Ageless

by Cege Smith

  “So they wanted to join your band?” Violet said, lamely trying to go along with the analogy.

  “Not my band. I’m basically a member of the road crew. I’m not the rock star,” Margo said, shaking her head. “The famous Montrose brothers, they are the rock stars. What I didn’t know is that Tesla started following another band too. That made things...awkward when everything came to a head last night.”

  “Since you said this was an analogy, perhaps you’d better tell me what these bands actually are, because I have never seen Jeremiah or Jonah on the cover of Rolling Stone,” Violet said, steeling herself for the answer. As much as she didn’t really want to know, she was tired of being in the dark.

  “Jeremiah is the leader of the strongest vampire coven in the United States,” Margo said in a rush. “It is very exclusive and he is incredibly selective of who gets in. The oldest vampires have all belonged at one time or another to the Montrose Clan. The fact that he has taken a personal interest in you, Violet, is a huge compliment.” Margo stopped talking and Violet let the words sink in.

  Then Violet started to laugh. She laughed so long and so hard that her sides started to ache. Tears squeezed from her eyes and slid down her cheeks and she wiped them away as the peals of giggles finally subsided. Margo watched her with narrowed eyes.

  “Vampires! Of course, why didn’t I see it before?” Violet finally choked out.

  “I understand it’s a lot to take in,” Margo said, taking another sip of her tea.

  Violet could feel the waves of annoyance wafting off of her friend. But Violet didn’t care. The absurdity of the last twenty-four hours had finally broken over her. But her chuckles were cut off as the image of the den returned to her. Something very bad had happened at Mike’s house, but Violet was hard pressed to think it had anything to do with something supernatural. Then Jonah’s snarling face and elongated teeth flashed through her mind and any desire to laugh died away.

  “Let’s just pretend for a moment that what you said has a basis in fact,” Violet said. “We both know that I am not some vampire-coven-seeking groupie, not by any stretch of the imagination. I didn’t even want to go to Mike’s until you dragged me over there. So what’s my role in all of this?”

  “I obviously was doing a crappy job of keeping an eye on you,” Margo said. She set her cup back down and refilled it. “Once Jeremiah found you at Bayersfield, he asked me to get to know you better so that there would be someone there all the time to protect you. As much of a jerk as he can be, it was actually his idea that you should be able to finish out your senior year in peace. Or at least, he was fine with that idea until he sent Jonah to check up on me a few weeks ago and decided that I may be getting distracted.”

  “Why would you be protecting me?” Violet’s heart had sped up again. Things were suddenly starting to fall into place. Margo’s sudden appearance and interest in her. The idea that Jeremiah had been unwilling to wait to see her. A coming-out party being thrown in her honor. “Who do you think I am?”

  “You are the one who is going to save us, Vi,” Margo said with a small smile. “Your bloodline is ancient, almost as old as Jeremiah and Jonah’s. You hold the secret to breaking our curse. So when that other coven members showed up last night I thought I may have completely screwed up. In the end, I am so glad Jonah popped up. He was able to distract them by giving them Tesla, Mike, and the others and keeping them away before they saw you. I mean, you don’t look any different than other mortals, but the smell of your blood is...intoxicating.” Margo gulped and looked away. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m used to it after all this time, but they would have known right away and you would have been in real danger.”

  Violet stood up and walked around to the other side of her chair. Her chest was heaving. She had a million questions and she didn’t know where to start. She looked down at her hands and that’s when she saw it. A small symbol glowed a shimmery gold on her right hand.

  Margo gasped and seemed to be at Violet’s side without even moving. She took Violet’s hand and stared at it. “Damn, Vi! Jeremiah was right. I mean, I didn’t doubt him but the way he knows this kind of stuff is wicked scary.”

  Violet pulled her hand away and put it behind her back. She was painfully aware of how close Margo was to her, and she scooted back around the bed. “What’s going on, Margo?”

