Cognata: A Vampire Romance

by Jedaiah Ramnarine

  "Why do you feel... warm?" What a stupid question to ask. It could all be bullshit, and she's just a lunatic thinking she's a 'supernatural' creature. There is no such thing as supernatural. This is all wrong. Then she starts giggling.

  Was she reading my thoughts again?

  "What?" I'm embarrassed, trying to play it off.

  "You're right. There is no such thing as supernatural." She takes my hand to her face, caressing it softly. It's warm. Smooth. Normal. How?

  "I am warm because: I choose to be warm."

  What the hell does that even mean?

  "Many of the Cognati abilities people commonly refer to as 'supernatural' are simply heightened consciousness related abilities. My ability to feel warm is because I've chosen to feel warm, and so, I do."

  "That would take quite a lot of willpower and self-discipline."

  "Correct."

  "So this, Aristide guy, he uhh... felt cold because, he wanted to be cold?"

  "No." She drags on the 'o' the same way I read her talking about him, "Aristide was... " she starts smiling, blushing too - "A bit of a rogue."

  "And what does that mean, exactly?" Jealousy incoming.

  "Cognati are usually supposed to feel warm. Our blood only grows colder based on our thinking and our feelings. Aristide was cold, but not because he was evil."

  "Then... why?"

  "He was alone."

  Alexia's Journal,

  April 20th 1932

  The next time my eyes opened and I could truly confess I was awake - I found myself rising to the setting sun, in a master bedroom with a bed that housed pillars of dark stone, sheets of pure white and an opened door to the balcony porch where the wind blew inside freely. I was completely naked. Every part of me ached: from my head to the soles on my feet, but I was in a state of recovery. I knew I was getting better.

  I looked around as I sat up on the bed, trying my hardest to make sense of all the dreams... all the images... I didn't remember how long I was out. It could have been a day, a week, or more. I was terrified. What would my parents think? Did they send search parties for me? Were they worried?

  I wrapped the sheets around my nude body and cautiously moved to the direction of the wind's allure. It called me to see the splendid wonder outside. I was high up in this 'castle' and below me was a hill that connected to the deep blue sea. My home city far off in the distance, some seagulls flying along the shore and the twinkle of the setting sun's rays drawing a beautiful picture of the fading day's sky.

  "How are you feeling?" His voice came from behind me. I needed to see him so I quickly darted to find him and there he was. Arms crossed behind his back, wearing only a commoner's shirt and leather pants. I wanted to say so much, ask of this, that and the other, but my tongue was twisted. I froze. Not in fear, but in utter bewilderment. All that slipped off my tongue was the promise he gave me and so I asked him - "Am I free?"

  He slowly came to me and trailed his hands up my shoulders and to my cheeks, firmly yet gently making me stare deep into his eyes with a smile.

  "Yes, you are, milady." His hands parted my hair as he moved away from me, holding onto the balcony's stone handrails and breathing in the fresh sea breeze.

  "I know you have many things you must ask me and I promise, I will answer them all truthfully." He faced me once more, a shimmer in his eyes. "Just know one thing. I will always be there for you."

  It was very difficult to speak. My mind was shattered and I only consciously thought of petty things as I struggled to pull myself back together. One of these things was that he no longer felt cold and I thought I knew why. It was in the back of my mind and I pushed so hard to get it out. It had to have been more important...

  "I've restored you. Haven't I?" I asked somewhat knowingly.

  Aristide looked me with an expression that said, Go on.

  "You tasted me... and now you're warm while I... " I looked into the palm of my hands. I was shaking. Shivering like a feline at her last nerve. "I am so... so cold."

  A warm haze drew nearer to me. His hands touched mine and he pulled them to his mouth, giving them soft, tender kisses with a nibble that only made me feel the sharp edge of his fangs before he returned into kissing my fingers gently.

  "You and I are experiencing what is called, 'The Exchange'. It is a time when the Cognati blood is transferred to each other. They can see memories, events, links, thoughts and many other things by the harmonizing of each other's blood. I am warmer because I have embraced you. You are colder because you are... feeling me."

