“In my basement storage, my father’s old motorbike is waiting for me. A blue 1978 BMW R45. I couldn’t afford insurance, but now that my boss has offered me Silvia’s Thursday shift on top of mine, I’m going to make almost double the money.”
“If you want to ride a motorbike, you could use mine. It’s in the garage. I show you where I keep the key. Motorbikes are dangerous enough if they’re not old and rusty. That would also mean you could save yourself the insurance expense, and wouldn’t have to work more hours. These are dangerous times and I would be glad if you moved in with me for good. You could actually save a lot more money that way: No rent, and no need to work in the cinema at all.”
I knew he meant well, but that was too fast for me. But it was something else that bothered me the most, so I tried to summarize it by saying: “You want me to give up my job and my apartment, and rely solely on you? Michael, don’t do that. Don’t try to make me even more dependent on you than I already am.”
“You said that you love me, so where is the problem?”
“Sometimes love alone is not enough. How long have we been together, one or two months?”
“I would have invited you to stay in my house on the very first day.”
“No offense, but that doesn’t mean that much. You wouldn’t end up on the street if it didn’t work out. You’re patronizing me all the time as it is. Should I come to the conclusion that you and I don’t work out, I would be without a place to live, without a job,” I paused and added in a mock dramatic voice: “and without a motorcycle.” I was a bit scared that he would be angry or hurt by my reasoning, but he ran the back of his hand down my cheek in a loving gesture, holding the steering wheel with the other hand. “I guess I expected this reaction from you, but my offer still stands. As soon as you are ready, I’ll be glad to welcome you into my house. Paying for your keep would not be a problem for me either.”
“Thank you for the offer, but you know my answer for now. May I ask you something else?”
“As if a no would do any good,” he replied with a laugh.
“Does Tanja know that Stefan is married?”
“How do you know?” he asked, perplexed.
“I saw him with Birgit and it was obvious. They projected this implicit togetherness,” I explained smugly.
He pondered for a moment. “To be quite honest, it never seemed important enough to ask. You have to understand that he constantly exchanges his women for new ones. At some point they’re drained. Granted, Tanja is nice, but there are so many nice women out there.”
“What do you mean, they’re drained?”
He regretted his last sentence. “He draws energy from her on a regular basis. She’ll need a while to regenerate.”
“And he will drop her like a hot potato,” I concluded.
After studying me for a long time, he probed: “Are you afraid the same thing could happen with us?”
“No, because you’ve only taken energy from me once, and I practically had to beg you to do it.”
“Begging is a bit of an exaggeration. I don’t have enough self-control to let you beg.” I liked it when he was this frank with me. It gave me a feeling of equality. Michael was pondering another question: “What was the reason you asked me to do it? Were you simply curious?”
I moved my head from side to side, dithering. “Curiosity certainly played a part. The other reason would probably seem childish to you.”
He had just left the freeway and pulled into the lot of the Tauern rest stop. He killed the engine, turned to me and searched my face. “Tell me. Even if the reason is childish, it would be cruel to deny me the fun.”
“But don’t laugh at me.”
He pressed his lips together and put his hand over his heart.
“Nikelaus wanted to draw energy from me. Sooner or later someone’s going to take it from me against my will. I wanted you to be first.”
I was surprised to see the gravity in his face. He pulled me into an embrace and whispered into my ear: “I won’t let that happen to you.” He held me for a long time, before we got out to buy something to drink at the restaurant. I wanted to order a bottle of Diet Coke, but when Michael gave me a frown, I ordered a regular one.
“Melanie, don’t fall for the dieting craze. I’ve seen so many trends come and go. There were times when women wanted to be fat, times when they wanted to be thin. Times when their skin couldn’t be white enough, and those when the tan couldn’t be deep enough. You’re perfect the way you are. What’s important is that you look healthy. You can’t look healthy if you’re too thin or too heavy.”
