by Various
“Yeah, well, things change. Life changes. It’s funny you know. Who would figure after all this time I’d end up right back where I started.”
Edmund took a sip of his soda and stared at me. The pressure of his thoughts descended on mine as he read my mind. I didn’t care.
“You shouldn’t have brought her here. She’s not…normal.”
I laughed at the word. No, Veronica was anything but normal. “You’re right on that one. Why not bring her here? Just because she’s—” I paused, not being able to say the word vampire in front of Edmund. He had always known my fascination with the creatures of the night. Now bringing one to the meet him was a little strange. Admitting what Veronica was, confessing her existence to him would make the past two weeks real. “She’s different, yes, but she has the right to know her destiny.”
“Raven, she’s a fucking vampire. Only you would find something like her and bring her here. It doesn’t surprise me in the least. You’ve always had a fascination for the dark. You’re right—I guess she does deserve to know her future. I couldn’t tell her what path she walks on. She had a hand in choosing her own destiny, just like you and me, before she incarnated on this earth. And now, like you, she faces a huge decision.”
“We all face decisions. She’s trying to keep us away from her bastard of a master. That was why I brought her here. I thought you could help her. I need to know why she came into my life the way she did. Why now, when things were going great? Was it Fate, or just my luck that a real vampire would walk into my life, considering I thought ghosts were the only things that defied death?”
“Raven, you and I both know there are many different kinds of beings that lurk in the shadows. What do you think the beings are that give you information? You just don’t pull the readings out of your ass. They come from somewhere, the Divine maybe, angels, devils, whatever they are. That isn’t the point. I can’t give you the answer you’re looking for.”
“I’m not asking for a reading. I’m asking a question. Damn it!” I propelled off the couch, turning my back on my one time employer. I examined his windowsill, noticing all the different types of candles. Some had burned together forming rainbow pools of wax. The faint scent of smoke lingered in the air as if he’d just blown them out before coming downstairs. It wouldn’t surprise me.
“Sit down, Raven, and I’ll answer your question.” I sighed and joined him again. “One thing, you’re here a month early. I had a feeling you’d come unexpected, but it’s probably for the better. I didn’t think you’d have a guest. She throws a wrench in things somewhat, but in the end it will work out. What matters is that you’re here, and I believe it was Fate that brought you here early. Now both of us believe in Fate and that before we are born we pave a path for our own destiny. Right?”
I nodded. Edmund and I had had this talk many times in the past. It was a general belief among the psychics in the Tearoom that before being born as humans, we chose the main outcome of our life. The specifics of choice and free will, and the sequence of events were left up to Fate, or God, or whatever one believed in.
Many of the psychics at the Tearoom were Wiccan, worshiping nature and God as two separate, but equal entities, the God and Goddess. While there, I adopted some of their beliefs, like calling Halloween Samhain, but only because the distinction was made that Samhain was not the compromised version of Halloween, when children went house to house to get candy and witches were green skinned women riding brooms or hovering over bubbling cauldrons. Instead, it was a night when the lines between the worlds were thin. It was transparent enough to have ghosts come back from the grave to reach out and contact their loved ones. It was the night the New Year began in the Wiccan tradition, when people stockpiled for the oncoming winter. I believed in this, and the only reason children dressed up was to frighten away evil spirits that floated around on the fright-filled night. In terms of a god, I acknowledged something floating above us, and no matter what sex it was, all that mattered was that it had acceptance for everything.
“What does Fate have to do with all of this, Edmund?” I asked, trying to avoid looking at his teeth, stained brown from all of the clove cigarettes he inhaled.
“Fate has everything to do with it. Why do you think you’re here so early? It’s not to talk about the séance. It’s about your destiny. You need answers to questions you’ve already got the answers to. All you have to do is think about everything you were before Veronica came into your life. That is the answer.”
I started to speak, but he glared at me. He had spoken his piece and wouldn’t say any more. My irritation rose. I wanted to kill Edmund; he always spoke in riddles. It was better to drop the subject and move on. I’d figure out the meaning later, and then realize that whatever he said was right anyway.
“So how’s the Tearoom going? Business been good?”
He smiled sadly. I tried sensing his thoughts, but like always I couldn’t get past his barriers. He was impossible to read, but every once in a while when he wasn’t expecting it, I slipped in. This was not one of the times.
“It’s dying. Slowly, of course. I’m sure once some new life has been put into it, it’ll thrive again. The Tearoom has an energy of its own and will outlast all of us.” Edmund paused and lit up a cigarette. He gulped a quick puff and then continued. “How’s business for you?”
“Fine. It’s been good.” I stopped as Edmund erupted in one of his coughing fits. This time it was a deeper cough than the one I was used to hearing. I wondered how his health was. I hoped his infection hadn’t caused his immune system to fail. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah. Just peachy. I’ll be fine. I just gotta stop smoking these damn things. Or maybe even the pot. Yeah, right!” He laughed.
I smiled at the comment, though I knew he was hiding something. Of course, I knew if he didn’t want to talk about something, he wouldn’t.
