by P. Mattern
New Cass grabbed his head as a cascade of images flooded into his mind. He’d been having a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer at a local alfresco café and suddenly began having visions that unfolded silently but poignantly.
Mitzi - riding the strawberry roan, clods of dirt with clumps of light green meadow grass attached flying out from behind the horse’s hooves.
Ian riding beside her, both of them smiling and squinting in the bright sunlight.
Then Mitzi and Ian standing under the shade of a trifecta of three ancient elms.
Then Mitzi covering her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs as Ian drew her into the circle of his arms.
Cass knew that what he was envisioning was something that had actually happened, partly because he suddenly remembered and recognized Mitzi’s reactions to her strong emotions. Mitzi always covered her face when she wept, every single time he had seen her break (which wasn’t often because she was a fearsomely strong woman), she broke like a child, her dainty hands pressed to her eyes as though she were attempting to staunch her flood of tears.
Cass stood up as the can of beer that he was holding left his grasp and rolled, leaving a fizzing trail, onto the concrete of the restaurant patio. An intense emotion coursed unbidden through his body that he recognized within seconds.
Jealous. That Ian should PRESUME to place his arms about Mitzi. Mitzi was not only his wife but the mother of his child, and their marriage wasn’t over yet, and though Cass had been staying away he was STILL part owner of the Farm.
Cass barely paused to place fifty dollars inside the bill folder, and then left so quickly that he couldn’t be followed by human eyes.
His mission? To set Ian straight.
After currying the horses, Ian polished the saddles and placed the reins and other equestrian gear in their proper places. He was a deeply private man, always kept his own counsel, and he considered his thoughts his private purview.
Particularly his thoughts of Mitzi Noble, because after their ride this afternoon, after he had actually experienced the bliss of holding her exquisite body in his arms, he knew that he was in love with her.
He didn’t have nearly as much time as he desired to replay the sensation of having Mitzi pressed up against him, flushed and smelling of meadow flowers and summer wind, because he heard a car squealing up the gravel driveway down from the stables. Walking to the entrance of the stables he saw Castor Noble wearing aviator sunglasses, jump over the side of his convertible without bothering to open the driver’s side door and march up the drive to where he was standing.
Cass’s anger was palpable and evident in every movement he made. Jerking off his sunglasses so that he could look Ian directly in the eyes he said, “I saw you holding Mitzi by our connection, Ian.”
Ian felt a flare of anger arise in his chest as he met Cass’s gaze without flinching.
“The lady is wounded, and I offered comfort. But I am not the cause of her sadness.
YOU ARE.” Ian finished, his voice rising in volume, continuing,” I meant no offense to either of you. But I WILL tell you this, Castor Noble - a man, even an immortal, that doesn’t take care of his business deserves to lose it!” For emphasis Ian finished his sentence by spitting on the ground.
Cass felt his face growing hot.
“I may not remember, but I am still her husband-at least for now. And I came here to put you on notice that if you ever lay one FINGER on her again, even to help her up on her horse, I will denounce our dark brotherhood and END you, Ian – are you hearing me man? I won’t be responsible for what I do to you. WE ARE STILL MARRIED!
This is your first AND final warning,” Cass finished.” And by the way, YOU’RE FIRED! Two weeks and I want you off the property. I can find another stable hand. Capice?”
Without waiting to hear any rebuttal from Ian, Cass turned and stomped back toward his car, starting the motor up with a roar and making gravel fly up crazily from his wheels as her exited down the driveway.
Watching Cass leave, Ian felt anger rising in his chest as well. To him, the Noble brothers were gentry, always acting as if they were superior to all the other V-net vampires. As far as Ian was concerned, Cass had forfeited his right to both Mitzi AND the children by not following through on his responsibilities.
Once again his mind went back to the meadow where he’d felt her against him.
He decided that he wasn’t giving up. Any man that caused pain to such a woman didn’t deserve to keep her.
He’d no sooner made his decision than he was startled by a sound behind him. Turning he was shocked to see Dendra, completely nude, coming out from behind the stalls.
