Survivor (21 page)

P
eter opened the door for me and I
preceded him in.  The cool breath of the night air was alive with sound and
taste, and I hated to leave it.  I was also anxious about seeing my vampire
friends again- as brethren.  Leah had dropped in to visit a couple days ago.  The
unprepossessing blonde had perched on my kitchen counter and declared it was
about time for me to come out among my own kind.  As a human, I had thought her
harmless.  Now I could see her true nature- master vampire, coven leader, in
possession of a very powerful aura.  Maybe knowing her as a human had given me
a false sense of security.  I should have been terrified by the woman behind
the ruthless elimination of an entire coven of vampires.  Don’t get me wrong- I
had a lot of newfound respect for the woman perched in my kitchen, but I wasn’t
afraid of her.  If I had to bow to someone’s wishes, I was relieved it was
her.  So I accepted her invitation.  I don’t think I really had the option to
say no, but she was kind enough to make it seem like I did. 

I practically skipped through the door and into the
dimly lit interior of the little vampire bar, loving the feel of my legs
working in harmony with the rest of my body.  Thanks to the quirk with my
coordination, I could now pull off movements of agility that even Peter
couldn’t duplicate, though I was no match for him in terms of speed or strength.

The bar had a cozy lounge feel, almost as if you
were in someone’s game room, rather than an establishment.  There were some
humans here.  I felt my fangs want to come out at the thought, but managed to
control myself.  I was still learning how to feed without causing fear or pain,
and Peter was always there to guide me.

I swept the room with a glance, finding a Viktor
lounging in a big leather smoking chair, with his back to us.  Tossing my purse
on the bar, I eeled my way to him, my movements fluid, graceful, and completely
silent.  Of course, he could sense a new aura, one that was unfamiliar to him. 
He would know I was young, and that I was with Peter would mean it could only
be me.  He didn’t move from his seat or pause in his conversation with his
companions until I came around the front of his chair.  I quickly placed a foot
on the chair, between his legs.  The ball of my foot rested on his crotch,
exerting just enough pressure to make him stay put.

His gaze traveled from my foot to my face.  When his
silvery brown eyes met mine, he grinned in appreciation.  I leaned forward and
jammed a forearm under his throat, choking him.  It would have really hurt a
human, but it was merely uncomfortable for him.

“Hello Viktor,” I said in a sweet, melodious voice. 
“So good to see you again, you ruthless son of a bitch.”

His hands came up to grasp my hips familiarly.  I
shifted my foot, crushing his junk, and he dropped his hands immediately.  I
exerted just a bit more pressure to make my point, then stepped back, crossing
my arms over my chest and glaring.

He only laughed, a rich guffaw.  “Holy shit!” he
rasped out, as if I’d actually damaged his throat.  “I told you you’d thank
me.”

Peter had come to watch, sinking gracefully onto a
nearby loveseat.  “Fuck you, Viktor,” I said without heat.  “You’re a cold,
heartless bastard.”

Vampires don’t get a buzz off alcohol the way humans
do, but it has some effect if you drink enough.  Sometimes it just tasted good-
like a memory.  I picked up his beer and drained it.  “Thanks.”

Peter smiled in amusement.  “I don’t appreciate your
methods,” he said levelly.  “However, I can’t fault the end result.  Just don’t
blame me if she holds a grudge.”

I stretched, feeling lean and powerful.  The men’s
eyes caressed my midriff as my silk camisole slid up, parting ways with my hip
hugging jeans.  It should bother me, but it didn’t.  I was feeling glorious.  Let
them stare.  I met Peter’s silver eyes and felt my own aura respond.  I
couldn’t control the teeth this time.

Viktor chuckled.  “It’s okay girlie,” he said,
gesturing to the bar tender for another beer.  “You’ll get used to it.  And in
the mean time, you don’t have to try so hard.  We can be ourselves here.”

I dropped onto the loveseat beside Peter, scooting
sideways so my legs were draped across his lap.  Dropping my head back over the
arm of the couch, I closed my eyes and soaked in the soothing presence of my
new family.  Their auras touched mine lightly, and a relaxed feeling settled
over me.  Now I knew what Peter meant about the coven being a family.  It was
more comfortable with them around me.

