Silver

by Pieslak, Dixie

  “You must have seen a lot.”

  I shook my head at his easy candor. Had to admit I liked this guy. his eyes were at half mast. I could almost see him counting the years of his future. I pulled to an empty spot around the corner from the Tavern. “No more questions. Leave your stuff inside and go home.”

  How long before Henna realized Conor gave off vibes like mine? To some degree I let him stay because his singing gave Henna freedom to be with me, but my decision had its danger side and I worried. I was caught in her web and there was no tearing free, so what could I do. My monster responded with a delicious answer. Heh. Control my life? Who was I kidding?

  I heard her inside mingling and a breath taking rush stirred my loins. Handling Conor was easy, but how to I handle myself?

  Chapter 45

  I stretched, glad Brecken suggested that I sleep in. Not that I was tired, but last night was a late one, talking with Christina and my boss, Gina. And Brecken, who was center stage, whether he realized it or not. I loved him coming to the little gathering, though.

  Brecken's pad was on my bed stand and for the zillionth time I examined the drawing of me asleep and how he drew what he said he saw. In the picture I was beautiful. My hair seemed to be ruffling in a breeze and there were faint shadows reflected on me through the leaves of the trees. How did he do it from memory alone? And the others drawings. Sonar looking exactly like Sonar. And me singing in a haze of color. On impulse, I raised my arm to check myself out. Huh?

  A light sheen of silver hovered close to my skin. I'm not in the habit of noticing what has always been there, but I got up to check in the bathroom mirror and ii was all around me, flowing through my normal colors. I forced angry and watched red and black surround my head, but the silver was still there. Oh, no. I bent over, arms clasped to my belly. How long? My aura easy to see and Brecken said nothing.

  Sonar jumped off the bed and stood at the door. I got hold of myself and slipped into a robe to let him into the backyard. Made coffee, opened the refrigerator. Lots of leftovers. Lasagna, ribs for Sonar, baked potato and a container of veggies. I love leftovers, but this was ridiculous. How could I have been so full with so much left on my plate? I remembered Brecken's plate. He always ordered what I did and finished everything. I have to keep that in mind when I shop for the bar-b-que.

  It was already warm out and the weather gal said we'll have hot Santa Ana winds for a couple of days. Excellent because I had new a idea for us to do. I'll tell him tonight unless he calls. Fat chance of that. He never calls, just shows up.

  Henna had a busy day and Ev was coming to my place. But before he came, I walked past her building just to feel the nearness. She finally believes it isn’t stalking - as it truly used to be - but rather, a desire to connect when she was unavailable. The B & E? You must have imagined it, I assured her. Hovering? Who, me? She claims she'll cure me of that. But she doesn't know about the vampire blood I tasted.

  I worry.

  I paused under the twisting oaks trees. Her eyes locked on me, a mischievous smile raising one corner of her mouth. There was a still moment of connection, then a sizzling touch of heaven from her and a gentle waft of Silver from me. She took it in, all unawares that she did. Such a simple thing, her gaze fixed on mine, yet I was touched by waves of sparks and fire. And felt perverse twinges of pain.

  She had considerable work to do, yet I continued to hold her eyes, cherishing that all was good with us.

  Henna moved from the window and I walked on, each of us tracking the other just as we had in my dream. Each of us reaching out, with one difference. Now I was trailing Silver and something from within her followed, lapping it up. The dream stayed in my head as I meandered home, knowing Ev was already there. He watched my lost-in-space stroll. I rolled my eyes at him.

  He was upbeat. “Great little house. Can I do a walk through?”

  “Louie’s room is off limits, Ev. The rest is yours.”

  He looked around, polite, not touching. I kept me eye on him, appreciating the diversion. Then he began to genuinely snoop. The surface coffee talks were over and the real chess match was on.

  Predictably, my book shelves attracted Ev first. Clues were there, if he knew how to look. He perused titles, thumbed through this book and that, his nosy eye catching notations in the margins. When he went to the desk to search out a sample of my handwriting, his triumphant gleam granted him a pawn off my side of the chess board.

