Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (20 page)

As Zack approached the hall he noticed how well lit it was. It appeared to be an exclusive event. There were six bouncers guarding the entrance, checking identification and tickets. They were all large men and all of different ethnic backgrounds. The biggest of them all had the shortest dark brown hair and seemed to be the head of security.

Zack remember what David said about a vampire not needing other vampires and grinned. They certainly needed big enough bouncers.

The entrance had a small row of steps leading up to what looked like the front door of a New York style apartment building. Except that is was decked out in gold trim with silver accents. An extravagant banner declared the event to be 'The 5
^th
Annual International Tour of Demetrius Del Marin.'

Zack turned to Kyli before they reached the door. “What about you? You’re a vampeal, you shouldn’t be here either if it's that dangerous.” Zack was concerned about Kyli.

Kyli began to blush slightly. “That’s cute, but I don’t have anything to worry about. Neither do you if you follow a few careful rules.”

Zack was listening intently as the steps between them and the door decreased.

“They will never know what you are and you’ll just be another bitter human to them if you stay calm.” Kyli told Zack as they approached the door.

Two smaller ushers opened the double doors wide from the inside. No one asked for Kyli's ticket, or checked her ID. One of the two gave Kyli a map to where the seats were. Zack and Kyli were alone again in transit. The inner hall was dark. The concert was about to start soon. A large red curtain was stretched across the stage. Recessed lighting dimly lit the room to let people find their way. The chairs were theater seats with folding bottoms made from old hard wood. Zack and Kyli passed through the back rows. The ceiling was high and vaulted. Framing the stage at the center of the event. The black, glossed stage floor mirrored the red curtain above it.

Kyli spoke to Zack quietly. “Don’t be offended by anything anyone says here, keep your cool no matter what happens. Vampires can be very judgmental at a pin drop. Be submissive if we separate, remember to remain calm. Whatever you do, don’t freak out.”

Kyli led Zack to the front row seats in the curved half stadium. Kyli sat to Zack's right with her legs crossed right over left. The seats offered far more cushion than the rest Zack had seen in the back. They were spiced teal with black and had small white threads sewn into them. Still the standard folding down chairs as the rest of the hall. They were very comfortable to sit in, Zack thought. Zack surmised that Kyli had paid extra for them. If she had paid at all. Zack and Kyli took their seats and waited for the show to begin.

Zack leaned into Kyli. “So what's the secret?”

Kyli slowly turned to Zack. “Of what?”

“The concert. I read that there was a secret that only those who've gone to these events know about. What is it?” Zack was eager to find out.

Kyli smiled and turned back to the stage. She was ignoring Zack's question. “Just watch the concert.” She wanted him to find out for himself.

Everyone was dressed and pressed for the concert. Zack found it odd that no one was wearing red. He wondered why David asked him to wear a red tie. Zack knew that Kyli’s outfit was ostentatious, but there had to be a reason why no other woman there had the gall she seemed to naturally possess. Zack thought about it, then decided to let it go.

The overhead house lights dimmed. The red curtain drew back to the far corners of the room. A bright white spotlight shined down to the left side of the now open dark stage. A tall man with pale skin and a very thin build appeared. His eyes were strong, piercing. He quickly smiled to the audience as he walked to the center of the stage next to a standing podium. As he strolled, there were candles behind him spontaneously lighting at his pace. They continued to the other side as he reached the stand. He stood peacefully, waiting to take the microphone into his hand.

The announcer spoke over the house P.A. system. “Introducing the vampire, Demetrius Del Marin!”

The crowd cheered. Kyli perked up and smiled next to Zack.

He didn't know what to think. He distinctly remembered that vampires didn't like to say they were vampires. Here was one declaring that very fact to a sold out concert hall of people.

Demetrius Del Marin began. “I am glad to see you. I welcome you all. Please line up, my precious notes.” He was glib as he spoke and looked up to the announcer in the back. “And call me Marin, as my friends do.” Marin spoke with an eerily bold, yet shy tone. His voice was softly mild. There were moments of hesitation. He was clearly nervous for some reason. As if he was anticipating something.