“Hello Ian.” She said, walking slowly but confidently toward him, her long dark hair cascading over her full and perfect breasts.
“I’ve been waiting to get you alone for awhile,” she continued, ”I heard your exchange with Cass, and I know you’re probably tense and angry right now. That’s fine Ian. I’m here to relieve some of your tension, make you feel better. “
Ian only hesitated for a moment, remembering an old adage about a “stiff member having no conscience”. Standing before him in her bare feet and full frontal nudity, Dendra reminded him of a teenaged Welsh girl that he had once lain with-her skin was just as clear and pale and she smelled of violets and sex.
In an instant he laid her down on clean straw spread over rough flooring, giving both of them what they needed in that wanton moment.
Carey and Kimbra were still in their rice pillared four poster bed that Mitzi and Cass had given them as a wedding present when Avinash came strolling into the 3-4 season room through the back entrance. It was midmorning and Avi had just gotten back from his girlfriend’s house. He was in good spirits and called out toward the completely curtained bed, ”Hey how are the NEWLYWEDS?”
He could hear a stirring and Carey, with his dark curtain of hair mostly in his eyes, parted the curtain to look at Avi. Only one of Carey’s eyes was open, the other squinted suspiciously.
“Dude! Have some respect!! We’re still on our honeymoon!” he said, in a sleep roughened voice.
“Sorry.” Avi replied promptly. “But it’s been two and a half weeks. How long IS the traditional honeymoon? Are you guys going for the Guinness World Record or something?”
Carey dropped his head, pretending to bang it on the mattress and then picked it up again.
“Avi we’re not on a schedule right now. We’re still figuring things out. It’s immensely fun, as much fun as two people can have with their clothes off, and Fress said to take our time, get it?”
There were a few more rustling noises from inside the curtained bed and Kimbra’s beautiful but tousled head appeared beside Carey’s.
“Oh hi Avi,” she said yawning hugely and covering her mouth with her hand for the last of it. ”How is your girlfriend?”
“Just wonderful,” Avi replied, purposely ignoring Carey’s ‘would you PLEASE just shut up?’ glare to smile at Kimbra.” She’s really into me-well, we’re into each other. We have so much in common. She’s a ‘were’ of course - a lupina actually, and I’m a shape shifter but we’ve found we connect quite well.”
“I love your girlfriend!” Kimbra said,” She’s so pretty - that long dark hair with the bronze streaks all through it - and it looks so fabulous on her. You make a really handsome couple.”
“Thank you.” Avi responded. He was looking warily at Carey’s face - Carey was starting to get that smart ass sardonic look that he seemed to get just before he was about to say something totally inappropriate.
“What?” Avi questioned, looking at Cary,” I can tell you want to say something, like ask what brand of dog food my girlfriend and I prefer or something, right?”
Carey flushed a bit, looking disappointed, and said, ”Of course not.” But Avi could tell that his guess was dead on.
Avi raised an eyebrow,”You sure? Or make a joke about me taking her for a walk-literally-with a leash and everything? Or h
er taking ME for a walk? Nothing?”
“Nothing. I got nothing.” Carey repeated, looking disappointed and sadly shaking his head. Then he suddenly brightened. ”Wait! I do have a question. What do you guys do on a date - besides howl at the full moon?”
“HAH! Sooooo funny Carey!” Avi replied. But he felt somewhat smug - he had managed to steal Carey’s thunder since Carey was obviously off his game for once.
“Speaking of howling, I was wondering…” Avi said, looking at Kimbra, ”If you two would like to go see the band “Howl” at the cavern on with Nerja and I on Friday ?”
Kimbra smiled delightedly. ”Of COURSE we would!” she responded. Carey, obviously bored, retreated behind the bed curtains and began pulling Kimbra inside the enclosure by her feet.
“Well-‘ Bye Avi!!!” She called, and then dissolved in giggles as she and Carey resumed honeymoon activities.
