Melanie looked at
her watch, “Taylor, there’s just enough time, we can run out and grab
something.” She said.
~~~~~
Taylor was lying on
the couch, his feet on the coffee table, “Go ahead.
You don’t have to babysit me.” He
said.
“Yeah, right.
Excuse me if I don’t go against Beatriz’ orders tonight.”
She spat.
“Where’s
Camille?” He asked.
Melanie rolled her
eyes, “I said I don’t know. She
doesn’t always come home you know.”
“Yes, she does.”
He said, rolling over and pulling his feet up on the sofa.
“Well, she has
ever since you came into the picture, but it’s not uncommon for her to stay
someplace else. She’s got lots of
friends.” She reasoned.
“Whatever.”
He said. Melanie reached
into her bag and pulled out her cell phone and began to dial.
“Who’re you calling?” He
asked, sitting up.
“Sonya.” She said,
holding the phone up to her ear. “Where
are you?” She said.
“Alright, I need to leave, I’m starving.”
She then closed it, ending the conversation.
She then looked at Taylor, “She’s gonna be pissed.
You know how she gets when you don’t feed.”
“Fuck her.”
Taylor said turning on the television.
Melanie raised an
eyebrow and looked toward the elevator, “God Sonya, come on!”
She said. She then looked
back to Taylor, his face in a scowl, “I am not gonna be here when she comes in
here. And if you’re smart,
you’ll be snug in your bed.”
“Since when am I
smart?” He asked, his eyes locked
on the television.
“Good question.” She
muttered, walking towards the elevator. As
the doors slid open, Sonya stepped out and Melanie stepped in.
“Good luck.” She said,
and she punched the button and the doors slid shut.
“Hey.”
Sonya said, stepping over to the couch.
“Hey.”
Taylor responded, not looking away from the tv.
“Did you feed?” She
asked, sitting down and touching his leg.
“Nope.”
He answered.
“Why not?” She asked.
He turned his eyes
to her; they were dark, “I just don’t really feel like it tonight, Sonya.”
He said.
She sighed,
“Alright then, why don’t you go to bed, aren’t you tired?”
He looked at the
clock, “I’m not tired. It’s
only like five or so.”
“Okay.”
She said, sliding down onto the floor.
She scooted down to sit in front of him, her skirt pooling around her
ankles. “Are you okay?” she
asked.
He sat up then, his
face coming very close to hers, “No, I’m not.
Tonight sucked!”
He spat.
“It’s all a part
of it, Taylor. We live and die just
like humans.” She said.
“I’ve never seen
a human die like that.” He said.
She turned to face
him, “There was a time that many humans lost their lives like that, ever hear
of the French Revolution? Besides,
how many humans have you seen die?”
She asked, looking up at his lips and the rest of his face.
He was visibly upset, tears coming to his eyes.
“One.”
He answered, his voice breaking.
“And how was
it?” She asked.
He stood then and
walked to the television, placing his hands on top.
It was warm and he could feel the reverberations as the sound came
through the speakers. “Why are
you turning this on me?” He
asked, his back to her still.
“I’m not.
I’m just trying to make you understand.
The world works the same way for every living thing, Taylor.
When an animal is hungry, it finds food, just like us.
Humans go to the grocery store or a restaurant, and we go to humans.
And when an animal feels threatened, it fights back, just like us.
Just like you.” She said. She
stood and stepped closer to him, “Nikki’s actions threatened our lives.
You must understand that.”
Now he turned, “I
know…” he said softly, a tear rolling down his cheek, which he quickly
swiped away.
“Then what is
wrong?” She asked.
He shook his head,
“Why am I not allowed to be upset?!” He
said. “I don’t feel like
feeding because I watched a girl’s head cut off and her blood squirt
everywhere, and frankly, I find that a little sickening.”
He said, anger in his voice now.
“That’s
perfectly understandable. I’m
glad I didn’t see it and I’m glad that I didn’t have to clean it up.”
She said.
“I never knew a body even had
that much blood. It just kept
coming and coming…” he said, his eyes taking on a far away look.
Sonya pulled herself up and put her arms around him, “Put it out of
your mind.” She said.
“I can’t.”
He lamented. “I don’t
want to forget it. Sometimes, I
forget what I am and what you all are. But
then, something like this happens…” He
stopped for a moment, “I knew
her.” He said softly.
Sonya pulled his
head down to rest on her shoulder, “I know you did.”
She said. “I did too.”
They stood that way until they heard the elevator signal to them that
someone was coming up. Taylor
turned to see Camille walk into the room and toss her bag on the chair.
For a moment, their eyes met, neither of them saying anything.
Then, she spoke, “The sun’s gonna be up soon, Taylor…” She
stopped and crossed her arms. “Um,” She started again, and swiped her arm
across her eyes, “would it be okay, if I slept in your room tonight?”
She asked, her voice small in the quiet of the place.
Taylor sniffed, and
stepped closer to her, “Yeah, sure.”
He answered.
Again they just
looked at one another, “Are you coming?”
She asked.
“Soon.
You go ahead, I’ll be there in a little bit.”
He said.
Sonya
turned her head toward the elevator. “She’s
coming.” She said.
“If you don’t want to see her, you should probably go on.” Camille
gave Taylor a sad smile, and turned, walking toward his room.
When
the doors slid open, Melanie stepped out, followed by Beatriz.
She threw her bag in the same chair with Camille’s and without saying
anything to Sonya or Taylor, she went in the opposite direction, to her own
room. Beatriz stepped over to the
desk and sat a diamond earring on it. She
then turned to Taylor, “You’re up very late and you haven’t fed.”
She said.
His
eyes were icy as he looked at her. Sonya
watched, torn between leaving them alone, and needing to see what was going to
happen. “Yes.”
He answered.
Beatriz
reached down and unbuttoned the front of her jacket, then ran her hands through
her damp hair. “Why is that?”
