by C. L. Quinn
From behind it, a dark figure came out of the shadows.
Rodney spread his arms in welcome.
“My favorite legend returns. You honor me, sir, for I assumed you would have too many windmills waiting to bother with my prosaic world.”
Koen approached Rodney. “There’s nothing prosaic about you. A man who’s master of his destiny holds power. You, sir, rule your kingdom with firm hands as you struggle with the lines between what you are and what you want to be. Anyway, I kind of promised.”
Rodney came down to meet Koen, and offered an exaggerated bow.
“You are welcome any time, sir. I did not expect to be worthy of your trust.” Like he did before, he lifted a hand.
“Go, everyone. We have matters for only our two sets of ears.”
Scrambling footsteps showed his influence as everyone in the big room left without delay.
“I assume your business in New York is concluded.”
“Aye. I came to recover my brother, who had been missing for weeks. Now, I’ll take him home to heal.”
“He was injured. Ah. This I understand, ancient one. Even the mightiest beast on the planet can fall prey to the smallest. He will recover, though, yes?”
“Yes.”
“It is fortunate. My vampire, the one who raised a difficult child for half a childhood, was nary so fortunate.”
“The woman who cared for you, the vampire, she was killed?”
“I do not know this. But she left one pretty night, never to return, and I knew, without doubt, she would never have left this boy. The vampire loved with no restraints, the intention to take the boy across the gap and make him vampire too, someday. When she did not return, I knew something bad prevented her. Something past wicked.”
“Have you searched for her?”
“North of the sea, and south of the moon. I never found one lead. Like she just blew away on the wind. But that still never stopped me. To this day, each night, when someone comes through a door, I hold my breath and hope. This may not stop until the day I lie down, arms crossed, and take my final nap. I loved her, vampire, and I always will.”
“I may be able to help. What was her name?”
“I called her Angel, for she rescued me from hell, but others added a letter to identify her by the name she’d always held. They called my vampire mother by the name of Angela. Does it spark?”
“No, it doesn’t. But I’ll still keep my contacts open and if I find anything, I’ll let you know. Why don’t you give your number to me?”
Rodney reached for the cell phone Koen pulled from his pocket and keyed his number in.
His eyes on Koen’s, he searched the vampire’s expression. “I trust you, Koen, with my life. And that is rare indeed. When you next come to the city, you must stop in with your greeting.”
“You know I will. Try to stay out of trouble, fixerman. I kind of like you. Take care of yourself.”
“More now than ever, big man. Call should you have an urge, I will urge back. Until the day we connect again, I shall purge my protean nature and hope to remain worthy of one who walks through time.”
Nodding, Koen slowly circled Rodney, nodded again, and disappeared.
Rodney dropped onto his knees, his hands clasped, and raised his head to face the ceiling, his goal the unseen stars beyond steel and plasterboard, and whispered too quietly for anyone to hear.
“Thank you for remembering this inelegant mortal man.”
“Everyone ready?”
Koen arrived back at the hotel room after his detour, beyond ready to go home. This trip held an element of sorrow that he couldn’t seem to escape. What had triggered it, he wasn’t sure. Xavier was safe and coming home, Claude was finally dead forever, and they’d leave everything in New York in good stead. Still, he felt off-balance. Seeing his mate and family again should fix that.
“Yes, I think we are,” Tamesine answered. Her eyes went to Bryn. She hadn’t said anything to him. One day soon, with Bryn and Lauren, she, Dez, and Olivia would let him know that he was born vampire, and help him make the adjustment. It was too great of a revelation to trust to chance. For now, she was happy, looking forward to the day she could hug him and call him son.
Xavier stood on the balcony as he’d waited for Koen to return. When he did, Koen joined him.
“We’re going now, brother. We’ll get you healed and things back to normal. You’ll be happy, you know that, right?”
“I don’t know anythin’, and that’s the problem. But let’s get me home and sort it out from there. I don’t want to stay here any longer.”