Peter’s hand stroked the inside of my knee and I
laughed, feeling beyond powerful.  I levered myself over the arm of the chair,
rolling like a gymnast, and landed on the other side.  Making my way to the
dance floor, I lost myself in the oddly upbeat music pulsing around me.  I
would never tire of being able to move this way, of being free and strong.

The bar had filled up, and I was high with the joy
of my coming out.  It took me a while to realize that the atmosphere was off. 
Even though the people scattered about the place looked relaxed, there was an
undercurrent of tension that was unsettling.  Peter and Leah were chatting at
the bar, and I went to join them.  There had been more fighting among the
lesser covens lately, and several lower ranking vampires had made the move to
takeover neighboring covens.  Leah was trying to decide if this was just
standard territorial squabbling, or if it was something her moderately sized
coven needed to take notice of. 

“Something about the whole situation makes me
uneasy,” Peter admitted, toying with his glass of dark red wine.  “There is
always unrest, but it seems that it has increased lately.  There has to be
something more to it.”

Leah nodded, considering his words while she toyed
with a little bowl of peanuts.  I didn’t know why they even had them here. 
None of the vampires were going to eat them- the salt was terrible.  I caught
sight of one of the few humans, edging up to the other end of the bar.  Maybe
the
guests
needed some protein to balance out their revelries.  The
man’s brown eyes met mine, showing interest, then darted away as he carefully
focused on his drink.  My jaw ached, and I licked my lips.  
Not thirsty.
 I told myself firmly. 
You are not thirsty, you just fed.

I pulled my attention back to Peter and Leah’s
conversation.  They were pretty much completely ignoring me at this point.  I
felt like the only little kid at a table of grown-ups.  “Maybe something is
causing the vampires to be more aggressive than usual,” I suggested.  “You
know, full moon, or sorcerer or something like that…”  I wasn’t sure what would
make vampires edgy, but it was still a valid idea, I told myself defensively. 

“Hmm…”  Peter made a considering sound, but then
continued with a completely un-related comment to Leah about politics.  I
leaned forward and thumped my head on the table dramatically.  Neither one of
them noticed.  The bartender was staring at me though, so I sat up and
pretended to be an adult. 

Growing bored, and knowing that I wouldn’t be
missed, I slipped off my barstool and headed toward the back door.  I knew that
if I left, the conversation would probably turn to me and all my oddities.  I
still wasn’t right, and I knew Peter was worried.  Leah had dismissed his
concerns last time I overheard them talking about me, saying only, “She will be
what she will be- and there is nothing you can do to change that.”  After that,
I decided not to eavesdrop.  I didn’t want to know how damaged I was.

 All of the sudden I was tired of socializing.  The
thrill was starting to wear off.  I just wanted to go home, where there weren’t
so many reminders that I was just a baby- and an underdeveloped one at that.  Some
fresh air sounded like a very good idea.  A vampire was lounging in the shadows
on a tacky red couch, a pretty blonde clinging to him like a second skin.  As I
passed, I recognized Haine and gave him a little wave.  I wasn’t surprised to
see him off in the corner.  For some reason, most of the coven avoided him- or
at least weren’t as comfortable around him.  I thought it odd myself.  He was
one of my favorite people.

I pushed open the heavy metal door at the back exit
and took a breath of cool night air.  There was a chill there, but not enough
to bother me.  The change in temperature felt good after the warm, stuffy bar. 
It looked like the employees took their breaks out here.  There was a little
flowerbed and a wooden park bench next to a cigarette butt disposal.  They must
employ some humans, I mused.  Vampires would never smoke.  The smell of smoke
is absolutely repellant when your nose is as sensitive as a hound’s. 

I sat on the bench and scuffed my feet.  There was a
little gravel footpath that struck out toward the riverbank, but I wouldn’t leave
the area alone.  Peter was right- not that I would ever admit it to his face- I
still needed supervision.  My instincts still weren’t one hundred percent under
my control.  I was leaning back, looking at the bright stars, when the door
opened and Haine drifted out to join me on my bench.