She asked.
“I
don’t really feel hungry tonight.” He
answered. His eyes were unwavering.
“That
doesn’t change the fact that you need to feed.”
She said, pulling her shoes off and dropping them to the floor.
She walked closer to him, now having to look up into his eyes.
“I’m sure this has been a trying day for you.
Why don’t you go lie down in your bed?
Tomorrow, as they say, is another day.”
Taylor
furrowed his brow, “How wonderful.” He
said. “I’m so looking forward
to a few more little surprises. Sort
of like…today.”
He spat.
Beatriz
looked at Sonya for a moment, then back to him, “I’m very sorry about today,
Taylor.” She said.
“I’m
sure you are. I mean, gosh, the
remorse you showed when you cut Nikki’s head off, wow.”
He said. He moved in closer,
“But, really, I’ve sort of come to expect that kind of cold shit from you.
However,” He said, his face inching closer to hers, “the next time
you are going to do something like that, would you do me the fucking service of warning
me?” He growled, his breath warm on her face.
“You
see,” Beatriz said, “this is why you need to feed.
You get very strange when you don’t feed.
Look at those dark circles under your eyes.”
For
a moment, Taylor just stared at her, then he threw his hands out, “I can’t
believe I have to live here.” He
said, turning away from her. He
looked at Sonya. “Everyone is
much more concerned about whether I fed tonight, than about a girl we all knew
who got her head lopped off.” His
shoulders dropped then and he went to the desk and picked up the earring.
He turned to Beatriz, a smile on his face, but with tears in his eyes,
“Glad you had the presence of mind to take this off her before turning in your
“proof”.”
“I
thought Camille might like to have it.” She
said, tiredly. “Taylor,” She
said softly, “I know you must understand why I had to do what I did—“She
started.
“If
they told you to kill me, would you?” He
asked, his eyes shining in the light.
“It
depends on the circumstances.” She
said.
He
laughed, “Well, at least you’re honest.”
He said. He looked at Sonya
again, “There’s a lot of girls out there that wouldn’t tell a guy
something like that.”
She
watched him shut his eyes, as he regained his composure.
The sun was about to come up and she knew that very soon, even his
sadness and anger at Beatriz wouldn’t be enough to keep him on his feet.
“Come on, why don’t you go to bed, Camille probably needs
you right now, don’t you think?” She
said, putting her arm around his waist.
He
shook his head, “You all don’t need
me.
Unless it’s just to have a token man around.
I wonder if Robert knows that she’s gonna drive a stake through his
heart as soon as she’s in charge?”
“That’s
a very good idea.” Beatriz said,
“It might keep him from killing you, which I’m sure is the first thing on
his list of things to do when he becomes an elder.” She said, yanking her
jacket off, leaving just a silky black camisole.
She threw it on the couch, uncharacteristically showing her own anger.
“What’s
the difference? I get killed by
Robert, or by you—who cares how it happens!”
He spat, pulling away from Sonya.
Beatriz
walked over to him, “I’m doing everything in my power to keep you from being
killed, Taylor.”
“Oh,
so all this was for my benefit?” He
replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
He was beginning to feel the effects of the sun, and he didn’t want her
to know it. He watched as she
looked toward the windows, then back to him.
She
started to say something, but she stopped and shook her head.
“Just go to bed, please, before you pass out.
I’d hate to have to carry you in there when you’re so upset with
me.” She said.
He
raised an eyebrow, “Oh, don’t do me any favors.”
He spat and he walked away from them and toward his room, running his
shoulder into the wall, then falling to the floor with a thump.
Neither
Sonya nor Beatriz flinched as they’d both known it was coming.
Only his anger with Beatriz and his will to let her know it had allowed
him to remain awake as long as he had. With
a sigh, Sonya walked to him and reached down to take his wrist and pull him up.
“Let him stay right where he is.”
Beatriz said. “If he
doesn’t want any favors from me, then he shall receive none.”
She said.
Sonya
rolled her eyes and ran her hand through her hair, “Alright, but Mr. Jones is
not going to appreciate him just lying there like that all day.”
“Oh
well.” Beatriz said.
And she made her way down the opposite hallway to her room.
Sonya
reached down to push Taylor’s hair out of his face, “No blood, I guess
you’re alright.” She said, and
she stepped over him and walked to his room to check on Camille.
She too was out for the night, so she went back the way she’d come,
stepped over Taylor again, and went to her own room and shut the door.
Mr. Jones would begin his day in less than two hours.
~~~~~
“Bloody
hell…” he grumbled as his foot made contact with Taylor at 7:05 a.m. the
next morning. Mr. Jones reached
over and flipped on the light in the room.
Looking down, he saw the boy lying in the middle of the foyer, blocking
the hallway that led to his and Taylor’s rooms.
He looked down the opposite hallway to where the girls’ rooms were, but
it was perfectly quiet, as he’d expected.
Sometimes the Lady was still awake when he came out, but this morning,
she was nowhere to be seen. “I
guess I can’t open the drapes today.” He
grumbled as he walked into the kitchen to start the coffee.
He then called the other employees who’d be showing up later to tell
them that they’d been given the day off.
He wasn’t sure why Taylor had been left in the middle of the floor, but
he suspected it wasn’t something Beatriz would want the servants gossiping
about.
When
he came back from picking up the cleaning, he stepped over him.
When he sat down for lunch, he gazed over at him, marveling in the
stillness. He hadn’t moved a
muscle since that morning, just as he knew he wouldn’t.
He stepped over him again when he went to his room to choose clothes for
him to wear that evening, and again when he came out of the quiet room.
He noticed the large stain on Taylor’s pants and shook his head, not
wanting to know how it got there. At
3:30, he’d had enough, and he threw open the drapes, allowing bright August
sunshine to poor into the room. As
the light shone on his face, Taylor winced.
