12
Neither of us spoke during the drive home, not until we were inside my bedroom and assured mum was asleep “Where were you tonight?” my voice came out with a sense of urgency I hadn’t intended.
“Nicola, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you” his eyes were the dark ocean blue I remember when I first saw him. “We left after the meeting, I asked Gerri to look after you, to keep you safe.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?” I asked as I slumped onto the side of the bed.
Vaughan ran his hands through his hair “Yes and no” he seemed defeated “We found a coven; it looks like they have been in this area for almost a year. We didn’t find who we were looking for.”
“A coven?”
“Yes, we don’t know how many. They seemed to be gathered near the escarpment, just north of here. In an abandoned miner’s cottage.”
The pieces fell into place “Do you mean in Peak Hill?”
“Yes, I believe that’s what Ivan said the name of the town was.” Vaughan was now pacing the room, frustrated.
A feeling of dread came over me. Matt and Brad were found on a fire trail in that area.
“What happened at the meeting last night?”
Vaughan seemed to be avoiding my gaze. I was curious to know everyone’s reaction. He seemed to choose his words carefully. “Ivan told everyone that he thought there were other vampires in the area, who were feeding locally. He was concerned we would be exposed.”
I smiled a cheeky smile at him “Did anyone ask how Ivan knew?”
There was a pause before Vaughan’s answer. He stopped his pacing mid stride a let out a stiff laugh “It was discussed” his voice was strained and he still avoided my eyes.
“And… ” I prompted; now moving towards him on my knees, on the edge of the bed.
Vaughan cleared his throat before answering “Heidi left” and shrugged as though it were nothing, looking at me finally.
My knees gave way and I sat back onto the bed “What?” This was not the answer I was expecting.
“She left; she’s gone on her own.” Vaughan threw his arms up in frustration.
“Why?”
“It’s not important” he shook his head and started pacing again.
I reached out, taking hold of the edge of his shirt to stop his pacing and pulled him toward me. “It is, if she felt strongly enough to leave.”
“Heidi is very emotional, even for a vampire. She’s just being dramatic, she’ll come around.”
“Are you sure?” I was starting to feel like there was more to the story.
“She always does. How was your evening with Gerri?”
My eyebrows pulled together as I thought back to the story of how she came to be, and the sadness that I felt for her “It was…”
“What did she do?” his voice was mocking and playful, the way a brother teases his sister. I knew Gerri was a good friend to Vaughan.
“Nothing” I assured “She just, told me her story, about how she became…” I struggled for the right words “The way she is.”
Vaughan frowned and sat down on the bed beside me, eyes downcast and brooding as he knotted his fingers together “Oh.”
“I asked her.”
“Are you ok, after hearing it?” he asked looking up at me through dark lashes.
“It’s a sad story.”
Vaughan shrugged his shoulders “There aren’t many happy stories in our world Nicola.”
“It made me realise, that I have never asked you. How you became the way you are.”
Vaughan shifted uncomfortably next to me, his voice stiff “That’s a story for another time.”
I pouted “Fine, then can I ask another question?” putting my arms around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder.
“Anything” he whispered as he kissed the top of my head.
“Does it hurt? When you… change.”
His shoulders stiffened “Why do you want to know?”
“I want to know everything about you.”
“Do you really want to have this conversation right before you go to sleep?”
My eyelashes fluttered as I looked up at him “Will you stay tonight?”
“Is that what you want?”
“Of course it is” I slipped into bed “Since I have answered your question, you can now answer mine.”
“You want to know, if becoming a monster is painful?” He became serious; his finger picking at the edge of my blanket and avoiding my eyes. “Yes, it is, but it all depends on how strong your human body is. Take Gerri for example since you know the circumstances of how she came to be this way. Her human body was very weak; she wasn’t able to physically fight back. Her entire family was lying dead around her, she was emotionally spent. She was waiting for death to come and take her; she had lost the will to survive. So her transformation was a lot less painful and happened a lot more quickly than most. Others, like Adrian, who were strong, physically and mentally, took longer because the human body did not want to give up the fight for life. For Adrian it would have been agonizing.”
“What about you?”
His expression seemed far away “It took three days.”
“What does it feel like?” I could not hide the cringe when I asked.
“One body dies and the other is being born and somehow you are awake through it all. Every emotion you have ever felt is played out before you, it’s overwhelming. Each emotion is stronger and more painful than the last. You feel like you are going mad and you can feel yourself dying. It is extremely painful. I wouldn’t wish that torture on anyone.”
Vaughan moved beside me and stroked my hair gently. I could feel myself slowly drifting off to sleep, fighting to stay awake. To see Vaughan, make sure he didn’t leave me until he absolutely had to. I shook my head, fighting my sinking eyelids “Go to sleep my love” he whispered softly into my ear.
“No, I want to stay awake” I yawned.
“I promise I will stay until just before the sunrises.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” My mind was getting hazy, the light feeling just before sleep takes over when you are unsure if it is real or all a vivid dream.
“I have to work, and given the meeting last night. It’s probably not a good idea if you come to the club tomorrow night.”
“I’ll meet you after work.”
