Bowing their heads, the brothers listened as Vorternon chanted a prayer unknown to the priest, who was panting with fright and confusion. He had spent nearly all his life dedicating himself to the gods and knew what was happening was not their will. A member of the tribe, let alone someone who served the gods, would not be made into an offering. His dedication was enough; his blood was not needed.
The chief was still chanting, calling the gods to enter the body of Hatagos so their essence could be devoured by him and his brothers.
He muttered a few words, then he spoke louder and louder. Loud enough to interrupt Vorternon’s chanting.
“You will be doomed. Curse you, curse you all! May the gods have their revenge, and the people of our tribe have theirs!”
Sneering, Vorternon leaned down to the priest’s ear. “May your curse fail.”
He then took his long knife and stabbed the old man in the collarbone, sliding it down to his belly. The wound let out a flood of blood, which delighted the brothers. They lunged for the blood and started drinking. They sucked the blood eagerly, pausing only to praise the gods. The priest kept cursing them, until he could speak no more.
But before the blood of Hatagos was sucked dry, there was a sudden lurch in the bodies of the brothers that caused them to pull away from the corpse. Gasping, they all stumbled back, bent over with their hands at their abdomens. Agonizing pain was overwhelming them and they could not stop crying out. It was as though their insides were tearing at them.
Their breathing came heavily and their hearts pounded loudly in their ears. Their heads felt as though they would burst from the hammering feeling pulsing away. For a moment, some of the brothers wondered to themselves if the gods really were cursing them, just as the priest had said.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the pain was gone. It had flown away like a hawk, done with its feeding, and all was still and quiet.
Too quiet it seemed, for the brothers could no longer feel their hearts beat anymore. They felt cold and empty.
But as soon as they opened their eyes and saw a new world before them, that no longer mattered. They were seeing things they had never seen before. They could hear what was previously unheard. They had become like the gods, just as they wished.
Delighted, the brothers celebrated for hours, dancing, singing and playing with their newfound powers. Their time had come at last. Their people had treated them like gods since day one of their lives, and now they finally were.
But the celebration did not last long. As the sky began to show the beginnings of daylight, the brothers’ skin began to turn red. Gray smoke began to rise on their skin and it looked as if they were cooking alive in the sun. The pain they had experienced earlier returned.
Frightened, they fled from the sun into a nearby cave their tribe used for initiation rituals. They stayed there all day until the night came. They emerged, consumed with thirst and anger. The brothers hunted down members of the tribe and drank from them. They all turned into the demons they had warned their people about. They had become creatures of the night rather than something like the gods. The brothers felt betrayed.
But soon, they realized how powerful and god-like they had become. Their senses were beyond anything they had ever dreamed of. Their physical strength was more than five men put together. They could seduce any man or woman at a glance. They could also bend the minds of other people and make them do their will. And best of all, they were immortal, living forever.
As for never seeing the sun again, the five eventually took advantage of that. It felt exhilarating to be the demons of the night. Knowing they struck fear into mortals everywhere they went made them feel unstoppable. The power of the night was at their hands and they could do whatever pleased them. They had indeed become invincible beings.
Claire was frozen. She could barely absorb what she just learned.
Daniel’s hand was gently rubbing her shoulder, and Casames was watching her.
“Yes, it is a lot to take in,” the ancient vampire said. “But that is how we got here, how we had lived through the centuries, and how we will remain. There is no stopping us. Nothing has ever gotten into our path because we are too strong, too quick, too powerful.” He smiled at her. “You should be delighted about Daniel’s offer for you to join us.”
Claire sat in her chair, still barely moving. Then she realized Casames’ last words were a question, and she flinched.
“Claire McCormick,” the head vampire leaned towards her. “Do you wish to join us, leave your mortal world behind, and be something you never thought possible?”
The room felt as if it would collapse from the weight of the moment that rested in Claire’s hands. She had to answer, even though her throat was dry,
“Yes,” she whispered at first. Then louder. “Yes.”
Casames smiled and leaned back on the couch. He said to the rest of the assembled vampires. “Since I have my trust in Daniel’s insight and judgment, tonight I announce my acceptance of Claire McCormick into our fold. By the end of this week, in Paris at Vorternon’s home, she will be made into one of us. We will have our grand ceremony, and the transformation will take place.” He gave a deep nod to say his word was final.
Daniel squeezed Claire’s shoulder as some of the others smiled and applauded. Hilde simply glanced at her and gave a short grin.
Claire forced a smile, but could not make herself appear to be at ease. She knew everyone was seeing this and was probably doubting if she could be made one of them. If that were the case, maybe they would decide not to do so. After all, why waste their energy on making her a vampire when she couldn’t live the life?
But that would mean making her a slave, of course. She knew too much. What choice did she have?
Then she noticed Casames was staring at her with a smirk on her face. She almost gasped in fright. Why did she allow her mind to wander in this room filled with mind readers?
“Claire, my dear,” Daniel stepped around the chair to face her. “There is nothing to fear. You’re practically one of us now. And trust me, once you officially are, your misery will end.”
