by S S Bazinet
Arel waved Michael off. “Yes, I know all about that. William is trying to have an old pal of his kill me.”
“And that doesn’t concern you?”
“Please, after what we just discussed? Tell Peggy to relax. I’m perfectly safe.”
“Arel, are you sure you shouldn’t—”
“Michael, at this point I just have to extricate myself from everybody who knows me. Once that’s done, I’ll move to some desolate island and live out my life in seclusion.”
“If that’s what you think best, but in the meantime, perhaps you can comfort yourself with the fact that William has a chance at a new life. Secondly, if you want to extricate yourself from your friends, the best way might be to help them to stop worrying about you. If they feel that you’re fine and they see you acting normally, their concerns will subside.”
Arel relaxed a little as Michael’s advice sunk in. “Actually, that seems like a rather good idea. I might give it a try.”
Fourteen
WILLIAM LOCKED HIS front door, walked down the stone steps and took off at a slow jog. The evening promised to be cold, but he couldn’t quite get used to the idea of exercising in daylight. Still, it was great to get out and feel his strength coming back. His body had taken a beating during the past months. That fact would have been more bothersome if his thoughts weren’t on other matters. For days he’d combed the internet, posting cryptic messages on every vampire blog he could find, trying to connect with Rolphe. It wasn’t the first time he’d searched for the one who had made him a vampire. But in the past, his attempts originated from curiosity, not need. Recently, he’d come up with a new approach. If Arel could reach out to William using mental airways, William could do the same with Rolphe. Deep in his gut, he was sure of it. So every day, he sat meditatively sending mental posts, urging Rolphe to check out the vampire blogs. That afternoon he was rewarded with a message on one of his online email accounts. The message was a one liner: “Are you the little shit that tried to suck me dry a hundred years ago?”
Rolphe hadn’t intended to give William his blood. William was simply his dinner. But William always recognized an opportunity, especially when he observed Rolphe. The man had an aura of power that fascinated William as soon as they met. Even as he lay dying, he lusted over Rolphe’s obvious command of life. With his last breaths, William had begged Rolphe to share his secret. On a whim, the tall, hulking man had obliged him and given him a taste of his blood.
Now, you’ll help me again, Rolphe.
As he ran, he smiled. He had an ally. All he had to do was inform Rolphe that there was a certain person seeking him out to kill him.
And I don’t think I’m lying to him.
Arel had hated the fact that he’d been made a vampire. Afterwards, he’d been filled with a need for revenge. It was quite probable that someday he’d punish Rolphe just as he’d punished William.
Sorry, Arel, but your bullying days are numbered.
He noted that the thought of killing Arel didn’t bother him as much now. He was succeeding in deadening his feelings of regret. In fact, a sense of power surged through him as he thought about turning the tables on the person who acted like a puppet master, who decided William’s fate with total abandon.
He began to pick up his pace until a loose shoelace made him stop. Stooping down to tie it, his attention shifted to a woman walking by. There weren’t many people about, and he wondered why she was braving the damp, chilly evening. There was something familiar about her as she paused briefly, looking down at him and then pulling back.
“Oh, it’s you.”
He was immediately offended by her tone. His response was to jerk upright and stare at her with hard-set annoyance.
She retreated a couple of steps, but after returning an equally irritated look, she continued on her way with a quickened pace.
“Do I know you?” he asked, jogging up to her.
She didn’t stop. She increased her pace and ignored him.
His crossness escalated. People had always deferred to him, as if they knew he was their superior. It was very rare to find an individual who could ignore him so completely.
My god, how far have I slipped? First, I have Arel doing whatever he pleases. Now a girl in a cheap jacket treats me like I’m nobody.
He continued to walk next to her. “I asked you a question?”
The woman finally stopped under a bright streetlight. “You’re that rude person I tried to assist a while back.”
His gaze narrowed knowingly. “Oh yes, and you’re the do-gooder. How could I forget?” He’d been ready for the grave on the night the woman had stopped to check on him. It was aggravating to think his memory was slipping too.
The woman did a quick sweep over William’s person. “You looked ill on that occasion. I was trying to help, but you seem well enough now.”
As the woman spoke, the light caught her emerald green eyes. William was stunned by their exquisite color and clarity. When she blinked, they flashed with a blue-green fire. Their sparkling splendor made something in his chest expand. He had never seen eyes like hers. Suddenly, he needed to stall for time as he contemplated the idea of something new and beautiful in the world. He blurted out an apology. “I’m sorry if my manners were lacking when you stopped to help me.”
The woman’s face relaxed a little, giving William a moment to examine more of her. She wore a cap, but it couldn’t completely contain the richly colored, auburn wisps that escaped around its edges. They were nestled against her flawless, white skin. Her features were delicate and fine with high cheekbones. Her soft rose lips, slightly parted, were naturally full. He found them inviting and imagined himself kissing them, first softly, then with passion as she yielded to him.
“Excuse me,” she said, breaking into his reverie. “I have to be going.”
Her announcement and the reprimanding look she gave him was embarrassing. He hadn’t felt or exhibited such unbridled desire since he was a teenager. He quickly reined himself in. It was his turn to step back. “Could we start over?” He held out his hand. “My name is William.”