Moments later, five vampires walked from the hotel suite, and closed the door. Two walked away having found lost family, three having righted a terrible wrong. And one of the five was leaving his heart behind. Echoes filled the room of that which was lost, that which was found, and a promise of something yet to become.
TWO NIGHTS LATER OUTSIDE OF PARIS
“Are we prepared? Xavier, please come to the center of our circle.”
Park guided the merge that would go into Xavier’s mind and help him, hopefully, connect to his past. Copious amounts of blood the past 24 hours hadn’t really made much difference. He still did not recognize his staff or family.
When he’d walked into his stronghold two nights earlier, a castle-like mansion with 28 rooms, he’d had little reaction. That night, after wandering around several of the first floor rooms, he’d stopped and looked at Koen and Tamesine. “It’s kind of garish, isn’t it? Sort of hideous, really, don’t ya think? I actually like this?”
“You do. All expectations are irrelevant now, Xavier. You just have to worry about what you feel now, okay?”
Tamesine made sense. Xavier felt completely lost here. When Koen mentioned going home after they brought Xavier here, he’d balked.
“Ya cannot leave me here with these strangers. Brother, stay with me.”
“I will, of course I will,” Koen responded without delay.
“It’s just, the size of the place, all the people, the ridiculous art and décor, it’s overwhelmin’ after me place in New York. Koen, Tamesine…none of this feels like me.”
“It will. I think it’s a good idea that Koen stay tonight. That way, Xavier can have the chance to get used to his home but not alone. Tomorrow, I’ll bring Eillia and Park and we’ll see about accessing your memories, okay?”
“Aye,” Xavier breathed, sighing. All he wanted was to get back on that big plane that had scared him half to death, and go home to Margot.
“You boys get some rest. And don’t get into trouble as you usually do.”
“We do?”
“You do. When you guys get together, the brats come out and you guys wrestle like children.”
Grinning, Xavier gently smacked Koen on the back.
“Without knowin’ ya yet, I know that I’d miss that.”
The moment, the gesture, was the first glimpse Koen had seen of the old Xavier. Tamesine was right, he was still in there and if they were patient, he’d soon come home completely.
“Tam, take the car and go home. Tomorrow night, bring Eillia and Park back with you and we’ll see if the spirit world can help us out.”
“Just as I planned. Xavier, be kind to yourself. You’ve been through a lot. And can I tell you a secret? I kind of like a lot of things about this Xavier.” She laid a hand on his chest to emphasize her point, and left.
The rest of the night, Xavier and Koen walked over every inch of the gigantic home and laughed about almost everything in it.
When morning threatened and it was time to rest, Koen led Xavier to his bedroom.
“This is pretty grand, though, brother. Voilà.”
Koen pushed the double doors wide and let Xavier enter first. “Holy shite!”
He walked through the bedroom, his eyes bouncing from the enormous bed to the carpet that had to be four inches thick to the heavy drapes that went from ceiling to floor over huge windows.
“This
is my room. Mine alone? I could fit me own apartment, Lucky’s bar, and Margot’s apartment in this one room.”
“It’s all yours. To be fair, I understand that you have some pretty wild parties in here.”
“Parties? In me bedroom?”
“Uh, huh. It involves more than one woman, Xavier. A lot more than one woman.”
“I’m crazy, is what I am.”
“Some would agree. But the women apparently wouldn’t. You’ve quite a reputation brother, for creative, and well-loved debauchery in the boudoir.”
Xavier imagined Margot in the bed, with all that room to play. That, he could see. This other stuff, time would tell.
“Why don’t I let you get your sleep? I’ll be right down the hall. This entire floor is UV safe, so you can go anywhere without danger. Let me know if you need me.”
Koen hugged Xavier again then pushed him back with a grin. “This is getting to be a habit. But I’m glad you’re home.”
