by Robert York
Race was dressed conservatively in something that wasn’t comprised of leather, so it would seem that the money Barnabas had given him for his services went to good use. Or at least I assume Barnabas paid him. I’ve been out of it for a while. I didn’t know exactly how much he received but whatever the amount he earned every penny of it. Morgan looked absolutely beautiful in a simple black dress and heels.
Wilmar, sorry Frankenstein decided to come as well. He’d cut his hair short during the time I was incapacitated, it looked like he had been visiting a tanning salon or invested in some sort of spray on tan product because his skin was significantly darker. Nevertheless he looked good. The tailored suit and long coat he sported made him look like an NFL lineman out on the town. It appeared that the twenty first century suited him well.
Adrianna accompanied by two of her people, made it a point to attend Oswald’s services, though they garnered looks of suspicion and mistrust from most of the mourners present. Adrianna, a haunting visage dressed all in black from her onyx jewelry, her tight fitting dress, right down to her hose and heels. She was a welcomed sight; though the non-sexual part of my mind continued to strongly warn me that she was a Vampire. - A fact that I was all too familiar with - In my weakened state however, I decided without any deliberation to listen to my rational sense of danger. Predators always went for the weak and helpless. I’ve had a little time since waking up to think on what happened between Adrianna and myself.
Obviously there was something between us be it infatuation or needful lust there was no way to be sure. For me I’d like to think it was a little more than base animal need going on, but how genuine can a person’s feelings truly be for another after only spending, what three or four days with that person? She was the head of the largest Vampire family in the United States. She wielded great financial and political power as well as supernatural power. She had the ear of Presidents and Kings. What could I offer her? I had my heart and my soul, but what were they truly worth to a woman like her? In reality or at least in the reality of my mind, I was nothing more than a distraction or an oddity to her. Just like Bart said, she wasn’t able to quantify my existence because she couldn’t use her glamour on me, thus I drew her attention. I had no delusions regarding our relationship.
There wasn’t one.
Circumstances coupled with a lack of sex created the illusions in my mind. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate something beautiful, yet deadly. One of her bodyguards stood next to her, holding a large black umbrella over her even though all three Vampires were within the protective shade of the oak tree. She made a gesture for her guards to remain in place as she came forward to meet us. A wide greeting smile with a hint of sadness clouded her expression.
“Sol,” she said. “You look well. It’s good to see you out of the hospital.”
Behind me Glum let out a low growl. Mari stepped forward to keep him calm. Adrianna appeared not to have noticed Glum’s reservations of her being so close to us. Then again, maybe she did and it didn’t bother her because she continued nonplused.
“May I relieve you of your burden Barnabas,” She asked indicating my wheelchair.
Chapter 29
Barnabas hesitated and then smiled. Nodding his agreement moving aside to allow Adrianna to push my wheelchair. We were about twenty feet or so away from the rows of folding chairs set up for the service. Adrianna however wheeled me the same distance in the opposite direction at a lackadaisical pace.
“How are you feeling Sol” she asked.
I didn’t answer right away, my mind drifting back to the time we briefly shared and my recent thoughts regarding Adrianna.
“I’m on the mend and getting a little better everyday,” I replied and then added. “Do you regret anything that we said or did?”
She chuckled in warm remembrance, which put me at ease.
“No… Do you,” she asked. I could hear her apprehension.
“No,” I replied.
“Good,” she said sounding happy. “We need to talk however,”
“OK.” I said.
I could sense her hesitation choosing her words carefully.
“I like you Sol, I really do,” she began. “You’re the first man in more years that I care to count that’s made me feel this way,”
“And what way is that,” I broke in a bit too anxiously.
“Young and alive,” I could hear the smile through her words.
“See,”
She stopped pushing the wheelchair. Her hand drifted to my neck. She placed her fingers against my skin. They felt warm to the touch. I tensed then relaxed, my mind racing.
“How is that possible,” I asked perplexed.
Once a person transforms into a Vampire the body loses the warmth you enjoyed when you were alive. A Vampire’s body is essentially in a state between life and death. A state I can’t fathom because it’s as alien to me as being truly dead. In our world, - the magical world I mean - it’s completely unheard of for a Vampire to regain body heat or the“life spark”, once a person has turned. What’s going on here is amazing, yet unsettling at the same time.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “But it’s a wonderful feeling,”
“But,” I began. “There are so many questions to be answered,”
She kissed the top of my head as I attempted to turn toward her forgetting my injuries, which was a stupid thing to do because they reintroduced themselves in earnest.
“There’s plenty of time for questions later, don’t ruin the moment by analyzing and over thinking it,” she said in a whisper.
I shook my head as my pain bled away, my body settling back into the wheelchair. I managed to keep my mouth shut though it took some effort. She was right however, I’d be thinking about this turn of events for a long time to come.
“Thank you,” she said after a moment.
“You’re welcome,” I replied but it sounded clipped.
She pushed my chair, talking as she walked.