  Margo reached out to grasp her shoulders but Violet shook her hands off and took another step backwards. Margo’s eyes were gleaming. “Vampires didn’t exist the way Hollywood portrays them in the beginning, Vi. Way back then, vampires were simply mortals who were lucky enough to be granted favor with their coven leaders, and as their gift for being loyal servants, they were granted immortality. It was only given to a very small group, and the intention was that these people would lead the covens and the whole world to peace and prosperity forever.”

  “So where do the blood, guts, and gore come into play?” Violet scoffed.

  Margo turned and settled back into her seat. She was the picture of serenity once again. “It’s not like immortality was easy to get. It required really powerful magic, which was another reason there weren’t a lot of immortals. The ones who could pull that kind of magic off were rare. There was a very strong warlock who worked for Jeremiah and Jonah’s father and was the one who granted Jeremiah and Jonah immortality. Then there was an incident between the warlock and the Montrose family, and then a very long and bloody war began. When the dust settled, both sides had been almost entirely decimated. Just before Jeremiah killed the warlock, the warlock cursed the Montroses and every other immortal. He made their immortality conditional, so that it could only be maintained by taking the blood of mortals.”

  Even though she tried to stop herself from buying into it, Violet was enthralled by the story. It was like hearing an epic novel being told out loud.

  “Unfortunately, there were other side effects to the curse, including aggression and bloodlust that required the coven leaders to hunt down and kill many of the remaining members of their covens. Jeremiah always believed that if he found the right magic, he’d be able to find a cure and remove the taint from the vampire.”

  Violet had started to lean on the back of her chair listening to the story, but now she stood straight up with widened eyes. “A cure?”

  Margo nodded. “After many years, Jeremiah was able to form a peace of sorts with one of the descendants of the warlock’s family. Jeremiah always believed that the cure was going to be found in that family. The descendant told Jeremiah that there was a family legend that the vampire curse could be lifted by the waters of the secret fountain. But the location was never disclosed. It was Jonah’s brilliant idea to weave a story of eternal youth around the myth and then spread the legend to their mortal subjects. It gave them more ears and eyes on the ground.”

  Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “You’re talking about the Fountain of Youth, aren’t you?” Violet said in awe.

  “Yes. I mean, nobody knows if it’s actually a fountain or a symbol of something else. But nonetheless, it’s the key to lifting the curse. Finding it would allow us to live our lives freely once again. It may even mean that someone wouldn’t be a vampire at all.” Margo’s voice held a heavy note of longing. “Jeremiah and Jonah have been looking for the fountain for centuries.”

  “Oh,” Violet said. Working back over what Margo had told her left her with an obvious question. “So, what was the incident that started the feud?”

  Margo rolled her eyes. “What always gets men all in an uproar?” At Violet’s confused look she sighed. “You can ask Jeremiah or Jonah to give you all the sordid details. But it was over a girl, Vi. It’s always over a girl.”

  Violet tried to process all of the information and fit it into her perception of reality. It didn’t work. The story sounded like just that, a story. “Saying any of this is true, then that really sucks.” Her eyebrows shot up as she saw Margo’s mouth curl into a grin. She realized the irony of what
she had said and a short laugh escaped her lips. “Sorry. Anyways, this all sounds very epic and romantic, especially with the whole feud over a girl. Say I accept all of this; you still haven’t told me what this had to do with me.”

  “The warlock’s descendant also told Jeremiah that when a sufficient amount of time had passed, if the vampires still existed, there would be an opportunity for redemption.”

  “Redemption? How?” Violet asked.

  “There would be a map,” Margo said.

  “A map? A map to the fountain?” Violet tried to follow along.

  Margo pointed at Violet’s hand. The glowing symbol had disappeared, and Violet had all but forgotten about it listening to Margo’s story. “A map, Vi. You are the map.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The heavy “dong-dong” of a grandfather clock that she couldn’t see just as Margo pronounced her a living map made Violet almost jump right out of her skin.