Xavier closed the doors behind Koen, shaking his head as he walked over to pull back the layers of expensive hand stitched covers and the softest blankets he could imagine.
After he lingered in the massive shower for twenty minutes just letting the warm water pummel his skin, he dried off and, without dressing, walked back to the center of the room to stare at the bed.
Everything was just so unfamiliar. It all felt wrong.
A tentative knock on the door startled him. Assuming it was Koen, he called out. “Come on in.”
Only one of the big doors swung open and two attractive young women came in, holding hands.
“Monsieur, you are back. We are so happy that you are well.” One of the girls wiped a tear from her cheek. The other one moved closer to him, her eyes moving over his naked body.
“Would you like some company tonight?”
Who were these girls? Did he have a relationship with them? Both of them?
“Ladies, ye’re lovely, but no, not tonight.”
His refusal seemed to upset them.
“I just need some rest, ya see.”
“Okay. But, if you need us, you’ll call?”
“Aye.”
They lingered before they turned to go. The braver girl walked closer to him as they headed to the door and trailed a finger low, over his abs and the tip of his penis.
“Yes, if you need to know who you are, we are happy to try to trigger your memory.”
Xavier backed until his knees hit the bed. “Um, nay, not tonight.”
And that was his first night in his own home. He didn’t have any idea what to expect from the next one.
“Sit here. Tam, on my right, and Eillia, on the left.”
The three women formed a circle around Xavier and leaned in to take his hands.
He looked at Koen. “It’s a good thing their mates aren’t here, right?”
“Right. Be careful, this beautiful redhead is my daughter.”
Xavier’s eyes went to Park. “Och, how could I forget that?”
“You haven’t,” Park answered. “It’s just trapped inside, but we’ll unlock it. You don’t have to do anything, Xavier. We’re going to go into the spirit realm and try to repair the damage that’s blocking your memories and open the pathway. You’ll feel faint, probably dizzy, but that’s normal. Ready?”
“More than. I pray this works so that I can be meself again.” He hoped that the women could waken his lost life.
Clearing their minds, Eillia, Park, and Tamesine, guided by Tamesine’s connection to the spiritual plane, blasted into the space that shared consciousness with the universe, and pulled Xavier with them. He stood in the surreal landscape common for this realm, facing the three women.
“I don’t feel any different. I…it’s all still gone.”
Abruptly, he dropped onto the sand beneath his feet, dizzy, unfocused, and moments later, unconscious. Images chased through his mind, one after the other, faster and faster, people, places, events, and all looked familiar. There, that was the village where he grew up with Koen. And the first time they went to war. Koen had left, he couldn’t stomach the death, but Xavier had stayed to see it through, and never recovered from the brutality of human beings. Years flew by, moments captured in color and feelings, his head so full, he thought he would explode.
He wasn’t wrong. The mother of all headaches crushed his temples.
No, no, it’s too much, too quick, he tried to say, but the words wouldn’t come. The ride grew faster and deeper and for a while, he thought that what these women were doing would tear him apart. A thousand years of memories crashing into his mind at once? How was that survivable?
The assault went on for hours, incessant, excessive, insistent. At a certain point, Xavier remained in the balled-up, vegetative state and just let it continue. Nothing could stop the flood, so he accepted it and let it in.
“Xavier? Xavier, wake up!”
Voices crashed into his mind, over and over, and he felt someone shaking his body. He tried to open his eyes, but pain made him close them again. What the hell had he been drinking? Had he been in an accident? A fight? Had he lost a fight?
“Ahhh….” He groaned. Finally, the damned eyes stayed open. As he tried to sit up, hands came out of several directions to help him. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”
When he could focus properly, he was surprised to see Eillia, Park, and Tamesine surrounding him, with Koen standing to his side.
“What’s with the posse?” he asked.
The three women moved around him until they stood side by side, and Koen moved in front of him.
“How are you feeling, brother?” Koen asked, his eyes wide.