“I want you to understand a few things Sol, “
She went silent. When she spoke again she sounded pained.
“You have no idea how difficult this is for me… My world is in turmoil at the moment and it needs my full attention,”
Another pause.
“What Bart and his followers have begun is far larger than any of us have realized... Even though we’ve crippled much of his organization we are in for a long drawn out confrontation.”
I remained silent as she continued.
“In some of the families his influence is frightening,” she paused. “Lines are being drawn and allegiances are tenuous or out right changing, even I don’t know whom to trust anymore… The truth of the matter is it will take much longer than I had initially realized to root out our enemies and destroy them.”
Adrianna stopped. She stood in silence and then she said.
“My world is on the brink of civil war and we the few old ones that are left cannot let that happen,”
She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder stroking my neck with one manicured finger. The touch made gooseflesh erupt up and down my body.
“You would be a distraction and a dangerous liability for me,”
I heard and felt the emotion in her words. I felt them too because I knew what was coming next.
“That’s why I can’t have you in my life, if anyone knew about my feelings for you they’d use you against me… They would hurt you to get to me and I can’t let that happen… You and I can never be together,”
I didn’t try to look at her. I didn’t want her to see the tears welling up in my eyes. Though I had mentally come to this very conclusion, I guess no one bothered to tell my heart.
“Well,” I began, the lump in my throat making my words sound hollow. “I understand… Both of us are going to have a lot on our plates in the coming months… It’d be silly for us to complicate our already complicated lives,”
Adrianna came around the wheel chair, squatting in fro
nt of me as I wiped the tears away. We gazed into each other’s puffy eyes. She placed her hands on my knees. I grasped hers with mine.
“I’d gladly suffer that pain if it meant I got to spend a day with you,” I said.
Meaning every word.
A half cry, half laugh escaped her lips. A tear ran down her right cheek. I gently wiped it away being careful not to smudge her makeup.
“I know you would,” she said kissing the inside of my palm. “But I couldn’t bare it if you came to harm,”
We stayed like that for a moment, two love struck individuals staring longingly into each other’s pained eyes, forever separated by a chasm of family hatred and hostility. Had it been a play and Shakespeare were still alive, he would’ve written our story. Adrianna was first to break eye contact as she gently squeezed my thigh then stood. I felt the bottom fall out of my existence. She was going to be a difficult crush to get over. Adrianna glanced in the direction of her bodyguards then down to me, a quiet impudent smile shown boldly on her face. She bent down and gave me a kiss…
On the lips.
It was the kind of kiss reserved only for soldiers heading off to war. Everything she felt for me was contained in that one kiss. Passion mixed liberally with desire. Happiness laced with sadness. I could even detect a dash of hatred. Hatred not for me per say, but for a possibility unexplored. I have to tell you this kiss was so good it made my toes tingle. After what seemed like forever, I reluctantly broke our kiss.
“Even my heart isn’t immune to something happening to you because of me,” I said, my eyes glancing behind us toward her guards.
She thought about it for a second and then gave a curt nod.
“You really know how to spoil the mood don’t you,”
I shrugged giving an impish smile.
“I’ll miss you Sol,” she said.
Our hands lingered in each other’s until she let go of mine. She moved around to the back of the wheelchair. Adrianna turned it around wheeling me back to the service. Most everyone had already taken his or her seats. The priest appeared ready to begin.
“I haven’t forgotten about you saving me... Twice,”
“You can forget about that,” I said. “I have, besides, you saved me so we’re even.”
“I most certainly will not Solomon Drake,” she said. I could hear steel rising up in her voice.
“I owe you two debts and should you require anything from me I will not hesitate to help if I can,”
I felt her hand leave one of the handles, I heard her pull something from her skirt pocket. An expensive looking business card appeared in my peripheral vision.
“My personal cell number is on this card, only a select number of people have it.”
I took the card examining it. The paper was a heavy stark white cover stock printed on one side in black ink with just a phone number. I slipped it inside the pocket of my dress pants.
“Thank you,” I said. “How many people have this card,” I asked for no particular reason.
“One,” she replied quickly.
I’d be lying if a tiny smile didn’t appear on my face after hearing that. Adrianna leaned in close to my left ear. I could feel her breath on the side of my neck. The smell was intoxicatingly sweet just like it was in her office.
“Sol,” she began. “I owe you two debts... I don’t like owing anyone anything, so even if it takes a hundred years I expect a call from you for something,”
My mind wandered to topics that would make porn stars blush. My mouth turned up into a wide grin. It hurt, but I still enjoyed the feeling.
I said. “Well, if you have your heart’s set on doing me a service you could hike your skirt up - covertly of course - and let me see if you’re wearing any panties... That would square both your debts to me,”
She wheeled me up next to Barnabas engaging the wheel brakes.
“Nice try,” she said in a hushed whisper. I could hear the grin in her words.
