Tainted Blood

by S S Bazinet

  Carey took another bite of cookie. “All in all, she’s an angel’s dream-come-true. It was pretty easy to help her turn her life around.”

  Arel grabbed hold of the back of a recliner. “She’s an angel’s dream because she got all of her anger out when she was dating me.”

  Carey put his plate on the coffee table and sat back. “Sorry, I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

  Arel stiffened. “Not pleasant? She was a shrew around my friends. I was afraid they’d have nothing to do with me afterwards.”

  Carey brushed off his shirt. “Yes, but that’s all behind you.”

  Michael gave Carey a brief look of censure. “Carey, I think you’re forgetting yourself.”

  “What is it?” Carey asked.

  Michael pointed to the carpet. “You know that Arel is concerned about crumbs.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Carey said as he leaned down and began to pick up oatmeal morsels that were scattered around his feet.

  Arel crossed his arms. “Never mind that.”

  Carey glanced up. “What do you mean?”

  “After being with Claire, I realize I have to get my priorities straight. After all, what’s more important, a happy Claire or some carpeting that I can replace?”

  Carey looked at the cookie remains in his hand and then at Arel. “Are you sure?”

  Arel squinted, but he was determined to improve his level of tolerance. “I’m sure.”

  Carey opened his hand and let the crumbs scatter again. “What about the vacuuming schedule? Do you want me to continue going over the rugs on Wednesdays and Saturdays?”

  Arel crossed his arms. “I don’t want to talk about vacuuming. I need your advice. Elise asked me a question, and I want to come up with the right answer.”

  “What question?” Carey asked.

  “I’m supposed to tell her what makes a woman perfect.”

  Carey laughed. “Arel, nobody’s perfect.”

  “Maybe, but Claire comes close. At least she’s everything that I could want in a woman. It’s just that I can’t explain my feelings in words. And I don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about it.”

  Carey stood up and grabbed his empty plate. “Then forget that Elise asked you for your opinion. It was probably just something she threw out on the spur of the moment.”

  “You’re right. I don’t owe her anything, but still, I wonder—”

  Carey headed for the kitchen. “I’m sure Elise has already forgotten that she asked you the question.”

  Arel adjusted his posture. “Yes, but just in case you’re wrong, I better make sure.”

  Carey stopped and gave him a curious look. “Make sure of what?”

  “I’ll go over to her house and tell her that I don’t have time for her inquiries.”

  “Or you could just drop the whole thing,” Michael offered.

  Arel started for the front door. “No, I think Elise is the type of woman who expects answers. I’ll do her the courtesy of putting the issue to rest.”

  “That’s very considerate,” Carey said.

  Arel glanced back it him, noting Carey’s blameless face. Angels always had a way of making him feel like their comments were useless. Maybe that was the point. He had to learn to make his own decisions.

  In this case, he knew he had to clear the slate with Elise. When they broke off their relationship, they’d parted without totally making peace with each other. More importantly, Elise had recently planted a kiss on his cheek. He needed to make sure she knew it didn’t mean anything to him. They could be friends, but nothing more.

  When he arrived at her front door, he knocked instead of ringing the bell. It felt like a friendlier gesture. As he was adjusting his posture, Elise answered the door. Before she had a chance to greet him, Arel blurted out the speech he’d prepared.

  “I know you’re interested in subjects that pertain to your writing, but I won’t be able to contribute anything new. I’ve tried, but I can’t put words to the feelings I have about my relationship with Claire. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, that’s okay,” Elise said as she tried to hold on to the excited puppy in her arms. Freddie was struggling to free himself, clearly excited about Arel’s visit. “Would you like to come in and chat about anything else?”

  Arel took a step back. “Thank you, but I better go home. I have a million things to do.”

  Elise moved closer and peered up at him with concern. “What happened to your cheek? It looks very red.”

  Arel rubbed his face and winced. “That’s strange. It hurts.”