“You should go back and get your friend. I don’t like her much, but she’ll figure things out. Trust me, she means well, so you can trust her no matter what. I’ll see you next week when you stop in. I’ll have something for you by then. Now, give me a hug.”
I leaned over, sinking more into the couch as I got to him, but that was okay. I wondered what he meant about me stopping in and something for me. Knowing Edmund, it was probably a crystal. I didn’t think I’d be staying that long. I yearned to get back to New Orleans so I could get on with my life. I hoped Veronica would come with me, but I didn’t know. I had clients waiting, and the chill of fall hung in the air of Boston. I didn’t want to be in the city as it got colder.
“It was good to see you. And thanks for everything.”
I got up and out of his bear embrace, looking at him one last time, remembering how much he’d done for me over the years I worked for him. He really was a big brother to me, and I never found the right way to repay him for his help in developing my abilities. He looked the same after all these years. His head was still bald with spikes of black and grey hair protruding from it, but he had lost a few pounds from his hefty frame. He seemed healthy aside from his cough, but then again, he’d had that all the years I knew him. I shook off the thought. Yes, he just had to give up smoking.
“If you think too much, smoke’ll come out of your ears. Now go downstairs,” he urged.
“See ya, Edmund.” I gave Isis a final pat and walked out of the apartment, closing the door before pressing the button for the elevator. I waited and then rode the elevator back to the Tearoom. Veronica was nowhere to be seen.
“She went downstairs, Raven,” Peter called from the back, where an old couch still survived, where all the psychics sat and got a clear view of the door.
“Thanks, Peter. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye,” he yelled down.
The elevator jerked to the ground floor. Veronica stood outside, leaning against the glass front of the building. Observing her, I wondered what she thought about while she scanned the people. Did her hunger linger underneath the s
urface of her thoughts? I now knew how hard it was for her to be what she was, and it hadn’t been her choice. My thoughts of becoming a vampire had been romanticized, and the harshness of the bloodlust never entered my mind. Even though I didn’t want to be a vampire anymore, I wondered if I could still hypnotize her, fooling her into thinking I was.
I pictured the purple in my aura growing outwards, expanding until it encompassed all of my senses and touched the humans in the building and anyone who came in. A cool chill zapped through my spine as the familiar feeling I had become something removed from society descended over me. My gums tingled as if I anticipated the call of blood, but really it was the thought of overcoming her. Smiling, I opened my eyes, unaware of the people who didn’t notice me walking in. I willed them not to see me, and they didn’t.
My aura rubbed against Veronica’s. The muscles in her back tensed. Her hands clenched and her finger stretched an inch or so. Placing a hand on Veronica’s shoulder, I made her jump. It reminded me of what she had done when I thought her to be human and she thought me to be a vampire. The ability to fool her was still in me.
Veronica recovered quickly. Her hand came within centimeters of my throat as she spun around. Anger flashed in her eyes when she realized it was me, but she relaxed, allowing her fingers to shrink back to normal.
“I could have hurt you,” she growled. “Why did you do that?”
“To see if I could and to test a theory,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
Veronica ran her hands through her hair and peered into my eyes, contemplating something. Probably whether or not to scold me or to just let the matter drop.
“Do you think you could fool other vampires?”
I nodded, understanding her train of thought. She assumed if I deceived her we could fool Devon into thinking I had become a vampire and he would leave us alone. I assumed even if we did mislead him, he would still come after Veronica and me. Even if we couldn’t fool him, I knew I had tricked others of her kind in the past. I remembered the vampire in New Orleans the first time I met Veronica. He assumed I was like him and let me pass unharmed.
I smiled. “Sure. You want to test an idea?”
“Yes, but I don’t know where my kind gather around here.”
I knew exactly where vampires congregated in the area. “There’s a club in Cambridge. Goth night is every Wednesday. And on Fridays it’s either fetish or goth, depending. Considering it’s Thursday, we can go tomorrow, or even next week. It’s up to you.”
“I’d rather go on a less crowded night, just to make sure. And besides.” She paused. “We’ll have to dress the part, so we need to go shopping.”
I laughed, wondering how she could go from being pissed to being in a great mood in a matter of seconds. It didn’t matter because even if she didn’t have typical PMS, I was sure there was some type of vampire equivalent. I was not about to ask her, though. If she wanted to shop, then I knew just the place.
“Sure, when do you want to go?”
“How about tomorrow, in the afternoon?”
“Sounds great, but there’s one thing I’ve been wondering. How come you can be in the sun? Vampires are supposed to fry in the daylight.”
Veronica laughed. “Don’t believe everything legends talk about. Some of my kind can’t go into the sun. Those that indulge in the beast can’t stand the light, but those of us who fight our nature can be out in the sun for hours at a time. We are not immune to it though. Eventually, the rays will eat away at our skin like acid. I can go in and out of the sun for almost a whole day, taking an hour or two inside to look at clothes or something, but after three hours of direct light, I’m toast.
“I was at my limit when I brought you back. What you saw was nothing. When I placed you on the bed, my wings had burnt off. There wasn’t any skin on my back—it was all gone and had eaten away to the bone. I almost died bringing you here.”
