“It’s too late. He’s
not coming back.” Beatriz said,
looking up at the clock.
“I told you he
told me he wasn’t coming home.” Sonya
replied with a yawn.
Beatriz tapped her
foot on the floor. “I can’t
stand those evil creatures.”
Sonya smiled,
“They’re probably not fond of you either.”
“If they touch a
hair on his head, they’ll be sorry they were ever born to this earth.”
Beatriz spat, looking out the window.
Sonya smiled and
stood, “And you said you didn’t care about him.”
“I don’t.
I just don’t want them to have him.
Who knows what they could do.” Beatriz
replied.
Sonya shook her
head, “If it makes you feel better, then go get him—you’ll last longer
than them.”
“Dammit.”
Beatriz huffed.
“You know, I think I’ll chain him up in the basement
after this.”
Sonya yawned, “Go
ahead. That way, you’ll always
know where he is and who he’s with.”
“Don’t be smug
with me—this is all your fault. If
you wouldn’t have made him, we wouldn’t have to be worrying about this.”
Beatriz said, picking up her keys from the desk.
“I think you’re
just upset because you have a thing for him and it’s been a thousand years
since that happened.” Sonya said.
Beatriz put her hand
on her hip, “I’m not quite a thousand years old, thank you.”
“You know,
Beatriz,” Sonya said, getting serious, “he has a point.
You could have warned him about what would happen with Nikki.”
Beatriz sighed, “I’m not used to people getting freaked out about
things. I just assumed since he was
sitting there, he’d know what the elders were telling me to do.”
“He was probably
about to have a heart attack just being in their place.
I doubt he was really taking in what was being said.”
Sonya replied.
“Well, he should
have.” Beatriz said, walking
toward the elevator.
“He should
do a lot of things.” Sonya said
heading in the direction of her room.
~~~~~
When the knock came, they knew it was Beatriz.
“Good morning. I believe
you have something that belongs to me.” She
said from the hallway. The girl
stepped back from the door, allowing her to come in.
She stepped over to the couch and looked down at him, sighing.
“Sometimes, I wish he weren’t so long.”
She said, bending over and pulling him up by his wrists.
“Do you need help, Lady?” The
tallest asked.
“Hmmm…” she
thought for a moment. “Thank you
for asking. And I believe I shall
take you up on it.
If two of us are seen dragging this poor drunken boy from the
building, it would look better than just myself.”
She turned and their eyes met, “You’re a very clever
girl.”
Between the two of
them, Taylor was pulled up off the couch with only a tiny twitch of his eyebrow.
The sun had peeked over the horizon enough to colour the sky purple, but
not high enough to make its presence felt over the tall buildings yet.
Still, it was enough to make him practically comatose, as it did every
morning.
~~~~~
Mr. Jones heard the elevator coming up.
He looked at his clock. His
alarm wouldn’t go off for twenty minutes, but he was awake now anyway, he
thought, as he pulled himself up into a sitting position.
He pulled a robe from the hook next to his bed and put it on, then stood
up and walked to the door. Taylor’s
door was open and he could see that the bed hadn’t been slept in.
He walked down the hallway and into the large living room, just in time
to see Beatriz drape the boy’s limp body over the arm of the couch.
She then went to the windows and pulled the drapes shut.
“My Lady, may I ask what you are doing with the young master?”
“Jonas—don’t sneak up on me like that.”
She said, turning.
“It must be late
indeed, for a mere human like myself to startle one with your sensibilities.”
He said.
“Oh, it’s late
alright.” She said, stepping over
to the couch. She then picked
Taylor up, under her arm as if he were an extremely large Raggedy Andy doll and
made her way down the opposite hall, toward her own room.
She opened the door and shut it behind her with a click,
leaving the man watching, a befuddled look on his face.
~~~~~
That evening as the sky darkened, Taylor’s eyes opened and he looked at
the ceiling. For a moment, he
wasn’t sure where he was. He took
in a breath, knowing the scent of Beatriz’ room immediately.
Turning his head, he saw her, sitting in front of a mirror,
brushing her dark hair. Their eyes
met in the mirror and she turned to face him.
“Good evening.” She
said.
He sighed.
“Hey.” He replied.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
“I was trying not to be here, y’know.”
“Yes, I do know that.” She
replied. “But I’d rather you
didn’t endanger yourself because you are angry with me.”
She said.
He looked back at the ceiling, “Oh Taylor, you’re so powerful.
