The Last Vampyre Prophecy

by Ezell Wilson, April

  She flushes and the capillaries beneath her skin flame red causing a rose glow to illuminate her face. The dull burn becomes a blue flame in my throat. I can feel the hiss building behind my teeth.

  I stand abruptly. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please excuse me for a moment.”

  I catch the confused tone in her thoughts as I nearly flea from the room. Testing my will power to this extent is ludicrous.

  I close the bathroom door behind me and brace my hands against the sink staring into the mirror. My nostrils are flared and my teeth exposed. I can see the wildness burning in my eyes. Most of my rational thoughts are replaced by my natural preditorial instincts.

  I grip the counter hearing the crack stretch across the marble stone. I close my eyes and inhale several deep breaths trying to will my body to remain in this spot. I can smell the attendant roaming about the cabin. Her sickening perfume permeating the air. Her heart is pumping strong and fast delivering the rich blood through her perfect arteries. She is in perfect health and her genetic makeup assures a healthy long life. She would be something to savor.

  Then I hear Adonia shift on the sofa and tense against the wall. Her thoughts are unsure and she is feeling very over solicitous.

  The strong sense of protection sweeps over me, and the urge to feed fades to the background. I want to assure her she’s safe. I open the door and walk directly back to the study. She is propped against the wall staring out the small rectangular window.

  I walk over and without a word I pull her close to my chest and kiss her hair above her ear.

  I feel the tension fade in her shoulders as she nestles herself closer taking in my scent. That causes other feelings to course through me. Being near her triggers many conflicting emotions within me and I have no idea how to cope with the myriad of conflicts raging through me.

  I pull back and grip her hand. “Come. We need to take our seats for landing.”

  She follows me clinging to my arm as though I were her life vest.

  Thirty minutes later we are filing off the plane and the fresh air bolsters my lungs and clears my senses. Adonia is gaping at the surroundings, clearly awestruck.

  I wrap my hand around her waist and kiss her head. “This is only the beginning, love. Wait until you see the cityscape following the moments after sunset. It’s resplendent.”

  She beams at me. “Let’s hurry.” She murmurs. I grin and pull her to the car. We drive the short distance and park in the Piazzale Roma at the entrance to the city. I lead us through the throngs of tourists to an awaiting boat at a small dock. I lower her onto the deck and the motor thunders to life.

  We meander through the water ducts passing the decaying buildings lined with centuries of water lines soaked into the ancient bricks. Adonia marvels at the architecture and romantic culture of the people.

  We drift to a stop in front of our hotel. I jump on to the wooden dock and see the snaking hand of the driver inch close to her breasts as he pretends to help her out of the boat. His thoughts are consumed with her supple curves and flagrant skin. I must look murderous because he instantly cowers behind the hull and begins his preparations of launching.

  She grips my hand and skips to my side, radiating excitement. We walk the short distance on the cobbled sidewalk to the entrance of the hotel. Inside she gasps loudly and jerks to a standstill eyeing the Grande foyer leading to the master ballroom for check-in.

  The clattering of dishes and silverware below signals the bustling energy of the kitchen racing to accommodate the room service demands. I couldn’t help but catch the post-coital energy of an exuberant couple hiding in a locked storage facility one floor up. They had engaged in extra-marital sex and were basking in their endorphin-fueled tryst.

  I just never understood monogamy. It’s in every creature’s nature to indulge in the natural urges of sexual attraction. Each individual brings something new to the gambit and what one lacks another fulfills. It’s a cycle and anyone who says they aren’t tempted is layered in deceit.

  Then I sense the depravity. A man is circling a small child in an abandoned electrical room beneath the kitchen level. I can sense the sedatives floating in the child’s bloodstream. He’s a predator of the vilest nature—he will be my prey.

  I rush our check-in process and escort Adonia to our Penthouse Suite on the top floor. As soon as the concierge opens the door to our suite I slip several large bills into his eager hand and show him out the door.