Zack wondered why a vampire would be anxious of anything. Though he could plainly see it on this man's face, in the way his eyes moved across the room.

Marin was wearing a light weight black suit, the same as everyone in the crowd. Except he had a red silk tie, identical to the Christmas-red tie Zack was wearing. No one else had red on except for Kylie. Zack thought there had to be a reason for it.

Marin had a well defined chin, not broad, but edged. His cheeks were gaunt. He had pale superficial indents under his dark brown eyes. His hair was a thin light long black. It was dry, almost crisp to the eye. Marin's skin showed no ware to that effect. It appeared soft and clean. He wore his hair long, down to his lower back. It blended into the dark backdrop behind him. It was completely straight with no wave to speak of. Marin's dress jacket was that of a tuxedo, his pants included. They were a fine dark black with a thin shine to the lapel. He had a bright white shirt, adding to the color of the red tie. Marin had black pointed Italian leather shoes, but Zack noticed he was wearing white socks.

The podium lowered into the floor. A table with thirty two crystal wine goblets and red velvet draped around it came up in its place. A black chair stood behind the table. Marin took his seat. He opened a black bag next to his feet and waited for his 'notes' to arrive.

A large line of volunteers assembled at stage right to Demetrius Del Marin's request. One by one, people from the crowd approached him. They formed a line at the far end. Individually, they held their hands out, palm up to him. Marin quickly examined each of their wrists. The first two were turned away. They exited stage left, back to their seats in the audience. The third came up, a young girl of possibly eighteen. She outstretched her right arm and faintly looked away as she held still. She was bracing for something. Marin caressed her wrist with his thumb. He reached for a hypodermic needle from under the table. Marin inserted it into the girl's wrist. The other end of the tubing led to one of the goblets in the back row near him. Marin carefully filled it partially. Ensuring no blood was spilled, he clamped off the tubing and held pressure as he removed the needle. Then he thanked the girl as an usher escorted her off the stage to a waiting bay while her wrist clotted. He then moved to the next person in line. Marin repeated this process of denial and acceptance until he had thirty-two goblets filled perfectly with different levels of blood in them. As the thirty-second person's blood was drawn from, Marin demised the remaining line. The house lights dimmed. All of the 'notes' had been chosen. Marin was almost ready to begin the concert.

Zack watched in awe as he saw each person turn away from Marin. They were light-headed, but happy to give their blood to him. It was alien to Zack. The entire concept was strange. Zack sat back in his seat, thinking how the actual performance might go.

“Thank you my
notes
. For you, I will play a symphony. For all in the room to watch and for you to especially enjoy.” Marin spoke into the microphone clipped to his tie.

The performer dipped his fingers in a small low rimmed white cup of water placed to his far right. Marin began to play Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata.’ He started immediately, without testing any of the notes in the glasses first. The docile melodies were unique to the goblets. Producing a sound that was relaxing to everyone in the audience. His movements were abstruse, not flowing in any preconceived way. The concert was sonorous.

Zack had never heard a musical instrument come close to the sultry tonation of the blood held by the crystal. Zack watched the room as most of the audience sighed. They were nearly cooing at the hypnotic rhythm Marin was playing. Zack had seen a few people play water glasses in the past. At school talent shows and at county fairs when he was younger. The blood was different, it had a special sound. It was deeper, fuller than water. It swept the ear with a feeling that moved the soul. It was amazing to hear.

A smile graced Zack's face as he thought of the old adage that blood was thicker than water. It certainly sounded like it was true when it came to music as well.

