11
My eyes were still puffy and bloodshot as I looked myself over in the bathroom mirror. I was glad mum wasn’t here to see me come home like this. When I came back to my room, Vaughan was sitting on the floor, looking through my DVDs, he held one in particular up to me “Interview with the Vampire?” he looked at me, mocking.
“It’s a classic” I defended standing in the doorway.
Vaughan scoffed “Ha!”
“So you’ve watched it?” I was intrigued, the thought of Vaughan watching vampire paraphernalia.
“I try to keep up with the latest fiction written about us, I can’t say I watch too many vampire films though.”
“Ah, so which one is the most accurate?”
“None of the garbage publishers are spewing out today. Anne Rice is relatively accurate.”
“Can you read minds?” I asked as I moved to the edge of my bed.
“Only the minds of other vampires, if they allow it” he answered absently as he scanned the rest of the DVDs.
My face screwed up “What do mean if they allow it?”
“I can block my thoughts from others, if I wish to.”
“But you can’t read human minds?”
Vaughan laughed softly and looked up at me “Your secrets are safe. I can sense emotions, by the rise and fall of your heart rate and body temperature, also your body language. Over time you get an idea what a person is feeling and thinking, which would seem like I was reading their mind, but I’m really reading their body language.”
“What’s the biggest vampire myth?” I asked as I climbed into bed, Vaughan joined me, putting his arm around me and I leaned against his chest.
He seemed quiet for a moment, too long “That there are good vampires.”
I looked up at him in horror “I think you’re good.”
His blue eyes were sad “Look at what has been done to you!”
My body curled back a fraction at the thought of what Vaughan had told me earlier.
“I’m a monster Nicola” he pointed out.
“A good monster” I pouted.
“There is no such thing as good monsters.”
“Elmo is a good monster” I didn’t want to have this discussion, not now.
“You’re comparing me, a blood sucking killer, to a Sesame Street character?”
I nestled back into his chest, pulling his arm tightly around me and closing my eyes, trying to erase from my memory the look on Vaughan’s face when he saw my body. I drifted quickly and effortlessly into sleep. The next time I opened my eyes, it was morning and Vaughan was gone.
“I woke up alone this morning” I pointed out when Vaughan met me after work. My hands were crossed and I tried to look angry. Vaughan seemed to ignore me and leant forward, kissing me softly on the cheek, then played with a strand of hair that had loosened from my pony tail. “When did you leave?”
“Just before sunrise.”
My arms encircled Vaughan’s waist and I rested my chin on his chest, looking up into his face. “How are you going to make it up to me?”
He laughed softly, his eyes lighting up, hinting to the many secrets he held “I can think of many ways, but unfortunately, they will have to wait.”
My bottom lip pouted “Why?”
“Ivan has called a meeting tonight… and I need to feed” his face was looking slightly drawn, although his features were still flawless and perfect, his eyes were pale ice blue, the colour of glaciers.
I loosened my grip and took a tentative step back “Sorry” Vaughan held my wrists and pulled me back to him “It’s ok, but I can’t wait much longer.”
“What’s the meeting about?”
His pause was a moment too long; this had me worried before he answered “You!”
My heart started to beat louder “Is it a meeting, or an intervention?”
He laughed “It’s about the…” he seemed unable to say the words “What I saw on you last night.”
I shifted uneasily “Who else is going to be at this meeting?”
“All the staff, except Cassie, of course.”
“You’re going to be discussing my body with all your work colleagues?”
“Nicola, you know it’s not like that. Ivan and Adrian have been trying to find out who made that scar on your arm. Now there are more…. marks, we are looking for more than one vampire, a coven. Ivan wants to discuss it with us all.”
“He thinks someone at the bar did it?”
“No. Ivan trusts everyone at Ivory. We have all known each other a long time. He made it very clear that we are not to hurt anyone in Belles Cove; it would draw attention to us.”
My mind was swimming with a thousand thoughts, all revolving around the marks that Vaughan could see on my body. I wanted revenge for what had been done to me. Reading the conflict on my face, Vaughan pulled his finger under my chin and lifted my face so we were almost eye to eye “Are you ok?”
I nodded unconvincingly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find who did this to you. They will pay, I’ll make sure of that.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
A laugh broke from Vaughan’s perfect lips “You don’t need to worry about me; I can take care of myself.”
I rolled my eyes “What time’s the meeting?”
“Not until later. I’m meeting Gerri soon and we’re going to feed.”
“Where are you going?”
“Out of the area, we don’t feed here.”
My mind churned with the question that I was burning to ask. Still unsure if I wanted to know the answer, or how I would feel about Vaughan once I knew. I decided to stay in my sheltered bubble of denial a little longer.
“When will I see you?”
“Tomorrow.”
I dropped my bottom lip like a spoiled child and fluttered my eyelids.
“Don’t worry; I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Ok” I moped.
“Then, you’ll have me all to yourself.”
