by Gerald Lopez
“The woman wasn’t a day over twenty-three—barely a girl. That would make her the same age as you when we met.”
“Her immortality didn’t last very long. Who made Anna and the men with her? It had to be one of your prodigies. I could smell your faint scent on them—meaning they were made by someone you made.”
“Bravo,” Veronique said. “The farm boy has a brain as well as looks. Even today your looks are considered extraordinary. Some of our people’s looks fall out of favor as the years go by.”
“Yours haven’t,” Samuel said. “And at five-foot-nine I’m considered a bit short, unlike Rafael who’s six feet, and Roget who’s six-foot-one.”
“That’s hardly anything to worry about,” Veronique said, then kissed Samuel’s cheek. “You’ve always been my favorite. There’s never any drama or angst with you.”
“And there is with another vampire you’ve made—maybe even a new vampire you’ve made?”
Veronique stood. “All that this current crop of young people seem to have is angst. Where’s the passion and joy in life? They’d rather sulk and cry in a corner about the tragedy of it all. And most of what they call tragedy is just something they imagine in their tiny minds.”
“How much angst does your new man have? And why send his people here?”
“They were after me, of course,” Veronique said.
“Why?”
“It’s a long, depressing story,” Veronique said. “I’ll fill you in tomorrow morning. I’m spending the night.”
“Nice of you to inform me.”
“No need to worry, I had my room updated and ready. Your bedroom is just like you left it.”
“Thank you for that,” Samuel said sarcastically. “I’m guessing the living room is next on your things to update.”
“I sent your furniture out to be reupholstered and cleaned up a bit. Trust me, it needed it. Nothing has been thrown out.”
“Thank you for that consideration. I suppose the furniture needed sprucing up, as you said. I’m lax in that department. Will Rafael and Roget be staying the night as well?”
“They set up their tent outside earlier.” Veronique ran her palm down Samuel’s hair, flattening it down. “How are you doing these days, my love?”
“I appreciate the fact you gave me some time to myself to grieve for Charlie. And thank you for making sure I wasn’t bothered by anyone.”
“It wasn’t easy. Not many of my… my children, can deal with immortality. Life brings them down and they can’t deal with it.”
“Were you worried about me?” Samuel said.
“About you—no,” Veronique said and sat next to Samuel again. She rested her head against his back. “You went through the Civil War, two world wars, and Vietnam. You’re nothing if not resilient. But there were times I wanted to see you this past year. If only to give you a hug.”
“OK, what do you need? You only sound maternal when you need a favor.”
“What do I sound like normally?”
“A very hot and intelligent woman.”
“Good answer, Samuel. And the favor I need isn’t a big one. As a matter of fact, some people would consider it an honor to be given the opportunity I’m going to give you.”
“Oh no—not that, please. You’ve got an appearance to put in at some big party and want to drag me along.”
“I don’t bother you when you decide to take your hikes across these fruited plains, do I? Of course not. Because I understand your needs. Once in a while even I need a favor or two. And this is a big one.”
“Then take Giorgio or Johan with you. They both like that type of scene better than I do, especially Johan.”
“I took them to the last two functions, it’s your turn. And it’s not exactly a party. Besides, I need you. I’ve messed up pretty big this time.”
“Since when have you, of all people, made a big mistake,” Samuel said. “You’re one of the oldest vampires on the planet.”
“That’s not very gallant of you to mention a woman’s age, but point taken. Cesare is the oldest in our family and he’s the one playing host.”
“Things are serious then. When and where?”
“Today’s Thursday, the get together is Sunday afternoon in Green Cove Springs. That’s only an hour away from here.”
“An hour and a half to two, Vero. We don’t all speed when we drive, like you do.”
“Sometimes the quiet of your family home is soothing to my soul, Samuel. A lot of us keep on the go, running from place to place as constant travelers. Staying put brings up too many memories. Reminds us of those we’ve loved and lost.”
“You still have Cesare.”