For a moment, Mr. Jones watched him, thinking perhaps he should close
them again, not wanting to hurt the boy. But,
before he could, Taylor sat up as if he’d been sprayed with cold water.
He got to his feet and ran down the hallway and into his room.
By the time Mr. Jones had followed, Taylor lay in his own bed, in the
arms of Camille and was again as still as he had been before.
He wondered why the girl hadn’t slept in her own bed as he left the
room and pulled the door shut behind him.
At
5:25 Beatriz appeared, dressed in a white polo shirt and a pair of jeans.
She sat down on the couch and began to brush out her hair.
Mr. Jones stepped over and sat in the chair in front of her, the table
between them. “So, how was your
evening?” He asked.
“Fine.”
She said absently.
“How
did your meeting with the elders go?” He
asked.
“Fine.
Same crap, different night.”
She answered.
“Um,
how about Master Taylor—did he fare alright at their hands?”
He asked.
Now
she looked at him out the corner of her eye, “You should have left him where
he was.” She said.
“Next time, I’ll pin a note on him.”
Mr.
Jones raised an eyebrow and folded his hands across his chest, leaning back in
the chair. “I didn’t touch him, I merely opened the drapes and he slithered
away like a snake.” She nodded,
but didn’t say anything. “Lover’s
spat?”
He asked, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“Hardly.”
She spat. She lay the brush down on the table and like a cat,
curled her legs up on the seat with her. Mr.
Jones waited. He knew she’d break
eventually, and she did. “You
know? He is so maddening.”
She said. He gave her a
sympathetic nod. “He judges the
things we do as if we just do them because we enjoy them and he uses those big
eyes to dish out guilt as if he were the Christ child—“
she stopped and sighed. She
looked at him, “He told me not to do him any favors.”
And she shook her head, then stood up, “We’ll just see how he makes
it without any favors from me…” She
stomped off, her bare feet not making nearly enough noise to show her
displeasure.
At
6:15 Sonya walked into the room. Mr.
Jones sat in the same chair, reading a book.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Jones.” She
said, pulling her wet hair up into a knot.
“Good
afternoon, Sonya. How was your
evening?” He asked.
She
shrugged, “I’ve had better, and I’ve had worse.
How about you?” She asked.
“Relatively
uneventful.” He replied.
“Though there was a lovely pile of young man on the floor this
morning.”
“Ah,
I was wondering what happened to him. Did
Beatriz take him to his room?” She
asked.
“No,
she did not. He took himself, with
the help of a little sunlight.” He
said.
She
raised an eyebrow, “Really. Hmmm,
how interesting.” She mused.
“Where is she now?” She
asked.
“She’s
been in and out of the rooms. I’m
not certain exactly where she is at this moment.”
He answered.
“And
why haven’t you taken off for the evening?
You don’t have a date tonight?”
She asked, smiling.
“No,
I do not. And if I did, I would
probably break it. I’m much too
nosy to leave when it’s shaping up to be such an interesting evening here.”
He said, pushing his reading glasses up on his nose and looking back down
at his book.
“I
hope it’s not interesting. I like
it boring.”
She said.
“That
is because you aren’t a prisoner of this quiet place all during the daylight
hours.” He said.
“You
can leave if you want to.” Sonya
reasoned.
“That’s
true when the other servants are here. But
today, the farthest I could go was to the lobby for the dry cleaning.
With the young master lying there in the middle of the floor, I didn’t
feel it proper to have the cleaning woman stepping over him.”
“Ah,
I see.” She said.
She shook her head. “Sometimes
it gets a little crazy around here, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,
indeed.” He agreed. He looked up
at her over his book, “I hear there was a bit of excitement down the street
last night.” He said.
Sonya
sighed, “You heard?”
“I received
a phone call or two.”
He answered.
”Well, I wasn’t there. But I
heard as well and I saw the results.” She
said. “I’m not really looking forward to tonight, but who knows?
Maybe they’ll all surprise me.”
“Hmph. I doubt it.”
He said, and he returned his gaze to the book in front of
him.
~~~~~
Taylor
opened his eyes. His room was the
same as always. For a moment he
thought he’d had a nightmare, but then he remembered vampires don’t dream.
He looked down; Camille’s head lay upon his shoulder.
He reached over and touched her cheek and her eyes opened to take him in.
“Good morning.” He said.
“Why
do you still say that?” She
asked, a sad smile on her lips.
“I
don’t know. Habit I guess.”
He answered.
She
looked into his eyes, “I love how a little thing like being turned into a
vampire doesn’t make you abandon any of your little “habits”.”
She looked at his face; he may not have aged anymore, but today, he
looked older. “Taylor, I’m so
sorry that I did what I did to you.” She
said. Her violet eyes teared up and
she swiped them away. “I’d give
anything to see you and your brothers out there singing and making records and
stuff…”
“There’s
no use crying about it now. What’s
done is done.” He said.
“I
know, but—“she started.
“No.”
He said. “We
can’t think about that.” He
turned his head to the side and listened. In
the other room, he could hear Sonya and Mr. Jones talking, but no Beatriz.
For a moment he thought about Beatriz; he’d thought maybe he loved her,
but now, he wasn’t so sure. It
would be like loving a shark, the years having turned her into something cold
and methodical, all wrapped up in a beautiful package, and he was pretty sure
nothing could ever change that. He
looked at Camille again and the sadness in her face.
She’d lost a friend the day before, not just an acquaintance, so he
knew she’d be more affected by it than he was.
He closed his eyes and placed his lips over hers.
He’d kissed her before, but it had always been just a way to tease her,
to make her sorry for what she’d done to him in the past.
When
he pulled away, her eyes were closed and a tear fell down her cheek.
“Do you think it hurt or
anything?” She asked
silently.
