“What do you mean?” Zack slid his pants down and off his legs.
“I mean that I know some people that are going to be at the concert that might be able to help you.” Kyli sighed.
“You mean vampires?” Zack stepped into the slick black pants Kyli had picked out.
“Yes, vampires.” Kyli walked over to the bedroom closet. “It may not seem like it now, but there are quite a few of them that don't want to kill you for some obscure unknown reason.”
Zack looped the black and silver leather belt through the dress pants. “By the way, how did you know what size I was?”
“Are you kidding? I sized you up the moment I got you up here.” Kyli reached for her jewelry box in the center of the far shelf in the walk in closet. “Besides, I know someone your size.”
Zack buckled the silver fastener to the belt. “Who?”
Kyli opened the box. There was a large assortment of silver, red, black, and pink trinkets. Rings, necklaces, anklets, chokers, chains, and even piercings were in every possible style. “You don't need to know.”
Zack peeled off his socks. “You're really not going to tell me?”
Kyli took out a single silver chain from the box. “It's a surprise.”
“Kyli, whose clothes are these?” Zack put his right foot into one of the socks. “I don't like the idea of wearing a stranger's clothes. Especially if I think they may be from an ex-boyfriend of yours.” Zack rolled the other sock up.
Kyli attached the chain to the back of the pink heart choker she was already wearing. It hung midway down her back. “Then if I must tell you.” Kyli went silent. She wanted to listen for Zack's outrage.
“You must.” Zack picked up the black suede blazer Kyli had given him.
Kyli removed a set of cuff links from the box and closed it. “Then put these on first.”
Zack put on the black blazer and opened the door. “What now?”
Kyli walked out of the closet and back to the main bedroom to face Zack. “These.” Kyli held her left hand out to display a set of silver cuff links. “Put them on and I'll tell you.”
Zack took the silver jewelry and started fixing them onto his sleeves.
“Here, it'll go quicker if I help.” Kyli handled the other cuff link.
Zack looked down to his socks. “What about the shoes?”
“Sorry, here you go.” Kyli reached under her bed for a pair of black leather shoes. They were shined and polished.
Zack wondered if the shoes would fit as well. “And you'll tell me who these are from?”
“Yeah, sure.” Kyli grabbed Zack by his left shoulder and sat him down on the side of her bed. “Let's tie these up first.”
Zack presented his right foot for Kyli. “So?”
“You'll meet him later.” Kyli slipped one shoe on and laced it up.
“How later?” Zack raised his left foot.
Kyli slipped the other shoe on and tied it. “Tonight.”
“At the concert?” Zack stood back up.
“No, before we leave.” Kyli went back to the closet.
Zack checked the fit of the shoes. As he thought, they were his size. “How recent was this boyfriend of yours?”
Kyli ruffled through a large cache of silk neck ties in her closet. “I told you, they're not from my ex.”
“Brother maybe?” Zack was hoping.
“Nope. I don't have any siblings.” Kyli came out with a single Christmas red silk tie. “Here, this will complete the look.”
“A red tie with a white shirt?” Zack wasn't a fashion guru in the least, but he knew that combination wasn't the most stylish in the world.
“Pull down your jacket.” Kyli instructed.
Zack obeyed. “You're going to tie it for me?”
“I'm here to help you aren't I?” Kyli flipped up Zack's collar and threw the silk tie around his neck.
“Kyli, am I really going to find the answers at this concert?” Zack sighed.
Kyli finished. “Not at the concert. At the after party.”
“There's a party too?” Zack pulled the jacket up.
“You look great. Now all I have to do is get ready.” Kyli walked off.
“You didn't answer my question.” Zack pursued Kyli.
Kyli walked into the spare bathroom. “I know.” She slammed the door in Zack's face.
Zack sat down on the couch. He had been tricked by Kyli again. He surveyed the clothes she had given him. All of the clothes fit very well. Zack didn’t know if Kyli had bought them in his size or that she secretly was a cross-dresser for fun. Zack was sure Kyli had it in her to let him think the clothes were someone else's. He wasn't sure whether or not she was going to tell him the truth. Knowing Kyli as much as he did, either were good possibilities.