“Yes. He and I will always have one another even when we’re not together. Cesare has always liked you. It’s because he understands the military man in you as well as your connection to the land.”
“That’s true and he helped make me who I am. You’ve never been overly fond of the country.”
“It’s nice for a visit. But I’ve always loved the city and lights. Believe it or not I’ve never gotten over my fascination with lights. Even though I was there when the electric light first came out.”
“You’ve come a long way since those days. How much of a mess is there to clean up, Veronique? You and the guys came here prepared for a fight. When our visitors arrived the three of you were ready to pounce.”
“You weren’t hanging back either,” Veronique said. “You obviously know things are pretty serious. I won’t deny anything you’ve said… or the fact that we have a fairly big problem. And it’s my fault.”
Chapter 3
A Truth Withheld
WHEN SAMUEL WENT back inside the house with Veronique and Amadeus he noticed changes had been made. A small table and metal chair had been placed in front of the fainting couch. On the table were two crystal wineglasses and a crystal decanter filled with a dark liquid—blood. Next to the decanter sat a red box filled with chocolate covered cherries.
“You still have a sweet tooth, I see,” Samuel said when he spotted the chocolate. He escorted Veronique to the couch and looked at his Irish Setter. “Amadeus, you know your place.”
The setter grudgingly walked to the fireplace and lay down in front of the hearth.
“Blood sustains us,” Veronique said, “but I still derive some enjoyment from eating sweets.”
“I thought food no longer held any delights for us vampires,” Samuel said and smiled. He enjoyed teasing Veronique. “The taste no longer registers to our bodies.”
“No, but the mind remembers pleasure, and makes the taste real again.”
“But, you wouldn’t have known chocolate before you were turned,” Samuel said. “It hadn’t been introduced to Europe yet.”
“Haven’t you noticed that it’s always chocolate covered cherries that I love.”
“So it has more to do with the cherries?”
“When I was a girl, my brother and I once had a sweet treat,” Veronique said. “It wasn’t often that we were able to indulge like we did that day. Our father’s men had attacked a village and on someone’s table—a rich merchant I believe, we found our treat. Luscious cherries next to a bowl of sweet, thick honey. My brother had the idea to dip the cherries into the honey. Talk about decadent. I remember the sweetness of the textures as they mingled in my mouth. The cherries in syrup remind me of those cherries in honey. The chocolate doesn’t really factor in much.”
Samuel removed a piece of chocolate from the box, tasted it, then put the rest in Veronique’s mouth. “I liked cherries, but preferred apple pie as a treat.”
“That’s because you’re an American,” Veronique said. “All Americans love apple pie.” She chuckled and heard Samuel do the same as he sat. “Shall I pour.”
“Please do,” Samuel said.
Veronique poured the thick liquid from the decanter into the two glasses. She put an even amount in both. Samuel took his glass, tapped it gently on the side of Veronique’s glass, a
nd they both drank.
“I remember the days when blood could only come from a fresh kill, otherwise it’d be poisonous to drink,” Samuel said.
“That was an old wive’s tale,” Veronique said. “Blood just tastes better fresh. A vampire could always exist on old blood, but it tasted stale, stagnant, and flat… with no life to it. Our scientists have made great strives in preserving blood and maximizing its strengths.”
“Having to sleep in coffins in times gone by wasn’t an old wive’s tale. I personally remember the need to do that. The sun made us weak.”
“You can thank our scientists again for coming up with the miraculous cure to our sun allergy. At the time, the majority of my life had been spent living in the dark. Most courtesans, such as myself, slept all day, so as to be wide awake for grand evening affairs of all sorts. Romance is better after nightfall, anyway.”
“And now,” Samuel said. “Do you sleep all day?”
“You know I’m up by eleven most days,” Veronique said and smiled. “I didn’t know how much I’d missed the daylight until I experienced it again. Cesare took me to the islands. He wanted the first thing I’d see after taking the cure to be his beloved islands. The clear azure waters under bright blue skies, the green foliage, and multi-hued flowers—all of it so vibrant and alive.”