I had seen the women they liked to surround themselves with. “And that is why most of the women you go out with are size zero and look like models. What a coincidence.”
“There’s actually a good reason for that. We like women who are comfortable in their own skin. A woman who constantly worries about her weight can get very irritating.”
There were so many questions that bothered me. “Speaking of appearances: Why does nobody notice that you never age?”
“We can change the way we look; we use magic to accomplish that. I pretended to be around sixty until about a year ago. Then I chose a younger look so I could ‘inherit’ the company from my older ‘self.’”
“I bet you didn’t get a lot of girls at the club when you were sixty.”
“Don’t be ridiculous; of course I went younger every time I went out.”
“Oh, right. How could I overlook the obvious like that?” The buzzing of his phone interrupted our banter. It was Stefan. Michael explained to him why we were already on the way home.
“Are you in the mood for going out with the guys?” he asked when he’d hung up.
“You mean stalking and hunting? Why not, I’ve been hunted down already.” He gave me a smug grin and a nod. “On the other hand, come to think of it,” I added thoughtfully, “they might not be all that thrilled to see me.”
“Yeah, because Peris really dislike having a bundle of joyful energy at their table. Melanie, that’s pure nonsense.”
“No, it’s not. The last time they were ready to tear my head off. You know, when Hugorio visited.”
“That was different. You know what? We’ll go out with them tonight, if only to prove that you’re mistaken.”
“When are we supposed to meet them? If there isn’t much time left, I can change right here before we head back on the freeway again.”
“Yeah, you do that; then we’ll have time to eat dinner with them.”
I went to the car, took a pair of black corduroy pants and a simple, powder blue blouse out of the bag, and changed in the restroom of the rest stop. Michael waited in the car. “You look great. Maybe we should go home and straight to bed after all.”
“Not a chance. Let’s go.”
I started telling him about the dog I’d had as a small kid. He ran away shortly after my second birthday. All I remembered was that his coat had been black, with a silver sheen at night, almost as if the moon made him shimmer. Oh, and that he was gigantic. My parents kept telling me that he hadn’t been larger than a Border Collie, and that he was gigantic in my memory because I had been so very small. I remembered him as my first best friend.
Michael kept looking at me as if he wanted to say something, but then decided to remain silent every time. After a while I prodded: “Michael, spill it! What’s on your mind?”
“Would you do me a favor once again? Don’t tell anyone that you’re a Halfling. So far all they have is speculations and wild guesses, and those are not a problem. But once we give anyone proof, everything will change.”
“Why, Michael, what would change?”
“Please trust me. I have a better shot at protecting you the way things are now.” Trust me, trust me, trust me. He always demanded blind faith.
Back in Salzburg, the others were waiting in front of a small Chinese restaurant. I was the only human. They literally tore me from Michael’s embrace. Nicky put an arm a
round my shoulders as if we were old friends. “Good to see you.” Phillipe came from the other side and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Thank you for saving our asses during that meeting with Hugorio.” The others greeted me just as effusively. They’d all had more than enough time to learn how to make a human being feel comfortable and welcome. Phillipe glanced back over his shoulder and said dismissively: “Okay, boss, you can go home now. We’ll take it from here. You know, Melanie, we only asked him to come tonight because we expected he would bring you.”
The two Peris kept me between them and led me into the restaurant. As soon as I had taken a seat at the table, Phillipe and Nicky occupied the chairs next to me. Not even Michael managed to be quick enough to secure a spot at my side. The others took their seats, and he ended up sitting at the opposite end of the table. He couldn’t have been further away from me.
Michael knocked on the table. “Alright, guys, point taken. Could you please stop this bullshit now?”
What had gotten into my Peris tonight? I looked around the table, a silent question in my eyes. Michael shrugged his shoulders and didn’t say anything. Phillipe was more forthcoming. “We all think he could take better care of you. Watch you more closely, you know?”