He
shook his head, “It was really fast.” He
said softly. He then reached up and
brushed the tear away. “I’m
sorry I couldn’t do anything for her…” he said.
She
took in a deep breath, “I know you couldn’t.”
She smiled then, “You know what they say--you live by the sword, you
die by the sword.” Her face fell
again and Taylor pulled her closer.
“Don’t
think about it. Let’s just…not
think about anything right now.” He
said, placing his hands on her face and pulling her into another kiss.
She stretched out her small body on top of his, continuing the kiss.
Taylor put his hand out and she heard the lock on the door click.
With the same hand, he ran his fingers under her shirt, grazing her cool
skin. She sat up then, arching her
back as she pulled the blouse off over her head.
He smiled, looking at her body. At
that moment, it was perfect, though he felt like in life, the act they were
about to perform would probably have hurt her.
He was more than a foot taller than her and both of them were
proportionate. She leaned forward
again to kiss him and to unzip his pants. He
said a thank-you to his own body as it began to respond.
In this form, it could be hit or miss in the erection department.
Before, there’d have been no question—in fact, just the thought of
having sex with a girl like Camille would have brought about near-instantaneous
results. She wore a tiny skirt and
he pushed it up over her hips, revealing white lacy panties.
The last time, he’d ripped her undergarments off her, this time he
carefully tucked his fingers in and slowly pulled them down her legs.
She pulled herself up, allowing him to pull them off and he tucked them
under his pillow. She smiled and
lowered herself back down.
He raised up and she slid his pants down over his hips, then
all the way off. She tossed them
across the room, not caring where they landed.
They were stained with the blood of her friend anyway, and she was
certain that Mr. Jones would want them burned.
“You
know, I was like, 14 years old when I fell in love with you.”
She said softly, looking down at his face.
It was the face of the boy whose picture had looked back at her from the
walls of her room; the face that had smiled at her when no one else did.
And his voice had comforted her when her parents hadn’t cared enough to
know she needed comforting.
“Yeah?
Well, that would have made me a whopping 14 or so too.”
He smiled.
“Ah,
young love!” She mocked.
He
laughed and pulled her closer. Their
eyes met and for once, she saw no malice there.
He wasn’t teasing her, or hating her, or patronizing her.
He was just looking. She
closed her eyes then, and their lips pressed together again.
His hands began to travel over her body again.
Her skin was unnaturally cool and smooth, just like his own and as he ran
his hand between her legs he was almost shocked to feel warmth.
She’d fed the night before and her body still managed to hold onto that
precious bit of life she’d taken from a young boy who’d had too much to
drink and was on his way home alone; a
very unlucky night for him in every way.
But, she hadn’t taken too much and she’d given him a kiss to
remember her by. With his other
hand, he caressed her breast, running his thumb over her nipple and smiling as
he watched her face. She seemed to be enjoying herself, so he continued.
She reached behind her and began to stroke him, delighted that it seemed
to be a lucky night for him anyway.
She raised up on her knees and very slowly lowered herself
down. Now he closed his eyes,
loving the feeling of her warmth enveloping him.
He was glad he hadn’t fed; his coldness just made it feel even more
amazing. He placed his hands on her
hips, feeling her begin to move in a maddeningly slow motion.
Sliding his hand between them, he touched her clit, feeling her tighten
around him. She arched her back to
make it easier for him and continued to move her hips.
As good as it felt, she couldn’t stand not to see his face, and she
leaned forward again, close enough to kiss him.
She pulled his hands around to rest on her butt and sped up her motions.
As each of their mouths explored the others’ he began to lose himself
in the feeling and he found his voice, moaning into her mouth as their bodies
moved together. The only thing she
found sexier than his face was his voice, and it caused her to move faster and
closer to him, crushing her sensitive clit against him for the tantalizing
friction it caused. It was hard for
her, but she kept her eyes open, watching his expression.
His lips were parted and she could see that his fangs had appeared.
His eyes were clenched shut and he was obviously lost in the sensations
she was giving him. If she were
going to have an orgasm, it would be up to her.
She placed her hand between them and rubbed the sensitive spot there.
She brought her lips to his neck, not breaking the skin, but feeling the
blood pumping through his veins; knowing it was there for the taking.
As her mind played, tempting her to allow herself to take it from
him—it also reminded her of how forbidden it was.
And while forbidden could also mean irresistible, in this world, it could
also cause one to have their head cut off in a room full of onlookers. She
shut her eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm down.
When she opened them again, she could see that Taylor wouldn’t be
holding out much longer. His moans
had turned into breathy grunts as he tried to extend their time together.
With a smile, she placed her hands on either side of his head and used
her muscles to bring him as much pleasure in this last moment as she was capable
of. And she was good at bringing a
man pleasure—it was a skill she’d perfected as it was the best way she’d
found to get a hot meal on any given night.
As long as there were men with a taste for sex from a young
girl, she’d never go hungry and she knew that.
But this time, she used it to ease both her and Taylor’s woes and to
connect in a way that vampires seldom did.
As he finally gave into the inevitable, he let himself shoot his seed
into her with a sound not unlike something she’d heard on his records.
She smiled, loving the fact that this time it really was for her.
She didn’t have to pretend or imagine him under her; a look down was
all it took. He didn’t open his
eyes, but he pulled her close and grabbed the sheet, pulling it over them.
She nestled under his arm, her head resting on his shoulder
and closed her eyes, listening to his slow breathing and smelling the faint
smell of sweat that came from him now. She
smiled, knowing to make him sweat, she must have done what she’d set out to
do: give him mind blowing sex to
make up for the fact that both of them were feeling cold and alone in a world of
harsh rules and childhood monsters that turned out to be all too real.
She
lay there, thinking he was asleep, but when she felt his wet tongue on her
breast, she knew he wasn’t. “Oh
God, that feels good…” She
whispered.