My mope changed to a smile and I threw my arms around Vaughan’s neck and kissed him. His mouth was hard and aggressive on mine and he slowly and cautiously eased me away from him, his breath was ragged “I have to feed more than I thought.”
“Sorry” I bit my bottom lip playfully.
“Let’s get a coffee, maybe somewhere public” he smiled cheekily at me as he took my hand.
I hurried to my car the following day with a spring in my step. I was getting use to the sight of my inhumanly beautiful boyfriend leaning against my car, this made the mundane working day all worthwhile. I smoothed my hair as I turned the corner of the building and my excitement turned to disappointment. Gerri was sitting on the bonnet of my car, she slid to the ground and gave me a friendly smile and wave “Hey there tequila girl.”
My steps slowed and became heavier as I approached “Hey” I answered melancholy “He’s not coming is he?”
Gerri frowned “Afraid not, he wanted me to come and tell you.”
“Why couldn’t he call me himself?”
“Vaughan’s not here and he wanted me to make sure you were ok. To stay with you if you want.”
“When will he be back?”
She shook her head and frowned “I don’t know.”
“Where has he gone?”
Gerri’s attention turned to something behind her; she spun around urgently “Can we discuss this somewhere else? I promise I will tell you everything, just not here.” I looked around the deserted car park and back to Gerri. “Please Nicola, we need to go.”
I fumbled with the car keys and Gerri held out her hand impatiently “Keys.”
“Excuse me?” I looked at her shocked.
Gerri looked over her shoulder distracted, and then back to me. Her jade green eyes turned dark and menacing “Keys, now!”
This time I didn’t argue and tossed her the keys. She turn the key in the ignition, revved the engine, the tyres of my car squealed and we fled from the c
ar park. “Gerri! What the hell is going on?” I demanded as I tried to get my seat belt on, we swerved in between the afternoon traffic and headed out of town. Gerri seemed to be back tracking, constantly changing direction and checking over her shoulder. This made me feel anxious. The constant change of direction continued for almost twenty minutes, until she slowed down and we approached a property not far out of town. We drove over a cattle grate and then along a windy dirt driveway, the house was set back from the road, behind a long line of trees that would make it easy to drive past. Gerri parked the car in front of the house and turned to me, her face calmer but still with a sense of urgency in her eyes. “Nicola, Vaughan trusts me to keep you safe, I’m going to keep that promise” The severity seemed to be lacking from her statement due to her thick Irish accent, but I understood the danger. I checked around us before undoing my seatbelt and slowly opened the door. “Where are we?” I asked.
“My place” she indicated the stone cottage in front of us. It looked like a scenic painting of outback Australia, the little veranda that stretched all the way around the cottage, lace curtains in the windows, even a stone chimney. The inside of the house was furnished with antique furniture. Tapestries hung on the walls, polished silver candelabras adorned the mantle above the fireplace in the living room and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling of the lounge room. As I stepped further into the house I felt I was being taken back to the 1800s. On the mantle were two small oval frames, each with a black and white picture, one of a man and the other a woman, they looked older than Gerri and were dressed in Victorian garb. The man’s dark hair was parted straight down the middle and he had a neatly trimmed moustache. The woman was unsmiling, her hair tied back. Her dark dress was accentuated with a lace trim which came up to her neck “Do you like it?” Gerri asked from behind me.
“Who are these people?” I asked, pointing to the pictures.
“My parents. The furniture is from their home in Ireland, my home. I had it all shipped here when I moved. This house reminds me of my old home.”
Gerri seemed to fit in with the modern times. Her curly red hair was wild and free, much like Gerri’s spirit. I couldn’t imagine her posing for a photo like the ones she had of her parents. In a long flowing dress, with petticoats and an apron, her hair pulled back into a tight bun. “Gerri, how long have you been this way?”
She let out a girly laugh “A very long time.”
“How did it happen?” The question came out before I could stop it.
She studied my face “Is that something you really want to know?”
After a few moments careful consideration I nodded.
“Then take a seat” she gestured to the lounge. Gerri gazed out of the window as though she were enjoying a long forgotten memory “The year was 1846; it was during the great famine. Many people were starving, many people got sick, cholera, dysentery, and almost my entire village was dead or dying. I was 17 years old at the time and the youngest of five children. My Pa was the first one to get sick, and so my three older brothers all tried to work the family farm as best they could, to try and put food on the table. My eldest brother Patrick had moved away with his wife and children many years earlier.