  Margo looked amused at Violet’s startled expression. “That thing is such a pain in the ass. It wakes everybody on this wing of the house up all the time. I’ve told Jonah a million times that they should get rid of it, but apparently Jeremiah is pretty attached to it. And of course, no one does anything to upset Jeremiah.”

  Listening to Margo’s tirade, Violet wandered over to the bed on wobbly knees and sat down on the edge. She wasn’t sure if she was going to vomit or pass out. Finally noticing Violet’s distress, Margo moved quickly to her side. She pushed a piece of Violet’s long hair behind her ear and smiled gently at her. “I’m going to help you through this, Violet. Me and Jonah, we’ll make sure you’re okay. But we have to start getting you ready for tonight; otherwise, we are both going to be in trouble.”

  Violet was mute as Margo pulled her up from the bed and pushed her into the adjoining room, which turned out to be a bathroom. Violet quickly determined it had to be at least twice the size of her dorm room. Margo turned on the water in the shower and pointed at the thick terrycloth robe hanging next to the stall. “You’ll feel better after a shower. Once you’re done, I’ll help you fix your hair.” Margo slipped out of the room, leaving Violet alone with her thoughts.

  As overwhelmed as she felt, at that moment a shower sounded perfect. Violet slid the silky nightdress up over her head and tossed it on the floor. Then she stepped onto the tiled floor of the shower. The water was the perfect temperature and she could feel the tension draining out of her shoulders. She couldn’t believe it was all real; magic, vampires, the mythical Fountain of Youth. It seemed like someone was playing some kind of massive prank on her, but deep down she knew it wasn’t, even if she hadn’t seen her own skin glow like a lantern was underneath it.

  As the water poured over her, she held up her hand and looked at it in the brighter light of the bathroom. It looked normal, just the same as it had for the last seventeen years. What did it mean to be a living, breathing map? Was the secret location for the Fountain of Youth just going to spring into her mind one day? And what would happen to her if it didn’t?

  Then there was the matter that she was moving around in the company of vampires. No matter what Margo tried to convince her of, the scene in the den of Mike’s house was one of pain and violence. She couldn’t believe that someone would willingly choose that. She wondered where the others were taken, then decided it was better if she didn’t know.

  She wanted to believe Margo, but how could Violet trust her knowing that Margo had been lying to her the whole time? She also wasn’t sure that she understood Margo’s place in the whole scheme, other than the obvious affection between her and Jonah.

  This thought brought her right back to the Montrose brothers. Listening to Margo’s story and obvious awe of them, it sounded like whatever circles they ran in, the brothers were like vampire royalty. That made Violet even more anxious. Yesterday, she had been a nobody. Today, she was a pawn in an ancient game where she didn’t know the players or fully understand the stakes. Even after what Margo had shared, she was woefully short on information.

  She slowly turned the knob to turn the water off. Her only option, if they were unwilling to let her leave, was to find a way to escape. That could prove to be difficult considering it appeared that Margo was doing double duty as teacher and babysitter. Violet dried off and slipped into the warm robe. As it grazed her bare skin she remembered the look of desire in both of the brothers’ eyes and shivered.

  “You done yet?” Margo’s voice rattled through the closed door.

  Violet opened the door and found Margo standing there with her fist raised, ready to knock. Margo looked relieved. “Okay, slowpoke. We don’t have a ton of time. You have to look your very best.” She gestured for Violet to sit down on the small chair in front of the vanity mirror.

  Violet wasn’t going to argue. Not yet. She sat down primly and closed her eyes as Margo started pulling a comb through the tangles of her thick hair. It felt good. When she was little, her mother would comb her hair and sing her a lullaby to get her to fall back asleep after a nightmare. Unfortunately, this bad dream wasn’t one she was going to be able to wake up from anytime soon.

  “So are you going to tell me what’s going on tonight, or are you going to make me guess?” Violet finally said.

  Margo had already started looking in the mirror at Violet’s hair strategically placed in different ways on her head. “Think of it as an early birthday party, so that’s why it’s important that you look absolutely gorgeous. Plus Jeremiah wouldn’t think to have it any other way.”

