When they had first landed on this planet, back before they had called themselves energy vampires, back when they had called themselves the Uidan, as a race they had agreed they would put aside any sense of superiority over the human race in order to get along with them. That had been before they had been subjected to the understanding that they would need to feed from humans simply to survive, that they depended on them now and until the end of their lives. That burned a few of the more superior types. Those who had disagreed with the idea of letting themselves be mistaken for weaker, less intelligent, technologically backward people.
Thankfully, humans had come a long way from being that backward people. What they didn’t know was that they had vampires to thank for a lot of their advances in industrial and technological ways. Vampires had tampered with the natural order of things, introducing ideas like electricity, automation, communication and most recently the invention of so much that had become available via the world wide web. They couldn’t take credit for all of it, but they had had a hand in almost every technological advance humans had discovered. They had waited patiently for advances like cell phones and internet. There were even more advances waiting in the wings. But these advances were dealt out sparingly and with caution. They had to make certain their child race was ready for these things…that they would not use them against one another. It had not been vampires who had invented bullets or nuclear fission. They had been careful not to introduce anything harmful.
At least…the vampires had. Sycophants were another matter entirely. They were not above introducing those more harmful advances. But luckily sycophants did not tend to have long lives and there was hardly any instances of sycophants who were from the original landing party and therefore were not exposed to all of the advanced technology they had arrived with. Vampire from the original party had not passed on their knowledge to the younger generations of vampires. So younger generations of vampires developed at the rate of their human counterparts rather than meeting the technological exposure of their progenitors.
Simone drew herself out of her contemplations as she began to dress for dinner. She was still not ready when she heard the doorbell ring. She smiled. One of these days she would be on time and would beat her date to the punch.
Of course, that day had not come in over a hundred years or more. Even though dressing was far less elaborate than it had been when corsets and sleeves and hoods had been worn, she still couldn’t seem to be on time. She supposed it was the notion of having to be on time altogether. She never saw what purpose it served to be in a rush to get anywhere. You missed things when you rushed about. You forgot to enjoy simple pleasures…like the feel of your hands on your own skin as you applied softly scented lotion. Those things should be savored and enjoyed, not rushed through.
Knowing he was waiting on her did make her heart rush however and did spur her on to finish more quickly. Danton would have come directly into her bedroom where he could pester her and urge her along; their friendship such that things like modesty and privacy had fallen by the wayside. It would be some time before she enjoyed that type of familiarity with Marcus, if indeed she ever did.
She plaited her hair and let it swish down along her spine. Her thick golden red tresses were just below her scapulae in length. She had worn it short in the twenties when it had been all the rage, but most of the rest of her life she had worn it long, never really a slave to fashion in any other instance. She had, however, tried a multitude of colors for her hair. The red was her natural coloring, but she had been a blonde and a brunette. She had even tried white and raven black. Her beauty had supported every color, but her natural red seemed to serve her best.
She clasped a ruby barrette at the base of the tail and let it swing forgotten between her shoulder blades. She was at present not wearing bangs or layers in front they could escape the braid and in her haste she forgot to leave a tendril by each ear which she would usually curl. She found herself checking and double-checking to see if her appearance was as charming and alluring as she had been hoping for. Satisfied at last she left her bedroom and headed into the living room.
Chapter Seven
Marcus felt his breath stop up in his chest when she appeared at last. Although she wasn't too late, he wasn't very good at waiting around. Even the extra ten minutes he had been waiting there had seemed like too long an amount of time.
However, the moment he saw her he could only tell himself that it had been worth it. Gone was the smooth, cool sophisticated woman and in her place was a casual beauty that looked like she was ready for a fun, easy evening. It had to be the braid, he told himself. It took years off her face and gave her a wholesome appearance rather than her usual urbane air.
He instantly liked this version of his queen. Hell, he more than liked it. Just the sight of her had him completely at attention as a male. Then again, she would have his attention if she were in sackcloth and covered in dirt…she was just that beautiful.
He watched with rapacious eyes as she gathered her purse and her keys. She looked up at him and saw him gazing at her intensely and smiled at him.
“Is something wrong? Have I got a smudge on my face?”
“You are well aware that you don’t. You know exactly how attractive you are,” he said directly.
She laughed at that. “I suppose I do. Let me appreciate my affect on you,” she said with a wink.
“Careful. Don’t push too hard. I might push back.”
She looked unafraid and that challenged him. She shrugged one elegant shoulder as she gathered up her coat. It was a rich, faux fur with alternating white and black strips of fur. It would completely ruin the wholesome effect of her mode of dress, but it was infinitely suited to her. It also promised to be warm and he was glad. It was cold outside and that night promised to be a long one. First dinner with her mark, then a hunt in the streets for his meal. Danton had promised to introduce him to three of his usual resources before he moved away, just to help with the transition, but he had not gotten around to it just yet. He was only going to be there in New York for a couple of days more, so Marcus wondered when he planned to get around to it. He would hate to rush into new relationships with Danton’s old friends.