Zack straightened his tie and patiently sat. Kyli spent the time in the hallway bathroom doing her makeup and generally getting ready. The hours had flown by. It was almost eight o’clock.
“What about the call your dad’s supposed to make? If we leave now your dad won’t make the call.” Zack was straightening his collar again.
Kyli opened the hallway door. “Follow me.”
Kyli’s hair was fluffed and angelic. Her eyes had a light red liner with black eye shadow. Kyli's face was perfect, a hint of color accented her pale lips. She glided across the floor as her dress flipped with the sway of her hips. Zack followed Kyli into the main hall. She knocked twice on the only other door on that level.
“We’re taking care of that.” Kyli impatiently waited.
“What about the phone call?” Zack thought about it. “Kyli, is this where you got these clothes come from?”
“That's the other thing we're solving. Just remember to be respectful of him and to mind yourself.” Kyli straightened her posture.
“What? Isn't this your-” Zack was interrupted.
The door opened.
A short young man stood just about Zack’s height. At five foot seven he stared back at them with dark green lightly speckled black eyes. His hair jet black and gelled back. His adolescent features chiseled and thin for his age. He was dressed in a formal dark black suit with gray pinstripes. He had a smooth chin without even the littlest stubble to so much as grace it. He was young and very close to Zack’s age. The mysterious figure surveyed Zack. He checked out the clothes Zack had on first. He glared at Zack and then shifted his attention to Kyli. He did not appear to be pleased.
The studious young man spoke. “Where are you two going? Who is he? And why is he wearing one of my suits?”
The young man's voice seemed familiar to Zack. He had heard it somewhere before, but couldn't place it. Zack thought about it as Kyli smiled.
"Nice to see you too." Kyli was sarcastic.
The line of questions this unknown person was asking gave Zack the information he needed. He knew who this was. Zack didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, but he knew. Before Kyli spoke again, before their heated discussion took flight, Zack knew the relationship of this seemingly young man standing in front of him. Even if he still couldn't place where he knew his voice.
“Daddy, this is Zack Giver. He’s a-” Kyli was being polite and proper, a side she hadn’t shown Zack before. It was sincere, unlike how she spoke to Diane. Her greeting was cut off by her father.
“A vampeal.” Kyli's father's tone was short and livid. He was not happy.
“Well, y-” Kyli was cut off again.
“Yes, I know what he is. But why is he wearing my suit?” Kyli's father sighed.
Zack dare not say a word. The tension was too great for him to attempt stepping between them.
“He’s a boy I met at the club. We’re going to see Marin’s concert. Is that enough for you? Do you need to know his blood type as well?” Kyli didn't like explaining herself.
Kyli’s father scoffed at the mention of Marin’s name.
“Zack needs to borrow your suit for the night.” Kyli told her father directly.
“Zack is it?” K
yli's father stepped forward to get a close up view of Zack's face.
“Yes sir.” Zack held his ground. He wanted to flinch. His muscles tensed but Zack stood straight to his own amazement.
“I’m David Waterfield. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zack.” David extended his left hand to Zack.
Zack politely shook David's hand in return. David's skin was clammy and frail. A distinct difference to Kyli and even to what Zack felt of Orhn.
David lightly gripped Zack's hand, testing what he would do in front of his daughter.
Zack held back the slight bit of laughter about David's name, the similarity to a certain magician of the same first name was humorous. Zack nearly bit his lip holding it in.
David let go of Zack's hand. “Come in. I have a condition if you're going to Marin's concert.”
Zack examined David's face. He appeared to be prepubescent. No sign of facial hair or an Adam's apple. Zack was a bit confused on how exactly David could be Kyli's father. He was obviously turned in his youth. His apparent age confused Zack. He wasn't a doctor, but he figured that puberty had to at least be involved somewhere in order to conceive a child.