Kyli’s hand was gently stroking the top of Zack’s as the song played out before them. It felt good. He wanted the moment to last. Zack closed his eyes, dreaming of the serene field that he last saw in his nightmares. Zack concentrated on the beauty, on the overcast that shown the euphoric sway of the wheat tips in the wind. It was bliss as Zack turned his hand to hold hers in that moment. He could picture Kyli in her red dress next to him, in the calming meadow. The weather tugging at the constraints of her fabric. Kyli smiled, her eyes half closed in a squint. Without sound, she mouthed the words ‘I love this, Zack. You really are special.’ Zack could hear her voice in his head. Her voice whispered to him as the sonata played on. Zack closed his eyes and listened to the melody.

As the song ended, Zack kept his eyes closed. He was transfixed on the image of Kyli in his mind.

“Zack.” Kyli said quietly.

Zack opened his eyes as the dream was dissolved. “Yes Kyli, what is it?”

“It was nice, wasn’t it? Do you think we can do that again?” Kyli asked softly.

Zack didn’t know what Kyli was talking about. She squeezed his hand and smiled.

“Yes, we can do it again.” Zack had no idea what she was talking about. He just figured daydreaming together was what she was searching for.

The next song’s opening note built up. Marin's fingertip ringing the glass to a full open note. He progressed into Beethoven’s 5th. The room seemed to wave with the succession of the sound. It was entrancing.

Zack lightly squeezed Kyli's hand. He leaned to the right and gently put his arm around her. Kyli laid her head on Zack's shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her body against his. She was more than hot, Kyli was enthralling. Zack slipped into his little daydream once again. Things had changed the breezy meadow was darker and filled with heavy fog. Zack’s view of the once placid blue sky became limited. The outer boarders of the field were completely obscured. Zack was standing as the wind was nipping the edge of his hair. Kyli was still holding his hand. She changed positions and was now standing, pressed against him. Zack was hugging Kyli with his left arm, while his other was interlaced with hers. Kyli's head was past Zack's left ear, her chin perched on the nape of his neck. She was cold in Zack's embrace.

“Is this real, Zack? Are you really here, in this place?” Kyli was about to cry, her throat was tight as she spoke to Zack.

He had never had someone talk to him in his daydreams before. It was strange to him. The idea of conversing with a figment of his imagination. Zack still felt obliged to answer. “Yes, I’m really here. Welcome to my meadow. It's normally not this gloomy. In the daylight it's actually a lot nicer. This has always been a place for me to come back when I need to kick back and relax. I come here to look up and watch the clouds. They take whatever shape I wish them to since it's my dream world.” Zack considered ending the moment. He thought about the concert and holding Kyli's hand in the real world. Zack wanted to enjoy the beautiful girl next to him, not a recreation of her. He wanted to finish the conversation fast. “Normally, I come here to escape from reality. I usually don't drift here when I'm in a place I want to be in.”

“How so?” Kyli raised her arms around Zack's neck and rested them onto his shoulders.

“I mean that I'm sitting next to you for real in the concert hall. Holding your very warm hand in mine.” Zack felt bashful for a moment. He was reluctant to say what he was really thinking. “I don't understand why I had to come here while I can be with you normally.

Kyli didn't respond to Zack's question. “So this is what your mind looks like?” Kyli raised her head up and tipped it back. She gazed up at the sky. “You really are a good person, Zack.” Kyli lowered her eyes to meet Zack's. “This is very welcoming.” Kyli closed her eyes. “I hope that blood won't change your thoughts like it did mine.” Kyli opened her eyes. She stared down at Zack's chest. “Visions of red rivers flow in my mind, they are so wide and deep that it’s hard to ignore them sometimes. Honestly, I'm quite envious of you.”

Zack knew it was a dream. He had other dreams in which the apparitions of his mind spoke to him. Somehow, this dream was special it felt colder than normal, detached. Kyli was answering his questions as a real person would, not at all as Zack was expecting her to. Kyli was talking to him as if she was actually there.

“Kyli-” Zack thought about the possibility of seeing into Kyli's dreams. “-Will you let me enter your realm, let me see your inner world?”

“Sure. Close your eyes Zack.” Kyli requested.

Zack shut his eyes as he heard the music in the far distance above the clouds and beyond the fog.