“I want the large pink one there.” She told Mr. Oily.
“No.” The man barked. “No, read the sign.” He added pointing. “No vampires! No prize for you!”
“What in the hell are you talking about? She is no vampire.” Kennedy said with so much heat that Desiree could only stare at him. He looked angry, his face turning red, a dangerous red.
“What is this?” Martin added. “Are you running some sort of scam here? If I had won, would you have claimed the same about me?”
“Small prize only.”
“Wait, we had a deal.” Desiree pleaded.
“I think she is a vampire. She made it look too easy. She tricked me. Small prize only.”
“She is certainly no vampire.” Came a sultry feminine voice. “I can smell her from across the plaza.”
Everyone turned to see a woman walking towards them in an elaborate gothic-like gown the color of dried blood and trimmed in black. Well not really walking, gliding would have been a better description. The gown completely hid her feet and her movements did not make her form bob at all. It's like she is moving without touching the ground.
She was no taller than Desiree but her elaborate array of dark curls piled atop her head towered over 3 inches above her. Large golden eyes looked back at her in a friendly, if an uncomfortably speculative manner. At her side was a tall black kid, no older than 17 or 18 by her estimation, dressed in similar male garb. He was extremely handsome. Stasha elbowed her in the ribs hard enough to make her grunt.
“Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar” She said for her ears only. Desiree wanted to respond but the woman held her gaze.
“And my, my… you do smell good.” She said as she stopped only a foot from her. “And quite lovely too.” She added with a raised eyebrow that made her look even more sophisticated if that were possible. “Isn't she lovely Thomas?”
The man at her side spoke, but for a moment Desiree found herself wondering who in the heavens Thomas was since the woman had never taken her eyes from her own.
“She is very lovely Mistress.” The boy said in a flat tone. Flat, but sexy as hell nonetheless Desiree noted. It was only slightly deep, she could practically hear the youth in his voice but it was also smooth. Impossibly smooth, like the finest liquor money could buy. She felt another jab from her friend and frowned with annoyance.
“What is your name child.” The woman asked.
“Desiree.” She replied, blinking repeatedly. Abruptly the woman broke eye contact with her to look at Mr. Oily. Desiree put a hand to her forehead and rubbed it with 2 fingers. She looked around to see all her friends staring at the woman, the vampire, in abstract fascination.
“Honor your bargain.” She told the conductor, the weight of command in those words heavy enough to crush a car. “This child is no immortal.” Desiree saw the man nod from the corner of her eye.
“I am called Avelia.” The vampire said to her softly. “I must admit, you intrigue me Desiree. That is not easily accomplished.”
She raised her hand to touch her face, tracing two pale fingers along the side of her jaw and over her lips. Desiree’s eyes closed at the contact and her lips parted involuntarily as pleasure rolled over her in crashing waves of pure ecstasy.
“You intrigue me nearly as greatly as my Thomas had when I first laid eyes upon him.” She added in a husky, tantalizing whisper. Avelia’s hand cupped her chin and she felt the woman’s soft lips press into hers. The vampire pulled back almost immediately. She opened her eyes to slits, just long enough to see pleasure on the other woman’s face before closing them again. It was taking every scrap of willpower not to moan.
“I think I want…” She paused as if thinking. “To retire to my rooms. You will accompany me.”
Desire could still feel the vampire's touch. Feel the pleasure of it like tendrils snaking their way to parts of her body she wished they hadn't. She knew that if she moved, even a single inch, it would all come to an intense and intensely embarrassing explosion.
A hand touched her arm and she opened her eyes, the tendrils thankfully fading away.
“If you want to go it’s OK. We will catch you later Desiree.” Kennedy was saying as she slowly became more lucid. “We will catch up with you later.”
By the way he was staring at Avelia, Desiree was sure he certainly would have gone in her stead. She shook her head.
