by J. P. Bowie
Somehow, some had survived, and revenge was now uppermost in their twisted minds.
At first, I had expected their vile practises to be immediately inflicted upon me, but so far, even after several days, I had not been violated. It was not me they wanted this time—not really. I was merely a hostage, the bait in a trap to ensnare my dearest friend—Marcus Verano. They knew he would not rest until he had found me, no matter how long it took.
They played their game well, these practitioners of the Dark Arts, these vile and ugly wizards who had been our enemies for centuries.
Here, in this dark cell, they had cut off any mental communication I might have used to warn Marcus of the trap they were setting. They had erected a barrier carved from their demonic black magic that even Marcus’ powers could not penetrate. I knew if he was scanning for me, he would find nothing remotely resembling my brain patterns. His searching would be fruitless—until they were ready for him. Then, and only then, would they allow him the knowledge that would lead to his capture and ultimate death.
For days, I had sent out warnings, even though I knew the barrier would fry any
thought waves that tried to pass through. Then the inconceivable happened. I heard a voice, or rather, a thought, penetrate the barrier.
“I love you, Joseph. I love you.”
My whole body stiffened with shock. Micah. It was Micah’s voice I’d heard inside my head. Was I hallucinating? Had my longing for him finally unhinged my mind? For there it was, as clear as a bell, his voice, trembling and unsure, but filled with emotion…with love.
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“Micah!” My shout filled the cell with echoes, reverberating around the walls as though his name had taken wings and would escape the dank and dismal walls that contained me.
“Micah…” The gods knew how much I missed him, had yearned for him each day we had been apart. But my present captivity and the fact that the wizards still existed made me realise that my relationship with Micah could never be. How could I introduce him to a world filled with devilish monsters? Was it not bad enough that one day I would have to reveal my true nature to him? Even if he could get over the shock of what I am, how could I endanger his life along with my own? No, if I survived this, whatever the outcome might be, I would have to give up any thoughts of sharing a future with Micah.
The door to my cell swung open, and a tall and beautiful young man entered. His face and body had not changed over the years, for he had been kept young by the blood of vampires, victims of the wizards who now slithered in the darkness behind him, chuckling softly at my expression of amazement.
“Angelo…”
“Hello, Joseph.” Only then, as a wolfish smile appeared on his face, could I see that he had indeed changed. Gone was the innocent boy I had once known and loved. Now, his eyes glowed with a preternatural cunning, and the teeth that showed behind his lips were no longer lovely, but sharp and fang-like.
“Angelo, what have they done to you?”
“They have given me the power I always craved,” he replied, crossing my cell to look down at me. “They have made me like you, Joseph.” He knelt by my side. His hand caressed my face then slid down to stroke my chest and abdomen. “Do you remember when I would come to you to bring you comfort?” he whispered, close to my ear.
My body shuddered at his touch. Not with the desire with which he had once inflamed me, but with revulsion at what he had become.
“You’re not like me, Angelo,” I said quietly, staring into his burning eyes. “What they touch is always corrupted. I might be a vampire and, as such, looked on with fear and horror by many, but the followers of Marcus Verano’s beliefs do not engage in the practise of evil.”
His laughter was sinister. “Oh please, Joseph. You drink human blood. You prey upon mortals for your sustenance.” His hand had now slipped below my navel, and his fingertips caressed my penis. “Is that not evil?”
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“But we do not kill humans, Angelo.” I gritted my teeth, determined that my body would not respond to his ministrations. “I told you that our bite prolongs human life. What these monsters have done to you, I can see in your eyes. They have taken away your soul.
They have changed you from a sweet and caring boy into one of them—a monster disguised as an angel.”
His hand stilled on my groin, and his smile became a stony grimace. “I loved you Joseph, but you chose to follow him who tried to destroy me.”
“Marcus didn’t try to destroy you, Angelo. He gave you the chance to leave with us.
You refused, even though you said you loved me. The choice to remain and face the wizards’
punishment was yours alone. You could have come with me.”
“Well…” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand and stood, looking down at me with disdain. “It’s a little late for all that now, isn’t it? Marcus Verano is coming to your aid, Joseph, just as we knew he would. And when he does, this time we will destroy him.”
“Angelo,” I said, desperation making me struggle against my bonds. “Think of what this will mean. If you kill Marcus, you will bring the wrath of hundreds of vampires down upon you—and this collection of miserable cowards will not protect you. They will throw you aside in their frenzy to escape.”
Angelo shook his head sadly. “Poor, deluded Joseph. Do you really think we would attempt this without a great deal of help? We have allied ourselves with the Dark Forces.”
“What?” I gaped at him in horror. “You would bring the Dark Forces into this? Are you mad? Do you think for one moment they will honour any such alliance? Oh, Angelo, what have you done? They will slaughter everyone in their path—vampires, wizards, and any mortal who gets in their way.”
Angelo stared at me. For the first time since he had walked into my cell, he looked unsure of himself. His nervous glance into the darkened space outside the door was met by angry murmurings from the wizards lurking in the passageway.