The woman smiled shyly. “I’m Annabel.”
“It’s cold out here. Would you like to go for tea?”
* * * * *
The quaint neighborhood café was busy, but William found a table towards the back that suited his purpose. He needed time to sort out his feelings while he made small talk with Annabel. Why was he so drawn to the young woman? She was beautiful, but he’d known countless, beautiful women. Perhaps he was simply coming back to life more fully after his death experience. There was also the fact that the past months had been spent coping with Arel’s Madness. He hadn’t had time to think of his physical needs. As he continued to observe Annabel, he was determined to concentrate on something other than the allure of her body. There was something else that drew him to her. “So you’re a student. What are you interested in?”
Annabel raised her eyes long enough to take a quick look at him before she returned her gaze to her tea cup. “Aspects of human nature are fascinating. Psychology is a favorite subject of mine.”
William noted Annabel’s thick, black lashes and found his mind being batted around when she blinked at him. Again, he had to chastise himself. Why was he letting himself be so easily distracted by Annabel’s appearance? He went back to their conversation. “Psychology? Not that much to study. A human being is very simple. He’s basically a self-centered animal.”
“I see,” Annabel said quietly. She nibbled at her biscuit and let her lids close in a dreamy sort of way. As she sampled more of her sugary indulgence and swallowed, a smile slipped into place.
William sat back and crossed his arms. “You’re certainly enjoying your food.”
Annabel’s eyes widened in response, like a rabbit being startled by a loud noise and freezing. “Sorry, I love the taste and the way the biscuit melts in my mouth.” She sat up, examined her surroundings and quickly retrieved a crumb off the tabletop.
She carefully placed it on her saucer. “You were saying?”
“I said that mankind is a bore at best, and a troublesome pest most of the time.”
Annabel thoughtfully ran a delicate finger over the gilded edge of her plate. “Your viewpoint seems rather limiting.”
“And what’s your take on the masses.”
“I look for the best in everyone.”
“For a person with that attitude, you didn’t give me much slack.”
“As I said before, you were rude.” Her voice was soft and matter-of-fact, but when she took a sip of tea, a little smile slipped into place. After another sip, she replaced the cup back on its saucer. Dabbing her mouth with her napkin, she finally returned her gaze to William. “Just because I’m a do-gooder doesn’t mean I’m a martyr.”
William didn’t know if he should be annoyed or appreciative of her slow deliberate actions. “Thank god for that, martyrs are tiresome.”
Annabel folded the napkin and put it on the table. “I should be going.”
William’s gaze locked on to her eyes. For an instant, he imagined that he was looking at two, steady beacons, two identical lighthouses on a distant shore. They seemed to welcome him in and transport him back to the heavenly landscape he’d experienced when he died. In that ethereal place, he basked in a carefree brilliance. When his head cleared a little and his voice returned, he managed a few words. “The evening is young. I could buy you dinner.”
Annabel shook her head. “No, thank you. I have to post a notice before it gets too late.”
William sat up at once, shaking out the blissful fog he was in. “What kind of notice?”
“I need a job, just part time, but something to help with my rent.”
“Perfect. I need someone to help out. My place is quite a mess after my illness. Do you think you might be interested?”
Annabel hesitated, then smiled. “Perhaps.”
Fifteen
ROLPHE GOT UP from his desk and scanned the room, drawing comfort from the old world feel of his surroundings. He’d lived in Paris for so long that he could, at times, almost forget his origins. The rich culture of the city gave him solace. Its many museums were favorite places of repose and meditation. As he donned the role of observer and reflected on the beauty that others created, his heart found a bit of freedom. He’d even taken up painting and learned he had an affinity for putting color to canvas. His apartment, with its wood paneled walls, became a gallery for his artwork. His gaze traveled to one piece in particular. The portrait of two boys could have been painted in the Italian Renaissance. Attention to the use of light and shadow, the perfection of the human form, and a feeling of devotion were evident. Yet a hundred, unworthy predecessors had been thrown into the fire. It had taken a very long time for Rolphe to adequately portray his beautiful children. Now their beatific faces looked back at him with all the innocence and purity that he remembered.
He walked over to their painting and put a hand to the face of one of the boys. He fingered his child’s dark, curly hair remembering how his son took after Rolphe’s grandfather. His careful touch was brief. He pulled his large, grasping hand away, loathing the contrast between an innocent child and what Rolphe knew himself to be. As a young soldier, he’d been called a giant because he was a head taller than most. Even in today’s world, at six-foot-five and weighing two hundred fifty pounds, he was considered tall and imposing. But it wasn’t the size of him that was damning. To touch such a blameless child with a hand that had taken so many lives was wrong.
With a heavy sigh, he turned and walked back to his desk. He peered at his laptop. The email message he’d recently received was still up, and he read it over again. The first time he read it, his heart quickened. There was a discernable flutter in his chest as he digested the contents of the message. Two men who carried his blood were alive in the world. That fact sparked a deep aching desire inside of him. Did he have two sons again, two living beings who were a part of him, family?