Zack, Kyli, and David walked into the loft. Mr. Waterfield’s room was the direct opposite floor plan to Kyli’s. There were still hardwood floors. The taste of the room was in stark contrast to Kyli. With a resin coating the pitch black colored floor glistened as the reflection of the overhead recessed lighting shown down from above. Zack was impressed by the amount of lights. More than two hundred individual bulbs blanketed the ceiling of the room. The perspective of them changed as you moved through the living room. The walls were painted a glossy shinny white. What was left of the ceiling was nearly holographic from the small seemly random spots of acrylic black finish. Black angular chairs were gathered around the living room. There was no couch. There didn't appear to be any forms of entertainment either. There was no television or magazines of any kind. Zack noticed the entire room was alien to Kyli's in comparison. He wondered if David was truly her biological father due to all that he was seeing to the contrary. David’s personality shown throw this room, he was a very astute person. Not one to bother with the comforts of a home, but the use of it was a dwelling alone.
Zack closed the door behind them.
Kyli immediately turned to David. “There’s just one more thing, daddy.”
David stopped in his tracks. He ignored Kyli completely and headed towards the bedroom closet.
“Zack’s dad needs you to call him when we’re done here.” This is how Kyli was sweet talking her father. Not with a nice, buttery routine, but a harsh ‘that’s how it is’ war path to her goal. The cuteness of the interaction was killed by how forceful she was being.
“You’re asking me for a favor?” David contemplated something. “After stealing my suit to parade your latest toy around at a show?”
“Now daddy, it's not like that. I'm helping Zack.” Kyli argued.
“Yeah, you're always helping people.” David wasn't buying it.
“Zack's not like the others.” Kyli contested.
“So he has a job?” David's words were harsh. His sagacious comment struck Zack.
Zack's self esteem took a back seat to his male ego. He was upset Kyli had so many instances that her father would come to see each new face as a young suitor willing to whisk Kyli away.
Coming out of the closet with a bright red tie in his left hand, David had come to a conclusion. “I have an idea that can make this fair for me.”
“What do you have in mind, sir?” Zack dared to speak his mind.
“Sir?” David raised his right eyebrow towards Kyli. “Now that's something I haven't heard from one of them in a good while. “You might have a chance, yet.” David said to Zack.
“You were saying, sir?” Zack prompted David to continue.
“I will call your father, tell him whatever you wish, and clothe you.” David smiled in a manner that put Kyli’s smirk to shame. It had a devilish flare to it, David had an agenda that was all his own. He presented Zack with his Christmas red silk tie in his hand. “Wear this tie and I will call him when you leave.”
“And tell him you'll be with us the whole time?” Kyli added to the terms of the impromptu deal.
“Of course.” David faced Zack again.
David's eyes were cold. Zack almost didn't think they were real.
Before Zack could answer Kyli interrupted. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch, he only has to wear this tie and go to the party later that night.” David was paused. “And say hello to Marin personally.”
David stared at Zack. His dark green eyes were eerie. Zack couldn't help but look back. David's left eye slid down. Zack realized he was wearing contacts. The lens fell sharply to the floor. What was left behind mirrored the image of Orhn's eyes that were still stuck in Zack's memory. The iris was pure black. The remaining flesh was entirely dark green.
Zack found himself naturally leaning back and away from David. His adrenaline had already kicked in. Zack recalled the feeling of Orhn breaking his limbs. It was gnawing at Zack.
Kyli noticed David's eyes. “Daddy.”
“What?” David thought nothing was wrong.
Kyli pointed. “Your contact popped out.”
David looked down. He found it immediately. “Oh, thank you.”
David began to reach down. Before Zack could acknowledge it, David had the contact on his fingertip and was already placing it back over his eye.
Zack was still shaken.
“Daddy. You should apologize.” Kyli told her father.
“Why?” David blinked.
“The last time Zack saw those type of eyes, he was beaten and kidnapped.” Kyli scolded David.