She just looked at him and after a few minutes, realized everyone, especially Casames, was waiting for a response from her. So she came up with something. “Why not do it now?”
“That’s what I think,” Hilde suddenly said. She shrank back a little when Casames shot her a look.
“We would, but first we must take you away from your old life,” Daniel said. “Can’t have you packing up from your apartment at night and looking pale in front of your roommates.”
Nodding, Claire said, “So, when am I moving in?
“Tomorrow,” Daniel replied. When her eyes widened, he went on to say, “Late afternoon tomorrow, Antonius and I will stop by with a moving van to take your things and move you to my place. You need to be ready by then.”
“Have no fear, Claire,” Casames suddenly spoke. “You’ve managed to explain your relationship with Daniel all this time; you’ll manage to talk your way around this.” He tried to give a benign smile, but she could see past it. “Everything will work out for the best.”
Tomorrow. She already said good-bye to her parents for who knows how long. Now she had one more final day to say good-bye to her friends.
“Are you sure I’ll get to see everyone again?” Claire said almost in a whisper.
“Of course,” Daniel squatted down to her level. “There’s always email, phone calls and even video calls. This is not the end of everything for you.”
Daniel patted her knee, and then turned to reach over to his carry-on bag which he had brought with him. When he was in front of her again, he was holding a small box with blue suede covering it. He squatted back down and said to her, “As a token of my appreciation for you to join me eternally, I am giving you this.” He opened the box and revealed a necklace made of diamonds and rubies. Claire surprised herself by gasping a little by the gift, since she knew they were authentic gems by the way they shone at
her. Also, she knew Daniel had a lot of money to his name because of his art collection and the neighborhood where he lived.
He smiled proudly at her gasp and told her to put it on. She hesitated at first, knowing by putting on the necklace meant she was showing everyone that she was more than willing to join them.
Claire reached for the jewelry and allowed Daniel to fastened it around her neck. The necklace was short, almost choker length. She glanced around the room, she saw their simple smiles and eyes glistening with satisfaction. She had taken more steps.
As Daniel gave her a kiss on the forehead, Casames spoke up, saying, “That you could wear during your transformation ceremony. It would be quite a lovely touch.”
The rest of the vampires stood up and walked over to Claire, offering her hugs and kisses. She accepted the embraces, but stiffened over the kisses, particularly from the women. She simply was not ready for that.
Seeing that, Yvette arched an eyebrow and turned to Carys. “She needs a lot of work.”
Carys put a thoughtful expression on. “Hmm, yes. But we’ve all been there, haven’t we?”
“It didn’t take us long,” Yvette responded in a singsong voice.
Claire was about to come back at that, but Carys fingered her necklace. “It’s so beautiful on you. You ought to be delighted to have such a piece.”
“Not only that,” Yvette perked up. “It shows its the first of many jewelry you’re going to get in the future.”
“Indeed,” Hilde suddenly said. “Say good-bye to the cheap stuff you wear.”
Claire forced out a giggle, but the necklace was like a noose on her.
Claire and the vampires continued to stay at Casames’ townhouse. Some had already fed, others were waiting until late in the night. Daniel was one of those who had already drunk from someone, telling Claire, “Don’t worry, it wasn’t a cocktail waitress” playfully smirking. She just rolled her eyes as though it was a lame joke, but she felt like a robot.
Casames stayed seated on the leather couch, left ankle on top of his right knee, arms spread out on the top of the couch. Authority certainly pleased him.
He watched Claire and Daniel from time to time, absorbing their relationship and the soon-to-be vampire. The two stayed huddled together in the corner of the living room. She told him she didn’t want to be near the others because she felt overwhelmed. That was half the truth. The other half was she couldn’t bear Casames’ hard dark eyes, examining her like a someone to get a new pet to add to its collection.
“The necklace looks beautiful on you,” Daniel said.
Unconsciously, Claire reached up and touched the diamonds and rubies. “Thank you. I’m very pleased with it.”
“Good,” he gently squeezed her upper arm. “Think of it as the first of many luxury items you will have for now on. I intend to spoil you.” He kissed her cheek.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Casames smiled too, with pure satisfaction.
She bit her bottom lip out of nerves and to stop herself from thinking, but one thought slipped by before the door slammed.
There was no going back. This was it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
When the time she woke up the next morning at home, a painful headache was thudding through Claire’s skull. It throbbed so forcefully, she wondered if she was about to have an aneurysm.
She took some aspirin with her breakfast. Samantha was once again home, waiting anxiously for the results of Tuesday’s interview. Monica was spending another day substituting. It saddened Claire that she would not be around Monica’s soft, calm demeanor until much later in the day. She wanted to share her time between her friends.
But she couldn’t afford anymore headaches. After eating, she continued packing and throwing away some of her belongings. Samantha helped out and the two spent most of the day doing this. Claire could tell she wanted to chat about the good old days, before Daniel came onto the scene, but she simply wanted to savor her friend’s presence. There could be no room for arguments today.