“I wanted to see this property in the daylight, and walk under the trees I helped my father and brother plant,” Samuel said.
“Cesare and I both remember seeing you sitting out back in the sun’s rays. You looked at everything as if for the first time.”
“It’d been so long since I’d seen—really seen, those shades of green without the dark shadow of night affecting their hue. I loved you and Cesare more than ever that day. Until that time I’d seen you as a glamorous and worldly couple. When I experienced the sun on my trees again, you both seemed more like loving parents giving their child a most precious gift.”
“You can thank our scientists for that gift… and your strength. But not every vampire could handle being back out in the sun.”
“You’re talking about the cult of Gauthius,” Samuel said. “They choose to live forever in the dark because they feel that’s where they belong. The cult members see themselves as damned for their immortality.”
“Paul Gauthius has always been a rather loathsome man,” Veronique said. “And quite cruel. He and his lot are too dull for words. Life is a glorious gift to be enjoyed.”
“For all of time?”
“Well, who knows how long time itself will last. I’ve always, and still do, believe in God and one day his judgment will fall. On this world at least. Even vampires won’t escape that day.”
“I suppose Gauthius believes that on the day of judgment we’ll all be thrown into a pit of fire for being vampires.”
“I’m not sure Paul believes in anything but himself. There are good and bad people in all facets of mankind and vampirekind. We have to live our lives the way we see fit… by our own moral code. I’ve tried my best not to hurt others and live by the golden rule of loving my fellow man.”
“No one would ever say you haven’t loved your men,” Samuel said. “You’ve had a harder time loving the women who you’ve been up against.”
“Yes, well, women can be rather competitive with one another.”
“And men aren’t?”
“Men are, but in a different way,” Veronique said. “Even though people don’t like to acknowledge it, there are significant differences between the sexes. And I’m talking about more than just physical differences.” She sipped her drink. “Have you ever been attracted to a woman, Samuel?”
“No, not really. I saw Lillie Langtry once. She had real charisma. You and Cesare were with me when I met Vivien Leigh at the Gone with the Wind Premiere. The woman had a luminous, almost otherworldly beauty.”
“I remember that as a rather fun evening. Obviously you had to see the film, and you enjoyed it too from what I recall.”
“Yes. Cesare did as well. Did he ever approach Vivien Leigh for any sort of romantic tryst? You and Cesare were not romantically together at that time.”
“No, darling. Vivien was much too high profile in those days and our kind can’t afford the scrutiny of being associated with a famous person.”
“You told me that back then too, I forgot,” Samuel said. “That’s why movie stars aren’t made into vampires.”
“Most of them adore the limelight too much to live in the shadows away from the press and adoring fans.”
“That’s true enough, I suppose.”
They continued their small talk until bedtime. Veronique went to the guest room and Amadeus followed Samuel to his bedroom on the left side of the house. Things were just as Samuel had left them. His parents’ wood frame bed was against the right wall. It’d been his for many, many years now but he always thought of it as his parents’ bed. He and his siblings had been born in it. Amadeus lay down on his soft fleece dog bed below the footboard of his human’s bed. Samuel straightened the framed picture of his parents that hung on the wall next to a picture of his younger brother. On the other side of the parents’ picture, Samuel had placed one of his sister. Something that made him feel slightly ashamed came to his mind. He no longer remembered what his family members sounded like. And may have forgotten their faces if not for the old photos he kept lovingly preserved. As he pulled back the quilt his mother had made, he looked at the more recent photograph on his nightstand. It was a picture of him and Charlie on the porch of the cottage. They both looked so happy.
“I love you, Charlie. And I miss you, but I’ve got to move forward.”
He didn’t begrudge Charlie the choice he’d made. Immortality never held any sway over him. Charlie believed he had an allotted lifetime and not one day past that, even if meant one more day with Samuel. If things had been reversed, Samuel wouldn’t have made the same choice. That much he knew. He’d choose eternity with Charlie every time.