  Adonia’s in awe over the opulent surroundings, but I need to go before he disappears back into the trenches.

  “Love, I have an emergency that I need to attend to, I shouldn’t be more than an hour, please just relax and order anything from the menu you’d like.” I give her a kiss to the lips and try to ignore the stab of disappointment coming from her thoughts.

  I pull the door closed behind me and begin walking toward the stairwell. It’s deserted and I run down the decrepit concrete stairs and reach the metal door to the basement level.

  I can hear the water seeping from the metal pipes above pooling in the ceiling and dripping into stagnant puddles covering the uneven floor. I sense his thoughts and walk to the room next to an old boiler. Rats are lining the walls scavenging for any morsel of food.

  He’s in a prone position looking down over the child. I grip the rusted handle of the steel door and slam it against the unforgiving brick on the interior wall. It clashes with an earsplitting shriek. He jumps in the air eyes wide with fear.

  “I-I wasn’t gonna d-do nothin’! I swear!” He pleads.

  My hunger back, my teeth gleamed with venom and the burn in my throat rages. In a split second I am in his face with his body five feet from the ground.

  “I will take pleasure, great immense pleasure, watching the life fade from your malevolent eyes.”

  His heart is bouncing in and out of rhythm causing the blood to pool around its chambers. The fear in his eyes is intoxicating. Before he can utter a word I clamp my mouth onto his neck and eviscerate his main artery spilling blood down my throat.

  Within seconds my bloodlust has drained his body dry. I drop his worthless shell to the floor and glance at the child curled on a burlap bag. He is sleeping heavily under the sedation with no visible trauma to his body.

  I bend over the remains of the abhorrent figure in front of me. He doesn’t deserve to drift away in ashes; he deserved to be scavenged by the creatures filling this basement. I kick him into the corner of the room and walk over to the child pulling him from the floor and into my arms.

  I pull the door several inches into the frame so no one will be able to open it without removing the entire frame.

  I race him up several levels and place his sleeping form on a sofa in the onsite doctor suite. I know he will be examined and cared for properly.

  Moments later I am swiping my keycard for the room and walking with renewed purpose. Replete and under control I open the door and seek out the beauty of a creature waiting for me.

  She’s sitting in the window, her knees against her chest and her arms locked around front. “Hey.” I say as I cross the room.

  She gives me a small smile. “Hi.”

  I can see in her thoughts that she was lonely and uncomfortable in a new country.

  I bend down and place my hands against the bench on either side of her hips and kiss her beautiful lips. Her breathing hitches and her heart rate doubles. She places her hands on either side of my face holding me against her lips. Soon her hands find themselves tangled in my hair and my mood shifts instantaneously.

  I pick her up and walk her over to the glacial bed centered in the room. Soft silk adorns the headboard. The yellows and gold’s used in the room cast a muted yellow tinge around the room in the evening sun.

  The intricate cherubs painting coloring the framed ceiling dance with the amber rays filtering through the tall open windows. I can smell the salt hovering in the air and hear the seagulls making their daily visit to the neighboring pastry shop.r />
  I climb into the bed next to her as the sun is just setting and we spend the next several hours enjoying our first night tangled in sex and love.

  ****

  The hideous smell of fried bacon and onions wafts through the room and I have to suppress my internal gag. Human food always revolts me. So many unnatural fillers and processed ingredients taint the way nature intended it and makes it rich in fat.

  Adonia’s not in bed and I assume she has gotten up to order room service. I have no idea how I will combat the odd notion of not eating the entire time we’ve been together. I know she hasn’t seen me take one bite.

  The time is coming for me to admit to what I am. She needs and deserves to know. But the reality is that she would leave once she knew and the thought paralyzed me.

  I shift out of bed and follow the repulsive odor. When I round the corner, Adonia is skipping around the kitchen singing to herself and smiling wide.

  I clear my throat, “I’m sorry to interrupt. Er, I should say I’m not sorry.” I grin.

