“Lex, this is my niece Tamara.” Tamara looked to be in her late twenties and Mike didn’t appear a day over twenty-five, so it was an odd appearance, but I knew that in reality Mike might be four times older than that.
“Hi, Lex.” She held out a hand to shake mine. “So nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Mike asked.
“I had a shoot last minute. It’s going to run for a couple of days so I figured I would crash with you. My photo shoot is only a few blocks away.”
Yes, of course, she was some sort of model. Shocker.
“I saw Alex downstairs. Why’s the bar closed?
“We’re having a couple little issues.”
“Bad?”
“Nothing big. Just let me or one of the guys drop you for work.”
“I don’t want to be a problem! Should I just get a hotel room?”
“No, not at all! It’s all good! I want to catch up with you.”
“Great! I missed you guys something fierce! Where’s Caden at? I want to say hi and drop off my bag.”
My stomach felt like it jumped into my throat. What was she talking about? Where would she be dropping her bag?
“Lex is staying at Caden’s. It might be more comfortable to stay with me this time.”
She looked over at me and it was obvious when the light bulb went off. She smiled as if everything was good, but I could see the strain in her muscles. Maybe I was so in tune to her struggle because I was also struggling to keep a happy smile plastered across my face as well. What was the deal here? Was she sleeping with him? And more alarming, why did I even care? When did this happen? He was a complete jerk. Yes, he had some nice moments and he was sexy as hell but really?
“Yeah, sounds good.” She was not a good liar.
“It’ll be great! Just like when you were a kid.”
“I’m going to go get cleaned up,” I said looking to bail on this oh so awkward moment.
“Lex, make sure you come up for dinner, everybody stays in when Tamara comes,” Mike said.
“Sounds great!” Yeah, just great I said inside my head with a much more sarcastic tone. Wouldn’t want to miss that.
Chapter Eighteen
We ate at nine p.m. that evening. Everyone was around here kept late hours and I was slowly getting into the swing of things. Dave had sent Diane to see her parents shortly after the fight with Caden and before that they had been keeping some distance, so I hadn’t had much of an opportunity to get to know her well. He felt it was safer with her there on an everyday basis. He was hopping in between here and her parents place upstate.
Everyone, even Diana, was here tonight when I came upstairs. We were having dinner at one of the tables in the bar. I’d never paid much attention before but it hit home tonight that the seating had shifted. Caden was always at the head of the table with Mike to his left, and without even realizing it had become a habit, I had always been reserved the chair to his right. Until tonight that is, the seat was empty but the chair was pulled out and a half empty glass of wine with lipstick on the rim was in my spot. The only seat left, apparently my new spot, was to be to Mike’s left.
My hackles were starting to rise already. I was here every day, and she flits in like Tinker Bell and gets my spot? Deep breath I told myself. She’s only going to be here for a couple of days. She seems like a nice girl. Don’t overeact. You’re being petty I kept telling myself.
Tamara walked in, like she was still on the runway, wearing a long white flowing dress. She looked like a Greek goddess. In comparison, I looked down at my distressed jeans and t-shirt and wished someone had told me we were dressing for dinner. I felt like a short troll in the presence of a queen.
“Okay boys, help yourselves!” She laid down a platter of sliced prime rib in the center that looked cooked to perfection. There were side dishes galore, asparagus with roasted garlic, potatoes au gratin and a tureen of cream of lobster bisque to name a few. Tamara really knew how to put out a dinner.
Of course, Diana was right beside Tamara helping her. It was clear they were not only well acquainted but had a friendship. I told myself she had known her much longer. Diana and I would eventually become friends too. It was just going to take a while. That was all.
I’d always loved food, and I thanked the stars everyday that I had a fast metabolism. My mood was softening toward Tamara as my mouth was watering over the rare piece of prime rib I’d just laid on my plate. The meat was exquisite, and as I took my first bite, everything was about to be forgiven. Until I looked up to see Tamara, leaning toward Caden, hand on his arm, showing just the perfect amount of cleavage. I still might have been able to enjoy the meal if he didn’t have the most handsome smile I’d ever seen on his face. Sitting there in his expensive suit with his tan skin and perfect smile, they looked like a wedding advertisement.
“Who’s your job with this week?” Caden asked her.
“It’s a Vogue spread focusing on some of the newest hot designers to hit the market.”
“I’m sure you’ll look fantastic. You always do.”
“You should come do a spread with me one time Caden. My agent would love you!”
“I can’t do a spread, you know that.”
Yes, Tamara, you big dope, how could he? I thought to myself. He’s not human! Demons can’t do photo layouts, but I guess they can do twenty something year old models.
The couple of bites of prime rib that I had eaten were sitting in my stomach like a lead brick now. I’d always felt somewhat secure about myself but watching the way he was all suave and doting with her, after getting mostly thorns myself, made it pretty tough to not feel like an ugly troll. It was one of those moments in life that make all your insecurities come rushing at you, not pretty enough, not witty enough, just plain old not good enough.
I waited as patiently as I could, mentally withdrawing, forcing myself to laugh whenever the group laughed, even though I had no idea why I was laughing. I wasn’t sure how I had even finished my meal. Relief passed over me as I saw Dave and Diana get up to leave. I left less than a minute after they did.