Avi shook his head. In a way, several ways actually, he envied the newlyweds. He was very infatuated with Neerja and wondered what it would be like to have someone special, to have the kind of connection and uninterrupted bliss that Carey and Kimbra seemingly enjoyed.
He sighed. At least he was finally in a position to have a REAL life. He wasn’t a ‘most wanted’ by the Hybrid Vamps anymore since a truce had been reached. Balik, who had been his mentor at one time, had offered him a position of second in command if he would agree to return to the Hybrid congregation, but he had respectfully declined. As a shape shifter he didn’t really fit in anywhere, but living as part of Fressenda’s extended family was the closest he had ever come to feeling part of a group of individuals that genuinely loved and cared for each other. Even Carey felt like a brother to him-an older ,sarcastic ,rather crabby brother at times, but they had faced danger together, fought together, and been wounded together. Through their shared experiences they were as bonded as any two male energies.
Lately he had considered being Turned, though he would have to ask if that was possible or unprecedented in the history of the evolution of the phylums. He was planning on privately consulting with Fressenda and Lux about it - Fressenda because she had been around for a millennia, Lux because he was so knowledgeable on such matters. Avi was in the process of reading ‘The Reverendum’ from cover to cover, finding it an amazing and informative read.
Mitzi when furious always seemed taller than her 5’2” of height, and at that moment she was beyond enraged.
“He WHAT?” She sputtered, her face reddening as Ian told her that Cass had summarily fired him, giving him two weeks’ notice. ”How DARE he? Cass is technically only a quarter owner of the Farm. Lux, Fress and I own three quarters giving us the majority vote and he didn’t even bother to consult ANY of us first!”
Buttercup came forward to throw her arms around Mitzi as she stood, barefooted, in the Great Hall in a yellow and white floral printed gown. Her hair was held back from her lovely face in a French braid, coppery golden tendrils escaping in the humidity of the Summer day. Her blue green eyes were flashing in barely suppressed anger.
“Please don’t upset yourself,” Buttercup implored, looking up at Mitzi. ”I’m sure Mr. Cass must have had a reason… maybe a good one.” she added, shooting Ian a suspicious look. Buttercup had a complex and unerring sense of smell, and she could clearly smell an elevated testosterone level emanating from the vampire Ian. Buttercup, though a simple creature, knew what that meant-it meant that he desired her mistress Mitzi in the way male energies desired females-mostly for breeding and such.
Well Buttercup wasn’t about to let any of that happen. After all, her poor darling mistress had been traumatized by Nurse Sephla while in the throes of childbirth. As far as Buttercup was concerned Mitzi had been through enough and Ian needed to be off the property with a quickness. Though Buttercup was also piqued at Cass, she felt HE was the one that should be attending to her missus, being the father of Coriander.
All in all, she wouldn’t be the least bit sorry to see Ian go.
“The Wetnurse is right.” Ian told Mitzi earnestly. In his embossed riding boots, riding breeches and simple linen shirt laced in the front he looked very dashing as he stood before her. ”You shouldn’t upset yourself about it my lady. I just wanted you to know. Castor said he’d be hiring someone new shortly so I know the horses won’t suffer any.”
Mitzi stepped forward and took Ian’s hands apologetically.
“That is so unfair of him. You’ve been invaluable around the farm, Ian, not only tending to the horses but also being an incredible help to us here on the Farm. You even fixed one of the generators last week when it broke down. “She stopped speaking as she looked up at him and sighed heavily.
“My husband is a stubborn man, Ian. But, trust me, I will have words not only with him but with Fress and Lux also. And if you don’t want to stay under the circumstances I can’t blame you, but I will personally make sure that you receive a generous severance at least.”
Ian hesitated, his gaze dropping for only a moment, then looked back into Mitzi’s beautiful, concerned eyes.
“That is very generous of you, though I wouldn’t have asked it. I do have one request however.” he stated, still looking at Mitzi intently.
At that moment Mitzi, filled with outrage at Cass’s unilateral decision making, decided that whatever it was Ian would have it.
“Anything.” She told him.