His blue eyes opened and looked at her, but he didn’t stop
what he was doing. His hand snaked
down her side to rest on her hip for a moment before taking a turn between her
legs. He parted them and slid his
finger inside her. With his thumb,
he continued what they’d started immediately causing her waves of pleasure.
She began to move her hips in time with the thrust of his fingers and
soon, she too was on the brink. A
tiny nip to her breast startled her and she watched his mouth curl up into a
smile. He moved up to kiss her, and
as she felt herself go over the edge, he pulled her tightly to him, feeling her
body stiffen and then go slack as her climax passed.
They lay in each others arms then, near sleep.
A smile touched his lips as he wondered if Beatriz had enjoyed it as much
as he had.
~~~~~
Mr.
Jones looked up at the clock on the mantle.
He was tired of reading. “Shall
I go and check on the Master?” He
asked.
Beatriz
lay on the couch, her bare feet on the arm.
In a chair across from her, Sonya traced a pattern for a t-shirt she was
going to make. Melanie sat,
headphones covering her ears and a magazine in her lap.
“He’s fine.” Beatriz
answered, her eyes on the television. “Do
humans actually believe this sort of thing?”
She asked.
Mr.
Jones glanced at what she was watching. “Hmmm…actually,
I think this is purely for entertainment purposes.
Most humans do not believe vampires exist, so authors and directors are
free to portray your kind in any way they feel.
Whatever is funny, or scary, or whathaveyou.”
“Well,
why do they make them so ugly?” She
asked. “Even the one she’s in
love with.”
He
shrugged, “I do not know, my Lady.” He
answered. He looked up when he
heard Taylor’s door open. Camille
rushed through and passed by without a sound, on her way to her own room.
Mr. Jones looked at Beatriz; she still kept her eyes on the
screen.
When
Taylor entered, he made his way to the couch, as always, but upon seeing her
lying there, he moved to the chair Melanie sat in.
“Get up.” He said to
her.
She heard, but pretended not to, pointing to the headphones.
Without a word, he picked her up, sat down and plopped her down in his
lap.
“You
jerk!” She said, throwing the
magazine at him and slapping him on his bare shoulder.
“I was here first.” She
said.
“Well,
I’m bigger than you.” He said,
leaning his head back on the chair.
She
huffed and pulled away from him, moving over to the loveseat to sit next to
Sonya. “Your son is an
asshole.” She said to her.
“He’s
not my son.” Sonya said, still
moving her pencil along the paper.
“Well,
I hate to break up this sweet family bonding session, but, Master Taylor, I am
in need of a sperm sample from you.” Mr.
Jones stated, and he reached into his pocket and held out a small plastic cup
with a lid towards Taylor. Taylor
looked at it as if it were a used condom on the playground.
Beatriz
laughed from her place on the couch, “It’s probably not a good day for
that.”
She blurted out. “He’s
only got one hard on per week and I think he just used up his allotment for the
next month.”
The
room was silent, all eyes had gone to Taylor, and his were on Beatriz.
She looked more beautiful than usual to him, because normally, she wore
business suits or had her hair tied up in a tight bun.
Today, she lay there sloppily, her hair a mass of dark waves on the sofa
pillow and a plain white shirt over blue jeans.
He shook his head then looked to Mr. Jones.
“Why?”
“I
am doing some research. I was
hoping Kirk would be here as well.” He
answered. With a sigh, Taylor
snatched the cup away and went towards his room.
Mr.
Jones stood for a moment, his eyebrows raised, then he followed.
Melanie just sat, letting what she’d heard sink in as beside her, Sonya
had stopped drawing, but continued to look down at the paper.
The elevator signaled someone was coming and Melanie pulled the
headphones off her ears. Robert
walked in and sat in the chair Taylor had vacated.
“So,” He said, clapping his hands together, “where is my sparring
partner this evening?”
“In
the other room, jacking off.” Beatriz
answered. Again, stunned silence in
the room.
Robert
looked to Melanie and Sonya, but they seemed as shocked by her statement as he
was. “Oooookay.”
He said, a smile on his face. “Trouble
in paradise? You know, I heard all
about what happened at the Living End. How
do I always miss this stuff?”
“Just
lucky I guess.” Beatriz said.
“So, if they’re in love, why hasn’t he turned her?”
She asked, her attention back to the television.
Robert
scooted over a little in the chair to see the screen, “Oh, he doesn’t want
her to be evil like the rest of them. And
they can’t have sex because it will make him evil again.
This is a re-run.” He
said, sitting back in the chair again. “You
really should just rent the DVD’s—or just buy them, you’re rich enough.”
He said.
She
rolled her eyes and looked at him. “Don’t
hold back today.” She said.
For
a moment, he looked at her, questioning what she’d said.
He looked to Melanie and Sonya and got no answers there either.
“Alright. Whatever
you say.” He said.
The four of them sat then, waiting for something to happen.
“Ah,
it must be a good day for you.” Mr.
Jones was heard. The two of them
entered the room a few minutes later.
“Finally.”
Robert said, looking at Taylor. He
furrowed his brow, “How long since you’ve fed?”
He asked, looking at his pale skin and dark eyes.
“Taylor
doesn’t think it’s that important to feed.”
Beatriz said, before he could answer.
“You two go about your business, and he can feed afterwards.”
She said, sitting up. She
pointed to the screen, “Why do they just…disintegrate like that when wood
touches them?”
Robert
shook his head again, having no idea what was going on.
“I don’t know, it’s obviously written by a human.”
He said, standing. He took
in a breath, “Well, come along. You’ll
need to keep your wits about you—you aren’t going to be at peak physical
shape since you haven’t fed.” He
said, walking towards the elevator.
“Can’t
we just do this a little later?” Taylor
asked. Not only had he not fed, but
the energy needed to do sexual things had sapped what little stores he had left
from the woman he’d fed from two days ago.
