Del would be able to fake his death and walk away to Russia and into a new life. He knew he made a grave mistake killing the lawyer. He would have to return to a life of scavenging again. Somehow the knowledge sat well. Deep down, Del knew it was his fault. If he had prepared and analyzed the situation more, this man would have returned to his family, and he would still have a job. Del blamed himself and searched for the nearest abandoned building at the east edge of town. The next night he was headed for Russia.
Del was in eastern Spain now. His trip from Madrid was quick on foot. He moved at night and killed any Spanish highwaymen that unwittingly attempted to prey upon him. Del was tired and needed to rest. The time spent traveling hadn't been kind to him. Del's hair was matted and his suit was coated with layers of old, dried, dead blood. There was a distinct smell coming off of him that resembled death. Del's eyes still shined a blood red, demonizing his appearance even further.
Del came across a single hut in the middle of a large open pasture. Inside was a young woman making stew. The smell pervaded the air, reminding Del of how wonderful a home cooked meal was to a warm throat. She was humming something that he couldn't quite make out. Del came closer and sat next to the wall of the hut in order to listen. The rickety wood shook as a gust of wind blew by. The woman stopped for a moment and then continued. She was singing an English nursery rhyme.
“Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white was snow.” She was singing it to a different tune than Del had heard it as a child. It wasn't the same song sung by the women and babies that used to frequent the town he grew up in.
Del peeked through a knothole in one of the shutters. The hut was more of a shack than a place of dwelling. Inside was a young, vivacious woman dressed in peasant's farm clothing. She had white linen wrapped in cowhide leather around her waist, wrists, and ankles. She appeared to be vigorously stirring the stew over the fire. Her chest rocking to the soft motion of her arms spinning in a set circle. Her long untamed black hair flowed down over her left shoulder, accenting her partially open top. Beads of sweat poured down her skin. Del wondered what she was doing in such a place all by herself.
“Mary had a little lamb, Mary had a little lamb, Mary had a little lamb.” She was singing the same line over and over again and was beginning to sadden. The voice that was once bright and chipper was now lowering. She was lamenting something. As she stirred the pot, her pace was slowing. Something was upsetting her. Del felt something was wrong.
Del approached the only door to the hut. He called out to the woman inside. “Hello?”
Del heard the ladle the woman was stirring with drop to the floor. Scurrying sounds echoed from the hut and into the distant field. Suddenly and without warning, the door flung open. The beautiful young woman with very long wisping black hair and Spanish skin stood tall and confident. She stared into his eyes for a moment. Del got one good look at her while he transfixed his eyes to hers. She had bright green eyes that tore into his heart. This was a woman that was expecting someone, a traveler that was not Del. They were truly awing eyes that kept Del's attention. He didn't even feel the shot. The long double barrel gun that impacted his chest didn't so much as phase Del from staring at this young woman's green eyes. Del hadn’t fed in more than a day and was already feeling weakened at the time he approached the door. He didn’t flinch as the deer slug entered his right chest and slammed through his upper ribs, collapsing his lung. The trauma was too quick, too surprising for him to react. The bullet exited his back and ripped open the back of his black suit. Blood cascaded down Del's chest and back. It was the first time he had ever been shot. The pain was surprisingly numbing. It was more of an ache followed by a moment of light-headedness. Del blacked out. His eyes shut with the sight of the woman's green eyes.
The woman realized the look on Del's face was not malicious as he fell. Del honestly meant her no harm. When she heard him at the door, she acted on impulse. Firing at Del with fear rather than any reason or justification. As Del lay on his back, bleeding the woman had an overwhelming sense of guilt hit her. Del’s weight had decreased over the years due to a diminished diet and a lack of livestock in Del's area. He had slimmed down to a light one hundred and sixty pounds. The woman dragged Del inside. A streak of blood trailed in the dirt behind him. She put a fire poker into the burning kindle for the stew and took out her sewing kit from the corner of the room.