“No. I cannot go, I am sorry.” She told Avelia. “I am spending the day with friends. Besides…”
“No?” The vampire stated, sounded completely bewildered as she cut her off. “No?” She said it again as if tasting the word and not finding its flavor to her liking. “That is a word I do not like to hear.”
Desiree only stared at her, their eyes meeting, both level and steady. Suddenly the vampire smiled. She took her hand in both of her lace covered ones.
“Only for a little while.” She stated diplomatically. “I only wish to speak with you. We can talk in comfort in my rooms so that we may get to know one another better. Come child, come.” She gently tugged on Desiree’s arm. Suddenly Desiree wanted to go with the woman wherever she led and for however long she wanted her company. She let the woman lead her along. She was so lucky to be chosen. Out of everyone, SHE had been chosen. They all would be so jealous of her. She looked around and everyone did appear envious of her opportunity. The opportunity to spend time with Mistress Avelia. Wait, no. What am I doing? She took 2 more steps with her before abruptly taking her hand back.
“I told you, I want to stay with my friends.” She said more fiercely than she had intended. The vampire took a step back and her eyes grew wide as one of the platters on the feast tables, those golden orbs shining like tiny suns in Meilin’s stargazing. Her face wore that look of absolute befuddlement for a moment and then went from a mask of hot anger to serene calm all so quickly, Desiree wasn't sure if she saw what she thought she had seen. She found herself blinking in confusion. She opened her mouth to perhaps apologize, she wasn't sure what to say so she just shut it again without speaking. Avelia eyed everyone around them for a moment before turning back to Desiree.
“Perhaps another time.” She said tightly and turned away. Thomas followed along beside her, somehow managing to stay the exact same distance from her as if guided by an invisible leash. Desiree breathed a sigh of relief when the vampire disappeared around one of the tents. That sigh seemed to breathe life into her companions.
“Girl, do you think we would blame you for going?” Patty said, her usual timid manner seeming to be swallowed up and devoured by her incredulity.
“I would have gone had you all blamed me or not.” Eric stated, sounding breathless. She turned to him and his face was all red as if he had run a marathon. Most of their faces looked flushed for some reason.
“I wouldn't have.” Martin said. “I find the present company more to my liking.”
His eyes flicked to Olive for a split second when he said the last and Desiree smiled an inner smile. No one else could have noticed considering Martin was standing in the back and they were all facing her but she had seen.
“Damn Desiree, when she touched your face, I could have sworn I could feel it.” Stasha spoke in a near whisper. She was tracing her own hand along her cheek and her eyes closed as she continued. “And when she kissed you,” Her fingers gently traced her own lips slowly, seductively and her already closed eyes seemed to tighten. “When she kissed you, I could feel… I…” She suddenly opened her eyes and her pale cheeks began to flush. It looked almost like her cheeks were being peppered by tiny red dots from the inside until becoming a solid rosy hue. Despite the absolute hilarity of it all she looked more beautiful at that moment than any before to Desiree. But still, Desiree found herself ready to explode with laughter. To cover the building tumult, she told her how she thought she looked just then. That of course only made it worse, but there was also a fair bit of pride and gratitude for that matter in her eyes now. Especially when the girl looked around to see tha
t the other women were nodding in agreement. To what Desiree had said or Stasha she didn’t know, but it really did not matter. The point was it helped. The men were all looking at the short blonde as if they suddenly wanted to spread HER on a piece of bread instead of jam and eat her up.
Desiree took that opportunity to pick up her winnings. She practically snatched the stuffed animal from the man's hands but then remembered something. Perhaps she was not an immortal, a vampire like he had thought but she wasn't human either, at least not completely. That fact seemed to just now dawn on her. Her mouth tightened further and the conductor harrumphed loudly and turned away. She saw Olive looking her way hopefully from the corner of her eye but pretended not to see her. Instead she walked to Martin and making sure her face was shielded from Olivia with the stuffed animal, she handed it to him, slightly tilting her head towards the other woman as she did so to not make it conspicuous. He smiled gratefully as he took it in both hands, even winking at her to show that he understood what she was doing.