Sonya
stood and walked toward the two, “I think that’s a good idea.”
She said. “Perhaps this
isn’t a good night—“
“Nonsense.”
Beatriz said.
“Taylor is a big boy, he knows exactly how things work in
this world. Roberto’s time is far
too valuable to have him coming here for no reason.”
She said, standing. In
her mind, Sonya was told not to interfere.
“Have fun, boys.” She
smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Robert punched the button on the wall and the doors slid open.
With one last look at her, Taylor stepped in and Robert followed.
The numbers on the wall showed that they were going down, and Beatriz
turned to Mr. Jones, “Don’t go anywhere, you may be needed in a while.”
Then to Sonya, “Go on and feed, then come back.
I’ll wait for your return before I leave.”
She said, and she went down the hall to her own room, leaving them all
nervously waiting for whatever would happen that evening.
~~~~~
Camille
sat in her room, on her bed. She
hoped that what she’d done wouldn’t bring Beatriz’ wrath down on her head,
but if it did, she felt it had been worth it.
As expected, the door opened slowly and Beatriz stood, looking at her.
Neither said anything, but they both knew what the other was
feeling. Finally, Beatriz broke the
silence, “I’m sorry about your friend.
I’m sure you understand, I had no choice.”
She said.
Camille
nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
She answered. Beatriz
left then, leaving Camille heaving a sigh of relief.
When
Melanie showed up a few minutes later, she was still in the same spot.
“So, what happened in there? You
better watch yourself, fucking around with her
boy. Did Beatriz just come in
here?”
“Yeah,
she was here.” She answered.
“Well,
you seem to still be in one piece, which I find surprising.
What’d she say?” Melanie
asked, sitting down on the bed next to her.
“Not
much actually. She said she was
sorry about Nikki.” Camille said
softly.
Melanie
snorted, “Yeah, ok.” She said.
For a moment neither of them said anything, then Melanie spoke again,
“So you finally got laid by the little Prince, huh?
Was it everything you dreamed it’d be?”
Camille
stood up, “It was worth risking my life for.”
She said, and she opened the dresser drawer and took out clean
undergarments. “I’m gonna take
a shower. I hope Taylor doesn’t
get killed by that asshole.”
“He
won’t kill him, he’s got too much riding on him right now.”
Melanie said, laying back on the bed.
“I
hope you’re right.” Camille
replied, and she went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
~~~~~
Taylor
looked up at the numbers on the elevator. As
they passed “one”, he knew he was being taken down to the basement again.
He sighed.
“Obviously,
you and your lover have had a falling out.”
Robert said, smiling.
Taylor
rolled his eyes. “Which lover?”
He asked.
“The
only one that matters.” Robert
said.
“Oh,
if you mean the one that doesn’t give a shit about me, yeah, I guess we had a falling out.” Taylor
said. The doors slid open and
Taylor saw that they were indeed in the basement.
Robert
stepped out, “Oh, I think she cares very much for you.”
He said. He stood then,
waiting for Taylor to follow.
“Whatever.”
Taylor muttered.
“Why are we down here?
This place is creepy.” He
said.
Robert
chuckled, “Why would a dead man find a place “creepy”?”
Taylor
stepped out and looked around suspiciously, “It smells weird, and it has dark
corners and it’s the basement.”
Shaking
his head, Robert began to walk, his eyes taking in everything around him,
“Well, you’ve been here before.”
“Yeah,”
Taylor answered, following him, “but Sonya and the girls were here, and
Beatriz hadn’t given you clearance to kill me.”
“True.”
Robert said, then he turned and hit Taylor in his empty gut
as hard as he’d ever been hit. Though
he’d expected it, the boy was still unprepared for the blow and he fell to the
ground, clutching his stomach. The
next blow was to his back. If
he’d been human, his spine would have snapped.
Before Taylor could react, Robert picked up a piece of wood that lay in
the doorway of one of the dark rooms and swung it at his head.
Blood immediately ran into his eyes and he could feel it warm and sticky
in his hair. As he got up on his
knees, it dripped off his nose onto the dusty floor…
~~~~~
Camille
ran her hands through her damp hair. She
hadn’t bothered to dry or style it, her nerves tingling and making her want to
go down to the basement to see what was happening.
Melanie
and Sonya had both gone together to feed and come back already.
At times, it felt as though Central Park was a smorgasbord put there just
for them. When one needed to feed
quickly, it was always easy to just cross the street, walk a little ways, then
enter the park. In no time, some
hapless jogger or a couple trying to find a secluded spot for a make-out session
would come by and voila! Dinner is
served. This evening, the couple
happened to be two very nice looking young men, one blonde, the other a dark
haired boy with chocolaty brown eyes.
Mr.
Jones sat in his chair, reading his book, but not really getting anything out of
it. He raised his eyes to look over
at Beatriz. Her face was intent.
Obviously, she was trying to follow what was going on in the basement,
but with tons of concrete and two powerful minds shielding their thoughts
between her and them, it was next to impossible.
When the elevator began its ascent, all five looked at one another.
It hadn’t seemed long enough. Robert
usually kept Taylor busy for two hours at the minimum.
Melanie
looked at the clock, “It’s only been like, a half an hour.
Do you think he killed him?”
“Robert
is not that easy to be killed.” Beatriz
said, standing.
Melanie
raised an eyebrow, “I was talking about Taylor.”
She said.
Beatriz
snorted and waved her hand as though just the thought of it was absurd.
Sonya stood as well, her nervousness showing as she began to pace,
“I’m sure no one was killed.” She
said. “I mean, I’m sure I’d
know it if Taylor were killed. I’d
feel something…” She didn’t
finish her sentence. The doors slid
open on the elevator and her eyes went to the opening, not knowing in the least
who would be standing there. Relief
shot through her at the sight of Taylor, but it turned to worry very quickly as
she noticed the blood staining his shirt and running down his neck.