She turned to go stand by her bodyguards at the far back of the assembled guests, Barnabas however wouldn’t hear of it, instructing her instead to sit in the row behind us where there just happened to be three empty seats between Race and Frankenstein. She gave him a grateful nod. Adrianna and her bodyguards took their seats as the priest began.
The service was beautiful and as far as I could tell there wasn’t a dry eye through the whole thing. Though I confess that it was difficult to gage the emotions of the others through all the tears I was shedding. A few of the mourners got up and said some very nice things - albeit in their own way - about Oswald at the father’s urgings.
The first to speak was Drabmud Rothgar, the leader of that particular Dwarf Clan I had mentioned a bit earlier. He wore nothing that distinguished his position from the other Dwarves seated next to him. It appeared that “plain” was the look he and his clansmen were trying to achieve and they succeeded tremendously. Drabmud spoke at length of Oswald’s kindness and helpfulness when it came to the Dwarf people. It was difficult to hear him because he had a soft-spoken voice, something completely out of character for Dwarves, because they tended to be loud and obnoxious. At one point he said something that I hadn’t known before. Oswald, apparently was a large investor in the Rothgar ale business, a complete surprise to me. The strongest thing I’d ever seen Oswald drink was lemonade. The Rothgar’s were close to losing their ale business when Oswald invested in it along with giving them a few tips on making their ale taste better. If what they sold was the best they made, I’d hate to have tasted Rothgar’s original recipe.
The second speaker was one of the Goblins, which had been arguing over the grave marker before the service. He spoke in an animated tone. Sadly, he rambled on and on about various topics, many of which had nothing to do with Oswald. Though passionate, his speech was incoherent making absolutely no sense at times.
The last person to speak was Yoshida Kogan, Elder Council member. He spoke in an eloquent tone laced with the subtle hint of a Japanese accent. His words made me and I hoped everyone else feel good about the moment we were all sharing, like a breath of fresh air in the height of spring when all the leaves and flowers are in bloom. Yoshida didn’t speak for very long, only a few minutes but those few minutes were inspiring. At first he said that it was unfortunate that we all had to meet under such circumstances. He went on to say, had Oswald been here observing us he would’ve ask if we all didn’t have anything better to do than mourn over a piece of stone. That received a few chuckles and a smile or two from the mourners. He avoided many of the standard cliché people tend to speak at a funeral.
“He’s gone to a better place or his journey is now over and it’s time for him to rest,” that sort of thing.
Instead he chose to speak about when he was a little boy in Japan way before he knew of his gifts. His father - a noble at the time - had made and presented Yoshida with his first bow and arrow. He described it in detail. The bow was far taller than him, made from a sturdy cherry wood cut from his family’s orchards. He recalled how the bow felt when he first gripped it in his tiny hands. The silky feel of the bowstring as he plucked it. He was overjoyed to finally get one because he’d remembered seeing the larger boys in the village being taught how to use theirs. He still had that first bow which hung prominently in his home.
Yoshida finished by saying when he first met Oswald, getting to know him over the years, it was just like receiving his first bow. It was a feeling of complete joy and happiness at each meeting, so even though there would be a hole in his heart for the loss of his friend, he’d fill the void with those good feelings. It’s the responsibility of the living to remember those who have left this world before us. As Yoshida took his seat, he glanced in my direction giving me a smile followed by a kindly wink. I returned the smile coming away with a respect for this man, which I hoped I’d get to know as a friend one day.
Father Miles Fitzpatrick finished up with the Lord’s Prayer. He was rather young for his station, but he was capable and ch
arismatic. He wasn’t at all boring as some of the Catholic priests that I’d been subjected to in my youth as an orphan. I learned after the service and before we headed into town for some lunch that Father Miles knew more than the average mortal when it came to the magical world. He’d said that he believed in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, how could one not believe in Fairies and Goblins.
When the memorial ended people stood and began filing away. Mari, Glum, Tilly and Frankenstein walked over to stand near Oswald’s grave so Glum could say one final goodbye. He held up well, but his eyes were wet and puffy from crying. Some of the mourners left immediately like Adrianna and her people. She and I exchanged forlorn glances and then I watched her walk out of my life. Two of the Elder council members, Magnus Azeroth and Tasetta Ranpu followed shortly behind her. Yoshida, however along with two of the Black Guard remained. A few of the other guests stayed to offer their condolences to Barnabas before departing. The first person to step forward was Yoshida Kogan. He placed a comforting hand on Barnabas’s arm as he spoke.
“Oswald will be missed my old friend,” he said. “You and he did the only thing possible under the circumstances presented to you.”
“Thank you,” Barnabas replied. Then he asked in a significantly lowered tone. “Is that the council’s official position or yours?”
Yoshida’s hand dropped from Barnabas’s arm. A completely humorless smile appeared on his face.
“Mine… I’d be lying if I said I was not disappointed as well, many questions are left to be answered.”
The smile faded replaced with a thoughtful expression.
“But now is not the time for such things, we will be in contact both myself and the full council... Be prepared for the usual protocols,”
“Nonsense?” Barnabas asked.