“Oh!” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. All of my anger and mistrust drained away. It didn’t matter what happened before. Veronica would always protect me, and she’d proven that.
I smiled, noticing the beauty of the night. It was a wonder she was alive, considering she’d been born in the late eighteenth century. I couldn’t imagine her in those times. She was a creature that transcended time as she held me captivated. Veronica was something special that walked into my life, and I would keep the promise I made to her in New Orleans. I’d bring her back into the light as well as discover the true meaning of the night.
Chapter Twenty
My name is Brenna.
We stood outside The Black Rose in the new clothes Veronica had purchased last week. Once again I adjusted the red corset as it conformed to my body.
“I hate breaking these damn things in. It takes forever,” I bitched.
“It looks wonderful on you.” Veronica reassured me.
“Thanks.”
I glanced down at the rest of the outfit. I wore a black mesh ballroom skirt and a black velvet top. The red corset went over the whole thing. Veronica chose to buy a white vinyl ball gown, which clung to every curve of her as well as squeaking when she walked. Both of us wore flat black shoes. She wanted to get boots, but I talked her out of it, considering if she got blisters she’d heal, but I’d be stuck with them.
“Veronica, how are we going to get in? My ID is in New Orleans. It’s not like I planned on coming to Boston.”
“Not to worry,” she grinned, her teeth elongating.
“Can we see some ID?” one of the three bouncers asked. He was shorter than the rest, pockmarked and had red curly hair. The look he gave us made me feel like dinner.
Veronica glanced at me, her eyes burning red a moment, and she giggled. She turned back to the bouncers and stared each of them in the eyes. The air grew thick as she took hold of their minds like fishes on a hook. The energy around her contracted. As she let them go, the atmosphere returned to normal.
“You don’t see us. We’re not here, just ghosts.”
The bouncers went blank and let us pass. The redhead even opened the door as we strolled into the club without paying. I glanced back at the cashier and saw her vacant expression as well, and then she snapped out of it, asking the next customer for money. Veronica tugged on my arm, pulling me into a room off to the right, which had a dance floor with rainbow strobes lights and Industrial music playing. A few people jumped up and down to the beat. I curled my nose at it, hating the type of music the room played.
“You need to change now,” Veronica said.
I laughed as if reshaping my aura were as easy as changing clothes. I didn’t think Veronica understood how much concentration it took to get into the part. Once there, I could hold the ruse easier.
I nodded, focusing my aura. The energy expanded around me so I got a full sense of the room. I was in every corner at the same time. My nostrils flared as the familiar energy surged through me. The thrill of the hunt ignited in me as I realized how much I missed the façade. If there were any real vampires among the mix, they’d never suspect a thing. I’d entice the humans, making them my prey. Each one would love me, coming into my waiting arms, until—
“Brenna!” Veronica shook me out of my haze.
A snarl formed on my lips, but the urge left me as the coolness of Veronica’s hand fell against my shoulder. The thoughts cleared from my mind, but the old longing to hunt still rippled through me.
“Are you all right?”
I nodded, scanning the incoming customers, wondering if they were vampires. It was strange because now that I deliberately projected the vampiric ruse, there was something missing, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Veronica had to be my guide in the situation.
“Are there others in the club?”
She looked across the main entryway and into a small salon where the dancers sat and drank. I followed her and took in the scant clothing of some of the patrons. One guy with frosted blond hair wore vinyl pants held up by leather-spiked suspender
s. His nipples were pierced with inch long barbells. Next to him was a woman with long, braided brown hair. She wore a red velvet cloak that covered a red vinyl nurse’s uniform. It was the third companion in the group Veronica pointed to.
“There, the one in the red miniskirt. She’s one, and very old.”
I spotted the vampire who faced us. The woman looked to be no older than twenty. Her hair was the color of a streaked sunset. She had a drink in her hand. I wondered how old she actually was. My shields wavered a moment as I lost my concentration, and it was then she stopped in mid-sentence and stared at Veronica and I. My breath caught in my throat. This was the test. If she found out, then I’d be bait, and Veronica would—well, I didn’t know what would happen to her, but it’d be bad.
The other vampire raised her glass and motioned for us to join her. The gesture reminded me of the very same one I had used to acknowledge Veronica just two weeks ago. How fast things had changed.
Veronica looped her arm through mine as all the muscles tensed in my body. I felt like I had been spiked into the floor and there was no way anyone could move me.
Just relax. Don’t let her sense your fear or she’ll be curious. Let her think you’re my child and just learning to be what you are. It’ll explain a lot. Now smile, Veronica whispered in my mind.
I nodded internally, allowing my muscles to relax as we crossed the room. I plastered a huge smile on my face, hoping it would hide the uncertainty that burned inside me. I had no idea how long the ruse would work and my energy would remain smooth and not falter, revealing what I truly was.
“You must be new in the city,” the other vampire said. Her voice held no hint of an accent. Her lips were as red as her miniskirt. The lipstick contrasted with the olive tone of her skin. The energy around her was ancient, older than Veronica. Outwardly, she was younger than I first thought—eighteen, sixteen even. Her eyes told a different story. This woman had seen centuries, millennia even.