  My hand reached for his cheek, as he gazed at me innocently. It was so difficult to talk. I felt a tear rolling down my face. I knew him. I knew him so well... I knew what he'd been through and why he was here and above all, I knew why he wanted me. At least, I thought I did.

  "You've been running for so long... " I said to him, "Do you really think I can cure you?"

  "You already have." He smiled - "I am sorry I had to pollute you. My mind has been to some very dark places. A creature of your nature should never be tainted by any dark force, but alas, I had no choice. You are all that's left if our world is to survive."

  "I do not understand your meaning." My body began shivering again. Flashes of being to Gaul and Egypt came flooding unexpectedly. He wrapped his arm around me, his warmth transferring onto me.

  "You need rest." He said as he took me back inside and laid me on the bed, stroking my hair, feeling my temperature. His eyes met mine while I scraped for the sheets. I don't know what he'd done to me, but I wasn't vengeful for it. I was only thinking about how much care he had to have to still be here.

  He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

  "My beautiful Alexia... may all your dreams come true in this life." I was fading to dreamland as his whispers soothed me away. "May your strength carry you through the dark and may your light never diminish... even in the valleys that may come."

  I don't remember dreaming that day. It's most likely that I did. Despite when people think they are not dreaming, everyone dreams. All I know is that the next time I woke up, it was night and Aristide was sitting on my bed, reading a book, using what I couldn't believe was reading glasses on his face. I was so delighted to see him and the mere fact that he watched over me while I slept only deepened my feelings for him.

  "Hello, hello... " I weakly shrugged off my grogginess as I crawled closer to him, the sheets slipping down my naked breasts. He looked back at me and smiled.

  "Good afternoon, my sweet Cognata." He replied, his hand caressing my thigh tenderly.

  I repeated the word precisely the way he said it

  "Cognata? What does that mean?"

  "Ahh yes... " He looked back and continued to read. "Formally we are called 'The Cognati', descendants of Halona, our long lost blood-drinking goddess."

  "Cognata is the feminine form?"

  "That's correct."

  "And the male?"

  "Cognatus." He shut his book as I rested my head on his lap, gazing into his eyes - forcing him to pay attention to me. Gentle strokes from his hand cruised down my hair, removing the strands that fell over my face.

  "How did you sleep?" He asked.

  "Never better. I feel renewed, but... " I held my hand up for him to see. It was trembling weakly despite my calm composure, "I thirst... "

  He took my hand into his mouth and kissed it alluringly - "Of course. Tonight we will restore your lost vitality."

  "I still have questions Aristide." I sounded his name with a satisfaction of underlying demure.

  "And I, have answers." He played the game well, gently guiding me to sit up on the bed and planting a kiss on my thigh through the sheets. He got to his feet, took off his glasses and moved to his closet - taking out a finely crafted black, long coat.

  "We must go now." He sternly said.

  "Do you have my dress?" I asked, not at all wanting to expose my skin to the unworthy. Aristide simply looked at me, "No." he smirked - "I have better."

&
nbsp; My curiosity for this man only grew stronger. The way he carried himself was so elegant and sure, yet dark and mysterious. I'd never experienced such dynamism and a few moments later, after he'd left the room, I found myself imagining what his next move could possibly be. It was not an easy task to read him. Once he came back, he presented me with a gorgeous, long, dark gown that featured custom inscriptions along the cleavage of its material.

  "Oh my goodness! Aristide! It's beyond words." I was overjoyed, holding the fabric of the dress in my hands. Feeling and breathing in the freshness of it .

  "For such a beauty that transcends me, it is the least I could do... " He smiled. "Now, put this on and let us go into the night. Together."

  I looked up at him in amazement.

  Of course I will put this on. Let's leave right now...

