”
“You said it yourself—safety is illusory, they’ll find me wherever I go. I’d prefer to stay at the manor . . . it’s my home too . . . You believe what she said about me?”
“Ysis is strange but also very powerful. I do not know what she has in mind, but I also cannot take her words lightly. You should not have insulted her.”
I saw his accusing stare in the rearview mirror.
“She was unfair and insulting first. One of the qualities of a great leader is moderation.”
“It’s more than moderation for her. Any vampire of her rank would have cut your throat for saying what you said.”
“I think it has been centuries since anyone put her in her place. It was definitely discourteous but also justified,” François pleaded.
“It is useless to dwell on the matter too much. It is a miracle that she forgave you, and frankly, I do not understand it . . . but we will follow her orders. Tomorrow, you will stay in Scarborough. I do not know if I will be able to return in person, so François will act as intermediary between us.”
“How much time will there be, between their arrival and your execution?”
“Two, maybe three days. At most.”
A chill passed through my spine as I realized our new and terrible deadline.
It was July 15. Good grief, it was July 15!
The time accorded by the Greats to take care of the blood trafficking had passed, and their arrival was set for sunset. It was an utter catastrophe.
That’s enough of that. There was no more time to dwell on the past few days.
These were my somber thoughts when I woke from my brief and oh-so-agitated sleep. I’d tossed and turned so much that my blankets and sheets were completely undone and twisted.
Barely awake, and my stress levels were already at the maximum. It was almost noon, and I needed to find a way to kill time while waiting for nightfall. I got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen.
I launched into prep for beef bourguignon. I had to keep my mind busy, and my passion for French cuisine would help me with that. Between peeling the carrots, onions, and potatoes and chopping the meat, the complexity of the dish kept me occupied. But it had barely begun to simmer when I felt the need to concoct something else.
The heat from the oven and July’s high temperatures transformed my workspace into a veritable furnace. Completely immersed in my task, I started one recipe after another—all before the previous one was finished—to leave no downtime. I threw myself into the cooking, body and soul, and as incredible it sounds, it worked, and I was calming down.
When I raised my eyes to the door that just opened, I felt a momentarily wave of hesitation before understanding what was happening.
My two vampires had woken up and no doubt wanted to say good-bye before going to see the ones who held their fates in their hands. Usually they would find me with my nose in a book or . . . in a tissue, like the crybaby I’d become.
From their faces, I could tell that the state they’d found me in didn’t correspond at all with their expectations. Phoenix was staring at me as if I’d completely lost it. Suddenly self-conscious, I turned and looked at my reflection in the window.
“Ah!” I shrieked, startled.
It was enough to frighten, that’s for sure. My hair, frizzed and full from the steam and heat, was dancing about my skull like a bad halo. My cheeks were on fire, I was sweating buckets, and I was covered in stains and flour.
The kitchen was in a state too. There were pans everywhere, full and empty; heaps of crepes, waffles, and muffins covered the table; the sink was brimming with dirty dishes; and all the burners were still hard at work cooking sauces.
François glanced around with astonishment and admiration, but Phoenix gave me a severe look that made me want to flee.
“I did not know that humans could eat so much!” exclaimed François.
Miserable, I decided to look down at my shoes.
“François, would you leave us? I shall join you in a minute.”
Phoenix’s serious and harsh tone didn’t signal anything good.
“I will wait outside by the car. Sam, I will return later, no matter what happens.”
Appreciating his concern, I gave him a weak smile.
“Merci, François.”
After François left, Phoenix crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to be waiting for me to speak first. Intent on not obliging him, I turned the water on in the sink and poured in some dish soap. A fraction of a second later, the water was no longer running, and I was facing my boss.
Gulping painful
ly, I declared, “Don’t expect me to say good-bye to you!”
He grabbed my chin to force me to look him in the eye.
“Do not expect me to leave without saying good-bye to you.”
He caressed my cheek softly, setting off completely irregular heart palpitations.
“Before leaving, I would like you to help me . . .”
“Anything you need,” I said without knowing what to expect.
“For the first time in five hundred years, I would like to remember what it is like to be human . . . Please, say my name . . . my real name.”