Taylor, we’re all counting on you to save us from the bad
people. Taylor, you’re the new
hope. You’re the Prince of
Darkness, now you be home before the streetlights come on or I’ll ground you
for a week and send you to bed with no desert.”
“Those three are
not to be trusted.” She said,
standing.
He sat up and put
his feet to the floor, “Oh, and who am I supposed to trust?
You?” He shook his head
and stood, pulling his shirt off and tossing it on the floor.
“I guess the freedom you threw at me yesterday was just for show.”
Beatriz sat the brush down on the table and rubbed her temples, then she
looked at him. “What do you want
from me?” She said.
“I’m sorry that you don’t like what I am.
I’m sorry you don’t like what you are.
But, it’s not going to change.
Ever. Not in a hundred
years, or a thousand.”
“I want you to
trust me enough to be honest with me. I
may have asked if I could not be there when you did it—but I wouldn’t have
tried to stop you. And if you’d
told me you needed me there, I would have gone.”
His tone had softened and he stepped closer to her.
“I just always feel like I’m in the dark…”
He smiled, but it was bitter. “I’m
always in the dark.” He said, and
he sat back down on her bed, picking up the shirt and examining the brown stain
on the collar.
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way.”
She said as she stepped closer to him.
She put her hand under his chin and turned his face up, “I suppose
you’ve earned the right to know what’s going on.
It’s very important though, that you shield your thoughts from the
others. Some of the things that are
happening…well, as you know, if the elders knew some of these things, people
would lose their heads.”
“Yeah,
literally.” He snorted.
He looked at her face. Her
eyes were so dark they were unreadable to him.
“How do you do the things you do?
I mean, maybe Nikki wasn’t a friend to you, but she wasn’t your
enemy.”
“No, she wasn’t.
I suppose through the years, I’ve just been able to separate myself
from them.
I’m sure I seem cold to many of the young ones…”
She closed her eyes for a moment, “and the old ones, too.”
She continued. “But,
it’s just about survival. I’m
old because I’ve not let anything keep me from doing what I need to do to
survive.”
“I just don’t
know how you do it.” He said.
“You just do.”
She said, sitting down next to him.
“And you are going to need to be able to do it as well.”
She looked at him closely. His
dark lashes over crystalline eyes and pink cheeks all made for a beautiful,
fragile looking creature. She
smiled, “Oh Taylor, I shall miss you so when you are gone.”
She said.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He
said. He lay back on the bed, “I
mean, even when I try to run away from you for a night, somebody comes and
brings me back here.”
“You’ll be gone
because someone will kill you. I
just hope it’s quick and painless.” She
said.
He furrowed his brow
and glared at her, “Nobody’s gonna kill
me!” He spat.
She looked at him
with sympathetic eyes, “Yes, they will. Robert
could have killed you so easily yesterday.
If the elders realize your powers, not only will they want to squash you
before you gain anything over them, but they will want your powers for
themselves and they would more than likely drain you before disposing of you.”
“That’s why I just want to stay away from them.
Then, they won’t know and they won’t care and I go on living and
doing what I do.” He reasoned.
“It’s not that
easy. They know what we do.
They have people everywhere. You’re
way too trusting.” She said.
“I am what I am. There’s
no way I can change that.” He
said.
Beatriz sighed, “You can be more careful.
You have no idea what those girls are capable of.
You think Melanie is a scary girl? They
should petrify you. Yet, there you
were last night, walking down the street with them like they were your best
friends.”
“They followed
me!” He protested.
“Aw, I’m sorry
they did that to you.” She mocked
him. “I guess it never occurred
to you to look behind you, or to reach out with your mind, or to use that lovely
nose of yours to sniff the air.”
“I told them not
to follow me.” He said.
Beatriz laughed,
“That’s like sending them a golden invitation!
It says, “I’m going to be doing something naughty!”
Taylor, you can drive—do you know how you have a habit of looking in
the rear view mirror? Well, you
should be doing the same thing with your mind.
Feel what’s around you. You
don’t need a reason—just do it because you can.”
“Well, aren’t they on our side?” He asked.
“They are on their
own side. I suppose we should take
that as a good sign that they seem to respect your authority.”
“Or yours.”
He said.
“Hmph.
They’d better respect mine or I’ll grind them up into hamburger and
have a cook
out. I’d love to have a reason to
eliminate them. I really should
have after they attacked you, but I really wanted to see their next move, and I
wanted word to get out that you’d bested them.”
“They really weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be.”
Taylor said. She just looked
at him with her black eyes. “Well,
they weren’t.” He said.
“Taylor…”
She started.
“This is what scares me about you.”