  Elise’s blue eyes narrowed even more. “My goodness. It definitely looks blistered.”

  “Really?”

  “Come in for a moment. I have an excellent medication. It helped a lot when I had a bad sunburn. Oh, and close the door, please. So I can put Freddie down.”

  Arel stepped into the house, closed the door and waited as Elise scurried off. Freddie took the opportunity to jump up repeatedly on his pants leg. Arel hardly noticed. Elise was right about his cheek. It was painful to the touch, but he didn’t remember injuring it.

  When Elise returned, she was clutching a small tube. Before she gave it to Arel, she moved in very close and fingered his cheek. “Yep, you definitely have tiny blisters. But if you follow the directions on this medication, I think it will help.”

  Arel instinctively grabbed her hand, trying to smile as he moved it away from his face. “I’m sure it’s nothing—”

  Elise frowned. “Your hand is very warm. Do you have a fever?”

  Arel immediately let go of her. “It’s nothing. Fevers come and go with me. It’s a condition I’ve lived with for a long time.” In part, his statement was true. When he got very upset or emotional, his temperature could soar. However, he didn’t think he was upset when he rang Elise’s door bell.

  Elise sighed. “And I thought my headaches were bad.” She leaned down and picked up Freddie. “Maybe you better go home and rest.”

  Arel paused. “Before I go, I have a quick question.”

  “Go on.”

  “What’s your take on a perfect relationship?”

  Elise laughed. “That’s easy. If I loved a man, and we could put up with each other’s shortcomings and be willing to work out ways of getting along, I think he’d be perfect.”

  Arel took in a breath as he toiled over her answer. Elise had no difficulty expressing herself. “You’re very good with putting feelings into words. I’ll have to check out some of your books.”

  Elise cuddled Freddie a little closer. “Go home and take care of yourself.”

  Arel nodded and turned to leave. As he walked back to his house and thought about his cheek, he was sure the injured area was the place where Elise had kissed him. But how could a kiss cause blisters? As he climbed his porch stairs, he smiled as an explanation came to mind. He was extremely sensitive and probably allergic to Elise’s lipstick.

  Nineteen

  WILLIAM STOOD IN his laboratory, fingering the smooth surface of his work table. For years, he’d spent much of his time there, working on mysteries that fascinated him. Recently, he’d had plans to tear out the lab and make it part of the living space. However, after his conversation with Annabel, he’d put his plans on hold.

  He and Annabel had agreed to try some new experiments. When they discussed the idea, William had felt a momentary excitement. After being stuck in a miserable, boring mood for months, contemplating something new and challenging was a welcome change from putting in walls and flooring.

  The problem came later when he tried to devise an experiment that motivated him. Pitting his abilities against Annabel might have been exciting when he knew very little about such matters, but things had changed. Even if Annabel proved that she had powers too, what difference did it make? Abilities were of no consequence if a person had no use for them. It was like having the ability to see color when you lived in a world that was all gray.

  “You haven’t been in
your lab for a while,” a voice called out.

  William looked up and saw Raphael. His angelic friend stood in the doorway. “And you haven’t been around for quite some time.”

  Raphael’s face lit up with a smile. “You haven’t wanted to see me.”

  “Why bother?” William asked. He walked towards the doorway, past Raphael, and into the new entertainment room. He sat down on the sofa, staring straight ahead, ignoring Raphael when the angel took a seat in William’s new recliner.

  “You were making progress with controlling your abilities,” Raphael said. “Are you ready to continue?”

  “I don’t see the point in having special abilities. Why would I want to work on them?”

  “You seem depressed. Are you unhappy with Annabel? I’m sure that being married might take some adjustment after being a bachelor for so long.”

  “I don’t think it has anything to do with her. In fact, she’s probably the only thing that keeps me on this earth.”

  “William, are you saying you don’t enjoy being in this amazing world?”