Surprised, I tried to figure out his emotions . . . but his eyes were unreadable. I wondered if hearing his name would really help him remember his former existence, and I truly hoped that it would.
“Aydan . . .”
He smiled before touching his forehead to mine.
“Thank you, Sam.”
He gave me a chaste kiss on the top of my head, and at that contact, I shivered. He pulled away quickly, but before he left, he turned and offered up his sardonic smile.
“By the way, clean this mess up.”
Far from being annoyed or amused, his response—our last exchange before his execution—made me sink into despair.
Putting the food into plastic containers destined for the freezer and for Danny’s restaurant, washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen . . . all that took quite some time and calmed me down. However, afterward, I had nothing else to do except wait for François’s return, so I went to the parlor to distract myself by watching some TV shows.
Talanus seemed confident about the decision the Elders would make regarding François. Our French friend had never been officially assigned to our mission; he was only helping out. Consequently, they couldn’t legally punish him for incompetence. I wasn’t terribly worried about him, but my mind was busy with thoughts of Phoenix. I started to wonder about the depths of despair Phoenix’s absence might take me to.
Phoenix had an exceptional place in my life, but my attachment to him didn’t seem normal. I had no point of comparison, though, since I’d never really had friends before. Now I had Angela and Matthew too, and I loved them, truly. Angela and I were so similar we’d become like sisters; I appreciated Matthew’s spirit and his infectious energy. But despite my very strong feelings for my two friends, they just didn’t compare to my feelings for Phoenix.
My boss had become my best friend, sure, but also my guide. Could that explain the deep attachment I felt toward him? No, there was something else.
Suddenly, something buried deep in my mind seemed to come to the surface, something that would give me the explanation I was looking for . . . I was ready to understand everything in all its truth when . . .
. . . I seized the weapon hidden in the sofa and stood up as fast as I could.
I’d felt a presence behind me, and the memory of recent events reminded me that it couldn’t be amicable. My first encounter with Karl served as a lesson, and I needed to defend my own life. I waited until I was completely turned around before clicking off the safety. But I wasn’t fast enough . . .
Disarmed, I tried to hit and grab at the powerful arm and hand that had lifted me by the neck. My throat was being held in a firm grip, and the lack of air was making me suffocate and see stars dance in front of my eyes. My legs were flailing in the air, but I couldn’t reach far enough to kick my attacker. I was going to die, crushed by this strange man whose steely eyes were probing mine.
“Where is he?”
Getting only silence in return, he shook me and tightened his grip.
“Where is my son?”
On the edge of blacking out, the meaning of his question still came to me clearly, like a light in the night. In a short time, I would asphyxiate, and I had to gather my strength to make him let go.
“F . . . F . . . Finn,” I managed to whisper with incredible effort, hoping that hearing his own name would be enough to let me live.
I crashed down to the ground, freed from the pressure of his fingers. My throat in throbbing pain, I coughed to breathe normally again; little by little my vision returned, along with the ability to speak.
“Are you Finn?” I asked him, massaging my throat and finding the courage to look at him.
He was a tall man, with wide shoulders and clearly outlined muscles. He emitted incredible charisma, and it blended well with an aura of wisdom acquired from time. In short, he was a blend of Talanus and Ysis in one person, with something else that made the two others look like amateurs . . . and that was saying something. I knew that this vampire facing me was extremely old. However, just as Phoenix had described, he looked more like he was about forty. His hair was somewhere between blond and strawberry blond, and he must have had origins in northern Europe, maybe Norway or Sweden. His blue eyes could have made me think that he and my boss had real family ties, if I ignored the radical way of creating vampires. He had a cleft chin à la Kirk Douglas that gave him an austere and severe look, without actually making him more frightening. He was impressive, in the noblest sense of the term, and he demanded immediate respect with his presence. I had trouble meeting his gaze.
“Who are you and what are you doing here, human?”
Still in shock, I stood up painfully and pointed at the armchair to signal to him that I wasn’t trying to escape, or have this discussion while on all fours. With unusual elegance, he imitated me and sat across from me, taking care to set his suit jacket on the armrest; this was a practice that Phoenix had adopted.