There was a rotating platform in the center of the large table, as is often the case in Chinese restaurants. The Peris ordered a lot of food. There were nine of us, but they ordered at least fifteen different dishes. “Take what looks good to you, try everything; we always do it like this,” Nicky explained. He winked at me. “It’s fun.”
The platform was rotated back and forth, there was banter, laughter, teasing and ribbing, as if we were a large, amiable family. I couldn’t have felt more at home; it was amazing. I wasn’t surprised that my joy was contagious and infected the Peris. I hadn’t felt this safe and happy in a while. If they benefitted from it as well, that was fine with me. We left the restaurant for some bar I hadn’t heard of. I ended up riding in Nicky’s car. Anastasia and I were in the backseat, Phillipe behind the wheel, and Nicky in the passenger seat. He looked at us. “Stefan said that you and Tanja get along well. She’ll probably be there tonight as well.” I liked the idea of chatting with Tanja again.
The bar was filled with tinkling jazz music – a nice change from the hammering beats of a club. I spied Tanja and walked over to her table. The Peris ignored her and found a different corner. She hugged me affectionately and introduced me to her friends. They were two women and a guy. Annette was a tall redhead. Sabrina, a short brunette, was all hyped up. “Did you see how many of them just walked in? Tonight I’m going to get myself a piece of the action!”
Annette put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Don’t get too excited, you don’t know whether they’re looking for anything at all. If they are, we won’t have a lot of competition.”
“Who are you talking about?” I asked, genuinely clueless, but Tanja’s friends looked at me as if I was extremely dense.
Karsten was the first one to reply: “The Peris over there. Don’t act so innocent, Tanja told us that you scored Michael once or twice already.”
Sabrina pressed her palms together in excitement. “Believe me, you’re my role model. I’m your biggest fan. It’s no small feat to end up in Michael’s bed.” She uttered his name with reverence, as if he was a rock star.
“I don’t think it was such a feat. He was the one to come after me.”
Sabrina shook her head. “Don’t be so modest, girl. I admire you for spending more than one night with him. He hasn’t bestowed that much attention on any human for a long time.”
Even though I knew the answer to my next question, I wanted to hear it from them. It was just so weird: “So you guys think having sex with a Peri would be the pinnacle of your existence?”
“It doesn’t have to be sex. Their mere attention is awesome. It is an honor when they draw on your energy. The same applies to vampires and elves. Well, vampires don’t want your energy, but your blood. Have you ever been bitten? It’s fantastic!” She kept gushing. I wasn’t sure whether they were merely having fun at my expense, so I nodded along.
That was when Annette cut her friend off. “Melanie, just to make one thing very clear: Michael is mine. I am the human with the strongest magical element.” She stuck out her chest and announced proudly: “Ten generations ago, there was a Peri in my family tree.”
My mouth hung open. I must have looked really stupid or amusing to them. “Is there a hidden camera somewhere? You’re kidding me, right?”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t mess with me. I’m a very powerful witch.”
“Come on, let her be, she’s a friend of mine,” Tanja interrupted her.
Annette threw Tanja a warning glance, before she focused on me again. “I’ll tell you this now so there will be no misunderstandings in the future: You will keep your hands off Michael from now on. I am what he wants. He just doesn’t know that yet.”
“Sure, a man who’s lived more than a thousand years doesn’t know what he wants, very convincing. Annette, do you have any idea how pathetic that is? Michael is my boyfriend. And I don’t care whether you like that or not. Oh, and before I forget, if you want to put a spell on me, be my guest. Tanja, I guess I’ll see you soon, bye.” I didn’t want to spend another minute in the presence of this presumptuous woman.
In the meantime, Michael had arrived in his own car and was standing by the table where the others were sitting. I walked over, still flabbergasted by what I’d heard. When I reached the table, I pointed perplexedly at Tanja and her friends. “They’re loonies, they’re completely crazy. Seriously, they’re bound for the nut house,” I vented. I nestled into Michael’s arms, and he buried his face in my hair.