  William narrowed his eyes in Raphael’s direction. “After seeing and feeling what paradise is like and knowing what we humans have settled for here in these bodies, why would I think that this is an amazing world?”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you don’t. You’re an angel, Raphael. You live in a state of bliss. You never come down from your high.”

  “But you can have bliss, too. Human beings can experience unbounded joy.”

  “Perhaps, but when I contemplate the future, I have zero desire to seek out that joy. Nothing interests me. Even my feelings for Annabel have changed. I love her, but the flame of passion is waning more and more each day.”

  “William, you need to change your perspective. If you don’t, your physical vessel will suffer.”

  Raphael was right. William could feel his body’s life force declining. “With a little luck, I’ll soon be free of the physical. And this time, Arel won’t have the power to stop me from crossing over.”

  “What about Annabel?”

  “I’ve been observing her. She’s not nearly as afraid as she once was. It will take some adjustment, but I have faith that she’ll be fine. In fact, I think she’ll find someone else to love. She can have that family that she talks about.”

  “What about you? Don’t you want children?”

  William glared back. “Haven’t you been listening? I have no wants or desires. And I’m tired of being like this. I’ve never been a complainer or whined about ill fortune. I despise myself for sounding this way, but I don’t want to change either. I’m done with this life.”

  “What about Arel? The two of you came into this lifetime vowing to help each other.”

  William smiled. “Arel is fine. In fact, he’s my opposite. He’s more involved with life than ever. When I check in on his mindset, he’s like some happy child exploring every feeling and experience he stumbles across. Everything in his environment gets his attention. Even some small problem, a few crumbs on his rug, is a cause for concern, a reason to hold on to life and restore the balance of order. Soon he’ll be married and totally caught up in even more drama. I have no desire to stick around for that.”

  “You act like you don’t really matter to him or anyone else.”

  “That’s not the problem. The problem is that I don’t matter to myself.”

  “Do you still resent Arel for passing on angelic blood?”

  William laughed. “What good would that do? What’s done is done. And there’s no way to go back to that time when I loved life from a limited perspective. Besides, I’ve had a very good run. I’ve had many years of loving who I am. Maybe it’s time to move on.”

  Raphael got up and stared down at William. “What if you move on and find out that you made a mistake? What if the other side isn’t as interesting as you think?”

  William sighed. “Then I’ll have a challenge again, won’t I? And maybe that’s what I lack here, something that tests my mettle.”

  * * * * *

  Arel stood by the kitchen door. His phone was pressed to his ear. Annabel was on the other end, calling from London. As soon as he said hello to her, she started sharing her fears. She’d overheard a conversation that William had with Raphael. Her first reaction was to panic. Her second thought was to contact Arel and find out what to do.

  Arel knew he needed to reassure her, but how? He was almost as scared as Annabel. When she announced that William had lost his will to live, Arel’s heart nearly stopped. His jaw seized up, and every muscle, from head to toe, went rigid. He had to take a deep breath to steady himself before he replied. “William isn’t going anywhere.” His tone was insistent even if his inner thoughts were lining up with Annabel’s panic.

  “How can you know that?” Annabel asked. Her weak, pitiful voice turned angry as she continued. “I don’t think you care anymore, Arel! Since you’ve discovered someone new in your life, you’ve ignored William and me completely.”

  Arel put his hand to his face. It had taken a couple of days, but his cheek had finally healed. Now, as he stressed out over William, it was instantly on fire again. But pain was the least of his worries. He had to clear his mind and concentrate on what Annabel was telling him. Was she right? Had he fallen into his former, self-indulgent pattern again? He began to backtrack at once. “If that’s true, Annabel, I’m sorry. I promise to do whatever it takes to help you and William.”

  “What are you going to do?” Annabel yelled. She paused after her question. There was a long moment before she whispered her next words. “I hear William in the foyer. He’s back from his walk. I have to go.”