“Um . . . I’m Samantha Watkins.”
In front of my boss’s creator, there was no use for secret identities.
“Your son, Aydan . . . um, Phoenix, hired me as an assistant, and I live here, with him.”
If that surprised him, he didn’t show it. This man was a master in the art of dissimulation; that much was obvious.
“You are his mistress,” he said, staring me straight in the eyes.
I immediately burned scarlet.
“What? No! I work for him . . . he’s my friend,” I stuttered.
“Well then . . . people change,” he murmured, mostly for himself. “Where is he?”
“He was summoned to Talanus and Ysis’s house. The Elders are going to decide his fate, but it’s likely that Phoenix and his leaders will be sentenced to execution. Since the real head of the blood-trafficking operation has escaped them, Phoenix’s mission is considered a failure, and he and his leaders will pay the price for it.”
Finn clenched his teeth. “I was in Siberia when I heard he was having problems. Communication is not easy in that part of the world.”
“I understand.”
There was a silence, then he looked at me.
“It does not matter how long it takes, I want you to explain everything to me, from the beginning, including your intercession and your role in all this. Do not omit a single detail. You will also tell me how you know his true identity.”
Over several hours, I revisited all the incredible events that had punctuated and changed my life since January: how we had tracked the Chinese vampires and witnessed them harvesting blood from missing humans, how those vampires had led us to Heath and Karl . . . Finn repeatedly insisted that I be as specific as possible, so the smallest anecdotes evolved into epic tales. Though my mouth was dry from talking, I didn’t dare get up for something to drink, nor did I offer anything to my guest. When I told him about how Karl, his deceptive adoptive son, had escaped us, I sensed from the way he stiffened that I’d piqued his interest, but he never interrupted.
I ended with Ysis’s strange prediction about the Night, intentionally omitting the part about the mark, a subject that was too intimate and embarrassing for my taste.
“That Ysis is only good for spouting gibberish in the guise of visions. However, the person who ignores them is indeed very foolish. The future will tell us what she saw for you.”
This was a subject without any importance in comparison with the reasons for his visit. I
was completely in agreement with him: time would tell.
“We tried everything to find Karl and the one or ones who were giving him his orders, but we failed. Even Ichimi Ritsuye and Kaiko Ikeda, who hate him, tried everything to get at the leader. I don’t know what else to do . . .”
“I am surprised by the attitude of those two. Honestly, they have made some progress.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was with the Elders when Talanus and Ysis presented themselves as candidates for sector leaders in this New World,” he said, gesturing vaguely at the surroundings. “Talanus made a strong impression, but the counsel was preparing to give the post to Ichimi. I convinced them not to do it, because his strong ambition put me ill at ease. Only sector leaders can aspire to be Elders one day, and I do not know why, but imagining that samurai in the counsel gave me chills. As for Kaiko, I do not know her well. What I know of her is just echoes of what I have heard . . . and it is not flattering.”
“Talanus doesn’t have the same concerns as you. According to Phoenix, they put a lot of effort into the investigation.”
“Perhaps I judged them too harshly. Only the future can say.”
“The future . . . that’s why I’m worried about Phoenix.”
“Why do you care so much about saving the man who stole your life from you?”
His question echoed my own thoughts. For a moment it felt as if the revelation Finn’s appearance had prevented me from having earlier was about to make itself known. But just then, a bestial growl came from the dining room. I jumped from my seat and cried out in surprise.
François was standing on the table, crouched and ready to jump on his prey. Finn hardly deigned to glance over at the intruder. After quickly measuring him up, he shrugged his shoulders and relaxed back into his chair, his evident disdain insulting poor François, who didn’t know if he should be amazed or enraged.
To avoid another bloodbath and more damage to the parlor, I rose and walked over to my musketeer friend.
“Calm down, François. Finn doesn’t want to hurt us . . . at least, I don’t think he does. He’s Phoenix’s creator.”
Samantha Watkins: Chronicles of an Extraordinary Ordinary Life (Samantha Watkins Series Book 1) Page 34