“Don’t listen to him,” a voice hissed, and a black-robed and hooded figure sidled into the cell. A hand that was no more than a mass of burned and badly healed flesh and bone gestured at me. “He knows nothing.”
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“I know enough about the Dark Forces to realise that you have all made a terrible blunder, “ I yelled at the wizard. “They will destroy you—and this time, there will be no survivors.”
“Perhaps, we should talk more of this,” Angelo muttered.
“Why? Because he says so?” The wizard spat with contempt. “You will do as ordered.
Bring Marcus Verano here and destroy him. If there is any threat of retribution, we will invoke the alliance. That is all—now see to it.”
Angelo inclined his head, then with but a sharp glance at me, he turned and left my cell.
The wizard gazed down at me from eyes as black as his twisted soul. He smiled,
revealing teeth that were no more than rotting stumps. “You and your vampire friends will soon die. It is fitting, Joseph, that we brought you back here for this, our moment of triumph.
This is how we repay those who betray and deceive us—”
“I didn’t betray you,” I interrupted. “One can only betray or deceive those whom he loves. I hated you—all of you—for what you did to me. And now I hate you even more for what you have done to Angelo. When Marcus finally does defeat you, it will give me great pleasure to grind your bones into the dust under my feet.”
The wizard’s laughter was without mirth. “We shall see, Joseph…we shall see who will grind whose bones into the dust.”
Micah
“Micah!”
I jumped up from the couch, the sound of Joseph’s voice ringing in my head. My God, where had that come from? Had I dropped off for a moment or two and dreamed he had called my name?
But it had been so real…
/>
I paced about the room, my mind going to all kinds of crazy places. Was he being held somewhere against his will? Had he been injured, and no one was around to hear his call for help—no one, except me? And how could that have happened?
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It must just have been my imagination, I reasoned with myself. I picked up the phone and dialled Ron’s cell number.
He answered on the second ring.
“This is Ron.”
“Hi, it’s Micah. I know you would have called me if there was any news about Joseph, but—and I know this is going to sound crazy—but I just heard him calling my name. I don’t think I was hallucinating or anything. It sounded so clear and real.”
“Uh…okay. Listen, we’re over with Marcus and Roger right now. Would you like to
talk to Marcus? He’s just come back from Paris.”
“He has?” He’d flown to Paris and back in such a short space of time? “Yes, let me talk to him.”
“Micah…” Marcus’ deep melodious voice in my ear came close to calming me down.
“Hi, Marcus. Did you find out anything in Paris?”
“I’m afraid not. I went to his home, but everything looked in order. No sign of a disturbance, no notes on any problems he might have encountered, no unusual messages on his answering machine. Ron said you heard his voice.”
“Yes, very loud and clear in my head. He sounded like he was in some kind of trouble.”
“But very much alive, which gives me hope.”
He didn’t sound at all surprised or incredulous that I had somehow heard Joseph
calling my name. “Marcus, I want to go to Paris to look for him.”
There was a long silence on the other end, then he said, “I understand your anxiety, but going to Paris would be a futile exercise. It is an enormous city with many secrets you could never unravel. I will be honest with you now…Joseph had some enemies who sought to do him harm. I know who those enemies are and where to find them, yet I could not.”
“Enemies?” Joseph had enemies? “What kind of enemies? Did you go to the police?”
He hesitated for just a second. “Yes, I gave the police a missing persons report.”
And it was then that I knew I was being lied to. My strange intuition that kicks in every now and then did just that.
“No, you didn’t,” I said, brazenly. Suddenly, I was angry. Now I was sure they were holding something from me—something about Joseph they felt I shouldn’t be aware of.
Something bad.
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“You guys are keeping something from me,” I said, raising my voice. “I know it, and whatever it is I’m going to find out. I know Joseph is alive somewhere, and I’m going to find him. I’m going to Paris on the earliest flight there is.” And with that, I hung up on him. I was shaking with anger, with frustration—and with an adrenalin rush from yelling at Marcus.
Wow, had I really railed at him like that? Yep, and it had felt good. Those guys, with their oh, so inscrutable smiles and placating ways were getting on my nerves. They thought I was just some dumb schmuck who’d believe any lie they’d tell me just to keep me quiet.
A knock at my door made me jump. Who the hell…?
Oh, probably Rhonda coming to make sure I was okay.
I swung open the door and gaped at the man who stood there. Marcus. The power of his physical presence was astounding. I stepped back as he entered my apartment and closed the door behind him. For a long moment, he stared into my eyes as if reading my mind.
“Marcus,” I said, my voice decidedly wimpy. “How did you get here so fast? We were just talking—”
“And you hung up on me.” His voice was gentle.
“S…sorry…but, how did you…?”
“Come, sit down with me here on the couch.” He took my arm, and I found I had no will other than to obey him. We sat down together, and I felt myself become mesmerised by the emerald green gaze he fixed upon me. “I want you to go back to that moment when you heard Joseph’s voice. Can you do that for me?”
I nodded, strangely light-headed.