By 3 PM, they were done packing. Her room looked the same as it had when she and the other two moved in right before graduation seven months ago. Her desk and dresser would be picked up over the weekend when her brother rented a truck to bring them back to New Jersey. Her twin-sized bed was given to her by the Palermos’ and it was up to Vincent to do what he wanted to do with it, if he could concentrate on doing so. Claire hoped he would maintain the kindness that he showed her and her roommates once all three move out, less than a year after moving into his two-family house.
How quickly time went by. Lowering herself onto the bed, Claire buried herself in the memory of those early days with Daniel. How he seemed odd and distant when she first met him at the English Department office. She realized he didn’t seem to be that enthusiastic about helping her get more freelancing. Instead, he seemed to be trying to get rid of her, so she would leave him alone. That, or to impress the chairwoman. He probably figured if he turned her down, she would complain to Laura Matthews and his problems with her would dig a deeper hole. Whatever it was, Claire felt she should have known that he was not a good choice of a contact. But how could she have not? She was desperate, like anyone else in a lousy economy. Was that forgivable?
Then they met at the coffee shop and he twisted her mind so they could get to know each other, on a casual level. Why did he do that? Once he wiped away her doubts, he was interested in getting to know her. What did Daniel really see in her? Was it actually a potential partner for the ages? Or was there something sinister, more so than forcing her to become a vampire when, with all her being, she did not want to be one? There had to be something that was going through her mind that attracted him to her. Maybe it was the self-doubt, or the naïveté, or being an emotionally and mentally undeveloped person, compared to an almost-700 year old vampire. He definitely saw something malleable, he had to. Why else would he be in such a rush to date her?
And why exactly did he want to make her like him? Was he really in terrible need of companionship? That had to be a lie; he was surrounded by vampires and clearly enjoyed their company. Unless that was lie and an act, like all of his other lies and acts…
Claire puffed out some air. It was too late. Here she was, waiting until sundown to move in with the creature who twisted her mind, manipulated her, abused her into doing this. How could she had not noticed? Was she really clueless? Was she really as weak as Monica and Samantha had hinted more than once before?
But then again, was there really a chance she would figure out that Daniel was a supernatural creature? One that could kill without a single blink of an eye and blame someone else for it? Honestly, would the thought ever enter her mind?
Swallowing a thick lump in her throat, Claire wiped away the drop of tears brimming at her eyes and stood up. He would be here in a couple of hours. Might as well enjoy her last moments with the two girls she was leaving behind.
Monica came home a few minutes later after another day substituting. She had a paper to finish and Claire offered to help her. The two sat at the kitchen table in front of their laptops, working together. Samantha was watching TV at first, but eventually joined them. It was like their old college days when the three would be huddled in the library, cafeteria or dorm room, working as a team to complete their assignments, even though they had separate majors. They started off giggling, and then they were laughing out loud as they traded ideas about how to make Monica’s essay stellar. Claire used her writerly talents to suggest words, while Samantha rolled her eyes over Claire’s choices, then Monica had the final say because she understood the assignment the most.
“This is not Shakespeare!” she complained jokingly to Claire.
“But it would make your paper better!”Claire laughed.
“She wants to be an elementary school teacher, not a college professor!” Samantha spoke up. “Get your words right!”
The laughter died down and the three continued to work on the essay. Before long, all o
f them realized they were squinting at the laptop screen and night had come. For Monica and Samantha, it was time to take a break and prepare for dinner. They would’ve taken her out to dinner, but having her move out at a rapid pace was not enough to save up for. Plus, Daniel’s insistence that they move during the night was not easy to schedule a dinner date around.
As Claire looked out the window and saw the street lights lit up, she knew it meant Daniel would be at the apartment at any moment. The darkness was him and his world closing in on her.
“You could leave me out tonight,” she said. Monica and Samantha stopped getting out the kitchenware. “I mean, Dan’s going to be here soon and he’ll take me out once everything is done.”
“Why can’t he stay for dinner?” Monica asked. “We have enough spaghetti for four.”
Claire wasn’t sure how to answer, but she was saved by her phone as it buzzed the arrival of a text. She picked it up and saw Daniel’s message.
Just came over the bridge. Will be there shortly.
“Is that him?” Samantha took a step over to Claire, but she clutched her phone to her chest, as if hiding something highly secretive.
Samantha was confused. “You know, you’ve been acting very weird lately! Nothing makes sense. I just - I - I…” Throwing her hands up, she turned to fill a pot with water. Monica looked pensive.
Claire didn’t say anything. She just watched as her two friends prepared the spaghetti and tomato sauce. Samantha stirred the sauce while Monica took the uncooked pasta and began snapping it in two for the pot. Hearing the sound of the breaking spaghetti echoed loudly in Claire’s ears.
Ten minutes after the text, Daniel called her, telling her he had just pulled up outside of the house. Antonius was with him, and they were using the van The Black Roses used for gigs to move Claire’s belongings.
“Okay, I’ll meet you outside,” Claire stood up and headed for the door.
The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy) Page 18
