“What?”
“I want to know how it feels, please.”
His lips found mine, while he put his hands on my hips and steered me. Then I felt a sudden wash of energy, which mingled with my own. It connected us, united us until the sensation was no longer physical – we were one. I moved faster and received his upward thrusts, flooded by an incredible wave of satisfaction. I lay on top of him, shuddering and convulsing for a long time. I stayed in that position, unable to move, fulfilled and happy. His strong hands held me as if I was the most precious thing in the world. He pulled up a blanket from the backseat, covering me so I wouldn’t get cold. A car pulled into the lot, the faint sound of tires on gravel jerking me back to reality. I realized I was naked, so I quickly pulled up the blanket a little higher. For the hundredth time Michael told me how cute I was. He kissed me devotedly. “You have no idea how intoxicating you are. I want to spend the next hundred years conversing with you, seducing you, and showing you the world.” I couldn’t imagine a more amazing life either. “I love you, too,” I confessed, following my intuition. He didn’t answer, but kissed me again. He gently caressed my cheek. “How do you feel?” I didn’t understand the insecurity in his voice. Man, I felt amazing, satisfied and joyful, almost born again, and so I told him, but his gaze was still concerned.
“Why are you asking?” I whispered.
“I drew energy from you.”
“I asked you to. And since I don’t feel any aftereffects, it can’t have been a lot.”
“I was scared–” He broke off and shook his head, looking confused. His behavior was a mystery.
“Melanie, there’s something that’s been on my mind for a while now. Do you remember the morning I tried to manipulate you with Stefan’s, Iveria’s and Alessandro’s help?” he wanted to know once we were back on the freeway.
“Of course. You almost killed me after all.”
“Before your nose started to bleed, did you feel anything else?”
“Yes, my entire body hurt like hell.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You’re pretty frightening when you pulverize parts of the wall with your fingers.” My answer shocked him. “Please don’t be scared of me. I would never purposely harm you.” He waited for me to say something. When I didn’t, he asked: “You believe me, don’t you?” I nodded reluctantly. I was not completely sure. We were both silent for a long while. Then we left the freeway in the direction of Lienz in Eastern Tyrolia. I spoke up again. “Michael, regarding this encounter with the werewolves …”
“Melanie.” He dragged my name in warning, signaling a breach of protocol.
I replied in kind, with a drawn-out: “Michael.”
“Good God, you can be really annoying. Yes, it turned out that someone had played us off against each other.”
I was beginning to get angry. “Who tipped you off as to where to find them? Could you please tell me something I don’t know?”
“We have a suspicion who is behind this.”
“And?”
“Please understand, I can’t tell you.”
“Nikelaus would. He is an asshole, but he would tell me.” I heard a crumbling sound, and black dust fell where he sat. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Where he’d gripped the steering wheel, a piece was missing now. He kept staring ahead without moving a muscle. “Michael, since you’re already mad as hell, I should tell you something else …” He threw me a scathing glance. I pointed at the wheel. “You should take into account that we still need that.” I hadn’t thought it was possible, but his next glance was even more withering. “The thing is I’m beginning to suspect that my father is not human.”
Now he seemed curious and worried. “What makes you think that?”
“He used to drink Incendium from time to time. Your uncle claimed that this beverage was only for supernatural creatures; humans could not stomach it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” he flared, loud and intemperate as I hadn’t seen him before. Another piece of our steering wheel was reduced to dust.
“Michael, you’re frightening me. What would be so terrible if I was only half human?”
He exhaled on a sigh. “Nothing. If that was the case, we wouldn’t tell anyone. But you have to share such vital information with me immediately. Does Nikelaus know?”
I was scared of his reaction and bit my lip.
“Please tell me you’re not serious. You told him? How could you be so stupid?”
“You’re being unfair, because I always thought it was a perfectly normal drink. I might have slipped up and mentioned that my father let me have a glass on my eighteenth birthday.”
“What else did you tell him?” he asked, still sounding irritated.
“I don’t think anything else, even though the Incendium made me a little reckless.”
He didn’t believe his ears. “You drank with him?”
“The woman said she would take it as a personal insult if I didn’t.”
“What woman? Melanie!” I reluctantly told him everything about the evening with Heidi and Josef, as well as my encounter with Rubin. I ended with what I thought might reassure him: “And then Nikelaus hit Rubin and told him to treat me with more respect.” I had never seen Michael more disapproving. Silence reigned until we reached Lienz. The only movement was Michael steering the car. When I saw the town sign for Lienz, I pulled out my phone and tried to call Sarah for what was probably the hundredth time – nothing. I had lost count of how many messages I had left on her mailbox, but I would leave one more: “Sarah, if I don’t hear anything from you within the next three days, I’m going to call the police and report you missing.”
Unexpectedly, Michael reached out his hand and stroked my back. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t your fault.”