“What does Tanja want with them?”
Stefan laughed. “She’s one of them. Why is it so hard to understand that people are crazy about us?” I hadn’t considered that my shock might be construed as an insult to them. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. You guys are nice.” I hesitated briefly. “Once a person has overcome the first shock at realizing what you are, it’s a lot of fun to spend time with you, but these people aren’t really interested in you. They simply want a Peri, a vampire, or an elf. And any will do.” Of course this statement was no revelation to them.
“It makes the hunt so much easier, if the deer literally comes prancing right in front of your shotgun, begging to be slain,” Nicky joked.
“What a strange hunt though. I mean, if anyone’s being hunted, it’s you guys.”
“That can be very nice, at least from time to time, when we don’t have a lot of time, or simply don’t feel the inclination to put in an effort. All I have to do is choose a girl and take her home. That leaves me with more time to chat with my friends. These girls are eager to give me their energy. I don’t have to convince or persuade them. I don’t even need to take them home. If I want to, I pick one up and we slip into the restroom for a few minutes. Or into a dark corridor.”
“But you could always do that if you put a spell on them, couldn’t you? Where is the difference? Let me guess – I’d have to be a Peri to understand that?!”
He nodded with a smile. “Let’s just say that magic muddies the energy. Of course the main thing is that we keep our strength, and for that it doesn’t really make a difference, but it’s more satisfying this way.”
“I don’t mean to disappoint you, but there are only four of them, while you are eight single Peris.”
Michael hugged me and whispered into my ear: “You’re so cute when you’re naïve. Just wait and see; the problem will solve itself shortly.”
Annette kept throwing me murderous looks. Sabrina was on the phone, and Tanja smiled sheepishly in my direction. A short while later, several more people entered the bar and sat with Tanja and her friends.
They were playing Latin music now, and Nicky asked me to dance. He was an amazing dancer. When we returned to the table, he joked that he wouldn’t need another human for the rest of the night. He nodded
his head in Michael’s direction. “The redhead is getting on your nerves, isn’t she?” That was when I saw that Annette was standing before Michael, chatting him up and practically pushing her boobs into his face.
Nicky gave me an encouraging shove. “Don’t worry; she’s no competition for you. Straighten your shoulders and stick out your tits; show her who’s boss.”
He was right. I sidled past her with a confident air and melted into Michael’s arms, who certainly wouldn’t protest when I was being affectionate. “See, I normally wouldn’t need to beg people to move in with me.” I ignored his statement graciously, while Annette’s eyes widened in disbelief, and then she slunk away to her seat in resignation. Michael’s talk about me moving in with him had apparently made it clear that she was definitely not what he wanted.
For the rest of the night, I had fun with the Peris, dancing, laughing and chatting, while Annette and her group were ignored until we left the bar around two a.m. In passing, the Peris selected a human each from the table and took them home. Michael and I drove back to his place. He wouldn’t tell me the reason for the initial behavior of his pals, nor why he had played along. I was tired and ready to fall asleep, but Michael had a different plan. He was extremely skilled and creative when it came to persuading me.
While I slept, he went to work. When I woke up late the next morning and plodded down the stairs, Magda had prepared a full breakfast and was waiting in the kitchen. This had to stop; I was no longer a child. But there was no use trying to talk to her about it. She patted me on the head and told me how important a hearty breakfast was for a young person. I was powerless against her reasoning, so I decided to flee her and leave the house. There was still time for another visit with Katja before I had to start my shift in the cinema. She was still in the hospital and had gone through an extensive examination the day before, missing her favorite soap. One of the nurses had been kind enough to record it for her. I brought popcorn and Coke, and we watched the recorded episode together. When it was over, the next one started on TV. Perfect timing. We made fun of some of the cheesier moments, and developed theories of what might happen next, before I took my leave to get to the cinema on time.
Peris Night: Terakon (Secret Language) Page 23