  “I won’t let you down,” Arel blurted out. It was too late. The line was dead before he could deliver his promise. “Dammit!” he protested.

  He walked out of the kitchen, calling out as he approached the living room. “Michael, we have a problem.” When he looked up, Michael wasn’t in his usual chair by the window. Before the phone call, the angel was serenely staring out. Currently, Carey was sitting in Michael’s chair, studying a motorcycle magazine.

  “Where’s Michael?” Arel asked.

  Carey looked up. “He stepped out for a while.”

  “Stepped out where?”

  Carey put his reading aside. “Can I help?”

  Arel knew he should be patient, no matter how urgently he needed to talk to Michael. He also knew that the young man who sat in front of him was a powerful angel in his own right. But it was hard to think that Carey was as wise and capable as Michael.

  Carey’s boyish face broke out in a smile. “I’m sorry if I don’t inspire as much confidence.”

  Arel sat down on the sofa. “I’m sorry, too. It’s just hard to think of you in the same way as I think of Michael. Maybe it’s just me, but the two of you seem very different.”

  “We are different, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be a friend when you need one.”

  “Then I won’t sugarcoat my feelings, Carey.”

  Carey’s smile turned into a grin. “I don’t think you’ve done that since you found out my true identity.”

  Arel ignored the remark. “Please, I have a very serious problem.”

  “Are you referring to the situation with William?”

  Arel touched his cheek and winced. The blister he’d had after Elise kissed him was nothing compared to what he was experiencing now. His skin felt like it had been seared with a branding iron. When he allowed himself to tap into the source of the pain, he remembered his initial reunion with William in New York. After many years of not seeing each other, their meeting was extremely upsetting to Arel. In his mind, William had betrayed him by making him a vampire.

  The hatred in Arel’s heart was so all consuming that he’d sought revenge. He’d taunted William until William bit his cheek and swallowed a bit of Arel’s blood. That tiny taste passed on angelic blood to William, and it altered William’s life.

  Elise had
kissed Arel’s cheek in the very same place. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed the spot in spite of the pain. “Every time I think of how strong and self-assured William was before my need for—”

  “Payback?”

  “Yes, but in spite of all the hell that William went through as a result, I never felt the satisfaction I thought I’d feel. It’s been the opposite. It’s like I have two lives to worry about now, my own and William’s.”

  “So you’re blaming yourself for William’s current condition?”

  Arel put his head back on the sofa. “When I was in London, I noticed that William was having a hard time, but I thought he’d handle it in his own way. I guess I was hoping he’d returned to his old, confident self.”

  “I’m sure that William appreciates that you still believe in him.”

  “Oh please, William doesn’t care about what I think. Give me some sage advice about what to do, something that will work.”

  Before Carey could answer, Arel heard Michael in the foyer. “Finally, the prodigal angel returns.”

  “I saw Elise walking Freddie,” Michael explained. “I wanted to ask her how she was doing.”

  “I’ll let you two talk,” Carey said as he excused himself.

  Arel stood up and crossed his arms. “And where do you think you’re going, Carey? I thought you said you wanted to help.”

  Carey hesitated at the garage door. “Michael’s back. Besides, I got new brake pads for my bike.”

  Arel studied Carey’s face and frowned. The angelic wisdom was gone, replaced by a youthful mischief. “Angel or not, are you being careful when you take that aging machine out on the highway?”

  Carey tossed back a quick nod. “Absolutely.”

  Arel knew that angels didn’t lie, but he wondered if Carey didn’t stretch the truth at times. He turned to Michael with a frown. “I worry about him.”

  “Why?” Michael asked.

  “I think he sometimes forgets that he’s an angel.”

  Michael walked into the living room. “Elise asked about you. She hopes you’re feeling well.”

  “I don’t want to hear about her well-wishes. She nearly finished me off with her lethal lips. But that’s not important. I want to discuss William. He’s entertaining a death wish.”