A draft blew the door closed. The fire in the middle of the room lit only the lower half of the dwelling. There were multiple furs that lined the old walls of the hut. They provided surprising insulation to the little structure. Cast iron cookware hung over the flickering fire, above the bubbling potato and meat stew. A row of salted meat rested in the corner of the room, lined up against a stockpile of dried goods. The woman was very well entrenched considering the remoteness of the hut itself.
“If you survive this, you better have not been sent by Silveretta. If this has anything to do with my land, I’ll kill you again before you have a chance to run back.” The woman's voice was soft, but her words were strict. She drew a long string from the sewing kit and began to thread it into the large leather needle. She pulled Del up onto her left knee while she sat down, examining his chest. “By the way, I’m Maria. If you were sent by him, you already know my last name, but here’s to hoping you weren't.” Del's blood was soaking her dress. “For what it's worth, I’m sorry I shot you.”
Maria took the time and effort to stitch Del's wound shut. The bullet had passed through so there was nothing to dig out. She bandaged Del up and laid him on her small cot to rest. Del lay there in bandages for a day. Maria had closed the window shutters and sealed the door up tight. It had been cold and she didn't want him to freeze. He was unconscious until the next nightfall. Maria had treated him, cleaned his wound, and cared for him despite initially wanting to murder him at first sight.
A few hours after dusk, Del woke up. Maria was stunned to see him sit up on his own so shortly after taking such an injury. Del was pale, far lighter than he was the day before. His fangs had drawn themselves out. Del's eyes were bloodshot with dark red pupils that stared at Maria with a question. Del had no idea why Maria wanted to kill him. For the moment Del was thirsty and hungry for the primal need of blood his body had developed. He didn't care why she was helping him, only that she no longer wanted to end his life. Del just wanted nourishment. He set his sights on Maria. There was an urge consuming him. Del's body was sinewy and taught. He was the epitome of terror as he stood and stared at Maria. It was a fear that was felt to the core of her soul. She watched as Del closed in on her, knocked her to the floor, and pinned her arms above her on the ground. Del was about to sink his fangs deep into Maria's throat. Until she said something that Del couldn't ignore.
“The pain of fear, the ache of mortality. My life is a meal, a quick snack to be eaten by your eternal desire for more. Am I so insignificant that you would kill me without another thought?” Maria's words were crafty and full of eloquence.
Del didn't know what to think. He let up off of Maria, allowing her to climb to her feet.
Maria carefully backed away from Del. She misplaced her left foot and fell back towards the fire that was cooking the stew she had spent all day tending to.
Del caught Maria in his arms, saving her in mid air.
Maria stared at Del with displeasure. “You protect me from the fall when you already know you’re going to devour my soul?” Maria’s face shed its fright and adopted a position of curiosity. “What ferocious vampire spares injury that leads to an easy murder?”
Maria’s words rang loud in Del’s heart and mind. She was much smarter than he had let himself believe. She spoke clear English and was well educated. Del set Maria on the left side of the bed and hung his head in shame. Del had nearly slaughtered an innocent woman in a rage that was not his own. His craving for blood had gone unchecked for too long. He wanted to gain control again. Del wanted his humanity intact if he was going to continue living. Del
held his head while his fingers shielded his face too long to describe. He let the water flow from the dry vessel that was his body. This was not who he wished himself to be. Del wanted to find a path that could remove him from his present course. He prayed for absolution.
Maria was amazed that she was still alive and stood up. “You are very contradicting you know. Crying for something you never actually did. Especially since I shot you last night.” Maria placed her hands on her hips and sighed. “I acted rashly, you only thought it.” Maria sat back down next to Del. “Do you know why I know what you are? Do you want to know why I instantly knew a vampire had come to my door?”
Del subtly shook his head. His hands still covered his weeping face.