  The boat ride back to shore did nothing to derail my indulgence in the vanity of my beauty. Being with Aristide made me feel desired, wanted and appreciated. An oddity from the way I was brought up. I was made to be an artificial princess. A stock fruit for whatever king, or heir eventually desired to have me. Oh yes, I'd live the life of royalty but I'd also be a silent slave in a golden cage- bound by the outdated ethics of an ancient empire, struggling to keep its relevance and status as a world power even to that day, mired by religious superstition.

  Then again, I could have been whisked away by a gentleman king. One that's not the common rich scion beneficiary. He could be charming and wonderful. Sensitive and rough, all in one. That's when I wondered, hadn't I already been whisked away by such a thing? Aristide was pure royalty.

  He had no kingdom I knew of, but everything pointed to a high life in him and furthermore, his cold blood coursing through my veins showed me many passages in his antique memories. There was once a group that needed him and he ran away. He was made to be more, but he refused it.

  Why?

  We made way from the shore, the fringes on my dress were damp and it had me slightly irritated though not overly fussy. Aristide did not mind. He was not the type to complain of such petty things. His mind was fixed on other matters.

  "Look, my Alexia... " He pointed to the townsfolk of the night. The lanterns highlighted their dim faces and suddenly I felt an unnatural urge awaken in me that desired something most unusual. Something I'd never before thought of, yet there I was, feeling, aching, wanting and knowing what these creatures meant to me: Life.

  "That is where you came from." Aristide continued, "And that is where you can never return."

  A stringent gaze penetrated from my eyes to his and my mind danced with rebellion.

  How could that be true?

  I knew he heard me thinking and once he turned to face me, there was no denying it.

  "We are creatures of the night. They are viands to carry on our legacy. You must know that this life you've begun will not be an easy one, but the rewards to reap - outweigh the consequences of our perils."

  The wind blew on my face and I momentarily felt light-headed. Aristide wrapped his arm around mine, preventing me from stumbling. He knew what I was feeling. It was strange to say the least. Not being weakened from the lack of sustenance, but the connection that started blooming between the two of us. It was almost like we could see each other when there was nothing more than a void. Hear the whispers of the other's thoughts and feelings, actions and deeds - and it continuously grew stronger with each passing minute.

  "You must feed." He sternly whispered to me, taking me through the streets as if we were a couple walking arm in arm. Each step I took felt heavier and heavier till my eyes caught the sight of another couple. They were in distress. They were saddened. They were searching far and wide, as if they'd lost something precious. They were my parents...

  'That is where you can never return.'His words echoed through my mind, my hand reaching out to them saying how muchI'm sorry. Aristide leaned me against the wall of a back alley's pass. He gently trailed his fingers over my chin and tilted my head up so he can gaze into my eyes, examining me as if he were a doctor. He looked left, then he looked right, then back to me and then he looked right again - as if he'd missed something he hadn't quite caught before. Holding my shoulders, he guided me to sit on the floor.

  "Now watch. Observe... " He instructed, his eyes fixated on his target - what happened to be a lonely wanderer. A well dressed, fancy-tailored mistress, perhaps heading back to her suite after a night's walked wonder. Aristide casually came to her side.

  I don't remember what he said but she went from a cold stare to a shy giggle, and I could tell he was already seducing her. Part of me wondered if I was just 'another one' of his conquests, but I tried my best to ignore the doubt. Only focused on that moment.

  The woman came walking to me. Perhaps Aristide told her a fable of my condition, because once she kneeled down to see me, stretching her hand and asking me if I was alright, the shadow man was already behind her, his hand crawling down her shoulders and his lips moving to her beautifully exposed neck. Seeing Aristide's fangs extend from the cold harbor of his mouth turned me on. I felt my own slipping from the shades of my teeth as my eyes stayed locked on his every move as if it were instinct that I could tell what was going to happen next. He sunk his teeth into her and the moment I saw the blood ooze from the wound, a fiery, eldritch desire took over and I suddenly became unstoppable. All the weakness faded, especially once I heard the whispers of his voice echoing into my mind saying: 'Come my child, it is time to feed.'