She took in his shaggy hair and his clear eyes, “And it’s
also what makes you so precious to me.” She
said softly.
He looked back at her and for a moment, they both just thought about how
beautiful the other was. Still, the
tension that had come between them hadn’t just vanished.
“Who was that guy with you last night?”
He asked.
“Michael?
He’s just an acquaintance.” She
said. “I hadn’t seen him for a
while, and we ran into each other.”
“Well, he’s a
jerk.” Taylor said.
“And so are you,
my darling.” She said.
He sat up, “I am
not! I tried to be nice to
him—“he started.
“By tossing
garbage on him?” She asked,
crossing her arms.
He narrowed his
eyes, “That was after he was mean to me. The wind blew.”
He said.
She laughed out
loud, “You are so transparent! It’s
a good thing he just thinks you’re another silly boy or he may have gotten
pissed off at you for that.”
Now it was his turn
to laugh, “Ha! I wish he would
have. I need the practice.”
“Yes, you do.”
She said, stepping towards him and looking down, “And you shall be
getting it. From me.”
She said.
Taylor actually felt a chill go down his spine at the way she said it.
“Well, what about Robert?” He
asked, standing up so that he wouldn’t feel so small in her presence.
“I believe he
thinks you’ve learned all that you can from him.”
She stated. “And
by the way, why is it any concern of yours who I spend time with?
I believe you’ve shown me that you feel no sense of fidelity as far as
I’m concerned.” Her eyes became
cold, “I hope you know that Camille will never ever get over you.
You’ve created a blind devotion in her that will probably be her
undoing.
I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
She said, turning away from him and pulling a blouse off a
hanger. He watched as she took off
the silky night shirt she wore. Her
body was flawless and her skin was a rich brown that was a perfect contrast to
the maroon fabric she pulled over herself.
“I didn’t do
that to get back at you.” He
said.
She turned back to
face him again, buttoning up the front, “Yes well, you certainly didn’t try
to hide it in any way either.” She
pulled on a black skirt and zipped it up the side, then she went to the door,
“It doesn’t matter why you did it anyway.
That’s no longer any of my concern.
I think we understand each other now.”
She said, and she walked out, leaving him standing there with his own
thoughts.
~~~~~
“Is the young master awake?” Mr.
Jones asked, looking up from his newspaper.
“He is.” Beatriz said,
stepping over and looking at the various notes on her desk.
“And is he
alright?” The man asked.
“He seems to
be.” She said, gazing at a
message and setting it aside.
Waiting for her to
continue, the man watched her. “Well,
may I ask how he came to come home the way he did?”
“He made a poor
judgment call and I didn’t want to chance that something would happen to him
or that he would fall into the wrong hands.”
She said, standing up straight and looking at him, a peeved
look on her face. “Is there
anything else you’d like to know?” She
said, her hand going to her hip.
“Many things.”
He said, standing, “But I can see, you’d rather not talk about
them.” He said, picking up his
empty coffee cup and walking toward the kitchen.
“Is he fit for
training today?” She asked.
He stepped through
the doors and then returned, “As long as he fed last night, he should be fine.
If any wood remained in contact with his skin, I’m sure he’d know it
and he’d be letting us know as well. He
doesn’t exactly contain his emotions.”
He said, picking up the newspaper and folding it.
She raised an
eyebrow, but didn’t look at him, “No, he doesn’t.”
She muttered.
Sonya walked in, her
feet bare and a blanket wrapped around her.
She flopped on the couch and turned on the television, “Please tell me
there’s nothing that I have to do tonight.
I’m just going to veg out, I think.”
Beatriz stood up
straight, “I don’t believe there is anything requiring your attention this
evening.” She said.
“Good.”
Sonya said, and she pulled her feet up on the couch and covered herself
completely.
Soon, she was joined by Camille, her hair had little barrettes in it that
matched her purple blouse. “What’s
everybody doing tonight? I’m in a
good mood.” She said brightly.
“Good. Go do fun stuff.”
Sonya answered.
“What can we
do?” Camille asked.
“I’m not doing
anything. Leave me out of it.
I’m tired of all of you.” Sonya
said.
Camille just
shrugged. Melanie soon joined and
the couch became a little more crowded. “Why
aren’t you sitting in the chair?” Sonya
groused.
“Because I hear
Taylor flopping around with his big feet and that means he’ll be out here any
minute and he’ll throw me out of it anyway.
Bastard.” She
said.
“He’s not a
bastard.” Camille protested.
Melanie rolled her
eyes, “Here we go…” She said,
lacing up the leather boot she was wearing.