  There was a major clue to me in the novels section of the shelves. I watched his face, almost able to see the wheels turn in that remarkable brain when he saw the spread of authors and obvious age of many editions, though he by passed all of my vampire novels. Smugly, I swiped his knight from the board.

  Prying in my bedroom was pretty much pointless, but he looked anyway. I leaned against the doorway as he entered the bathroom, chuckling under my breath when he spotted the full-length mirror and angled to check out his new haircut. Then, as anyone would do, he opened the medicine cabinet. No prescriptions, no bottles of suntan lotion, no cough syrup, no condoms. But….

  “Why would anyone have five handheld toothbrushes as well as an electric one?” He stared at the tubes of toothpaste in my bathroom drawer.

  I shrugged happily. “Perhaps I have a lot of overnight company.”

  Ev pffed then glanced quickly in the linen cabinet and shower. So thorough, he was. I followed him as he headed for the kitchen. This was a potential danger area, if he paid attention to what he was - and was not - seeing. I felt a low drone buzz inside - morbid excitement at getting caught?

  Why was I letting this sharp minded human prowl through my things? Did I want to spike his curiosity more than it already was? Yes, I admitted. Did I think to toy with him, challenging his powers of deduction? For sure, I did. And if he found something that spoke volumes? What if my secret and safety were imperiled? Ahh. Would I kill him? It’s happened before. I should call a halt, yet I had virtually invited the snooping, almost daring him to find me out. I must be going lunatic.

  Ev stood at the refrigerator, puzzling. He opened the freezer and saw - ice cubes. No student fare of frozen dinners. No packaged pizza and burritos or frozen juice and waffles. No ice cream. He glanced at me with a strange squint. Um hm. The wheels were turning in that nimble brain.

  I moved to the couch and Ev fell in the armchair with a little ‘oomph’. Questions were brewing, so I egged him on with one of the inconsequential oddities.

  “You’re weird, Ev. Checking out my clothing, sniffing the shampoo. You tasted my toothpaste, for Pete’s sake.”

  “Only one of them. Why do you have seven different tubes, all used? A bit weird yourself, no?”

  I sneered. “Is that the best you can do? I get bored with the same flavours. So sue me. I notice you didn’t snoop that much at the desk.”

  “I saw enough for now. Didn’t touch your laptop. I’m a master hacker, you know.”

  I nodded, not one bit surprised. “I’m good, myself. But, hacking? Shame on you. I thought you were above that.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, well, that was prep school days. I don’t bother now. Too easy and I don’t care anyway.”

  “Thus, my computer secrets are safe.”

  “Ha, I didn’t say that.”

  But I didn’t let it go. Computers should be inviolate, even if I disrespect others’ privacy myself, now and again. “Stay out, Ev.” My voice dripped venom. “I’ll know if you even try to get in.”

  “Noted. That’s cheating, anyway.” No concern at all for my venomous threat.

  Different, this fake tough-guy bantering between us. We should be talking sports or classes and girls. We should be relaxing with beer and some crappy snack junk. Instead we’re like two beasts stalking around the room, each looking for the weak spot in the other. Not a fair struggle, if it came down to it, but I was operating in human mode and that did help equal the field. And made it fun for me, my vamp dozing.

  Dozing? Not quite. Darkness was always th
ere, just not particularly involved right now. I'm all human today, so to speak.

  “Brecken, what’s with all the lemons?”

  Delightful question. “Good to suck on. Want one?” I went to the kitchen and quartered a couple then grabbed water and napkins. His face scrunched when I squeezed the juices into my mouth. I squinted my eyes and sank my teeth into the dripping tartness. Scraped off some rind and swished, seeking sensation. Saliva had already neutralized the sharp tang and Ev shuddered when I took another slice.

  It’s a male thing, I guess. I did it, so he had to do it. He made it through one chunk, his mouth puckered and miserable. I chewed the rind before spitting it into a napkin. “Not bad, Ev. But this isn’t chess, so quit already.” I nudged the water his way.

  “That’s awful.” He gagged and guzzled water.

  “Lots of people like lemons and limes, especially with tequila shots. No biggie.”

  “I didn’t see any tequila in your kitchen.” He drank again and swished like I had.

  I leaned forward. “Well, what did you see?”