  She skips to a halt balancing on her toes staring at me with a horrified look of embarrassment, which makes it all the more charming.

  “H-how log have you been standing there?” she pants.

  “Long enough to know that we may need to hire you a manager and set a tour date.”

  She covers her face giggling. “You’re a comedian, Khai.”

  I ease around the table separating us and pull her into my chest. “What would you like to see today?” I ask as I brush a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

  “Well,” she says reaching for a glossy magazine lying on the table. After flipping through several pages her fingers point to a picture of St. Mark’s Basilica.

  “I’ve been in awe of this place since I was a small girl. My dad used to take me to a local deli on Long Island every Saturday afternoon.” Her eyes become glossy and her pupils dilate marginally as she continued, “We’d sit in this little booth in the corner by the kitchen and there was a picture of this hanging over the table. I would stare at it wondering how long it took to build and who designed it because it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” A beautiful smile spreads across her face as she remembers.

  Watching her joy is the best feeling I’ve ever had. I tell myself I’ll buy her the place if it puts such a smile on her face.

  I cup her face. “Then what are we waiting for my love? Let’s shower then I want to start making some of your dreams come true.” I lace her fingers and bring them to my lips, watching her blushing smile, then pull her toward the bedroom.

  She halts me mid way. “Wait. Holy cow. Khai, we have no freaking clothes. I’m wearing your dress shirt for goodness sakes.” She says almost panicked.

  I lick my lips still tasting her lingering on them, “And you look incredible by the way.” I finish with my hand running up her thigh. She gives me her shy smile.

  I touch her chin between my thumb and forefinger pulling her face to mine. “You are so beautiful, Adonia.” She tries to divert her eyes but I hold her face and make sure she sees the absolute sincerity in my gaze. Eventually I read her thoughts of elated contentment and I smile.

  “Now, while we were en-route I had a few things delivered. You should find anything you need in the main closet.” I gesture to the door.

  Her mouth falls open and she starts to speak but closes it and just shakes her head at me. I grin and she rolls her eyes walking toward the door. I run my hand through my hair laughing lightly as I walk on to the bathroom and start the shower.

  I am pulling my shirt on when I catch her thoughts and feel her desire burning as she watches me. I turn to find her eyes scanning my body before she meets my gaze and smiles shyly.

  That is my undoing because she just affects every particle of my being. I stride across the room staring into her emerald eyes and give her no chance to respond as I lock my hands to her face and trace her lips with my tongue feeling the soft plump of her lower lip before I part them and kissed her deeply.

  Saint Mark’s Basilica is just going to have to wait because her thoughts are enough to make me sequester her in this room for the remainder of the day.

  I stroke long strides down her stomach watching the trail of goose bumps follow my wake. She has her head propped on my arm staring at the ceiling.

  “Where does your family live?” She asks turning her fierce green eyes on me.

  I stiffen. I haven’t had to answer that question in over eighteen hundred years. I’ve never gotten close to anyone who could ask. Humans have always been a means to an end—a solution to my existence, nothing more. So now, having the one thing that has ever been precious to me ask I am momentarily derailed.

  So I answer truthfully. “They died long ago.”

  The pain on her face makes several raw emotions erupt in me. She is genuinely heartbroken for me. I can read her thoughts and she hates the fact that I am alone.

  I smile. “Don’t pity me, love, it was a long time ago and I made peace with it.”

  She runs her delicate finger across my chest. “Ok.” She whispers.

  “So, tell me about your family. Are you close?” I already know the answer. Her thoughts are filled with the tightness of her family. The strong bond between them makes a strong unit.

  She snorts. “Close would be putting it lightly. They know more about my business than me most of the time. It gets really annoying.” She rolls her eyes but I can see the playfulness in her gaze. “But they’re everything to me. I can’t imagine my life without any one of them.”

  I smile. “So who do you look most like, your mother or father?”