Beatriz sat down in
the chair. “He can be one when he
wants to be.” She said, looking
at the notes in her hand. She
sighed. “Why do all these people
need things from me?” She said to
no one.
Mr. Jones stood
behind the chair, “Because you are a very important person.”
He said.
“Yes, well, I
don’t see why I am needed to end squabbles between two people about somebody
taking somebody else’s supper on the subway.”
She complained.
“Let me do it.”
Melanie offered. “I’ll
tell them they need to have a duel and the survivor can eat anybody they want,
anywhere they want.”
“That, Madame, is
why you are in charge.” Mr. Jones
said.
When Taylor walked
in, there wasn’t a seat to be had, so he squashed himself in between Melanie
and Camille. “Man, I didn’t sit
in the chair, so I wouldn’t have to sit in your lap, so what do you do?
You come in and sit on mine!” Melanie
growled, scooting away from him towards the arm of the couch.
“Oh well.”
He said, stretching his arms out behind him.
He then looked over at Sonya. “What’s
up? Did you eat something last
night?” He asked, concern in his
voice.
She looked at him
from around the blanket, “No, I don’t do that.”
He smiled,
remembering the decadent taste of chocolate.
“I did.” He said, “And
really, I don’t feel very sick today at all.”
Sonya shook her
head, “Someday Taylor…someday.”
“Someday what?”
He asked.
“Someday you’re
going to learn not to do things that hurt you.”
She said softly, still gazing at the television.
“Hmm…if a little
stomach ache is the cost of coffee and chocolate, I’ll just pay.
I don’t care.”
He mused, his eyes following hers to the TV.
“Well, don’t get
too caught up in that box there.” Beatriz
said, standing. “I’m going out
for a bit, but I’ll be back and I’ll expect you to be here.
You and I are going to go down to the basement.”
She said. Then she picked up
her small bag from the desk and headed toward the elevator.
“What?
I don’t want to go to the basement!
I didn’t do anything!” He
protested, sitting up straight.
“You aren’t
being punished.” She said, as the
doors slid open. “We’re just
taking up where Robert left off.” She
said and she stepped inside and disappeared.
Mr. Jones stepped
around the chair and sat. “Where
did you end up last evening that the Lady felt the need to bring you back here
very unceremoniously? I’ll never
get used to seeing her dragging you around like that.”
He chuckled.
Taylor shot him a
look, “Like what?” He said.
“Like you are a
blow up doll with some of its air lost. Or a too well loved stuffed animal.”
He smiled at the boy.
“I’m glad you
think it’s funny.” Taylor said.
“Yeah? Where were
you?” Camille asked.
“Out.”
He answered.
Melanie snorted,
“He was with the bitches.” She
said.
Taylor stood up, “You know, I thought our fans were nosy.
You guys are off the charts.”
“I’m not nosy.
When my phone rings, I answer it. My
friend wanted to know if I needed to know you were with them.
Nobody wants Beatriz on their ass, and I can guarantee you, if anything
happens to her little Prince, somebody’s gonna pay the price.”
She answered, spreading out on the couch again.
Taylor threw his hip
out to the side and placed his hand on it, “I’m not a prince.
My Dad’s not a king, so stop calling me that.
And I didn’t go anywhere with them, they followed me.”
“Whatever.
I’m just telling you what they told me.
No need to get all bent out of shape, Missy.”
She retorted.
In a flash, he’d
stepped closer to her and swung at her head, throwing her hair in her face, then
running toward his room and slamming the door shut behind him just before she
reached it. Mr. Jones looked at
Sonya, but she was ignoring the whole scene.
Camille had pursed her lips and was picking at her
fingernail, “I guess nobody wants to go have fun.”
She said.
Melanie gave up
trying to get into the door. Taylor
had obviously placed himself against it. “One
of these days, he’s gonna wake up with a new tattoo.”
She grumbled.
“Don’t you
dare!!!” Camille exclaimed.
Melanie raised an
eyebrow, “Yep. It’s gonna say
PRICK right across his forehead.”
“The Lady might
not appreciate that.” Mr. Jones
added.
“Well,” Camille
said, standing, “he should probably feed before Beatriz does mean things to
him.” She walked towards
his room, “Hey, hurry up and we’ll go catch some grub before Beatriz gets
back.” She said through the door.
Within moments, the door opened and he stepped out.
“Alright, let’s go.” He
said, eyeing Melanie behind her. He
stuck a hat on his head, “Sorry, no time for a shower I guess.”