  “Emptiness. Do you eat out?”

  “I don’t cook and I don’t snack. Ergo, I eat out.” I smiled serenely. “Obviously, there’s little point in buying groceries.”

  “Do you take Henna to dinner?” He fingered a slice of the lemon.

  “Of course I take her out. Frequently.”

  I spoke naturally and told him what he expected to hear. This was too easy and suddenly not as much fun. I toyed with how to prop it up again and decided to goad him. “You're totally losing this match, Ev. Pretty bad for such a smart guy.”

  “No way I’m losing. Mind explaining that?’

  “Um, no.”

  He thought a moment. “Explaining would show me where I messed up, right?”

  “Aw, come on, mate. I conceded to play the game, not hand it to you on a platter.”

  He looked around the room. “No problem. Gives me something to think about later.”

  I nodded, certain he'd tell me if he reached any brazen conclusions. The guy couldn’t hide his petty victories. I understood how he'd been right most of his life and couldn’t conceive of a challenge such as I am. Actually, I felt the same way.

  He carried the water glass to the kitchen, glanced at the unused stove and turned back to me with an off the wall question. “Do you relate to legends and folk tales? Mythology? Fantasy figures?” My eyebrows lifted.

  “Okay, that’s related to nothing. The answer is - nope.”

  He took the other chair and squirmed into a comfortable position. “Are you sure? How about Achilles or Thor? King Neptune or Dracula? Beelzebub? Or Don Juan?”

  “How about Pinocchio or Rumpelstiltskin? Or Ozymandias? What kind of stupid question is that? Way off base.” I shook my head at his pitiful query.

  “Just shooting in the dark, but you never know. We all have heroes.”

  “Do we now.” Turning my head to the side, I deliberately yawned.

  “Yes. Most of them aren’t worthy of the role.” He crossed his foot over his knee and picked at his shoelace. “Let's talk about the other day.”

  “Which of a multitude of other days are you referring to?”

  He shook his head at me like I was a naïve. “Come on, mate. Keep up. The morning when Mark was sick.”

  “Ah, yes. Hypnosis day.” His mocking made me testy. I had bitten into this challenge and wanted to bait him into utter misery. Be nice.

  Ev chattered on about research on hypnotism. Yeah, yeah, I thought. “So I tried self hypnosis,” she said.

  “Of course you did.” I looked away, not wanting the little jump in my gut that said my vamp was stirring. My mind flitted to that morning on the track, and saliva seeped into my mouth. I knew Ev well. Too well. I knew the heat and taste of his healthy blood and was suddenly thirsting at the memory. My body reacted to the gush of saliva with a loud rumble of hunger. Ev heard - and I grabbed up another chunk of lemon.

  “It's strange how I couldn’t resist going under, Brecken. You’re so good. Nowhere in all my research could I find anyone who did it like you did. Fast, no soothing words or swaying pendulum or other gimmicks. I think I’ve figured out where I went wrong and I need to try it again.”

  My gut churned. “Bad idea.”

  “Don't you think I can resist? You don’t know how that got to me.” He twisted the shoelace. “I’m not used to losing when it comes to mind stuff and I've always known nobody could hypnotize me. Then you did it - twice.” He looked at me. “One more experiment? For sure I'll keep you out this time.”

  “You can’t. Talk is okay, but I don’t want to be part of your self indulgence.” I lied to him with a straight face, while thirst coiled inside me and saliva bathed my tongue. Had I been hoping it would come to this? Not consciously. But, perhaps.

  I wanted to tell him to get out of my house and also wanted him to rile me enough that I’d give him the experiment he was asking for. I didn’t fight the duality of wants. Nothing new for me to be divided. I never knew which side would win out and I didn’t know that now with Ev. Root for both sides and I’d be the winner either way.

  “You owe me another try.” His lip curled.

  “I owe you nothing.” Friendly smile, fangs loosening.

  Ev tugged hard at his shoelace. I’m often disagreeable, but I never see Ev annoyed at anything. His insistence was so far out of the norm that I suspected more was going on than met the eye.

  “Look.” He jerked forward in the chair and half yelled in my face. “I’ve done all this research. I really need to try something out, so what’s the big deal?”