“Would you now relive that moment?” he said quietly. “So that I, too, can hear his voice?”
Again, I nodded.
He’s hypnotising me, I thought. But it felt nice, so I didn’t mind. I let myself drift back to that moment, not so long ago really, when Joseph’s voice had filled my mind.
“Micah!”
Marcus stiffened with surprise. Then he let out a long sigh of satisfaction. “Yes, Joseph,”
he murmured. “Now I know where to find you.”
I grabbed his arm. “You do? Where is he? Let me come with you.”
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Marcus smiled at me and touched my cheek with his fingertips. “You remind me so
much of Roger when we first met. You have the same questioning nature, the same
headstrong impulses and the same bravery. I am only sorry that I cannot take you with me.”
“But you have to, Marcus,” I cried. “I love Joseph. Don’t you know that? If you know where he is, I want to be there when he’s rescued—because that’s what it is, isn’t it? If he’s being held by some bastards who want to hurt him, I want to be there to see them get theirs!”
“Micah…” His eyes held a sadness I couldn’t quite understand. “It is best you forget everything that has happened in the last few days. When I find Joseph and return him to you, it will be a joyful reunion for both of you. You will never know he disappeared. You are not quite ready for the truth of us. When you know Joseph better, you will better understand why I must do this.”
“What are you talking about? How could I ever forget what’s been happening?” I
sprang to my feet as I raged at him. “What is it you’re hiding from me? What are you? Some secret society or something? Is that what’s put Joseph in danger? Whatever it is, I can take it.
It won’t make me love him any less, I can assure you.”
“Really?” He stood, his height and wide shoulders suddenly becoming more of a threat than an attraction. “Look at me. Before I erase all memories of this encounter, look at me as I really am.”
He opened his mouth, his upper lip curling back. I could not prevent the gasp of startled horror that escaped from me as I stared at the two very long, sharp fangs, and with that, the reality of what he was—a vampire. My mind struggled to grasp that this gorgeous man was, in fact, a monster—the stuff of nightmares and scary movies. Only, this wasn’t a nightmare or make-believe. He was real, standing right in front of me, in the middle of my apartment.
I took an involuntary step backwards and fell on my ass.
“Micah, don’t be afraid.”
Don’t be afraid? Oh right, when there’s a fuckin’ vampire looming over me, why should I be afraid?
“Stay away from me,” I quavered, pedalling frantically backwards on my butt,
knocking over a magazine rack in the process.
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“Micah, I swear I will not harm you.” He knelt by me then lifted me to my feet with absolutely no effort. I whimpered and went rigid in his arms, terrified that at any moment he would take a very big bite out of my neck.
“Don’t be afraid, Micah,” Marcus said, his voice once again gentle and reassuring.
“Neither I nor any of my friends will ever harm you.” Again, he seemed to cast a kind of spell over me. His eyes held mine, and I began to feel slightly less afraid of him.
“Joseph…is he a vampire, too?” I asked, trying to speak as though I had control over my tongue which had gone dry with fear.
He nodded, releasing me from his grasp. “The night before he left for Europe he told me how much he loved you and wanted my advice on how to gently break the news to you.
/> It is not something we can hide forever. You must have noticed there are difficulties in knowing him.”
I sighed, remembering. “I wondered why we could never meet in the daytime for
lunch, or something. He said his eyes couldn’t take strong sunlight. I even bought him a pair of sunglasses. He must have gotten a chuckle out of that,” I added, with some bitterness.
“He was extremely touched by your gift.”
“He told you that?”
“Yes. He also told me that when he returned from Europe, he was going to risk telling you the truth. That is why he asked for my advice. How I told Roger…”
“And what did you tell him?”
He smiled, and this time there was no sign of the fangs, thank goodness. “I’m afraid my approach was a little crude and self-serving. I stole Roger away from a party he was attending and flew him to my home in the Hollywood Hills, leaving him in no doubt as to what I am.”
“You…you flew him?”
“Yes. A little melodramatic, I’ll agree, but it helped break the ice, immediately.”
I gaped at him. He could joke about this?
“I’m sorry, Micah. My humour is a tad out of place at this moment. I just want you to realise you are in no danger from me. You are Joseph’s lover, and it would be wrong of me to touch you in any way that is inappropriate.”
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I relaxed a little. I believed him when he said I was not in any danger. There was just something totally sincere in the way he’d said it. He thought of me as Joseph’s lover. That was sweet. But Joseph was a vampire. How could I live with that knowledge? What would our life together be like, always living in the shadows? What would my mom say?
“Your mind is now filled with doubts and fears,” Marcus said, softly.
“Yes. I love Joseph, and I miss him terribly, but what you’ve just told me makes me feel it’s impossible for us to have a future together.”
“And yet he called to you, Micah. Whoever is holding him has created a barrier that my mind cannot penetrate, but you heard his call for help, and because of that, I now know where to find him. You made that possible, and you may have just saved his life. The love you feel for each other helped break through that barrier. To me, that is a wondrous thing, and something that should not be put aside because of fear or doubt.”