Indigo Vamporium (20 page)

He nods to her, kissing my hand again and standing in a graceful movement. He's tall and very dashing.

“Will she be looked after during the day?” he asks mum.

“Yes. I've asked her cousin Phoebe to come and stay for awhile to help.”

“Phoebe?” he frowns, looking possessive about me.

“She's in her twenties and lives in Sea Point. It will give us all peace of mind. I can trust Phoebe,” says mum.

He nods, bowing in front of me and kissing my hand again, “I look forward to hearing from you. Keep me updated, and remember, you can text anytime. You don't need a reason. Even if it's just to keep you company when you're bored.”

I nod, watching him steered away to the door by mum, feeling like he's walking out with my heart stuck in his pocket.

Chapter 26

Seithe:

Jo sidles up next to me, chewing his cheek as is his grumpy habit, “I'm bored.”

Nodding, I have to agree. No matter how much Venix wants us to blend with humans, I find them tedious and petty now. Coming out tonight was a horrid idea. I wish she was here with us. Both her and Ellie.

That's when I see her, with Carrie.

I can't believe it!

“Gimme a sec,” I mumble to Jo, moving over to where Taz just sat. Bending down, I move her hair away and whisper in her ear, “Want to go to a club?”

Snapping to face me, her eyes are wide with worry, “I'm too young.”

Hiding my smug smile, I keep a straight face, “Not this one. It's exclusive. You have to know someone to get in.”

Frowning, rolling her lips inwards, I can literally hear her heartbeat increase. The forbidden fruit is always the shiniest one on the tree. She's ready to pick it too, I can tell by her expression.

She nods, once, standing and slipping her arm around mine, saying to Carrie, “I'm off for a walk, see you later.”

Carrie gives me a sly wink and I'm free to guide my girl away from the gathering entourage and back to my waiting brother.

Jo gives Taz a huge smile, “Awesome. Can Carrie come too?”

“To IV?” I ask.

He nods, visually pleading. I nudge my head in the come hither gesture to Carrie, and she bounds across the Hard Rock Café, losing the watchdogs in a Joberg second.

“Want to come to an exclusive members only club with us?” I ask Carrie.

She nods vigorously, slipping her arm through Jo's and giving him the sexy smile of hope. “What is it?”

“Indigo Vamporium,” I tell her, looking affectionately at the girl snuggled up tight to my side. “What are you two doing here?”

“Judy thought it might help her to remember if we did something normal.”

I nod to Carrie, then look down at Taz.

Giving her my secretive smirk, I press a finger to her lips, softly tracing them, “Do you believe in destiny?”

“No,” says Taz, without hesitation.

“You should. You literally bumped into me so many times I was beginning to think I was invisible.”

Her cheeks flush crimson, and it's endearing.

“I didn't mean to–”

Shaking my head again, I gently frame her face with a firm hold. She's gorgeous and I'm tempted to kiss her, but know when I start I find it challenging to stop.

“Do you trust me?” I ask, staring down into her crystal sharp eyes where I have a thumb at each outer corner.

Suspicion scuds across her eyes. “Yes.”

“Then walk with me, don't look back, and hold tight.”

Her arm tightens instantly when I release my hold and face the exit, her free hand clasping mine with a death grip. She thinks I'm older. I'm not. But wiser and more mature, yes I am those, most definitely.

Turning, I guide her quickly into the passage, maneuvering her between myself and Jo, both of us holding to her arm as we swing the door to the stairwell open. We step through and the door swings shut in a hollow clunk.

I nod to Jowendrhan.
One, two, three.

Together we step with the girls, out of her neighborhood and into ours. Curling her into my arms, I hold her tight, swaying on the dance floor with her head over my heart.

“How did you do that?” asks Taz.

“Old physics trick I learned back in primary school. Don't worry, it's not supernatural or anything strange like that.”

She doesn't question it, closing her eyes and wilting against me in all her perfect softness.

Closing my own eyes, I could cry with this blessed mercy balming my pain. It blew me apart to walk away from her this morning, and now she's here, where she belongs.

Kissing the top of her head, I could purr I'm so happy.

I'm risking exposure, but have decided to lie and tell them it's a fetish club for wannabe vampyres, rather then the real deal.

Slow dancing, I smile at Jo's crushing expression as he laughs with Carrie, happy to see one of my family so joyous.

This time if I leave her, they'd better watch her for me. I daren't shake the lizard without knowing she has a chaperone.

Unfortunately nature is calling.

I catch Jo's focus,
Look after Taz, I'll be right back.

*

Vampyres dance together with their irises throbbing, caught in the weight of attraction, locked with love's gravity like binary stars twinkling on a galactic highway.

The vamporium is hazy with molecular clouds oozing a haunted breath across the floor, snaking gossamer tongues up sexy legs and short skirts.

Turning around, gazing through the thermal corona hiding shadows which dance diabolically without corporeal form, my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth when I see Tasmin talking to another vampyre.

What was I thinking bringing her here?

Rage bites into my solar plexus and the furnace implodes through me like a solar wind stripping nutrients and murdering life.

I'm going to kill him.

Blue embers crystallize in his eyes and his look of hunger is ravaging her smile. She's ignorant, naive, and he's wrapping his charm around her in a vice as solid as my will.

Giving him the legion glare, I start pulsing across the room, diving through the interstellar phosphorescence before he binds her to his soul.

Reaching out with the angelfire, I curse him from fifteen paces, on top of them just as he smiles. Snapping her around, wrapping my arm around her and hugging her to me, her heart pounding louder than a gong at the end of prayer, I spit into his thoughts,
Hide them. She's not an initiate.