He said, sidestepping so he could keep watching the redhead.
“Don’t worry about her—she said she’s just gonna get you back
when you fall asleep tonight.” Camille
said, pushing him towards the elevator.
~~~~~
Mr. Jones watched as Melanie took her place beside the elevator.
It had signaled its ascent and she would be ready when Taylor walked out
of it. She sat motionless, like a
cat, the permanent marker clasped tightly in her hand.
The doors slid open and Camille walked out, followed closely by a smiling
Taylor, chatting away, not realizing the danger he was in.
Camille turned just as she made her move.
His feet flew out from under him and his chin hit the marble floor with a
splat. Flipping him over with one
hand, and pulling the cap off the marker with her teeth, she threw herself on
his chest and aimed for his forehead, as she said she would.
“Ow!
What the hell’s your problem?!”
Taylor exclaimed.
“Don’t hurt him,
Mel!” Camille cried, throwing her
bag on the floor.
“Now see here!”
Mr. Jones shouted, standing and heading towards the melee.
“I don’t want to see anymore blood in here!”
But it was too late. There
on the floor, a bright red splatter marked the spot where Taylor had met the
hard surface.
Struggling beneath
the girl, he was trying not to hurt her, but he also didn’t want black marker
all over his face. “Don’t make
me hurt you!” He said, grabbing
her wrist.
She laughed and with
everything she had, she lunged for him, successfully marking her victim.
When he slung his head away from her, it only made it worse.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that!”
He said, and with one hand, he pulled her wrists together and pulled his
legs up to flip her onto her back. Her
head hit the floor with the same sound his chin had made.
“Ouch!
You pig! Get your fat ass
off me!” She yowled.
She looked up at him and laughed, “Ha!
It might not say ‘prick’ but it’s not like everybody doesn’t
already know you are one!” He
reached up to wipe it off, but it wasn’t budging.
He leaned in close,
crushing her as much as he could, “Yeah?
Well, I’m thinking even though you’re a girl, you need a
nice big Groucho Marx mustache.” He
threatened, and he began to look around him for the marker.
“No!
I’ll kill you!
You better not!” She
cried, panicking.
He saw it, but it was out of his reach, “Camille, give me that
marker!” He said.
“No way. I’m not getting
in the middle of this.” She said,
and she backed up against the wall.
Mr. Jones reached it
as it began to slide across the floor toward the boy’s outstretched hand, “Stop
this nonsense right now.” He
said, stopping it with his foot and placing
it in his pocket.
Melanie took the
chance to fight her way out from under him but before she could get away, he
grabbed her ankle, “Oh no, you don’t. You’re
not going anywhere.” He said,
pulling her back as her hands squeaked in protest on the slick floor.
“Camille, help
me!” She begged.
“I said I’m not
getting in the middle.” Camille
answered.
Taylor was now dragging her over toward Mr. Jones, “Give me that
pen.” He said and was met with a
raised eyebrow.
“Excuse me?”
Mr. Jones replied.
“Give me the pen.
She deserves it and you know it.”
Taylor said, moving closer.
“That is not the
point. You two are far too old to
behave like elementary school children.”
Mr. Jones said, standing his ground.
Taylor yanked her again across the floor and closer to Mr. Jones, “Come
on, man!” He laughed.
Melanie gave up trying to get away and decided to fight back.
Fangs extended, she reached for his wrist.
“Don’t you even think about
it you wench!” He said, pulling
his arm this way and that to keep it away from her, all the while jerking her
leg around. With her other foot,
she kicked him, knocking him back against the table, it’s heavy glass vase and
flowers hitting the floor with a resounding crash.
The sound brought Sonya out of her room, dressed in a robe, her wet hair
piled on top of her head, wrapped in a towel.
“What the hell is going on out here?”
She glared at him, “Taylor,
you do realize, don’t you, that blood is supposed to stay on the inside
of your body?”
She watched as Melanie wiggled her foot out of Taylor’s grasp and
pulled herself up. Taylor regained
his balance and was on her quickly, wrapping his long arms around her in a bear
hug and squeezing her legs together with his own.
She was stuck now and she knew it. “Yes.
But, she attacked me, so now she’s gotta pay.”
Taylor growled. His fangs
had grown as well and together they made quite the pair.
He pinned her head to the side with his jaw and pressed his teeth against
her throat, ignoring her cursing. “Say
‘Uncle Taylor is tougher than me’ and I’ll let you go.”
He said.
“Bullshit.”
She said.
“Ow.
You just tried to zap me, didn’t you?”