  She unleashed a shriek that bellowed across the night's cold air. I lunged for her, as if my body took over, knowing what it was doing. My teeth sunk deep into the other side of her neck, latching my body onto hers, pushing down till I was on top - sucking, pulling, draining... Oh the taste. Sweeter than the finest wine and yet so bitter but calling me for more. Life was coming to me. I could see clearer. I could hear better. Everything was mushing around, fading into a hazy picture. Oh, the taste... That divine taste... I just wanted more... the life... I couldn't control myself.

  Just give it to me. Let me be free...

  "That's enough... " I thought I heard him say but the lust was too much. I kept going, draining my poor victim as if it were the only meal I'd ever had in my life, maybe even my last. I did not want to stop. It was too hard. I was drawn into an endless abyss. More and more, it became harder to detach myself from the need. The need to feed... I started seeing her within. I could see all her desires, her wants, her needs and then the fears started coming...

  "That's enough!" He shouted, pushing me off my victim to the wall with lightning speed, holding me firmly with his hands on my shoulders. It was the first time I'd ever felt such strength from Aristide or seen his true power. He was serious, more serious than I'd ever seen him. A mixture of blood and drool oozed down the sides of my mouth, dripping down my chin. I was panting, breathing like a wild animal unleashed. Aristide looked back to the woman - who was squirming, drained to a pulp. His eyes shot back at me and make no mistake, if I'd ever felt fear of this man in my life, it was certainly in that instant. "Do not, ever drain them dry!" He silently but sternly instructed, "We are not murderers. We only take what is necessary to survive. If you draw on a host till its death, then you will be drawn into their personal hell and you will experience them in a light best left untouched. Every time you kill one of them: you pay the price. You die with them. Be it smaller or grander, you will shrivel into nothingness."

  I tried to pay the utmost respect to the instruction he was giving me but it was excruciatingly difficult. I felt so rejuvenated and energized, it was hard to concentrate on his words only. I felt as if I could run and I mean, run faster than any horse and greater than any chariot. I felt like I could leap over the buildings and soar into the night's sky. It was hard to contain such power...

  Aristide moved the stray hairs that covered my eyes away and gently caressed my face with the back of his hand. I instantly latched onto his hand, nibbling and kissing it as a thank you, love you message that w
as silently spoken.

  "You are too precious to lose your humanity, Alexia... "

  "Why do you say that... " I panted trying to catch my breath and ease down all the excitement, "Why do you keep telling me I am precious? Why did you do this to me?" My lips were still sucking and nibbling, moaning on his fingers as if he had more juice to fill me with, but Aristide only looked at me with a face that I'd describe was filled with sadness as it penetrated past my desires. My mind was racing in a thousand directions and I was feeling every kind of emotion from fear to happiness, lust to depravity.

  "Because you are my only hope." He solemnly stated.

  As he got to his feet, I did not ponder upon his words, although, as I'm writing this, all these centuries later, I realize what he meant. The shade of a man who'd been far and wide, and through valleys I couldn't even dream of. I'd make him reveal them to me. Sooner or later.

  "All is not so bad... " His head tilted to the shimmering disk of the moon above us, "you have gifts now. I'm sure your body is aching for action, ready to pounce... " I was still aiming to pull myself together when I decided it'd be best to move to his side so I could hear him more clearly. "I will show you what it is to be a part of the Cognati. It is much a gift as it is a curse. Everything is a balance. Now come." He did not extend his hand, despite my inner desire for him to keep me pampered all the way. Instead, he briskly trotted down the dark alleys, expecting me to stay close. Much of Aristide's speech went unspoken. The way he carried himself was enough.

  Once I reached his side, he turned to me and said, "Now watch, fledgling." As he lifted his head to the sky, the air around me suddenly grew very cold. Colder than his touch, it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced by his side. A misty blackness covered him and I began backing away fearfully expecting the worst. It was like he gained some sort of dark cape and wrapped it around himself till he became as dark as night itself and could be seen no more.