“What do you mean? What happened to Sarah?”
“I’m not talking about Sarah. I meant it’s not your fault that you barely know anything about our world.”
“Right. That is actually your fault.”
We fell silent once again. I tried to break the ice before we reached our destination. “I can’t wait to see Rosalia again. I should have let her know that I’m coming. She’s going to scold me.”
“Who is Rosalia?”
“She’s our neighbor. She used to watch me when I was little. When she knows that I’m coming, she always prepares a real feast.”
The closer we came, the more at home and at ease I started to feel. We drove through Oberleibnig. The last house in town was mine. I told him where to go, but he refused to turn into the gravel road to our right. “Are you kidding me, I can’t go there,” he complained.
“Come on, I know the driveway is a little narrow, but it’s not as if you’re driving a giant truck. Scoot over and let me drive!” He got out and we switched seats. I made the turn and went down the driveway.
“Stop, you’re about to hit the rock.”
There was no rock anywhere in sight, so I ignored his antics and pressed on. Fifty yards on, he started to relax.
“We just drove right through a small mountain.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I just said.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. So far, everyone who wanted to visit us found the way to our house.”
We went down a long gravel path and reached my house. It was nothing spectacular, but a simple, two-story family home with a nice garden and a garage for two cars. The garden was maintained by our neighbor. She owned a small, one-story house about forty yards off at the back end of our property. I liked her house. It reminded me of the dwarf cave.
I had barely gotten out of the car, when Rosalia came rushing towards me with her arms wide open. I heard Michael’s car door slam behind me. He was between us in the blink of an eye. “Stay where you are, dwarf!” How could he be this rude? She might be a little on the short side, but that was no reason to be mean to her! I threw him a reproachful look and hissed: “What is wrong with you today?
” Then I stepped around him, strode toward her and fell into her arms. We remained like that for a long moment, and then she pulled away and threatened over my shoulder: “If you hurt her, I will find a way to kill you, Peri.” Oh. She really was a dwarf after all, I supposed.
He literally growled at her. “Long time no see, Moravia, or should I say Rosalia?”
None of them was ready to exchange pleasantries. She stepped in front of me, blocking his path. “You have no business being here. The barrier should have stopped you.”
“Melanie drove the car. What is going on here? What is she, Rosalia?”
It was obvious that another important person in my life had lied to me. “Could anyone please explain to me how you guys know each other?” I asked, offended. They didn’t bother with an answer; they were too busy glaring at each other. In my frustration I picked up a flowerpot and smashed it on the ground. “Could you please acknowledge my existence? What the hell is going on here?”
Rosalia’s expression changed from threatening to good-natured. She gave me a placatory look. “I’m simply trying to protect you, my girl.”
I’d had enough. “Apparently nobody does anything else. At least that’s what they keep telling me. Out with it, what am I? Am I even human at all?” I asked, riled. I didn’t recognize myself anymore. She met my eyes. “You’re only half human.”
“What is my second half? Come on, tell me now!”
“I can’t, even if I wanted to. And let me tell you, you have terrible taste in men, as evidenced by your companion.”
“He’s my boyfriend, Rosalia, he’s not going to hurt me.” She made a face, indicating that my statement was ridiculous. Provoked by her expression, Michael declared angrily: “She’s under my protection.”
“Well, what could go wrong, eh?” she murmured with an eye-roll.
“Rosalia, please, what is Papa?”
“I can’t tell you, even though I think you deserve the truth,” she answered helplessly.
“Rosalia, Mama and Papa have disappeared. It’s as if they vanished into thin air. As soon as I have Hugorio’s permission, I’m going to search for them.”
“Are you suicidal? You’re not getting anywhere near the Filguri, do you hear me?” I threw up my hands in frustration. “Just trust me. Melanie, your parents are okay. I’m sure they went into hiding to protect you. Does your father know about you and Michael?”
Hearing that my parents were alright was a great relief, and cleared a space for my anger to bubble up. “No, he doesn’t. Why does everyone try to protect me?”
“Because we love you. I love you, and your parents love you, too. I think we should talk about this in private. Without him.”
Michael’s expression was beyond frustrated. “Who might be interested in harming her? There must be a reason for the secrecy concerning her second nature.”
“Peri, I don’t like you nor do I trust you.”
“Same.”
“Rosalia, you can tell me alone, but I’m going to tell him later anyway. Or you can tell us now. I love him.” Michael put an arm around my shoulder and squeezed; his way of agreeing with the sentiment. Rosalia gave me a look of reproach. You can never please everybody.
“You were always headstrong and obstinate. We wanted you to be in charge of your own life.”
“That train left the station a while ago.”
“Trust me, it has not. At least you’re with the man you profess to love. That’s a privilege that could have been denied to you. Plus you’re only half human, and I’m ready to testify to that if necessary.” She threw Michael a meaningful look.