Needing an emotional release and not having one, I opted for the physical release of a workout as my next best option. I changed into some yoga pants and a tank top and went to the gym upstairs to work out. The last thing I was going to do was sit in his place waiting to be a third wheel. The girl he didn’t want, who was just making things inconvenient for the right girl.
I started punching at the bag vigorously, alternating between envisioning his face and hers. I knew I had no right to be feeling like this but when had that ever changed anything. I punched and I kicked until I was exhausted and didn’t have an ounce of energy left, and yet I still couldn’t bring myself to go downstairs.
There were always clean towels here stacked in the corner for when the guys worked out. I’m not sure who put them there, because I never saw a cleaning crew, but I was grateful for them. I went over to the stretching mat, and used one as a makeshift pillow, and another as a blanket making a bed for myself. I was feeling more pathetic than ever. I should just leave like I had thought about, but the fear of going it alone scared me back into inaction, so I just lay there instead. I closed my eyes and would reassess tomorrow.
“Lex! I’ve been looking for you for the last three hours.” This is what I woke up to several hours later.
Yawning and exhausted, my mood wasn’t so great either. “What time is it?”
“Why are you up here sleeping?”
“I was giving you and Tamara some privacy.”
“She’s at Mike’s.”
“I hope you didn’t do that for me. I’m fine here.”
“I didn’t do it for you.”
“Then why? You obviously like her?”
“Are you asking me for an explanation of why I’m not sleeping with her?” he sounded incredulous and I understood. It was a rather bizarre question of me.
�
�Yes. Why aren’t you sleeping with her? She’s clearly your type.”
“I have no interest in sleeping with her.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not discussing this anymore. Come on.”
“What?”
“Come down stairs.”
“I’m sleeping here.” I pulled my towel back over me and turned my back to him.
“Why are you mad?”
I looked over my shoulder with disbelief. “You’ve been telling me that this life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, but you left out that it is for some people. Some people get kid glove treatment. Not me though, I get kicked in the mouth every day.”
“I’m tougher on you because of what you are, you don’t have a choice. You have to be tough or you’ll be chewed up. You think I enjoy riding you? That I like being like this?”
“I don’t care what you like or think you need to do. Leave me alone. I’m going back to sleep.” I turned back over and nestled into my nest of towels.
“Get up. You’re not sleeping on the floor. Your being ridiculous.”
I ignored him and fluffed my towel pillow digging in.
“Hey! Get off of me!” I screamed as he grabbed me and went to heave me over his shoulder. I was boiling mad now, and I could actually feel the angry energy rolling off me. Then the oddest feeling came over my muscles, and I took a shot and swung with my left fist, since that was the only free arm, and caught him in the jaw. It hit him so hard it actually stunned him and he released my other arm. Normally, I would have felt badly about this, but he was the one that got physical first I reasoned, plus I knew from experience that for him, getting hurt was very difficult. I think he was stunned at the force, not so much from any kind of pain or injury I inflicted.
“Hit me again.”
I gave it another shot, but I was back to plain old me.
“Doesn’t matter, it’s starting.” He was smiling again now. He was relieved. I thought he had been sure I would change, but now I realized he had had his doubts too.
“Why are you so happy that I’m going to become a monster like you.” I took a halfhearted dig because I was still mad, but he wasn’t fazed. It had been empty and he knew it. The guys called each other monsters all the time.
“Because even though you can’t see it, now you at least have a chance. Will you come downstairs now?”
The more it sunk in to my head I became too tense to be mad at him anymore with my angst now directed at this new beginning. It was actually happening. It was no longer something in the future, but the now. What would happen to me? Would it change how I thought? How I felt?
“I need to know who I am.” I looked at Caden desperately hoping he would have something, or someone, he hadn’t thought of that could give me some answers.
“You’re going to know soon.”
“I’ll know what, but not who. It’s the difference between knowing your hair is dark brown and knowing your Italian.”
“If you come downstairs tonight, I’ll make a call tomorrow. But it’s a long shot.”
“Why is it such a big deal if I sleep here?” I asked him genuinely curious.
“I just feel better with you in the room next door in case there is an issue.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Are you coming?”
My question made him angry, but I didn’t know why. “You’ll call your person tomorrow?”
“Not exactly a person, but I’ll call.”
“Then ok.” The fact that he was so intent on having me stay in his apartment did help smooth my ruffled feathers. And he wasn’t sleeping with her, at least not tonight. That really smoothed my feathers. I’d have to hang my hat on that because it was about all I was going to get.
Chapter Nineteen
His cell phone vibrating against the table broke my train of thought. I saw Dave’s number before Caden picked it up and answered. “Send her down,” he said into the phone than hung up.
“That’s my curtain call. I’m outta here!” Mike who had been hanging out with us waiting, quickly got up to leave.
“I could really use you here,” I said to Mike. I was nervous already from what I had heard.
“Come on Lex! You don’t need me here, you’ve got Caden! He’s way tougher than me.”