  “So what exactly does Jeremiah have to do with this?” Violet asked suspiciously.

  “He’ll be escorting you to the party,” Margo said with a look of pity on her face.

  “What?” Violet found herself alternating between pleasure and anxiety. She was flattered that Jeremiah was interested in her, but at the same time appearing on the arm of someone as important as Jeremiah was supposed to be was nerve-wracking. “Why can’t Jonah escort me?” She blushed when she saw a speculative look cross Margo’s face.

  “I’m surprised, Vi. A lot of women go for the powerful, domineering type,” Margo said. “Jeremiah definitely doesn’t lack for company when he wants it.”

  “Considering the conversation we had at Mike’s, I thought you’d approve of me having an interest in any guy,” Violet said. “Unless there’s something going on between you and Jonah.”

  Margo looked at her in the mirror. “There isn’t anything going on between me and Jonah” she said lightly. Her fingers moved through Violet’s hair and massaged her temples.

  “You two seemed pretty cozy earlier. Are you sure about that?” Violet pushed.

  Margo was definitely avoiding the question. Violet wasn’t sure why she cared; regardless of what Margo thought, the only preference she had between the brothers was Jonah’s more laid-back attitude. But if there was something going on, Violet had little doubt that she’d lose out to Margo. Men were always drawn to Margo’s beauty and quick wit. Even though it wasn’t intentional, Violet often felt ugly and clumsy in comparison.

  Margo laughed as she pulled open a drawer in front of Violet and pulled out several small cases. Inside one was a plethora of bobby pins and barrettes. “Jonah and I had a flirtation a long time ago. But whatever that was burned out quickly and instead he became my best friend.”

  “It’s not like I care,” Violet said with a shrug. “I’m not looking to date anybody anyways, especially not a vampire.” She tried to be nonchalant, but then she remembered the stomach flips when Jeremiah’s lips touched her hand. She pushed the thought away.

  “Okay, whatever you say,” Margo said. “Jeremiah’s not my favorite guy, but you could do a lot worse than the most powerful vampire on the planet. And he’s almost too good looking. Most girls would jump at the chance to be you tonight.”

  “Good thing I’m not most girls then,” Violet said with a frown. Margo usually couldn’t pass up a chance to play matchmaker for her, and but now she seemed much more reluctant in her
comments about Jeremiah.

  They were silent for a while, and Violet watched as her hair was swept up into intricate braids that circled her head. She was shocked by the person emerging under Margo’s careful care.

  “You are going to be a knockout. There are representatives here from three other covens and Jonah said there may be two more that will be able to make it in time. No one will be able to keep their eyes off you when I’m through,” Margo said with a confident smile.

  “It’s not their eyes I’m worried about, especially given my natural aroma,” Violet said faintly as she considered what Margo’s words meant. She was going to be in a house full of vampires.

  Margo looked surprised. “Violet, you are the guest of Jeremiah Montrose. Even though you’re mortal there’s no way anyone would touch you. Believe me, Jeremiah’s temper is legendary.”

  “That’s supposed to make me feel better about having him escort me tonight? I can’t tell you how much better you are making me feel about all of this, Margo,” she said sarcastically.

  She could tell that Margo was annoyed, but trying to control it. “I’m not Jeremiah’s biggest fan doesn’t mean you shouldn't be interested in him. To his credit, he always puts the welfare of his coven above all other things. You are going to have to get over this perception you have of vampires being these old, nasty, bloodsucking monsters.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Most of us are nothing like that.”

  “So you want me to believe you because you’ve presented me with a fairy tale that’s supposed to make me suddenly think vampires are swell?” Violet snapped. “I slipped in a pool of blood last night. Blood was everywhere, all over the walls, and I still don’t know what happened to everybody that was there. You’ve conveniently left that part out. I could care less if they supposedly wanted whatever happened to happen. That seems to contradict this picture of lovely, fuzzy, bunny vampires that you are trying to sell me on.”