He said, blinking his eyes.
As the words left
his mouth, he felt a real psychic punch and he let go of Melanie and put his
hands up to his head. Melanie did
the same as he released her arms. “This
is the second time I’ve had to do that.”
Sonya said, pulling the towel from her head and shaking out
her long hair.
“She started
it.” Taylor said, shaking his
head.
“I was here this
morning when it all started. Both
of you can clean up that mess, and you’d better hope that vase didn’t belong
to Beatriz’ long lost cousin from Paris or wherever.”
She said, turning to go back to her room.
Mr. Jones stood, his
arms crossed over his chest. “It’s
not from Paris, it’s from Tiffany’s and the two of you can just pay for
it!” He demanded.
Melanie pushed her hair out of her face and wrinkled up her eyebrows,
“He can pay for it, he’s the one with all the money.”
“I don’t have
any money. I’m not allowed to use
my debit card ‘cause you all killed me.”
He groused, stooping down to pick up a lily.
He walked to the desk and pulled the garbage can out from
under it. Tossing the flower
inside, he made his way back to pick up the rest of the mess.
Melanie picked up a
piece of the broken glass and dropped it down in the can, “Maybe you can just
write home and tell Daddy you need some cash.”
She teased.
“Maybe you could
kiss my ass.” He retorted, wiping
his chin on the sleeve of his shirt, “Damn, I think you made me bite my
tongue, pee pants.”
“I haven’t
peed in fifty years, and it’s been longer than that since I pee’d in my
pants. Be original anyway, dork.”
“Oh, and
‘dork’ is just as clever as can be.”
He said, scooping up shards of glass and letting them crash into the
bottom of the can. Hissing, he
licked the palm of his hand.
“Be careful!
It still hurts, even if it does heal fast.”
She said, picking up the last piece.
Mr. Jones walked up
to them, “Here’s the broom for you miss.”
He said, handing it to Melanie.
“And, here’s a mop for you.” He
handed it to Taylor. “Get all the
little pieces. Glass in your
foot may be meaningless, but I find it to be quite unsavory.”
“Don’t we have servants or something for this kind of thing?”
Taylor said, leaning on the handle.
Mr. Jones furrowed
his brow, “Why, yes we do! Just
leave it there until they come in tomorrow morning!
I’m sure the Lady won’t mind!”
He said, sarcasm dripping from his words.
“Won’t mind
what?” Beatriz said, coming
through the door to the stairway.
“Just a little
accident with the vase and the table.” Mr.
Jones said, eyeing the two.
She looked over at
Camille and she shrugged. “How
was your evening?” Mr. Jones
asked as she threw her keys on the desk.
“Same as usual.”
She said, kicking off her high heeled shoes.
“Same here.” He sighed.
He stepped over to her, “Shall my services be needed this evening?”
He asked, looking back over at Taylor.
“Only if you know
how to remove black writing from white skin.”
She said, stretching. “It
looks like he’s already had some fun tonight.”
She looked at him as he began to mop up the wet floor.”
“Yes, I believe he
has. You’ll be glad to know he
pinned Miss Melanie.” He said
softly.
“Very good.”
She said, smiling. “Well,
I’m going to put on something more comfortable.”
She said and she walked down the hall to her room.
Taylor finished and
took the broom from Melanie, “Where do these go?”
He asked Mr. Jones.
For a moment the man
just gave him a look, “I’ll take them.”
He grumbled.
Taylor handed them
to him and shoved his hands in his pockets sheepishly.
He then turned to Melanie, “You got any money?”
He said.
“Yeah, I got some
money.” She spat.
“Hey, you’re the
one that pushed me into the table.” He
countered.
“Whatever.”
She said. “How much do you
have?” She asked.
He looked at his
hand as he pulled money out of his pocket, “Uh…twenty eight dollars—“
He started.
“Twenty eight
dollars!? Is that all?!”
She exclaimed.
He threw his hands
out, “Yeah! I don’t have a job
anymore thanks to you!” He said
back, his voice rising.
“You’ve always got money! Where
do you get it?” She asked, her
hands on her hips.
“I think my Mom
gave some to Beatriz for me or something. She
usually gives it to me.” He said.
She flopped down
onto the couch next to Camille, “Oh my God!
I can’t believe you! You’re
too good to take any from your victims, but you’ll take it from Beatriz.”
He stood in front of
her, his hands on his hips now, “It’s my money! I earned it,
unlike you. You just steal it.”
He accused.
“Screw you.
I earn mine too.
They’re lucky if all I take is their money.”