“This should have been yours.” She said aloud. “Was just bad luck is all.”
Olive sighed audibly and Desiree withheld her smile with great difficulty. She did let it out though when Martin turned and handed it to Olive almost Reverently. She beamed up at him and gave him one heck of a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Martin was grinning from ear to ear. Kennedy was looking at them and smiling as well.
“ANYWAY…” Eric said mockingly and loudly.
Kennedy looked over to him, disapproval stamped on his features, but he nodded as Eric continued. They all did.
“let's get this show on the road.”
Chapter 14
Over the next few hours they explored all that the festival had to offer. They stopped at nearly every display and Desiree won 2 more stuffed animals, though she avoided any tasks that had even anything remotely to do with strength. She quickly grew tired of hauling the stuff around and just ended up giving them away to the various children that were running around. The party split up, got back together and then split up again many times, the members of each group changing and rearranging often as some wanted to do some things while others wanted to do something else. Desiree was walking along with Stasha, Patty and Olive, the girl power brigade, the blonde had dubbed them, when she heard a woman call to them from a large tent.
“Are you brave enough to know the mysteries of your past, present and future?” The woman intoned in what Desiree guessed was a heavily rehearsed montage of words designed to inveigle would be customers. It seemed to her that she was practically daring them to take her up on the offer. She was going to continue on regardless, but the other three women slowed. She reluctantly stopped with him. The woman inside was a lot older looking than her voice portrayed. Her hair was short, even shorter than Stasha’s and held so much gray Desiree couldn’t discern her natural color. There was a eerie light behind her somewhere flickering ominously as she sat at a small round table facing them but her face looked friendly enough. A large plaque hung from the ceiling of the tent that read, ‘Madame Mina Oracle Extraordinaire.’
“Ah, four young women, each as lovely as they are different.” She stated in that too youthful voice. “Who will be first?”
“I like her.” Patricia said with a smile.
“Don't you need like a crystal ball or something?” Desiree asked mockingly, gesturing to the empty table. The joke seemed to fall on deaf ears and she cleared her throat in embarrassment.
“How much to read my future?” Patty asked hesitantly. The woman stared at her for a long moment before responding. When she did, she did so with a sigh.
“It is $20, but I am sorry little sister, you cannot be read.”
To Desiree she sounded sadder than the lost sale normally should have caused.
“What do you mean? Why do you call her that, little sister?” Stasha asked, curiosity practically dripping from her pink lips.
“Why can't I be read.” Patty asked on top of her. She sounded offended.
“Because you are Gifted child.” The woman answered as if it were the dumbest question she had ever heard.
“How did you know she was Gifted?” Desiree asked, her eyebrows beginning to climb.
“For the same reason she called me little sister.” Patty said slowly, including Stasha in her explanation with a glance her way. “She is Gifted as well. I can feel it.” Her voice became thoughtful as she casually dug in an ear with a finger. A nervous habit no doubt. Desiree had noticed her doing it before. She found herself frowning in disapproval. That is a habit you can most definitely afford to lose.
“I have never sensed it in another before.” Patty continued. “It feels… strange, like roiling...” She trailed off without finishing, her brow crinkling in thought or perhaps concentration. Madame Mina only nodded her assent. Desiree found herself intrigued despite herself.
“I wanna do it.” Olive stated loudly in the silence that followed. In her voice was all the misguided certainty of a young woman who had decided to do something even though she knew that it probably was not a good idea and didn't care one iota.
“Take a seat.” Mina said, indicating the chair across from her. “The rest of you must wait outside. Readings are a private affair.” Patty looked visibly disappointed at the words.
They moved outside and Desiree glanced back in time to see Mina pull on a string hanging by her chair and the tent flap fell across the opening, shielding them from her curious eyes. The 3 of them waited impatiently only speaking once.