“Good. Good. Why?” Xavier’s eyes moved from Koen to each of the first blood women. “Is there somethin’ that I’m missin’?”
As Xavier stood, Koen watched over him in case he needed help, which he did, stumbling badly as he lost strength in his legs.
“Whoa, lad! I must have tied one on tonight, eh?” He looked around. “Where’s the rest of the partiers?”
“No other partiers,” Tamesine said. “Um, Xavier, what do you remember about the past few months?”
He looked amused. Koen led him to the oversized sofa in the center of the huge living area.
“Seriously, brother, what do you remember?”
Xavier’s expression changed, his brows furrowed. He started to answer and stopped.
“Can you remember yesterday?” Tamesine asked.
“Sure, why wouldn’t I? It was…” Again, he looked confused. “I…uh… For some reason, I’m still a bit foggy on the day. That must have been some party.”
Alcohol inspired black-outs happened even to vampires, so it didn’t seem too odd to Xavier that he couldn’t recall the previous day.
“I suppose ye’ve been right, Koen. Yer brother needs to cut back on his libation of choice. So, sorry, but no, I can’t seem to remember yesterday.” He smiled. “Did I have a good time?”
Koen stood. “You did, brother. Too good of a time. I think you need some rest, so why don’t we get you into bed, and when you wake, we’ll have a feast of a first meal for you, yeah?”
Releasing a long sigh, Xavier massaged his temples.
“Aye, I think that’s a fair plan. I’ve a headache, and it’s a bitch of one. Sleepin’ it off sounds good.”
He pushed upright and turned to face Koen before he headed up the stairs. “I’m gonna hold ya to that feast, brother.”
“Aye. I wouldn’t disappoint ya.”
Once Xavier was gone, Koen turned to Tamesine.
“What the hell happened? Now he can’t remember anything from after he lost his memory? What the fuck, Tam?”
“I don’t know. We opened up his mind, but it should have just let him know everything that he’d blocked. The only thing I can think is that his spirit amulet is blocking the memory of his experience with Claude. I mean, the man repeatedly killed him. He shot him in the head over and over until the resulting
damage tore away his life. Maybe Xavier’s spirit amulet is still protecting him.”
“Fuck, ladies, he can’t manage like this.”
“Actually, he can, Father.” Park sat, her head tilted up, thinking about the situation. “At some point, he’ll need to merge the two lives, but the suddenness of all of it may be too overwhelming. You heard him, this has torn him apart. Once he adjusts back to his life, I think we can safely go back in and remove this final block. From a therapeutic standpoint, it’s sound.”
Tamesine sighed. “I really liked the new Xavier. I already miss him. I hope you’re right, Park. The man he became in New York was falling in love, and he’d found a quality of gentleness that Xavier obviously always had, but never let it show. Then there’s Margot.”
“Margot is on the periphery of all of this, Tam,” Koen said with aggression. “I’m sorry for her pain, but she’s okay now. She has no idea he ever existed, and since she doesn’t fit into his life, it’s best to leave it that way.”
“I know you’re only concerned for Xavier, but if he’s in love, we can’t change that. And Father, we don’t want to.”
Nodding, Koen folded his arms and leaned against a stone fireplace that continued up to the second floor.
“We let him get back to normal, and when the time comes, we’ll tell him about what happened in New York. We’ll let Xavier decide what he wants. Fair enough?”
The women nodded.
“Fair enough,” Tamesine agreed.
Now, she thought, I need to deal with a situation in my own family. Dez was coming to the villa tonight, and tomorrow, from Iceland, so were Bryn and Lauren.
The following night brought a light rain storm, but it was refreshing in light of the warm temperatures of late. Dressed casually, Tamesine carried Fia downstairs to join Marc and Bryson at first meal. They would be joined shortly by Dez, Olivia, and Zach. Within the next hour, Bryn and Lauren would arrive. The word excited didn’t even cover the way she felt as she prepared to welcome her grandson into the family.