  “There’s just no point in it.” I leaned right back in his face, thrilled at his belligerence. I wanted to get to the bottom of this. And I wanted to rouse him further, see his face flush in anger. My belly rumbled again. “You’re walking a losing path, Ev. Why do it?”

  “Because I want to know. I’ve set something up here, with me as the research subject, and I need you to help with my experiment. I seriously need to know if it works.”

  “Set up what? Hypnosis in three easy steps?” I flipped my hand at him, mocking his little project.

  Ev shook his head. “You can't say no. Afterwards, win or lose, I promise to tell you. But not until we do the test.”

  Puh! He promises. As if he could keep something from me. I thrust myself from the couch to distance myself from him, although proximity meant nothing. I could grab his mind from across the room, from the end of the driveway, or across the street. Oh, but he tempted me, innocently walking the wild side. Curse the stupid chess game and me for allowing it. For encouraging him and his idiotic ideas. This had to end. I headed for the door, ready to boot him out.

  “I could force your hand,” he muttered.

  “What?” I wheeled back to him, grappling with the fact that he was threatening me. “Are you crazy? This is a friendly little access game, and you’re sitting there making some childish threat? What’s wrong with you? You like pissing me off?”

  He leaped to his feet. “Yeah, I do. You’re like two people, Brecken. One all calm and controlled, the other full of power and warnings. I’m studying both sides. I told you that.” His voice shook and the angry flush was there, but he held his ground.

  “So - what? If I don’t hypnotize you any time you feel like it, you’ll force my hand? Am I your puppet?” I spat the words. “What could you possibly do to me?”

  His fists clenched. “I could hack into your computer. And Henna’s.”

  My body turned to stone. “You are so finished. Get out.”

  But he was winning and he knew it. One more word and I’d take him down Moments before we were bantering, playing the parlour game of hide and seek. Now, it was all about him coming out on top. All about me bending to his will. That wasn’t going to happen.

  He sat back in a slouch and scoffed at me. “If you think I’m afraid of yelling, you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s all posturing,” he taunted. “You ge
t seriously ticked off and talk tough, but I know you enjoy confrontation.” He gave me a sly look, so unlike normal Ev. “You never act on your paltry threats, Superman. “But I will act on mine.”

  In deadly calm I paced towards him, my vamp just a fraction away from blasting him. One last warning that I hoped he’d ignore. His shirt was loose around the neck and I saw the throb under his skin. I let my eyes go feral.

  He jumped up, a scornful sneer on his face. Foolish puppy. I tightened my lips to veil long teeth. “Let it go, Ev. Leave.”

  He exhaled sharply, an insolent puff of breath to mask growing alarm. “Uhn uh. I can block you this time and I have to test it. I'm not leaving.” My running mate, super genius, just called war with a vampire.

  And I was on him, punching him in the chest and grabbing his mind. He twisted and fell like a rock, against the couch, then to the floor. He landed hard, breath whooshing out, awareness gone. I could have stopped then, but neither human nor vampire wanted to.

  Violence, even a little, brings everything to the fore. It rouses rage and extremes of excitement. It makes me sing and makes me thirst. My head spun with intoxicating fury and the sharp gnash of craving.

  I didn’t hesitate, didn’t question, but threw myself across his back, slashing at the side of his neck. Fangs tore through his skin and blood oozed across my tongue and down my throat. Heat washed through me. I pulled back and grabbed his hair to lift his head from the floor, angling for a deeper bite. My teeth slid in, slick and needle sharp, and I took what I wanted. Sucking hard, swallowing deep, I filled my mouth and throat and body with his wonderful blood. Again and again I drew from him, then back to the first wound, wanting to punish his superior attitude. Wanting to roll in the richness of blood. I drank deeply, too filled with euphoria to even remotely consider curbing myself.

  I lay hard on him, wrapped around him, held him tight and let my thirst run. His blood tasted of adrenaline, fear and something intense that I call courage. I took it all into me and exulted at the lightening spread of energy and heat. I sucked harder, my throat moving, my mouth tight against the gash. His heart beat fast, surging his life into my body with every throb. And Ev lay unknowing, his test a failure.