The flutter stopped abruptly as reason took over.
They’re not sons. They’re not family. They’re aberrations like me.
He lowered the lid of the laptop ever so slowly as he struggled to make sense of how to proceed. William, the person who sent the email, shouldn’t be alive. Yet, Rolphe could envision the man’s face even now, after almost a hundred years. It was a handsome face, but also a cocky, persistent one. Even as the man lay dying, William wouldn’t give up life without a fight, or at least a reward for the blood that Rolphe had sucked out of him. He begged Rolphe for a parting gift, a taste of what it was like to be a vampire.
I never encountered one like him before. The little shit wouldn’t be denied.
In the end, Rolphe shared a bit of blood, knowing that it was a lethal substance for the majority of humans. What chance would a man like William have when he was nearly dead already?
Now my spawn lives on. I’ve created another parasite. No, two parasites. William said there was a second vampire involved.
Rolphe hadn’t pondered the idea of what he was in many years. He didn’t think in terms of being a blood sucker. In the evenings, when he sipped at the dark liquid in his crystal stemware, he never thought about its true origin. For him, it came from a procurer, one who serviced his needs as easily as if he’d ordered rare wine.
Now, he was being forced to reexamine the truth. He could no longer pretend that he was just another normal person. He was a vampire, and he wasn't the only one around.
His fists tightened on themselves as he glared back at his lap-top. “There are three parasites in the world. That’s two too many!”
Like his inferior canvases, Rolphe would end up in the fire someday too. Hell would swallow him up as soon as he drew his last breath. He was prepared for that, but he wouldn’t have two monsters like himself on the loose. He’d have to deal with the situation as soon as he received more information from William.
Sixteen
CAROL STUFFED HER tissue in her pocket and glanced around at the expansive hall where she stood. The Louvre was at the top of her list of places to visit, and she was thrilled to be feeling well enough to be out and about. Paris was the city of her dreams, a perfect place to rekindle her romance with Kevin. He’d been so helpful in making her feel better about the rocky start to their trip. Now he was doing his best again, trying to appreciate the things that she was interested in. Tickets to the Louvre had been purchased shortly after Kevin had booked their trip. To have missed an opportunity to use them would have been very disheartening for Carol. However, she wasn’t so sure that Kevin felt the same way. “What do you think, Kevin, is this place amazing?” she asked.
Standing close to her, Kevin glanced around at the horde of people surrounding them. “I guess you’re not the only one who loves this kind of thing. This place is packed.”
Carol tugged on his sleeve and nodded in the direction of the Mona Lisa. “I never thought I’d get to actually see her.”
Kevin shrugged. “She’s kind of a homely broad compared to you.”
His openly voiced opinion was loud enough to make a number of people stare at him, then Carol.
“Kevin!” At first blush she wanted to censure him, but she soon realized what he meant and giggled quietly.
“Sorry,” Kevin said quickly. “I didn’t mean anything disrespectful.” He smiled down at her innocently. “I just think you’re beautiful, that’s all.”
She blushed again. “Thank you.”
Kevin reached out for a bit of her golden blonde hair and played with it for a long moment. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. And I’m happy that you’re enjoying this place.”
When she studied Kevin’s eyes, she realized how they could remind her of baby Ariel’s eyes. They were very clear and filled with an honest, direct kind of love that resurrected feelings she thought she’d lost. She brought his hand to her chest. “I am better, but—”
“But what?” Kevin’s tone was instantly one of concern.
She smiled, wanting to relieve his fears. “We’ve been here most of the afternoon. I’m a little tired. Would you mind if we go back to the hotel? It might be nice to climb into that wonderful bed for a little while.”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. “Geez, honey, I’m sorry if you’re not—”
“I’m okay, really.” She gave him a teasing smile as she tightened her grip on his hand and started for the exit. “There’s room in that big bed for both of us.”
The light finally dawned for Kevin. His anxious expression was replaced by a playful grin. “Oh, I see.”
* * * * *
Carol lay snuggled up to Kevin under thick, luxurious covers. Warm and content, she was smiling. She felt close to her husband again. In fact, after the way he’d made love to her, putting all his own pleasures aside and singularly concentrating on her needs, she wondered how she could have talked about separating. It was clear that he loved her passionately. He expressed it with every tender caress and adoring kiss.
Her thoughts wandered from Kevin to the fact that they had a son. Little Ariel was such a precious, little boy. When she was single, she had given up on being a mother. Then she met Kevin and got pregnant. It wasn’t something they’d planned. Afterwards there was so much confusion and turmoil that it made for a rough start. Kevin doubted himself completely, and Carol almost lost the baby.
“Honey?” She turned to Kevin and put her hand on his broad chest. “Do you think we should call Peggy and check on little Ariel?”
Kevin had his arm around her and pulled her closer. “I’m sure Ariel’s fine. Besides, Peggy said that we shouldn’t call her, that she’d absolutely let us know if there were anything wrong.”
“I really miss him.” A sudden stream of tears followed her announcement. A couple of minutes earlier, she was completely happy. Now, a single thought about Ariel’s chubby little face smiling at her, sent her over the edge.