“Are you going next?” Desiree asked Stasha.
“Hell no!” Came the surprisingly emphatic response. “I don't mess with this sort of thing. You?”
“I don't really believe in this stuff. Reading the future and all.” Desiree admitted.
“You should.” Patty said absently. She still seemed preoccupied though.
“Yeah, you should.” Stasha added.
Not another word was said until the tent flap opened some good time later and Olive came out grinning like a mad woman.
“What did she tell you?” Patty asked, nearly accosting the woman in her eagerness to get answers. “Must have been great news.”
“She said that normally I could not have been read, everyone apparently cannot be read even if you are not one of the Gifted.” She said, her voice trailing off for a moment but quickly picked back up its former intensity. “But she told me her gift was unusually strong today and she could feel her power reaching for me if only slightly.”
“Well? What did she say?” Patty asked, her patience obviously running low.
The young woman turned sideways as if to give them her best side. “She said I have a passionate love affair coming into my life in the near future.” Olive replied, her smile returning in earnest. “I asked her when but she only laughed and said it all depends on me.” She looked up thoughtfully then as if she could see it in her head, “I wonder if it will be some handsome vampire who will lavish me with gifts and take me around the world.”
Desiree had a good idea who it was and it was no vampire.
“Who is next?” Came a voice from inside. “You child. Come.”
“I don't think…” Desiree began.
“Nonsense, come in child. Don't be afraid, come, come.”
She looked up to the others and got vastly different responses. Patty met her eyes, looking more lime-green Jell-O than a dog watching another dog being walked from the living room window. Olive simply gestured with a nod to the tent, her smile still as big and bright as the sun. Stasha on the other hand gave her a look she would later recognize as her patented, ‘be a fool if you want to’ look. Desiree reluctantly stepped into the tent.
Madam Mina’s tent seemed a lot smaller than she remembered from a few minutes before. She was not particularly claustrophobic but the walls and drooping ceiling of the tent seemed oppressive, the slight breeze making them appear as if they were attempting to close in on her… trap her. She hesitated before the table, seriousl
y considering turning right around and leaving. Stop behaving like a child, this could be fun.
She jumped as the tent flap suddenly fell over the entrance, banishing the almost cheerful sunlight and plunging the room into an uncomfortable... no, a downright eerie darkness broken only periodically by the strange light flickering in the back. Desiree noted that the woman had not pulled the string this time.
“What is your name sweetheart?” The woman asked in a cheerful voice, made even more so by Desiree’s current view of her surroundings. It served to calm her nerves a bit. A bit.
“You tell me.” She told her in response. Mina only smiled.
“You do not believe I see.” She eyed Desiree up and down. “Not fully at least. OK, sit. We will start with that. I can do that much on my own.”
When Desiree didn't move she gestured for her to sit again. “Come, sit child. There is nothing to fear.”
As soon as she was seated Mina stretched both of her arms across the table palms up.
“Give me your hands” She instructed calmly.
Desiree complied. The other woman’s hands were warm and surprisingly soft, like her grandmother’s. Desiree instantly felt better at the contact.
Madam Mina’s eyes closed but opened again almost immediately. “Your name is Desiree.” She stated firmly, though to Desiree her shadowy face appeared surprised in the poorly illuminated tent.
“You already knew.” Desiree guessed. “You heard someone say my name earlier.” She frowned. “If you are going to lie, at least make it a show, try to be a little more believable and taking more than half a second to read me.”
“It's never worked that quickly before.” Mina admitted, sounding surprised and maybe even a bit uneasy. “But I could read a person’s name by the age of 10.” She added. She didn't look like she was bragging when she said so. “Here, I will give you more.”
She looked eager now, all sense of her earlier unease vanishing like a batch of fresh baked oatmeal walnut chocolate chip cookies. She held onto her hands and closed her eyes again. Words began to tumble out of her like sand from a broken ant farm.
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