Initiation (22 page)

"That’s too bad." Kim took a few more bites from her salad, making sure to chew it thoroughly before she spoke again, "Well, if we can’t find anyone, maybe you can pose for me, and I can pose for you."

"Okay." Addison laughed, "But on one condition. You have to let me buy the painting from you."

"Sure, but I’d have to charge you like five hundred bucks though."

"Okay." Addison took a small sip of her malt.

Kim stopped laughing when she realized Addison wasn’t joking about paying her that much. "You’d seriously give five hundred bucks for it? You’re kidding."

"No. I seriously would."

"That’d be great." Kim speared some more lettuce, eating the rest of her salad quickly.

"I’d like to give it to my husband as a present. He’d love it."

"That’s a good idea." Speaking with her mouth full, Kim’s voice was slightly muffled, "We could do, like, a sexy painting." She pointed to Addison, "Boudoir maybe?"

Addison chuckled, looking down as she took her phone out of her purse when she heard it beep. "He’d like that. And you’re such an amazing artist—I’d love to have a piece of your work." She looked down at the message, which was from Josh. She quickly texted him a reply, still half listening to what Kim was saying.

"I was thinking…" Kim was talking with her hands, a light-hearted tone in her friendly voice, "Vampirism is sexy around here, so maybe we could do a sort of erotic
vampiress
themed painting."

"What?" Addison almost dropped her cell, her jaw dropping as she stared at Kim blankly. Swallowing the hard lump in her throat, her voice came out very low and forced, "
Vampiress
?"

"Yeah." Kim was upset when she noticed Addison’s reaction, "Are you
weirded
out by stuff like that?"

"No, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just a different kind of lifestyle. Why do you ask?" Addison was worried Kim was another wannabe like her sister Kelly had been. Leaning closer to Kim, Addison whispered so the others around them couldn’t hear. "You’re into that kind of stuff?"

"Yes." Kim smiled, and now that Addison was so close to her, she could see Kim’s small fangs. "Is that okay? We can still be friends, right?"

"Sure." Addison sighed as she sat back in her chair again, a slightly annoyed look on her face. "So, what class are you?"

"Good, you don’t seem scared of the whole thing." Kim laughed, putting her hand over her heart. "Thank goodness. I was worried about what you’d say when you found out." She let out a giant huff of air she had been holding in, "We’ve become such great friends that I had to tell you…especially since we’ll be spending a lot more time together. I wouldn’t want any…"

"Awkward moments." Addison’s lips turned up slightly as she quietly observed Kim’s relieved expression.

"I—" Kim smiled at the waitress as she handed Kim the bill. "Thanks." Standing up from the booth, Kim looked a little worried as she fumbled in her purse for some money. "Let’s go outside and talk more."

They paid their bills at the front register then walked back to Kim’s car, which they had taken to the restaurant. They didn’t say anything to each other before they got into the car, an awkward silence forming between them.

"So," Addison paused as she put on her seatbelt, looking over at Kim as she started the car. "What are you? A scavenger or an elite?"

"Well, I’m a scavenger, but I live more like an elite."

"Oh." Addison nodded, looking out the window as Kim pulled out of the parking lot.

"Addison?" Kim glanced over at her briefly as she drove. "Are you mad at me now?"

"No." Addison shook her head. "When do you want to me to sit for your painting?"

"Umm…" Kim laughed nervously as she tried to adjust to Addison’s redirection of the conversation. "What about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Okay." Addison smiled, her tongue pushing up against the back of her front teeth, feeling the false ones she had put over her fangs. "Although, I do like your
vampiress
idea, I’m sure my husband would prefer something a little lighter in mood. More angelic."

"Okay." Kim’s voice was now more light and friendly, "I’ll come up with a nice set up and have it ready when you come over tomorrow." Biting her lip, Kim looked apprehensively at Addison. "You are all right with coming over to a vampire’s house, right?"

Addison just laughed and didn’t answer Kim’s question.

* * * *

Addison and Kim were observing their paintings in the local art gallery where they were having a private showing of their work for friends and family. Their professor would critique their pieces and people were able to bid on them. Addison had already paid Kim for hers, so it had a sold tag on the frame.

Kim had created a very beautiful portrait of Addison, one that captured the beauty of an angel with a spark of sin mixed in. Addison was dressed as an angel, giant wings curling over her shoulders. The painting bore a dark theme, Kim titling it
Heaven’s Sinner
.

Addison laughed as she admired the painting, still in awe at how life-like it looked, "I love this, Kim. You’re so talented."

"So are you." Kim pointed to Addison’s painting that hung much further down the long wall.

The girls then walked around the room, studying their fellow classmates' works. The gallery had a fair amount of visitors, but it wasn’t packed by any means. Addison stopped to talk to the professor about her own painting while Kim returned to hers.

Everyone was saying wonderful things about it, the attention making Kim’s gloating smile grow bigger. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to a very important looking man checking out her work. She quickly scurried over to him, almost tripping on other people in her haste to get nearer to him.

"Do you like it, Master
Vallore
?" Speaking in a breathless voice, Kim nervously fidgeted with her hands as she stood next to Christian.

"Oh, yes." A devilish grin filled his lips as he pointed to Kim’s painting. "I must have it." He turned to her, "How much do you want for it?"

"I…umm…" When his eyes fell on hers she thought she was going to pass out. He was so handsome, that sinful twinkle in his eyes so blinding, it made her heart race.

Looking away from Kim, Christian inspected the ticket. "Ah," Christian laughed as he read the name Addison V. on the sale slip. "It is sold already." Bowing his head slightly, he sent a small smile Kim’s way, "Please excuse me." He left, leaving the lovesick girl standing awkwardly as she watched his departure longingly.