His vipers snap back and he glowers hot eyes at me, but moves away in a cosmic jump.

Taking her back onto the dance floor, back under her spell, I cradle her against me, tilting her head and kissing forever.

Freezing time under the flashing ultraviolet light of the Indigo Vamporium, I linger in heaven when she gazes on me.

I want to keep you safe, see every dawn reflected in your eyes, hold your hand when it's cold, be there to catch your fall.

“It's so strange, I feel like I remember you, in here,” she says, pointing to her heart.

“Because I am in there. And you're in here,” I point to my own chest.

She laughs, and it's a gift from god to know she's healed enough to laugh.

“Seithe?” she wheedles sweetly.

“Tasmin,” I purr back.

Looking shy, she steps onto tiptoes, lacing her hands behind my neck, and kisses the breath out of me.

And I know I'm home. Inside her chest, I've found my eagle's nest.

~The End ~

Glossary

Appeltiser - non alcoholic apple soda made with real apples

Check - see? understood?

China - buddy

Croak - die

Doff - stupid

Dussy - Spelled dassie, the South African name for a Cape hyrax

Frek - die (in afrikaans). Pronounced frack

Fynbos - indigenous flora which translates as 'fine bush'. Pronounced fain bhós.

Howzit - hello, how is it (a direct translation from afrikaans asking how are you colloquially)

Is it - a local term for asking 'really'

Kief - cool / nice (said the way it's spelled)

Lank - lots  / many

Legend - awesome

Lethe - water from the mythical underworld river Lethe (the river of forgetfulness)

Make out - understand, check this out

Noyt - written the way it's pronounced. This is the afrikaans word nooit. It's often used colloquially in South African dialect as an expression to indicate no. Often in a sensationalist way, the way a southerner starts a sentence with "ya'll won't believe.." that's how 'noyt bru' is intended.

Okes - guys

Pull in - come on over

Shot - cool

Sharp - cool

Spliff - joint - smoke of marijuana

Takkies - sneakers (prounounced as Tacky's)

Tuned - Told / said

Yaah - phonetic spelling for the word Ja (afrikaans for yes)

~Teaser from Scarlet Vamporium~

Book 2 of the Vamporium Series

I detect him struggling with a smile. He gives me a sidelong glance, his eyes reflecting confined laughter. Regaining his composure he sits straight, swigging the last of his drink.

A blast of displaced air slams our hair forward and I peg to face the source, looking into the nebulous eyes of Uncle Venix.

Selene instantly loses her coy smile and snaps out of her chair, keeping her eyes on my uncle but talking to me, “Ellie, it's time to take Doug back to his car. Circumvent the thugs outside by breaking a few more rules. I'd like to have a word with your uncle alone.”

Watching him warily, I stand too, grabbing hold of Doug's hand and drawing him up out of his seat.

“Doug, this is my Uncle Venix. Venix, this is Doug.”

Douglas steps forward, proffering his hand to my enormous uncle, “It's ma pleasure tae make yer acquaintance, sir.”

To his credit Doug doesn't break eye contact or flinch.

Venix glowers at me, mutes his enraged eyes, and stares down at Doug, shaking his hand with obvious resistance. “Hello.”

“Out!” yells Selene. “It was nice seeing you again, Douglas. Drive safe. Now go, both of you.”

“And you, I will,” he nods, then turns to face me, wrapping his arm protectively around my shoulder and striding with me back into the passage, giving me the 'war is about to explode' wide eyed stare.

Stopping at the doorway to the lounge, I curl in and wrap my arms around him, transporting us back to his car.

It's an instant relief to breathe in the cool freshness, the air fragrant with moss and growth, old leaves and eons of soil.

His grip on my body is so forceful with the transition that it makes me pant a little. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, he slowly releases me, looking around at the vague shapes and closer dark looming trees, then up at the canopy overhead. His hold on me tightens, encouraging me to follow his line of sight.

Looking up I see a curious little face staring down at us, two rounded ears in a face patchy pale and dark, furry and so darn cute. “What is it?”

“It's a stoat. They're naughty as anythin' but I just luff 'em. They've got loads of personality, tae much fer their wee bodies really, and they're like little rebels always lookin' fer trouble.” Looking away from the branch where our voyeur sits, he stares into my eyes, and his are dark as flint in the gloom. “A lot like ye actually.”

“Oh really?” I laugh. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means I'm damn glad we're alone, and if yer uncle's vibe is anythin' tae gae by, I'm daeing this now...”

Wrapped in his solid embrace I'm walked slowly backwards until I'm resting against a trunk, all while being kissed within an inch of asphyxiation.

He tastes of bitter malt, warmed like medicine, and administered to me with a tongue slowly dancing across mine, my lip kneaded between his, his left hand now cradling my head.

It's so good I close my eyes, breathing in his cedar shampoo, his taste, his spruce cologne wrapped in body warmed leather, and the faint scent of woodland infused jeans. Tattooing him into my memory, I pray this isn't our last moment together.

It's giddy being kissed by him. He's everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend, and even though he's tall and athletic, his kisses are so soft. His lips are smooth and supple, the feel of his nape under my hand is addictive, and his long hair and short stubble are entirely masculine and adult.

I can't explain how hot I find long hair on him. I can't imagine him having short hair. There's something primal... and...
right
... about his entire package. A gentleman caught in an untamed world, a sweet soul stuck in the body of a warrior... it's... perfect.

I desperately hope I'm not sent away.

*

Douglas:

This day is the longest I've ever lived. I started it a simple lad and have ended it with a complete paradigm shift.