Ian cleared his throat – glancing at the short wetnurse he saw that Buttercup was openly glaring at him, but he continued anyway, desperation and desire making him reckless.
“I’d like you to accompany me on a short trip,” he said, smiling.” Very short trip actually, since we have a direct portal to this place about two miles away in the upper left quadrant of your property. I discovered it one day quite by accident while out riding. We can saddle up the horses and be there in a few minutes. It will take us to an astounding place, and I wanted you to see it before I go, because I don’t believe it’s mapped yet. We can go there… and then after I leave it can be your secret getaway place if you like.”
Mitzi’s expression changed in an instant and her eyes grew round with surprise and delight. She was in the mood for both a respite AND an adventure, and Ian’s suggestion was perfect for both.
“Let me get changed for riding!” she answered, shooting a silencing glance at Buttercup, who was already starting to shake her head negatively, ”I’ll be ready in just a minute!” She assured Ian.
Mitzi decided it had never felt better to ride over the meadows of the Farm. The sun was still high in the sky and the grassy meadowlands were a sparkling shimmer of green. It was hot but a steady westerly wind added to the fast pace of their horses kept them comfortable. Following Ian’s lead, exhilarated at the prospect of viewing an uncharted portal on their own property, she dug in her heels and flew across another expanse of meadow covered richly in purple-blue violets.
After ten minutes he pulled up shortly near an overgrown hedgerow that ran perpendicular to another row of hedges that stretched off into the distance. Without waiting for Ian to help her down Mitzi swung her legs over the saddle to swing down lightly from her strawberry roan.
She started speaking as she walked toward Ian, who stood smiling and squinting in the bright sunlight, his hair tousled by the wind.
“I never ride this way so I never noticed these hedges before! It seems odd to have hedges this far out in a farming quadrant. I wonder what on earth they were put here for?” she puzzled.
Ian smiled.
“Not such a mystery,” he replied confidently.” There was a manor house built out here at one time-the foundation is yonder that way. Not much left, looks as though it burned to the ground. The hedges were a bit of a distance away, and might have included a garden maze. Have you never explored your property Ms. Mitzi?”
Mitzi shook her head, ”I’ve only been on the farm for a short time, I never had the chance, although I thought about it more than once. The past few months have been a blur. And Cass - we
ll, when he used to be himself - was wary of my tramping around when we had the Hybrids to worry about. And it isn’t hard to be a homebody in the underground mansion - it’s huge and beautiful and everything one could ever want is already there.
Except for the horses of course.” She finished.
Looking down at her he noticed a fine sheen of perspiration at the swell of her bosom. Her cheeks literally looked as though they had roses in them. He wasn’t surprised that Cass had insisted that she stay indoors. He was a selfish braggart through and through that one. And he had managed to keep his wife in a veritable “pumpkin shell’, away from the outside world and men that might do far better by her in all her vibrant loveliness.
Men like himself.
Silently he took the reins to her roan from Mitzi and led both horses toward a tree. He seemed to talk to them, each in turn, like a horse whisperer. Mitzi could literally sense the horses relaxing and starting to graze placidly as he came striding back toward her.
“Now we’ll play a game.” He said, with a slight smile. “The portal entrance can be seen from where we are standing, if you only look with all your eyes my girl.” As he spoke he turned her slightly toward the north, his confident, artistic hands resting lightly on the tops of her shoulders. Mitzi felt a slight electricity at his touch, and felt her heartbeat increasing. She cleared her throat and peered, in front of her, her small hand shading her eyes, not really knowing what she was looking for.
Until she caught a glimpse of something unusual. A visual disturbance in the air about three feet above the tall hedge that was in her line of vision. The sky above the hedge seemed to shimmer slightly, in the same way rising heat from hot asphalt on a highway wavered and rippled upwards. The longer she looked, the more she could discern its oval shape.
It was about 9 feet up off the ground-not a large leap for a vampire certainly, and very unusual because it wasn’t high enough to be considered a sky portal, but not low enough to be considered a ground portal.