He nodded. “To keep her second nature secret, we should definitely conceal the fact that she is a Halfling,” he stated.
“What a selfless suggestion, but you’re right. Still, it’s impossible for me to reveal the secret. The magic that binds me is strong, for her father is not an amateur. There are no loopholes.”
Had the whole world conspired to leave me in the dark? I needed some time to process these new revelations, so I took my leave of her for now: “Thanks, Rosalia. It’s getting cold. Michael and I should go inside and turn on the heating. I’ll come by your place later – alone.”
“Sure, my darling.” I grabbed Michael by the arm and pulled him after me towards the house. He had been glaring at her the entire time, and now he reluctantly broke eye contact and followed me. A narrow gravel path led through the garden and up to the front door. In summer it was flanked by flowerbeds. Each time I came back here, I waxed nostalgic. I remembered how I had played ball with my parents in the garden, or how I helped my father tinker with his motorbike. Papa hadn’t liked it when I announced that I wanted to get a motorcycle license. Engrossed in my childhood and teenage memories, it took me a few seconds to realize that Michael was calling after me. He stood at the entrance of the garden and didn’t move. “What is it? Come on, I’m cold!”
“I can’t! It seems that I’m barred from entering the compound.”
Rosalia started to laugh behind us. “No supernatural creature can simply enter this house. Your father made sure of that.”
We had driven almost three hours to get here. I was not ready to give up. “What do I have to do to allow him to enter?”
“I don’t know, but you could try to invite him in.”
“Michael, would you please come in?” I pictured breaking the spell and opening the gates for Michael, but with no success. I looked to Rosalia for help. She shrugged her shoulders, clearly clueless. Michael went to fetch a pouch from the car. I guessed correctly that it contained magical equipment. He tried several spells, but without the slightest bit of success. Once he was thrown into the air and landed ten yards away. I had never seen him so affronted. He was seething with rage. I slouched back towards him, my shoulders slumped.
He hugged me and buried his face in my hair. “It’s not your fault, so stop looking guilty.”
“Michael, we should try one more thing. Maybe we could circumvent the spell if I embraced you?”
“It doesn’t work that way … but who am I to say such a thing? Apparently I know less about magic than I thought.” He picked me up and carried me through the garden, all the way up to the front door. It worked. Relieved, he set me down right before the door, and the next moment, he was catapulted back to the end of the perimeter. He stood behind the fence stunned, before he shook it off and decided: “We’re going back. I can’t enter the house, so this outing won’t tell us anything. Once things in Salzburg have calmed down, we’ll come back with the rest of my family and force our way in.”
He wanted to head back right away. I went into the house briefly, taking a few things with me. Before we left my old hometown, I stopped to talk to Rosalia for a short while. I hugged and kissed her goodbye, and then we drove down the narrow mountain road, back into the valley. Michael was silent all the way to Lienz. I cautiously asked if we could stop and get some food. He gave me a look of reproach. “When did you eat last?”
“Well, that was … you know.”
“When?” he insisted, sounding annoyed.
“Yesterday at the cinema. I had some leftover popcorn.”
“We had a deal that involved regular meals. What if you needed to use your abilities now?” After this reprimand, he stopped by my favorite pizza place, which was right off the main road. Michael’s mood hadn’t improved since we had left my hometown, so I asked: “What’s bugging you?”
“The spell on your house is impressive. Your father is anything but a small fish, and why would you need a magical babysitter? You don’t possess any active powers.”
“How come you knew Rosaria?”
“It’s a long story,” he replied, obviously unhappy about my question. His face told me that he wasn’t going to tell me.
17 BLUE SAFFRON
On the way back to Salzburg, his mood finally brightened. “Why did you bring your motorbike gear? I’m sure there’s a reason why you ran back into the house to get it.”
“You don’t need to know everything.”
That piqued his curiosity. He wouldn’t let it go. “You wanted to know more about vampires. I’ll tell you whether they’re able to withstand direct sunlight, and you’ll tell me what the leather gear is for.”
This could get interesting. “You’ll tell me that, and also who or what you think is responsible for the attacks, and I’ll tell you why I brought my beautiful, orange-and-black riding suit and helmet.”
The war between his curiosity and his sense of duty was apparent in his face. “Normally all I’d have to do is put a spell on you, but alright, you go first,” he finally sighed frustratedly.
“Not a chance.”
“There are born and turned vampires. The born ones can walk around in direct sunlight, while the turned ones would go up in flames, just like in the movies.”
“How does that work, how are vampires born? What is Jeremeia, born or turned?”
He shook his head and smirked. “Those are not the questions you’re supposed to ask. We suspect that a light elf named Xavier has been trying to pit us against each other. Your turn, honey.”
Peris Night: Terakon (Secret Language) Page 22