“Whatever is troubling you, I don’t think the answer
is up there.”  His voice was warm and gentle, but I knew better than to voice
my worries after his warning last time. 

“Maybe not, but it’s more fun to stare at the stars
than sit around listening to Peter and Leah babble on about politics.”

He snorted.  “I can only imagine.”  Standing, he
started down the little footpath.  “Would you like to come for a walk?  I’ll
chaperone you.”

I wasn’t sure how old Haine was, but he was
powerful.  I knew he was perfectly capable of controlling me if I went off the
deep end and tried to eat a jogger.  “I’d love to.”

We strolled along the path, listening to the last of
the frogs singing for all they were worth.  It wouldn’t be long before it was
too cold for them.  Then the water would be hushed with snow and covered with
chunks of ice.  I smiled at the thought that I would actually be able to enjoy
winter this year, rather than being stuck in my wheelchair, confined to paved
paths.  Maybe I could convince Peter to take me sledding or ice-skating.

My mind wandered for a while before I realized that
Haine was being very quiet.  “Is there something on your mind?”  I didn’t want
to pry, but it was unusual to see the lighthearted man so thoughtful. 

He sighed.  “Melody, do you trust me?”  His question
caught me off guard, and I slowed to a stop, looking out at the river. 

“Of course I do, Haine,” I said hesitantly.  “But
when you ask questions like that, I start to wonder…”

He laughed, and I could see his warm smile in the
thin moonlight.  “My master was a very ancient vampire.”  I was surprised at
the change of topic, but curiosity made me keep quiet.  “As he aged, he began
to isolate himself from the world.  He became a venomous creature, hiding in
the dark.”

I leaned against the trunk of a big willow tree and
regarded him in a new light.  He was old.  I was beginning to add centuries to
my estimate of his age.  Was he worried because he was often isolated from the
rest of the coven?

“I was his favorite, so he kept me close, even when
I was of an age where I should have been able to begin my own coven.”  He
looked out over the quiet water for a moment before continuing.  “Some of us
have…abilities…”

I nodded.  I had heard rumors that some vampires
were just a little more talented than others.  Leah could influence people’s
moods, exerting a calming effect.  Peter was a superb fighter. 

“My master could slip into people’s minds.  It only
worked on the weaker vampires, but because he was my master, I had no
resistance to him.”  He sighed, dropping his serious mood like shedding a layer
of clothing.  “And then one day I grew strong enough to escape his influence.”

“And you came here to be with the rest of the orphan
vampires,” I said softly.  I was lucky that I had Peter.  I knew, though I
tried to forget it, that other masters were often abusive in their control over
their children.

Haine laughed, a beautiful, rippling sound that
carried over the water.  “Orphan vampires.  I like it.”  He brushed his silvery
hair back from his eyes.  “It took me a while to find my way here.  The other
vampires tend to avoid me.  I think they can sense that I’m stronger than any
of them, no matter how I try to hide it.  But I’ve been happy in this place.”

I went to join him by the water.  “Then why do you
sound so lonely?”

He snorted.  “Lonely?  Me?  I’m above such things.”

 I laughed and nudged him.  “Of course, you have me
for a friend, so what more could you ask for?”

He was quiet again for some time.  When he spoke
again, he surprised the hell out of me.  “Melody, I want you to bite me.”

I didn’t know what to say.  For a full minute, I
just stared, thinking I’d heard him wrong.  “What?”

He turned to me, his eyes liquid silver in the
moonlight.  “I have lived much of my life under someone’s control.  I am happy
to be free, but it is… lonely… to suddenly be without a connection to someone. 
I want you to bite me.”

I swallowed hard.  Feeding from humans was one
thing, but among vampires, a bite had more significance.  The only time
vampires fed from other vampires was if they were in a master/child
relationship where the young vampire needed his master’s blood.  Or if two
vampires were a mated pair.