Everyone’s crops were failing, all our neighbors, nearby towns. Then my Ma got sick too. My brothers did all they could to provide for us and I took care of my parents, eventually there was no food and my brothers were getting sick. Pa was the first to go, then soon after Ma. My brothers all fought it for as long as they could, for me. In the end I got sick too, we were all bed ridden, too weak from hunger to move and too sick to take care of ourselves or each other. We were all delirious with fever. I remember one evening stumbling out of bed; my brother Brian had the worst fever. His body was shaking so violently. My other brothers were trying to hold him, calm him down, but we were all so weak. I slipped out of bed and pulled on my dressing gown and went outside to our families well. ‘Wait Geraldine, don’t go’ I remember my youngest brother Timothy saying to me. I assured him I would be ok, that I would get some cool water to dab on Brian’s forehead. Relieve his fever. It was dark outside, the sun was long set. The only light was the glow of the moon so I could still make out the well. My legs were weak and I stumbled down the front step of the house then shuffled my way to the wells edge. The stone well was cool and I sat a moment leaning against it, and then pulled up the bucket of water. My arms felt so very heavy and the rope slipped a few times, but I thought of my brother laying there convulsing. I managed to pull the bucket up and was almost back to the door of the house when I heard wolves howling, they sounded far away. When I turned to see what direction it came from, that’s when I saw him standing beside the well. I remember his pale skin looked bright in the twilight and his eyes were black as aces. I hurried inside, to my brother’s side and collapsed on the floor. When I woke, my brother Timothy was next to me, he had a cold compress on my forehead and a tear running down his cheek. ‘What is it?’ I asked him. ‘It’s Brian… and Gregory’ I recall the stammer in his voice and I knew they were both dead. Timothy was as weak as I was, but somehow he had managed to take care of me. He lived until the sunset the following day, then I was alone too weak to move. The stench of death was all around me. I lay in my bed with my eyes closed, praying for death to come swiftly, so I could join my family. Then I heard the wolves again, they were closer this time, there was a knock at the door. I couldn’t get up, I was too weak ‘Come in’ I called, the door slowly opened and he was there again, the man with the pale skin. He came to me and knelt at my bedside ‘Come to me, my child. I can take away your suffering.’ At first I thought he was a priest, there to help me, give me my last rites. Until I saw his blood red lips, his eyes turned black and his lips curled back over his teeth, exposing his fangs. He lent to my neck and I felt his teeth sink into my skin. I cried, but I was too weak to fight back. My body went limp and everything went dark. When I awoke,” She gestured to herself, the current state she was in. “The rest is history as they say” Gerri continued to look out of the window, a single bloody tear streaking down her china doll skin. I took the moments distraction to wipe a tear away from my own eyes before it trickled down my cheek.
Gerri turned and faced me “I hope I didn’t scare you” misty pink tears clouded her eyes.
“You didn’t” I lied, more to myself than to Gerri.
“Vaughan should be here soon” she assured me, squeezing my knee.
I cleared my throat “You were going to tell me where he was?”
“Right. Ivan has found some information about” she gestured to my arm “what happened. He, Vaughan, Adrian and Marcus have gone to look into it.”
“Why do four of them need to go?”
“In case they run into… hostilities” she stood and walked to the window, arms crossed over her chest protectively as she looked out into the night.
I didn’t like the sound of the danger involved and I got the feeling Gerri didn’t either “What happened at the meeting last night?”
She turned from the window, leaning against the frame “There was certainly some tension, as you may imagine.”
“Because Vaughan broke Ivan’s rule about staff not dating patrons?”
Gerri looked at me in surprise “No, because you’re… human.”
“What?”
“Look Nicola, you have to understand. Vampires don’t fall in love with humans. It just doesn’t happen.”
I couldn’t hide my anger “What’s so hard to understand? Two people fall in love and…”
“Nicola. It’s not as simple as boy meets girls. Vaughan is a vampire and you are a human. He’s the hunter, you’re the hunted, you catch my drift?”
“I understand that Gerri, but this isn’t about curiosity. I realise the danger involved and I except that, in fact I embrace it. Because it’s a part of who Vaughan is, and that’s what I want. No matter what he is.” I was now standing in the middle of the living room, my voice raised and my hands out in fro
nt of me pleading.
“You really do love him?” She seemed taken aback by this.
“Yes” I whispered “Why are you so against this?”
Gerri shook her head sympathetically “I didn’t say I was.”
“Then who is?”
“There are some others, but they will come around.”
“Gerri, earlier in the car park” I didn’t have to finish my sentence; she knew what I was referring to.
“I was being followed. I didn’t want to take you to your house.”
“Thank you.”
Headlights appeared along the driveway and shone through the window of the house. Gerri crossed the room and opened the front door and we stood on the porch. Ivan pulled up behind my car. “Are you ok?” Vaughan asked as he leapt up the stairs.
“Fine” I mumbled as I buried my head into his chest.
“Thank you Gerri, I really appreciate what you have done.”
“Well, you owe me. Next time, you’re not leaving me behind. I want in on the action.”
“There wasn’t much action” Adrian moaned bitterly as he, Ivan and Marcus made their way into Gerri’s house. “Do you want me to take you home?” Vaughan whispered. I nodded and we started down the front steps, I turned to Gerri “Thank you.”
She winked at me “No problem, tequila girl.”
“Thanks again Gerri.”
“No problem, I’ll see you tomorrow Vaughan.”
“Bye.”