David cleared his throat. He turned to Zack. “Sorry. You have to understand, this is how we appear all the time.” David briefly explained. “A vampeal has the perfect balance of anonymity. You can walk in the sunlight and hide your fangs when you need to. You appear human. Our eyes give us away as the monsters we are.”
“I thought all vampires were able to easily blend in?” Zack asked Kyli.
Kyli was about to answer Zack as David stepped towards him, interrupting her.
“What Kyli said was true. At present a vampire is indistinguishable from a human.” David saw that he wasn't getting through to Zack. He turned to Kyli for help.
“Now you know what I've had to deal with.” Kyli gestured to Zack.
David continued. “All full vampires have eyes like mine. Through the invention of modern wide colored contacts, we have the opportunity to be normal socialites.”
“Is the color your choice?” Zack asked David.
“Yes, as with any contact.” David assured Zack.
“No. Your actual color. Is it a choice?” Zack rephrased his question.
David was silent.
“Zack, that's enough.” Kyli put her hand on Zack's shoulder.
“Enough? But I didn't-” Zack stopped talking. He could tell David was getting upset.
“We'll talk later, okay. Let it go for now.” Kyli instructed Zack.
“Daddy, you were asking Zack to meet Marin at the party.” Kyli got things back on track.
Zack didn't catch it the first time it was said. “Meet him? I'm supposed to meet him?”
“That's exactly what I want you to do.” David held the red tie up to Zack's right shoulder. “And wear this tie.”
“But how am I supposed to meet him? Won’t he be behind a wall of body guards?” It's not that it wasn’t an unreasonable request. Zack just didn’t see it happening. Zack sighed and began to remove his tie.
“Vampires don’t need body guards.” David stared Zack down. “Mention my name to the door man and he will let you in.”
Zack didn’t argue, he knew better than to contest the wit of Kyli’s father. He took the tie from David. There was something tricky about her family that crafted a quick mental response to every situation. Kyli nodded t
hat he should go along with David’s request. Zack put on the tie with Kyli's help.
Zack informed David of what Diane was going to ask him. About how to curb the conversation to stay on topic. Though Zack doubted David would have any trouble misleading Diane or his dad for that matter.
“Don't worry Zack. I can play the good father when I want to.” David told Zack.
“And other times, he's just obstinate.” Kyli added. She led Zack to finish getting dressed.
Kyli helped Zack with the new red tie, arranging it in a double Windsor. She combed his hair into a loose, stylish fray. This way he would at least appear to have the right to stand next to her in a social situation.
Kyli and Zack gathered a few things and went downstairs to make their way to the concert. The ride was relaxing. Kyli’s station wagon was a luxurious transport for comfort while Zack ran through what might happen at the after party that David mentioned. He tried as he might, but his eyes kept luring him to Kyli's neckline. She was seductive enough without the effort of a red dress. Zack could smell the cherries and lavender hovering in the car. His nose leading him towards Kyli as they approached the parking lot.
As Kyli turned to Zack she lifted his chin with her right index finger. “Aren't there a few other things that should be on your mind about now?”
Zack nodded and snapped out of it. He sat back in the car seat, thinking of the unknown terrors that might await him. If the party was public there was a good chance Orhn could show up. Zack didn't think Orhn would care about witnesses to a murder.
“Zack there’s something I need to tell you about the pheromones. Vampires constantly exude them, that’s why they have such a powerful sway on the opposite sex. We don’t, we only secrete them at certain times.” Kyli was briefing Zack.
Unfortunately Zack didn’t see the urgency in Kyli's content. “I know I've pretty much figured that part out. If I get angry or physically exert myself I'll let out more.” Zack thought he had paid enough attention and deserved a bit of recognition.
Kyli placed the car in the back of the lot and shifted into park. “You surprise me again. I didn't think you would pick that much up from our little talks.”
“Well I can pay attention when the subject interests me.” Zack boasted.
Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) Page 14