He held out his hands for her coat and she handed it to him. He held it open for her and she slipped into it with a shrug. It had buttons up the front, large carved pieces of jet. He turned her around so she was facing him and buttoned her up warmly. He was wearing a sheepskin lined winter coat that hung open in the front, leaving him with better access to the weapons he carried. He was armed with a 9mm handgun that was holstered beneath his shoulder and a variety of knives. He didn’t expect trouble, but he always left the house prepared for it. That was especially important when it came to guarding the queen.
They left the penthouse and took the elevator down to the sky lobby in silence. The switched to the next elevator that took them the rest of the way down and emptied into the actual lobby. Waiting there was the team of authoritarians that would follow them as they hunted. They all took the elevator down one last time into the parking levels. Marcus guided her to the town car he would be driving for her and was surprised when she insisted on sitting up front with him rather than in the luxury of the back where she deserved to be.
“I refuse to talk to the back of your head for the entirety of our travels. You will find this to always be the case.”
“In that case I will hire you a driver and we can both sit in the back,” he said.
“No need. I’m perfectly content up here.”
“Regardless, you ought to have a driver. Additional coverage for safety if you should need it.”
“Don’t let the penthouse apartment and expensive clothes fool you. I’m not so posh as to want to be driven about like…like…”
“Like a queen?” he finished for her as he turned the key on the ignition.
She laughed at that. “I suppose I see your point. But I often prefer to keep my life as normal as possib
le.”
“But you’re not a normal woman. You are the leader of a great nation. You need to be treated as such. You also have to have a mind to your protection. We’ll get a good driver and we’ll sit in the back together,” he said.
“If you insist. I already have a driver. I use him on special occasions.”
“Now you will use him on all occasions,” Marcus said.
She frowned. “Not always.”
“Most times,” he pressed.
She sighed and relented. “Very well. My but you are a pushy man. But don’t think you’re going to change my life all over the place or that you are going to win all of our arguments.”
“Perish the thought,” he said with a chuckle.
She smiled warmly at him and he couldn’t escape the feelings that expression evoked. He felt invited. Tempted. It heated his skin and tightened every muscle in his body with anticipation. It was an effort to keep it all under control. It was just a smile for heaven’s sake! He really needed to get a grip.
They drove the distance to the restaurant in a silence that began to grow awkward. On his part it was because he was trying to lecture himself into behaving appropriately.
She broke the silence when they were a few blocks from their destination.
“I think you’ll like Cyril. He’s intelligent and gregarious. Thoughtful and insightful.”
“For a human?” he tacked on, the addendum common amongst their people. She had not spoken it, but it always seemed to be there for any vampire.
“Yes. You know, I don’t look on them like they are lesser beings. I appreciate them as being more than just food. Especially humans like Cyril.”
She already knew he was conservative as a vampire and preferred they kept the races separate, but she seemed to want a debate.
“I may believe we need to keep ourselves separate from humans, but that doesn’t mean I am a snob.”
“Doesn’t it though? If you don’t want our species to combine it stands to reason it’s because of prejudice.”
“Perhaps there is some prejudice, but it becomes mostly a matter of security for me than anything else. For a member of our nation to procreate with a human, it would be necessary to tell that human what we are.” he said, mindful of the law that kept them from using the word “vampire” outside of the confines of their protected spaces, in case someone was listening. Obviously that wasn't going to happen while they were in a car, but caution was always necessary. Which supported his argument. “There’s a reason why we don’t speak about ourselves in the human world. It is too risky to do so. As is mating with a human.”
“I don’t disagree with that,” she relented. “We must be careful. But then I see matches like Halo and Felice and Rafe and Renee and I can’t help but think we are cutting off our noses to spite our faces. Humans are so rich and diverse. We neglect ourselves by not holding them closer to our hearts.”
“We can make as many friends as we like,” he said firmly, “but friends is all it should be. And those friends can never know what we are. What if Rafe and Renee break up? Then what happens? There becomes this wildcard of a human out there with knowledge of who we are and who might develop feelings of enmity toward the race of her ex.”
“That's why they go up before that committee. It is your job to make sure she is mature enough to handle our secret…no matter what happens to the relationship. She must pass muster in spite of the strong emotions she feels for her lover.” He paused. “I am historically against revealing ourselves to the human world. I have a track record of denying them entrance into our world. I hope you realize that. Renee would probably never have passed my approval.”
“Then how fortunate we are that Danton felt differently. She is a credit to her race and a benefit to ours. As a police officer she can help us manage our exposure to the human world. She has proven herself more than helpful and more than worthy of our trust.”
“For now. Who knows what the future will bring?”