“When I was ten, there was a vampire that lived in our village. He was beautiful. I do not know how tall he was, just far taller than I was at the time.” Maria's voice loosened as she spoke. “His long black hair was straight and refined. His chiseled jaw wooed every woman that came across him.” Maria smiled shyly, turning away from Del. “He dismissed them all, every one. I think he must have broke half the girl's hearts in the country with all the proposals he got daily. His eyes were like yours, only purple. An amazing pure purple, the color of paintings in the cities. He taught me English, how to read, to write, and left me pages of music after he vanished.”
Del raised his head and wiped his face.
Maria used the edge of her dress to clean his eyes.
Maria's smooth, Latin legs piqued Del's vision. Distracting him from his internal anguish.
“I was a little girl, but I was in love with him none-the-less. I know he knew it too.” Maria lowered the edge of her dress and leaned against Del's shoulder. “He was cold like you are.” Maria locked her right arm in with Del's left. “One day on my fifteenth birthday, I offered myself to him. Everything I had I offered to him. I told him that it was for my birthday present.” Maria blushed and held Del's hand, with their fingers interlaced. “He took my hand and brought me to his house.” Maria nuzzled Del's shoulder. “We walked up to his bedroom. He laid me down in his own bed. I remember thinking the sheets were so soft. He slowly and gently slipped my clothing off one by one. I let him strip me down to my panties before I told him to stop.” Maria gripped Del's arm. “He knew I didn’t have the courage to go through with it. He had done only so much to placate me. In order to let me know what I had the guts to do and what I didn’t. I thanked him and we talked in the bed all night long. Before the morning came he covered me in a white sheet and he carried me back to my house in his arms. It was very romantic. I enjoyed everything from that night.” Maria sighed.
“What's wrong?” Del felt Maria's hand loosen. Del placed his hands in hers. He welcomed the attention now.
Maria continued. “The next day he was gone. There was no note, no message to mark his abandonment of all of us. Nothing to say that he ever even cared for me in the way I loved him.” Maria swallowed the lump that had welled up in her throat. “That was it until a year later he appeared to me on my sixteenth birthday. He told me that if he stayed the villagers would have hunted him and he would have had to kill too many people that were close to me. He left to spare me their deaths.” Maria’s tears flowed from her eyes with the pain of that memory.
“He never drank from you?” Del was touched by her story. Maria's skin was warm to his cold touch.
Maria buried her head in Del’s shoulder again as he held her tight.
“Not once. He wanted to keep me pure, and then he went away.” Maria squeezed Del’s arm. “You look so much like him.” Maria raised her head again, she had come to a decision.
“Have I done something wrong?” Del was used to offending people through his lifetime. He thought Maria was pulling away from him.
“I know what to do.” Maria ignored Del's question and began to search for various items around the hut. She gathered a water bucket, a sponge, sheep sheers, a straight razor, a brush, and a cup. “Come, sit here.” Maria sat Del on the single chair in the room.
“What are you doing?” Del was placed in the chair, facing away from Maria. His hair was matted and his chin had thick stubble.
Maria started by arranging Del's unkempt hair.
“Are you grooming me?” Del asked Maria.
Maria brushed Del’s long tangled hair. “Sit still, I have a lot of work to do.”
“There’s no need.” Del was being proud, he was filthy and knew it.
Maria dipped the brush in the water, she used it to wet Del’s head. “I told you to behave, now stay still.” Maria pushed down on Del’s shoulders to square him in the chair.
Del was now fidgeting on purpose. “What if I don’t want to?” He chose to be playful with her. Something he had not done with anyone in a long time.
Maria stopped. “Let me do this. Please, let me do this for you, for me.”
Del didn’t argue. Maria was up to something that was weighing heavy on her heart. “Okay, for you.”