“Good lord…” She said,
rushing to help him.
Colors
bloomed in front of his eyes as Taylor opened them.
The elevator ride up had nearly caused him to pass out; the quiet of the
little room and the vibrations of the wall against his skin were somehow
soothing. Someone was pulling on
him and with a shake of his head his vision cleared enough to see that it was
Sonya. Of course, it wouldn’t be
Beatriz he thought. She was the one
that had served him up to his enemy. Though
technically he supposed, Robert was on his side, even if it was for selfish
purposes. He winced as she touched
his back. He guessed he should be
thankful that he could feel it, at least it meant he wasn’t paralyzed.
“Taylor!”
Sonya practically shouted at him.
His eyes were glazed and dark and he hadn’t responded to
anything she’d said to him. “Can
you walk?” She asked him.
His feet seemed to be made of lead as he took a step.
He didn’t answer, but he did take another step and then another.
Mr. Jones was beside them then, leading the boy over to the couch.
“Camille,
bring me a sheet to cover the sofa with, blood is nearly impossible to get out
of upholstery.” He said.
Running
as fast as her legs would carry her, she went to Taylor’s room and grabbed the
sheet and came back. Melanie helped
her drape it over the couch just as his dirty jeans hit the cushion.
His eyes looked heavy as if he’d fall asleep at any moment.
“Are we supposed to keep him awake or something?
I mean, does he have a concussion?”
Camille asked, her voice sounding on the verge of panic.
“If
he were human, yes.” He answered.
Taylor’s hands had gone to the back of his head where blood
still seeped from the wound. His
back felt as if it were on fire. Sonya
had come back from the kitchen with a wet washcloth and handed it to Mr. Jones.
“Sit up and let me look at your face.
Where are you hurt?” He
asked, wiping blood from his forehead.
“I
don’t know.” Taylor muttered.
“My back…” He
said then, his hands moving down to clutch it.
Beatriz
now stood over him, inspecting him with her eyes.
“I can see splinters in his shirt, so I’d say some wood was
involved.” She smiled, “Robert
is clever, I’ll give him that.”
Melanie
gasped, “That’s not fair!” She
cried.
“No
one ever said life was fair.” Beatriz
said, looking from Taylor to Camille. “We
do what we must in order to survive, do we not?”
She said. The girl pulled
her knees up, avoiding her gaze. With
a sigh, she stepped in front of Taylor, “Robert knows now how powerful you
are. He must have sensed it before,
or he wouldn’t have tried to hurt you in that way.
Wood can be rather painful to our kind.”
She smiled again, “You may have your fictional vampire
slayer to thank for giving him that idea.”
She stepped back and turned toward the elevator, “You didn’t kill
him, did you?” She asked.
Taylor shrugged his shoulders and furrowed his brow as pain shot through
him. “Well, I guess I should go
and check on him.”
She then looked at Melanie, “Why don’t you get Mr. Jones
that little black bag of his?” She
said as the doors slid shut.
~~~~~
Robert
leaned against the concrete wall behind him.
He kept his eyes shut because his vision had yet to return to normal.
He could feel blood running down his lip, but his hands shook
too much to wipe it away. He heard
the elevator on its way down, and with a bit of effort, he opened his eyes.
A few blinks cleared things a bit, but still, it was more the sound of
her than the look that told him Beatriz had stepped out of it.
He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him, “You came down to see
if you needed to dispose of my body, didn’t you?”
He asked shakily.
“Taylor
wouldn’t hurt a fly.” She said,
stooping down in front of him. She
reached out to dab the blood off his lip and to his surprise, she sat down
beside him in the dust of the basement floor.
“Are you going to recover?” She
asked.
He
reached up then, to push his hair off his forehead and to rub his eyes, “I
think so. I think I’m feeling
better than a little while ago anyway. I’m
not sure. How long has it been?”
He asked, furrowing his brow.
She
smiled, “Not long.” She picked
up a long thin splinter of wood, “You know, you were the one who decided to
play dirty. He hasn’t experienced
a great deal of pain in the time since he was changed. He’s no longer human,
how did you think he’d react to that?”
She asked with a smirk.
“Well,
if you’d warned me about him, I’d have been more careful.”
He said, wincing as he stretched his long legs out.
“Yes,
I’m sure you would have.” She
said, smelling the sliver and dropping it to the floor with disdain.
Again, a sly smile crossed her lips, “He’s a fascinating creature,
isn’t he?” She said.
“Yes,
I’d have to agree with that statement.”
Robert said, pulling his leg up to his chest.
“May I ask why you wanted him to have a little ass-kicking this
evening?
I’m hoping the little shit at least has a few marks.”
“I’ll
be sending you the bill for the cleaning of my silk divan.”
She said dryly. “And as to
my reasoning, well, let’s just say he needs to know that he is a vampire and
that certain things are the way they are because they are.”
She said.
“Ah,
clear as mud, as usual.” He said,
slowly pulling the other leg up.
She
looked at him out of the corner of her eye, “Besides, he’s asked me not to
do him any favors, and I believe I shall grant him his wish.
At least for a little while.” She
stood up, and held out her hand.
Taking
in a deep breath, he leaned back against the wall, and allowed Beatriz to guide
him into a vertical position. The
room spun a bit and he had to stand there for a while and let his brain settle.
“God, that little bastard.” He
gasped. “Beatriz, if he can
control that…” He stopped and
shook his head, then he looked her in the eye, “Is he more powerful than the
elders?”
She
returned the look, “Perhaps. But,
he’s not as smart as them.” She
stated. “At least not yet.”
She said, reaching up again to wipe blood from his lip.
“You’re brain is bleeding.”
He
rubbed his temples, “I am aware of that, thank you.