Addison saw Christian coming toward her and quickly made her way over to him, "Good evening, Master
Vallore
." She giggled as she grabbed his hand and pulled him along, a playful tone in her voice as she walked side-by-side with him. "Are you interested in buying my painting?"

"Maybe." Christian went with Addison over to her painting. He had seen it already because he had watched her working on it at home. Even though it was not a surprise, he pretended as if he had never seen it before.

"Wow." Christian wrapped his arm around her waist as he pretended to study it. "This is amazing. I absolutely must have it for my collection. How much is it?"

"Hmm…" Addison giggled, grabbing the small slip of paper attached to it and writing the words “sold” and “C.V.” on it. After she was finished, she moved closer to him and whispered to him sweetly, "I’ll sell it for a million kisses."

"You have a deal." Christian chuckled, squeezing her hand as he stood next to her. "I will pay you in installments over the next hundred years."

"Did you see the painting of me?" Addison pointed toward Kim, who was now talking to a few other people around her.

"Yes," Christian smiled, "And soon it will be mine. Then, I will be able to admire the beauty of my love for all eternity."

Addison giggled, holding onto his arm and laying her head on his shoulder. "
Aww
..."

"We must be leaving soon." He pulled on her hand and walked her away from her painting.

"Sure." Addison nodded, holding onto one of his hands as she moved away from him. "Just let me say goodbye to Kim."

"Why not invite her to come as well? I reserved the entire south box for tonight." Christian had a devilish look in his eyes, a look she knew meant he was up to something.

"No, she—" Addison was going to protest, but Kim ran up to her and interrupted what she was going to say.

"Addison." Kim glanced at Addison and then at Christian, a slightly confused expression on her face. She was going to say something more but couldn’t find the words, Christian's good looks making her loose her train of thought.

"We are going to the theatre. Would you like to join us?" Christian looked at Addison briefly and then back at Kim, "I have a ticket that will go to waste if you do not take it."

"
Ya
-
ya
-yeah." Trying to sound cool, like she hadn’t been totally mesmerized by the handsome Master vampire, Kim giggled nervously. "Of course. I wouldn’t…I mean…" Kim’s face was turning bright red. "I would love to."

"Okay. We’ll meet you there." Addison smiled at her, a tinge of sadness in her expression as she looked at her friend. Kim wasn’t special like Addison had thought. She was just like everyone else—hopelessly in love with Christian.

"So, umm…" Fidgeting, Kim gazed over at Addison then quickly back at the striking man at her side. "How do you know Master
Vallore
?"

"Come Addison." Christian handed Kim a ticket from his pocket before putting his arm around Addison’s waist and leading her out of the building.

They drove to the theatre, and Addison waited at the entrance for her friend. Addison never questioned Christian’s decision to invite Kim, nor did she even mention much about it. Christian hadn’t been nice to any of her friends, in fact he usually ended up killing them, so Addison decided to abandon the subject altogether.

Addison waved at Kim when she saw her, motioning for Kim to join her.

"Hey." Kim walked close to Addison as they quickly climbed the stairs together. They were late, and Addison wanted to make sure they didn’t miss the opening. "So how do you know the Master? Are you an initiate? Or a—"

"
Shh
." Addison put her finger to her lips, hushing Kim before she opened the door that led to the box seats that Christian had reserved.

The opera had started already, the lights dimmed so that it was hard to see where they were going. Kim walked ahead of Addison and sat down in an empty seat near a few other vampires she knew. Kim said hello to them before looking back at Addison and signaling her to come sit in the empty seat.

Christian's wicked stare was glued on his wife. There was a commanding look on his face, one that Addison knew she couldn’t disobey. In a sweeping gesture, he motioned toward a vacant spot beside him. Addison looked at him and then Kim. She mouthed the words, "I can’t," to her friend before walking down the stairs and over to Christian quietly.

As Addison sunk into the seat, Christian wrapped his arm around her and let her lay on his chest. Kim watched Addison, unlike everyone else, who had become engrossed in the opera that was starting. Then, the lights went out and the world around them disappeared into the darkness. Christian, however, was not one of those people—his attention was focused entirely on Addison.

Whispering in Addison’s ear, Christian’s words were like smooth velvet that softened the deadly edge of his question. "Are you hungry, my love?"

"Yes." Addison’s longing eyes looked up at Christian as she whispered. She was hanging on him as she always did, the passion in their stare wicked in itself.

"Then I will feed you." His nose was resting on the tip of her own, Christian capturing her in his gaze. "Here."

Picking up the arm of the woman sitting next to him, Christian sent the woman a sinful smile. The girl was giddy from his attention and had to cover her mouth to stop her giggles. He stretched her arm over his lap, and Addison took her hand. Leaning over, he bit the woman’s neck.

His hand nearest Addison began rubbing her leg to let her know she was always the main object of his affections. When Addison bit the woman’s wrist, he let go of her thigh and covered the woman’s mouth so she didn’t scream.

The whole ritual was very quiet and hard to see with an untrained eye. In the dark, no one seemed to notice similar acts happening all around the box. The deed was as silent as the pain felt by the speechless donors, who had volunteered to give their blood in hopes of becoming one of the godlike creatures they envied.

This glorified lifestyle was very romantic to outsiders. The strong bond between the members of the family, especially between mates, was something to be desired. It was the perfect blend of sin and envy, the lure of such a promised true love like entering the circle of angels rather than joining the devilish creatures that were the vampires.

Kim couldn’t see what Christian was doing because it was pitch black where they were sitting, the only lights in the whole theatre were the ones below them illuminating the stage. Christian and Addison were sitting in the front, but there were no people sitting on either side of them except for the woman they were feeding on.