  She frowns slightly. “Actually, I don’t really look like either of them.” She stares down at her hand laced with mine and continues softly, “The Doctors can’t really explain it. Neither of my parents have my skin tone, my eyes or my bone structure.” She looks back at me. “It always bothered me. Made me feel like I was an outsider but they loved me more than I really deserved.”

  I run my thumb across her cheek. “You deserve the world. It should be placed at your feet. You are the most worthy person I’ve ever known, Adonia. Your mind is so pure and loving. It’s intoxicating to be around, I just can’t get enough.”

  She looks at me quizzically. “You hardly know me, Khai. I’m really nothing special.”

  My short barbarous temper spikes and I can feel the rush up my spine gripping every cell in my body. “Don’t ever think of yourself that way, Adonia. You are special to many people and they would appreciate you thinking so lowly of yourself. I know that I do not and you are very special to me.”

  She sucks in a breath stunned at my words or my fierce delivery and after several beats she nods and looks contrite before she leans closer to my chest.

  Finally, calmed down I ask, “So, have you always been curious about your genetic link to your parents?”

  She stutters. “What? No! I mean, sure I thought about it, a lot when I was younger actually, then I just decided it didn’t matter either way.” She sighs. “But my parents wanted to put my mind at ease and had a DNA test done. That was when I finally knew I wasn’t an outcast, I really was their family and I’ve never looked back.”

  I am starting to put together a few pieces of the puzzle that has turned my life completely on end.

  The memories that she has of me so many years ago and the striking resemblance to Nanu, the fact that she bares no resemblance to her birth parents. All of it is pointing one way and I’m not sure I believe that myth anyway.

  I need to research and fill in the gaps. There is something about Adonia Kostas that is already knitting into the fibers of my soul. She’s been there all along.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ADONIA

  There are so many things about Khai that I just don’t understand, that I can’t wrap my mind around. Like the fact that he never eats and his movements are so unnaturally smooth and fluid. He holds me but never too close. It’s like he doesn’t want me clo
se to his heart—literally and figuratively.

  And he always seems to know exactly what I am thinking down to the finite detail and that has unnerved me the most. Not to mention that I saw him basically jump across a room from a seated position in a nano-second. It was the most unnatural thing I’ve ever seen, in my life.

  But what scares me the most is the fact that I have fallen so completely and so quickly for that man. He can and will crush me if he walks away.

  He ordered me room service while he ran an errand. He said there was a pressing business matter that he needed to attend to and that he would be back shortly. Our first full day in Venice and we never saw the outside of our hotel room walls.

  The room is beautiful. Most certainly the finest place I’ve ever stayed. The rich red and gold tones dominate the space. Original artwork adorns the walls and thick intricate moldings cover every line from floor to ceiling—just as the windows.

  I step out on the balcony carrying my silver tray with a big sub sandwich and French fries. I smile while I take a bite wondering how on earth he knows my ultimate favorite food combination.

  The seagulls are drifting by on the breeze calling out in their shrill cries as their shadows dance off the canal below. I take a deep cleansing breath and scan the buildings around me. There is so much beauty and age. The crumbling brick and stones remind me of the events of the history here. If they could talk the stories would be mesmerizing.

  I am standing against the concrete railing leaning against the cold stone when he walks behind me and circles my waist with his strong hands.

  “The way the sun catches your hair it almost looks blue—like a raven’s feather. It’s beautiful.” He murmurs as he kisses a trail down my neck.

  A moan escapes my lips because I just can’t control the reaction my body has to him. He pulls me around to him. “Come. Let’s go visit the city. I want you to experience the quiet beauty within the walls.”

  He pulls my hand and smiles as he leads me through the room and to the elevators.

  We step out onto the cobbled street and begin walking through the narrow walls between the buildings. People litter the streets; I can feel my anxiety begin to build. Khai maneuvers expertly through the sea of people so confident and strong. It makes me feel safe and secure.