Del was calm and still as Maria trimmed his hair, shaved his slight beard, and scrubbed clean his dirt laden skin with a sponge. The brown water spilled on the ground, mixing with the dirt. Once done, Maria unbuttoned his tattered shirt. She tossed the fabric towards the bed as her fingers glided over Del’s firm chest and abdomen. Being a vampire for a few decades kept Del in excellent shape. He was fit and attractive. Del's lure extended beyond his physique, there was a scent to him that Maria was entrenched in. Del was fulfilling her desires and dreams with his simple presence. Del only needed to let her act on her intentions.
Maria walked in front of the chair and faced Del. Her desires were obvious, she straddled Del's lap. Maria stared into his eyes. “Don’t say anything, please. Let me let you come to me.”Maria placed her hands on Del's bare chest, sliding her fingertips over his toned flesh. “Follow me. Let yourself over take me tonight. Be my dream Del, be my vampire of the night for me.” Maria ran her hands across the back of Del’s neck. She leaned in and held him tight. Maria gently kissed his neck.
Del sat motionless, mechanically indecisive, Del didn’t say anything.
Maria eased up and unhooked Del’s belt. She stared into Del's eyes. “My name is Maria Del Cid. Tonight I’m making you make me happy. Just lay back and let me think of you as my own personal vampire, please. For now, be refined, be classy, be seductive to a fault, be him.”
Del obliged Maria, picked her up and placed her on the small bed. Maria sighed as she knew Del took her fantasy seriously. Del slid her dress up past the hips, over her arms and head. He took the time to recreate her vision of that lost night. Del caressed Maria's stomach with the back of his hand and traced his fingers up and down Maria's left side. Precisely he enticed her skin, letting her excitement build as Del teased her body. Maria gasped. Del’s fingertips lightly scratched the inside of her left leg. Maria sighed as small beads of blood swelled to the surface. Del's face bore down beside Maria’s left hip. He placed his lips to her skin and sipped from where the droplets lifted. Maria exhaled with force as Del slid his face upwards and sank his sharp teeth into the soft space between the left crest bone and naval of her lower body. Del only drank insignificant sips as to not drain the full volume of blood he needed right away. He wanted this to last, to prolong the pleasure for Maria, to fulfill her needs. Maria breathed deeply as Del glided into a proper position. She nodded her head, and Del gratified her.
The morning did not come for hours, and when it did the two were satisfied, they had their fun. Maria had only been drained enough to make her partially weak. Though her body was sore for other reasons. Maria was awake when the dawn broke and covered Del with her thick blankets.
Maria whispered to Del's sleeping ears. Her black hair created a canopy to his face. “I know you will not be here tomorrow. You will leave the moment the sun disappears from the horizon.” Maria placed her hand on the right side of Del’s face. “You were everything he was and more Del. You were my vampire of the night, for that I thank you.” Maria
laid back down next to Del and closed her eyes. They both rested under the thick blankets, while the sun licked through the small cracks in the shutters of the hut. Maria knew she would not wake in time to see Del part. He would be miles away before her body had recovered from the blood loss. Maria grinned as her eyes became heavy, she was happy in her last minute of seeing this beautiful man. At mid-day, Maria had fallen asleep, with sweat still drying on her forehead.
Chapter 5
The Ululation of the Nightmare
Zack stood, shocked at the instant turn of Marin's actions. Unable to move from the events that had just transpired, he was stunned.
“Are you going to be long Zack? We have a party to get back to.” Marin was being directly pompous. He wasn't mentioning the fact that he had nearly strangled Zack.
“I’m sorry, I must be taking too long, making it appear that I wasn’t nearly choked to death five minutes ago.” Zack wasn’t restraining himself, he knew that Marin had the power to kill him in an instant. He knew that at any moment Marin could rip his head off, but not without enough provocation at least. Zack was too smart to let that happen.
Marin checked the hallway. No one was around.
Zack straightened his tie and joined Marin in the hall. As they approached the party, Marin stopped.
Marin caught sight of Kyli in the main party. “Look at her Zack. Really look at her.”
Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) Page 22