The next morning, Samuel dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, then took Amadeus outside. From the porch he could see Veronique walking under the trees by herself. She’d dressed in a sleeveless, ankle-length, white dress.
While Amadeus ran around exploring his old yard, Samuel walked to Veronique.
“Good morning,” Samuel said. “You’re up early.”
“Good morning,” Veronique said, then looked down at Samuel’s bare feet. “It’s impossible to keep you farm boys in shoes.” She smiled warmly.
“You’re not wearing shoes yourself.”
“No and I do love my heels. Today, while enjoying all this nature, barefoot seems right.”
“Are you disappointed that I didn’t turn out to be more dashing and worldly?”
“No. That wouldn’t have made you a very good vampire. It’s alright to be sociable amongst our own kind. We know what we are and we have immortality in common. More importantly we know how to live so as not to give the game away, if you understand what I’m saying. Being sociable amongst humans is an entirely different thing.”
“I do know what you mean. In fact, I was the perfect candidate to be a vampire. Being that I’ve always been a low-key kind of guy.”
Veronique smiled, then kissed Samuel’s cheek. “I’m sorry about those people coming here yesterday ruining the tranquility of your family home.”
“They didn’t ruin anything. We didn’t let them.”
“I won’t ever let anyone damage this place of peace,” Veronique said. “But I am sorry for getting you involved in things. And for what else you may be asked to do in order to keep the peace in your life.”
Chapter 4
Rory and William
“CALM DOWN, SON,” Rory said. “William, you haven’t made sense all morning. Who did Anna go see?”
“I told you, Dad, you’re just not listening!” William said, and ran his hand through his blond hair nervously. Then he twisted a long strand of hair between his fingers.
“For the kids’ sakes, you’ve
got to relax, Will.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to relax after what I just freakin’ told you? Anna should’ve been back by now. I told her not to go there… not to mess with them yet. We don’t know enough about those… those freaks.”
“The monsters you mentioned,” Rory said, trying to stay calm. “Son, I think maybe you’re a bit delusional. It’s the drugs. They’re keeping you from seeing the truth of the situation.”
“I haven’t taken any drugs for a few days now, Dad. After what happened to me, the drugs have no effect. Nothing does. Not booze, not coke—as in cocaine. Shit, not even Cheetos cheese puffs. And you know how much I love those fucking puffs.”
Rory looked into his son’s hazel eyes found them normal looking. William wasn’t sweaty and he showed no signs of being high just stressed out.
“Where are the kids, Will?”
“Anna said she’d leave them with Becky. You know Becky… the plain looking girl who lives downstairs in 105. She’s cool. What do I do, Dad? Please help me.”
“What can I do for you, son?” Rory said.
“Go where Anna went. Don’t say anything to anybody. Just see if she’s there.” He grasped his dad by the shoulders tightly. “You can’t say anything to anyone. Promise me you won’t say a thing, Dad.”
“I won’t say anything. I’ll just look around. Is it drugs, Will? Did Anna go buy drugs with her friends?”
“No, Dad. I told you, man, she went with her friends to go see some people. I’m worried Anna and her boys went to put a hurting on them.”
“How bad a hurting?” Rory said.
“Real bad. But it won’t matter what their plan is—they can’t hurt them… not by themselves. They’re too strong. Like monsters out of some nightmare come to feast on us.”
“What makes these people monsters?”
“They’re not people… not anymore. All they want is blood. I don’t know how or why I’m even still alive. You should be grateful I’m even here for you to talk to, Dad. The kids. Oh God, Dad. If they got Anna, they may come for me and the kids next.” His fingers gripped the front of his Dad’s shirt like they were talons. “Promise me you’ll take care of Aileen and the twins. For me, Dad. You’re still a couple of years from fifty—you’re young enough to raise the kids if need be. Do it as a favor for me.”