I can feel it.” He looked
at her again, “You still haven’t told me why you’re so pissed off at
him.”
“He
fucked Camille about twenty feet from me and didn’t even attempt to hide his
thoughts.” She spat.
“In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say he sent them to me loud
and clear.” She said, narrowing
her dark eyes.
Robert
laughed out loud, “All that power and he’s lucky too!!!
Oh Beatriz, what a boy you’ve chosen to raise!”
He said. He began the walk
toward the elevator, “Good god, I can’t make my brain tell my feet where to
move.” He lamented.
Beatriz
nodded, “It won’t last long.”
“My
head is killing me.” He said,
slowly taking steps and rubbing his head again.
“Yes,
well, you’ll probably be feeling that for a day or two.”
She said, pushing the button for the elevator.
“Don’t be such a baby, Taylor had his brain turned to mush and he
pulled through.”
He
shot her a look, “Yes, and look what you ended up with.
I’m sure it’s all related somehow.”
“Hmph.”
She snorted. “He was special before I ever laid eyes on
him.” She said.
The doors slid open and Beatriz placed her hand on the door to give him
time to enter.
“Yes,
well, rock stars usually are.” Robert
said, leaning back against the wall in the same way Taylor had.
“His
profession had nothing to do with it. He’s
just different somehow.” She said, pushing the button on the wall.
“I’m
sure his three sires have nothing to do with it.”
He said sarcastically. “Push
the one, I’m not going up to your den.”
He said.
“Are
you sure? You look like you need to
recover a bit before leaving the building.”
She said, looking at him.
“Forgive
me if I’d rather not come face to face with the Little Prince at the moment.
Somehow, being struck by lightening just took the fun right
out of it tonight.” He said, as
the elevator slowed to a stop.
Beatriz
smiled, “You’re so weak. I’m
sure he was holding back.”
Robert
raised an eyebrow as he stepped out, “Well then, he doesn’t need me any
longer anyway.”
“He
has the power Roberto, but he doesn’t know how to use it.
He does need training and he needs it now.
I believe the elders are about to make a move.
Nikki has always been sloppy, but she only recently began to gather
information about their doings.” She
held the door. He just looked at
her. “Keep your eyes open.”
She said, “I’ll be in touch.”
And the doors shut and the elevator continued to move upward.
~~~~~
“Be
still, please.” Mr. Jones said,
as he pulled another splinter of wood from the pale skin of Taylor’s shoulder.
“It
hurts!” Taylor cried.
“I’m
sure it does…” he said, plucking another and wiping the ends of the tweezers
on his dirty shirt. He then reached
into his bag and pulled out a pair of sharp scissors, cutting the thin material
away so that he could see the rest of his back.
“Did you just stand there and let him whack you?”
He said, looking at the large bruise that was forming.
“No!”
Taylor said. “He
hardly even let me out of the elevator before he started swinging that
Louisville Slugger at me.” He
brought his hands to his head again.
Mr.
Jones sighed, “Here, Melanie, you take over here so I can see how much of
Master Taylor’s brain is left on the floor of the basement.”
Beatriz
walked in and looked over the man’s shoulder.
Melanie looked up at her, “Well? Is
he dead?” She asked.
“Not
yet.
Perhaps he shall expire due to internal bleeding though.”
Beatriz answered.
“Really?”
Camille gasped.
“No,”
Beatriz said, sitting down on the arm of the sofa, “he actually walked out on
his own two feet. I’m sure he’s
probably taking some lovely young woman right now and he’ll be feeling fine by
tomorrow evening.”
Melanie
shook her head and set about the task of pulling all the tiny splinters from
Taylor’s back. “Oh well.”
She said, jerking a particularly large one out.
“God!”
Taylor grunted, flinching.
Sonya
took Taylor’s hands, so that Mr. Jones could inspect the wound to his head.
“So, Taylor beat him?” She
looked at Beatriz.
Beatriz
reached down and pulled the silver chain around his neck up, “Yes, I’d
say.”
She said absently as she opened the clasp and removed it.
Sonya and Camille exchanged looks as she held it up, the light catching
in the tear shaped ruby that hung from the cross.
Without a word, she walked to the desk, opened the drawer and tossed it
in. “Well, have a nice night, everyone.”
She said, and she went back to the elevator, pressed the button and
stepped inside, leaving the rest of them alone.
“Holy
shit, Taylor.” Melanie said,
leaning closer to see what she was doing. “You
sure know how to piss people off.” She
said, pulling out another tiny piece of wood.
“Ow!”
He whined. “It’s
not my fault, I’m just a bully magnet.”
He said, his face smashed into the couch cushions.
Melanie
laughed out loud, “You poor little thing.
You’re so weak and helpless and everyone’s just out to get you.”
She said, inspecting him closely. She
stood up then, I think I got ‘em all.
Now just get Camille to give you a nice tongue bath and you
should be just fine.” She dropped
the tweezers down in the bag, “Oh, and I wouldn’t go out in anything that
lets people see that you aren’t wearing that pendant, or you just might find
out how many bullies are really out there.”
She plopped down on the chair across from the sofa then and threw her
legs over the arm.
“Good
advice, Miss Melanie.” Mr. Jones
said.
“I could sew this up for you, but I’d think if you go out
and feed, it will just close up on its own very quickly.”
He said, standing.
Sonya
sighed and released Taylor’s hands. “I
feel like we’ve just gone back in time about ten months.
You need to feed often, whether you feel like it or not.
So, go do it. I’ll
come with you.”
Taylor
sat up slowly, pulling what was left of his shirt off his body and tossing it
onto the floor. The last thing he
felt like doing was going out into the city and finding a victim.
But the thought of going hungry another night, or having his head sewn up
by Mr. Jones was just way too painful, and so, with a sigh, he stood and headed
toward the elevator, throwing on the clothes Mr. Jones had laid out for him as
he went.