She said.
“Whatever.”
He said. “How much is the
stupid thing, anyway?” He asked,
throwing his hands up.
“Those things are
expensive.” Camille said.
Beatriz walked in
the room, wearing a very soft looking pair of loose pants and a tight tank.
Taylor couldn’t help looking her up and down.
He looked back at Melanie, “Well, I guess, when I’m done getting the
shit kicked out of me, I’ll see what I can come up with.”
He said.
“I’ll pay your
half.” Camille said, and she
smiled at him as Melanie rolled her eyes.
Taylor shook his
head, “You don’t have to do that.” He
said.
“You can just pay
me back when you get it.” She
said.
He smiled back,
shaking his head, “We’ll see.” He
said, and he turned to follow Beatriz over to the elevator.
“Bye.” He called out to
them.
“Bye butt face.” Melanie
returned as Camille smacked her on her arm.
~~~~~
Taylor leaned up against the wall, using his teeth to scrape tiny pieces
of glass from his hand, then licking the irritated skin.
“You have plenty
of money, Taylor. All you need do
is ask.” Beatriz said, watching
him.
“Okay.”
He muttered.
“I believe your
father did well by you and your brothers. None
of you actually need work ever again if you so choose.”
She said.
“Ah—‘choose’,
what an interesting word.” He
said, his big eyes looking at her over his hand.
She sighed, “Touché.”
He wiped his hand on his shirt, “So, what are we doing tonight?”
He asked.
“We’re going to
use our minds.”
She said, an almost playful look coming over her features.
“Hmmm, sounds scary.” He
said. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Tentatively, he poked his
head out.
“What are you
doing?” She said, smiling.
“You never know
down here—there might be someone with a big log or an axe or something.”
He said, his eyes moving across the dim room.
She shook her head
and stepped passed him. She then
turned and looked at him. “I
promise, no booby traps.” She
said.
Slowly, he walked
out. “Alright.
I’m out. Now what?”
He said as the doors slid closed.
“I don’t know.
What would you like to do?” She
asked.
“Eat a pizza?”
He joked.
She shrugged her
shoulders, “Go right ahead.” She
said. “No one’s stopping
you.”
He pursed his lips,
“What do you want to do?” He
asked.
“I want to make
you invincible to them.” She
answered.
He looked at his
watch, “Um, how long are we going to be down here?”
He asked.
She smiled, “Just
for a while. We have time.”
She said.
“Well, could you
maybe not zap me in the head? Sonya
sort of already did that and I don’t want another headache.
It took me all night to get rid of the one I had last night.”
He reasoned.
“Very good.
We shall teach you how to keep someone from doing that.”
She said, turning and walking down the hallway.
“You can do that?
Why didn’t you teach me that a long time ago?!”
He said, catching up to her.
“I can only teach
you how to keep someone less powerful than you from doing it.
And, it may lessen the harm that would come from one more powerful, such
as Sonya or I.” She said,
stepping into the white room and switching on the lights.
“Light, or dark?”
She asked.
“Um, light, I
guess.” He said.
“Does it matter?”
“Not to me.”
She answered. For a moment she just stared at him.
“What?”
He asked, getting uncomfortable.
“You’re missing
your brothers. You like my shirt.
And you’re hoping you run into Laura again.”
She said. “And none of
these things are things that I need to know.
It opens you up for all sorts of things.”
“I know.”
He said sadly.
“Then shield your
thoughts.” She said.
“You know how to do it. You
can do it when you’re told. Why
do you not do it at all times?” She
asked.
“I don’t know.
I just don’t feel the need.” He
said. “And I have to concentrate
to do it.” He said.
“Oh, what a
pity!” She teased.
He put his hands on
his hips, “You know what I mean. It’s
just harder to do it for me, I guess.”
She sighed and
looked at him, “It’s not that hard once you get used to it.”
She said. “Have you ever
seen that old movie…I think it was “Village of the Damned” or something
like that. The children had these
sort of glowing eyes.”
He just looked at
her and cocked his head. “It
doesn’t matter. The point is, the
children in the village can read minds. And
in order to destroy them—“
“Why would anyone
want to destroy them?” Taylor
asked.
“Because they are
evil.” She said.
“What did they do
that was evil?” He asked.
“They killed the
adults, and things like that. So,
in order to destr—“
“Dang, how did I
miss that one?” He mused.
“You’re about to
be zapped.” She said.
He felt an
involuntary shiver, “Sorry.” He
said. “Go on.”
“Now.