“I don’t want to be here either. You don’t think she creeps me out?” said Caden.
“Who would turn a seventy year old into a vampire? Don’t they have any standards?” asked Mike.
“She had been a brilliant physicist and doctor. They didn’t want to let someone of her mental caliber go,” Caden explained.
“It’s just creepy. What if she was all Alzheimer’ed out by then?” Mike continued.
“It wouldn’t matter. The transition would heal her brain.”
The elevator door slid open and a woman who looked more like she was in her nineties walked in, leaning heavily on her cane.
“You owe me big!” Mike whispered to me under his breath.
“What do you think, I’m deaf boy? I could hear you carrying on before I even got in the elevator,” the older woman chastised. “You think I wouldn’t have been a little happier being stuck in a twenty year old body you young punk? I’m not the idiot that waited until I was on my death bed, those stupid jerks. Then they wonder why I’m so pissed off all the time!”
She walked up to the three of us and gave Mike a healthy whack on his shoulder with her cane, then turned her attention to me.
“You the little gal?”
I nodded as I motioned for her to sit.
“My name is Magda. Caden explained some, but I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do.” She spoke in what sounded like a German accent. She took my chin in her thin old hands and lifted my face to hers looking for something. “Now let me see one of your arms,” Magda asked me as she started to push up my sleeve, “You know what I have to do now, right?”
She looked at me with all seriousness, and I nodded for her to go ahead.
Then I watched as a single fingernail grew and sharpened from Magda’s finger into what looked like a razor .
“I thought you would bite her?” asked Mike.
“Not until I smell and see her blood first. Blood is like a fine wine that you must appreciate with all the senses. Now if I just wanted a quick snack off a normal mortal, that would be different, but that’s not what we are doing here. Fetch me a glass.”
Mike handed her a glass tumbler.
“No, I want a wine glass, fine crystal only. I detest drinking from thick glass ware.”
He replaced the tumbler with a wine glass.
She made a small slice into my skin and a well of blood came to the surface. I noticed Magda’s nail instantly returned to normal as she held the wine glass beneath my arm, filling it a third of the way up. Once she was finished, she rubbed her fingers together and then rubbed them over the wound sealing it.
She lifted the glass of my blood to the light and swirled it around in the glass, murmuring this and that about its legs and body. She then inhaled deeply of it. It was like watching a wine tasting. I didn’t know that vampires could get goose bumps, or what that could possibly mean, but she did. I’d never met a vampire before or even knew that they existed, so maybe goose bumps were normal.
“Well?” Caden asked impatiently.
She shushed him with her hand as she gave the blood her full concentration.
“I shouldn’t taste it, but I must. Just a small taste,” she said as she tilted the glass back and took the tiniest little bit, then smiled with a look of pure satisfaction like the cat that ate the canary.
“I thought you always tasted it?” At least that is what I had seen in movies. I glanced over at Mike and Caden and they were looking just as intrigued as I was over her out of character actions. I guess the movies had something right.
“Not with her I can’t. I shouldn’t have even tasted the small bit I did, but I couldn’t resist.” She looked at the glass she had put
down with almost remorse.
“What is she?” Caden and Mike asked at the same time.
“I don’t know. But it’s potent. I’m afraid it would be poisonous to me in a larger quantity, possibly even deadly, but what a way to go. Her blood is simply delicious,” she said as she brought the glass back under her nose and inhaled deeply.
“She’s going through a change. I can taste the activity. The blood feels like it’s fizzing when a creature is undergoing any kind of metamorphosis. ”
“Am I part demon?” I asked hoping she would say no. Couldn’t I be something else? Anything else?
“She tastes of demon, but much stronger than a Drauth. There is something else too, something delectably tasteful, but deadly, atleast to me.”
“What?” Mike, Caden, and I asked in unison.
“Sorry, but I have no idea. I’ve never tasted it before.”
“Are you sure? Could you take a guess?” Mike asked.
“It’s potent. That’s all I know. I’ve got to go now. I’ve got Blood Bingo in a half an hour,” Magda said.
Magda looked like she was having an internal debate then looked at us again, then turned toward me. “I don’t know what you are, but I do know it’s powerful. Wherever you come from is old, very old. I’m not talking thousands of years.” She looked at me intently then as if she wanted to impress this on me. “I’m talking millions of years.”
“I’m only twenty-four, how can you say something in my blood is millions of years old?”
“You keep thinking in human genetics. We, including my kind, don’t work like that. What we have passes with a cumulative age. We don’t pass down DNA, we pass down cells that multiply. That’s why it takes so long to change and it’s so unpredictable. The cells don’t become active until they feel like they are in optimum conditions.” She rose to her feet now, seeming a little too spry for the cane she carried, and I started to believe it was just for show. “Good luck to you,” she said to me. She turned to Caden with a bit harsher tone, “Don’t call me again. You know better than to drag me into this.” She pointed her fragile little finger into his shoulder to accent her point. “I don’t need the kind of trouble this is going to bring.” It looked comical as she stood next to Caden lecturing him. She was all of maybe 4’11” and probably weighed no more than 95 lbs.
Obsidian Souls (Soul Series) Page 11