She didn’t have time to respond as they reached the restaurant and Marcus parked the car. He hopped out and came around the front to get to her door. He held it open for her and extended a courtly hand to her. She took his hand and alighted from the car. He led her to the restaurant’s front door and she immediately began to search out her human friend. She found him immediately and greeted him across the room with an enthusiastic wave.
Dinner was a bright, animated affair. It was clear that the queen thoroughly enjoyed the company of her human friend. However, Marcus never lost sight of the fact that he was a target. A meal. As they dined on human food he was curious as to how she planned to get him to a place where the real meal would take place. Of course he had no opportunity to ask her, so he merely sat back and watched and let her take him on this ride.
“Shall we end this with drinks at my place?” Cyril asked, and Marcus could immediately tell that this was a part of their ritual when they got together. Cyril had accepted her introduction of Marcus in Danton’s stead in stride and had done everything possible to include him in the night’s conversation and camaraderie.
“Is Natasha there?” she asked, mentioning the name of the new love in Cyril’s life that he had been talking about for most of the evening. Simone cast a sideways glance at Marcus. He saw where she was going with this. Natasha might be an appropriate food source for him and their hunt could be easily ended at Cyril’s house. It would be a neat, tidy package.
“Not at the moment,” he said with a smile in reply.
“You should invite her over. I’d love to meet her,” Simone pressed.
“I would like nothing more. However, she is out of town. Perhaps you can come for dinner sometime next week?”
“Perhaps. I’m rather busy these next few weeks.”
“You always say that. I'm lucky if I see you once a month,” Cyril said with a frown. “Our standing reservation here is really the only time I can depend on seeing you.”
“I’m sorry I can’t seem to get away more than once a month,” she said softly. “But I wouldn’t trade our monthly plans for anything on the world. And we can end the night with drinks at your place as usual.”
“Just once I would like to go to your place,” Cyril said.
“Now that you mention it we’ve never gone to my place have we? But it’s because your place is right around the corner from here and mine is a trek back into the city.”
“True. But one day I will see your place,” Cyril predicted.
Of course, that wasn't the case. Humans weren't allowed at vampire central unless they were already brought into the fold. There were very rare exceptions to every rule of course, and a human would have to be strictly escorted so that if they overheard anything out of the ordinary their minds could be erased via telepathic methods, but for the most part rule of thumb was to keep humans out. That made things a bit one sided in relationships with humans since almost every vampire lived in vampire central. However, it was for the best for all involved. And anyway, most vampires didn’t want to advance personal relationships with their targets any more than they had to.
“Definitely,” Simone lied with a smile. “Shall we go?”
As a group they got up from the table and headed toward Cyril’s. He only lived a block away and rather than find new parking they all decided to walk in the cold night air. It was a short trip and they were soon entering Cyril’s brownstone. Once they were in the living room Simone slipped off her fur and laid it across the back of a chair. Marcus did likewise at her gesture of encouragement, draping his coat over the arm of the same chair. Cyril disappeared into the back of the apartment for a moment then came back out no longer wearing his coat or suit jacket. Cyril was a decent looking middle-aged man with a bit of a spare tire around his middle. His salt and pepper hairline was creeping backward. Otherwise he had reasonably good looks…for a human.
Cyril had a dry bar in his living room and he immediately poured himself a scotch and mixed a martini for Simone. Clearly t
his was a ritual and he knew her very well. Marcus declined to drink. Alcohol and most vampires didn’t mix. It was a toxin, just like any other toxin. At least it was to Marcus’s constitution. He was an incredible lightweight when it came to liquor, as most vampires were. He noted that Simone took very delicate sips of her drink…barely taking any in at all. When Cyril turned his back on her she dumped most of it into an obliging potted plant nearby.
Marcus began to grow impatient. There was no need for all this pretense of friendship once they got the target behind closed doors. She could simply feed from him and erase his memory of the encounter within minutes. She must have known he was losing interest in this part of the evening because she caught his hand in hers and stopped his pacing about. He hadn’t even realized he'd been prowling about the room.
He squeezed her hand in encouragement to get the deed done and she sighed in acquiescence. She got up and crossed the room to Cyril and smiled at him. She caught his eyes with hers and he immediately fell into a hypnotic trance. She stepped into his embrace and he held her close, his hands sliding up over her back. Marcus watched carefully…and with not a little bit of envy. He found himself wondering what it would feel like to hold her lithe body against his own. What it would feel like to have her feed from him and share his energy.
There were several instances where a vampire would feed off of another vampire. One, if the vampire was too sick to hunt on their own. Two, the vampire was a child. Three…for sexual pleasure. There was a great deal of stimulation in the act of a feed…as was readily apparent as she pulled his head down to her breasts, exposing the back of his neck to her. Marcus felt his envy increase to outright jealous craving. He imagined his own face touching her breastbone, the scent of her filling his nostrils, the warmth of her radiating against him. The desire only increased when she flash a pair of pretty, delicate fangs and sank them deep into place at the base of Cyril’s neck.
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