In order to destroy the children without them knowing what they had
planned, all the adults are told to think of a brick wall.”
She said. “I know that
Sonya taught you to recite, or sing to yourself and I know that that works for
you;
probably because you are a musician.
It was natural and something you could relate to.
But, in times when you need to be on your toes, it’s probably easier to
do something like this.
And before you start to get that glazed look in your eye or
decide you don’t like brick walls, it doesn’t have to be a brick wall. It
could be…the color black. Or
rocks. Or whatever it is that just
sort of clears your mind.”
“Do I need to tell you what it is?”
He questioned.
“No, and it
doesn’t have to be the same every time, but it can be.”
She answered.
“Have you got it?” She
asked.
He took in a deep
breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
He found himself looking out at an audience; faces in a
crowd, all different, yet the same. It
was perfect.
~~~~~
“I can’t tell who’s babes they are.”
The woman said, peering through the darkness at Michelle as she leaned
over, talking to both babies as they sat in infant seats on the floor watching
her as she brushed her long hair. Elijah
clutched a soft old Humpty Dumpty toy that had belonged to his father years
before, it’s little arms stiff from being chewed on by toothless gums.
Isabella sucked on her fingers as her dark eyes took in the movements of
her mother.
“Well, they must be important for us to be stationed out here like this
night after night.” The man
replied.
“I believe the
Lady values the entire household, being as they are the immediate family of her
young protégé.” The woman
answered. “Still, something is
definitely up with these infants. She
had Kirk bring them all the way here from someplace.”
“New York, I’d
say. I’ve picked up a
conversation or two from in there.” He
replied.
She smiled,
“You’re not supposed to be listening.”
She said.
He rolled his eyes
and they glimmered in the moonlight, “This is not exactly the Quiet Family,
you know.”
“I know.”
She smiled. “Children
should be seen and not heard is quite the thing of the past.”
She said.
For a moment,
neither of them said anything. The
man spoke again. “I had Genevieve
give me the name of the owner of that lovely car down there.”
He said, glancing at the shiny black car in the driveway with the ‘for
sale’ sign in the window.
“And?”
She said.
“It seems the
young master owns it.” He said.
“Hmmm…interesting.”
She said.
“Yes, very.
Particularly since his brother told a tiny girl that was her father’s
car.” He said.
The woman just
stared at him for a moment, then she shook her head.
“Well, since he’s dead to this world, it must have been given to the
younger boy. Master Taylor was
turned close to a year now.”
He sighed.
“Perhaps you’re right.” He
said, turning back to her. “It
does make one think, though…” He
mused.
“Think all you
want, but vampires can’t make babies, and females can lie.
Or be mistaken.”
She stated, shifting her weight to her other foot.
“He may be lucky, but he’s still been turned.
They may think they’re his, and if so, good for them—but you and I
know better.”
She said watching Michelle reach down and run the brush
through the little girl’s hair.
~~~~~
“Alright. Let’s try this
again.” Beatriz said.
Taylor pulled
himself up and leaned against the wall behind him, sweat dripped off the end of
his nose. “Can you just give me a
minute?” He said.
She raised an
eyebrow, “Taylor, no one is going to give you a minute if they are trying to
kill you.” She said.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Just
surround yourself with whatever it is you want to use to block me.
You’re getting there.” She
said.
He nodded and stood
up straight, pushing his hair out of his face.
For a moment, they just looked at one another.
He watched her, not knowing exactly how she would hit him this time.
She’d hit him with her mind as well as objects lying around the room
already and he wasn’t sure what would be coming his way.
She hadn’t really hurt him, but his frustration was about to cross the
line into anger.
“What? Do you want me to
give you a warning?” She asked.
He furrowed his
brow, “No, but it drives me crazy when you say you’re going to and
then—“ He found himself thrown
back against the wall. Shaking his
head, he righted himself, “That’s not fair!!”
He complained, rubbing his elbow, but within moments, he found himself
back against the wall. This time,
he hit back. Now, Beatriz was the
one stumbling backwards. She stayed
on her feet, but just barely. Taylor’s
eyes widened and he rushed towards her, “Oh my gosh!
I’m sorry!” He
exclaimed.
She stood up
straight, “Finally.” She said.
“Taylor, don’t wait until you’re angry.
In a real fight, you’d have been taken by now.
Use that same power that you get from your anger and make it work for
you.”
“But—“
He started.
“But, nothing.
Do it again, but this time, keep that block up.
I could have hit you back hard when you did that because you opened up
your mind when you struck out.” She
explained. And so, the lesson went
on.