He had a smile in his voice. “That sounds like a good plan.”
“Then you can make it up to me for making me wake up alone.”
He laughed softly “Definitely.”
I snuggled into his chest and let sleep take over.
That night I dreamed I was in Gerri’s house, wearing a floor length dress, with long sleeves and a high frilly lace neck. An apron was covering the front of my dress with my hair tied back into a bun. I was standing in the kitchen, mixing something in a heavy pot over the stone fireplace. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the room. A noise at the front door startled me and I went to investigate. Vaughan was standing on the front porch; he was wearing a faded flannel shirt and trousers, farming clothes. He lifted his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. Smiling at me, he took me in his arms and kissed me gently on the lips. His cheeks were flushed and he had pale blue eyes and soft wavy black hair. He was human. Wolves started howling in the distance, one at first, but it was quickly joined by others, returning their brothers call. We both turned, Vaughan standing in front of me. His arm outstretched protecting me. A man appeared at the end of the driveway, wearing all black. His eyes were the colour of midnight, his lips tinged with blood and I could see his fangs. He moved so quickly that he was a blur, before I knew it he was at the bottom of the stairs. Creeping slowly like a hunter. Vaughan pushed me backwards into the house; he had almost made it through the door. The man took hold of the back of Vaughan’s shirt, dragging him backward down the stairs. He threw Vaughan to the ground with amazing strength and ease, pulling his head back to expose his throat. The man looked at me with devil??
?s eyes as he plunged his fangs deep into Vaughan’s neck, a gargled scream broke from Vaughan’s lips and I watched as his body writhed, his arms flailed trying to fight back. When the fighting stopped and Vaughan’s body went limp, the dark figure stood up. Blood dripping down his chin and he turned to me, an arrogant smile on his face, he lifted one finger and curled it. He was summoning me to him. Screaming I tried to run, but my body stayed frozen in its place. Vaughan was calling me. I felt my body shaking. I woke startled from my dream “Nicola, wake up” My eyes opened and I sat up with a start. Instinctively my hands clutched my throat, feeling for blood before I realised where I was. “Nicola, it’s ok, it’s just a dream, and you’re ok” he soothed as he stroked my hair. I rubbed my eyes, waking up and realising what I had done. My heart was still beating loudly in my chest. Vaughan seemed apprehensive towards me; he made slow, deliberate movements. “What’s the time?” I asked groggily.
“1:00am.”
I griped Vaughan’s chest tightly “Don’t leave just yet” squeezing my eyes tightly, in a useless attempt to expel the dream from my mind.
“I won’t, I promised I’d be here until just before sunrise. Go back to sleep.”
“No, I don’t want to sleep.”
“You need to sleep, everything is ok. I’m here.”
“But when I wake up you won’t be.”
“I’ll wake you before I go.”
“I’m not sleeping.” I yawned
Vaughan laughed “You’re stubborn. Tell me what your dream was about?”
I hesitated “Nothing.”
“It didn’t sound like nothing.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“What would you like to talk about then, since you’re not going to sleep?”
I shifted until I was in a comfortable position, as close to Vaughan as I could get, anything to make me feel safe “Tell me your story.”
“I think you have heard enough scary stories for one night.”
“Please” I begged looking up at his face.
After a few moments consideration he answered “Ok, fine. I will tell you” He drew a long deep breath and let out a long sigh. “My family owned a property down south. Being the eldest son, when my father died, it was left to me. It was my job to take care of my mother, brother and sister. I was the man of the house; and it was my responsibility to see to it that my sister married into a good family. My brother was deeply religious, and preparing himself to join the priesthood. Encouraging him I built a place of worship on our property and he spent more and more time there. One evening, he came to see me in my study. He told me he’d had a vision. For some time I had suspected he was suffering from voices in his head, now this affirmed it. We got into a terrible argument and he stormed out of the room, and fell down the staircase. He broke his neck and died instantly. I saw his body, laying there twisted and broken. Our domestic helpers came running when they heard his scream and found him dead at the foot of the stairs, and me at the top. Although they didn’t say it, I knew what they were thinking, that I killed my brother. The image haunted me; it was all I could think about and was my last memory of him. It was something I never recovered from. I wanted to die and take his place. I started to drink a lot and did stupid reckless things, in the hope that I would get myself killed, that’s when he found me.”
I was sitting up in bed legs crossed, wide awake and spellbound by Vaughan’s story. It seemed so incredible. “Who found you?” I whispered, urging him to continue.
Vaughan took a deep breath to compose himself “Lestat” he tried to fight back a laugh as I grabbed a pillow and hit him with it “That’s Interview with the Vampire, and it wasn’t his brother; it was his wife and stillborn child.”
“Not in the book,” he continued to laugh as he put his arms around me and pulled me back toward him “Go to sleep. I promise I will wake you when I leave.”
“How can I possibly sleep now?” I yawned.
Vaughan’s chest moved with laughter.
It seemed like a matter of minutes for me to fall asleep, for the next thing I realised Vaughan had woken me. His soft cool lips on my cheek made me stir “Goodbye my love” I heard him whisper. Was this real, or a beautiful dream?