by A.N. Meade
they were. She didn’t recognize any of the landmarks that she could see.
Marc reached beside the seat and pulled out a piece of thick red ribbon. He handed it to her and said, “Tie this around your eyes.”
She hesitated. This was definitely pushing things. “I want to see where we’re going.” She went to hand the ribbon back to Marc, but he wouldn’t take it.
“It’s part of the surprise. Just trust me.” His request sounded simple. He couldn’t have asked anything more difficult of her. This would have been such a small thing, probably even an enjoyable and fun thing to most people. It wasn’t for her. Her hands were shaking. With a deep breath she took the fabric and tied it carefully around her eyes.
Marc started the car back up and they drove a short distance before the car came to a stop again. “Wait a moment and I’ll help you out.”
She let out the breath that she had been holding sharply. “You want me to get out of the car with this on my head?”
He reached in gently and braced her arm against his, supporting her as she stood up. “Yes, I do.”
“Well, you are out of your mind.” She could feel the burst of cool air on the back of her legs as the car door shut. She balked in place, refusing to step forward.
“A little.” He slipped his left arm around her waist and guided her onto the sidewalk. She paid attention to each sound around her, her heel on the concrete, the wet fall of a misty rain. Through the ribbon she could see the bright light of the streetlights that lined the walkway. She didn’t hear any people. She wasn’t sure if this was comforting or scary. They walked inside a building. The floors were some type of ceramic or marble. The air was warmer in here. She could hear the sound of the elevator coming to a stop on their floor. When it opened she could hear a couple speaking in French. They moved past them. When the elevator stopped and the door opened again, she could feel the cold wind hit her face. They were on a balcony or a rooftop.
“Here we are,” Marc said as he untied the blindfold.
Aimee could not believe it when she opened her eyes. There they were, on a balcony off the side of the Eiffel Tower. This was even more beautiful than the hotel, and much more striking in person than she had ever imagined. Her heart was racing and her breaths were faster and faster. She was here. For years she had fantasized about coming here and now it was all coming true.
Marc leaned forward a little, no matter how many times he had seen Paris it always struck him with such wonder. Then, he looked over at Aimee. “How do you like the view?”
“More than I had even imagined.” Her face was beaming with childlike excitement. “It’s amazing, wonderful, and absolutely amazing.” Her eyes were still adjusting, and with each passing moment she noticed another awe inspiring detail. There was so much to take in. “Thank you so much for bringing me.” Aimee reached her arms around Marc and hugged him tightly into her. She kissed his cheek lightly and then pulled back to look into his eyes. It had felt better than she imagined, standing there with their arms wrapped around each other. She felt really loved, for the first time in a long time. “I want to kiss you.”
“So kiss me.” His words were soft, but she could feel him fighting to hold himself back. His lips touched hers just barely, and she let her head fall back into his hand. His other arm was around her waist, and he was pressing her body into his. She had never felt a kiss so encompassing. Time seemed to stop, and for that moment it was like they were the only people in all of Paris. She was letting herself fall for him. It was terrifying, but it also felt good to let herself fall into someone else for once.
They stood up there for the longest time, enjoying the view and holding one another. When they finally got back down to the car, they hadn’t had the chance to start the engine before Marc’s phone went off. He looked down and his laugh became a concerned scowl. “I have to take this. Excuse me a minute?”
“Sure.” Aimee looked down at her hands. She wasn’t entirely sure what to think about what just happened. She had kissed him. She had never really dated, so that in itself was strange enough. More than that, it had easily been the most passionate kiss that she had ever had in her life. She had never felt about anyone the way that she felt about him. It was so scary, the idea of falling so completely in love. She wanted to trust him. In doing that though, she would be letting him have her love completely. She hadn’t quite begun to weigh the balance of things when Marc returned to the car. The worry was written all over his face. He rubbed his hands over his face, running them up and through his hair. His breath was heavy. “What is it?”
“I need to talk to you about something.” His words were flat. She could tell that he was trying to regain control of his breathing and expression.
“You can talk to me about anything.” Aimee said the words, and she hoped that they were true.
“I’m so sorry that I didn’t talk with you about this sooner. I honestly did not think that it would matter. I thought that with all the time that has passed things would be settled, amicable.” He looked at her and she could see the doubt in his eyes.
“What? Tell me.” She knew that it must be really bad because he would not look her directly in her eyes. Even though she had his hands in hers now, he looked above and behind her. He had always looked her square in the eyes before. He had never kept himself from her.
“It’s Damian, the one who turned me. He has summoned us.” Marc’s face fell.
Tears welled up in Aimee’s eyes. “What?! He’s here, he’s in Paris?” She had no idea what it meant to be summoned, but by Marc’s reaction to everything she knew that this would be bad. This would be very bad and she would not be able to do a thing to stop it.
Marc’s lips parted to allow for the heavy breaths. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
“If I had known I wouldn’t have come.” She dropped his hands and leaned back. She was dizzy. Just a few moments ago she was on top of the world. Now, she couldn’t even think. “When?” was the only question ringing in her mind.
“Tonight.” Marc looked forward. “It could just be curiosity. Seeing us should satisfy that.”
“What should I expect?” She tried to hide the fear, but even though she kept her voice steady, her body quivered.
Seeing her tremble, Marc wrapped his arms around her and held her. “It’s going to be alright. Don’t worry.” He kissed her gently on the top of her head. He didn’t want to let her go. He didn’t want to move at all. He had brought her here with all the best intentions. He hoped that he wouldn’t regret that decision. Still, he knew that he had to prepare her. He needed to be honest with her. “He likes to intimidate. Try not to let him see your fear. Answer his questions directly. He’ll know if you are trying to be evasive. Most of all, please remember that I love you and I’ll be right there with you.”
Aimee could not focus on Marc’s love, not right now. She had to get ready to meet the monster. You can’t show weakness in the company of a demon. There was a part of her that was well versed in such interactions. That side of her rose quickly, like a stone version of her other self. She was cold, and hard, and knew exactly what to do to survive. She pulled away from Marc. “We’d better go. He doesn’t sound like the type that likes to be kept waiting.” Aimee leaned back into her seat, dropping the red blindfold on the sidewalk through the open window. It spiraled to the concrete slowly catching glints from the street light on its satin surface.
The ride from the Eiffel Tower to Damian’s was not nearly as fun as their previous ride had been. Thoughts pressed hard against them both. There was silence and heaviness between them. Aimee didn’t know a lot about Damian, but the stories that Marc had shared were horrifying. They were far worse than nightmares, and Damian had seemed worse than the devil himself. The ride seemed like forever, it would have been hard for her to determine exactly how much time had passed.
Damian’s chateau was fine to say the least. It towered three stories above them. By the light of the m
oon, the stones were nearly black. The night added to the sense of imminent darkness. Aimee had stopped shaking by now. She was sitting beside Marc, but there was a wall between them. Neither of them really knew what to expect. They walked up slowly to the door, unaware of their steps, transfixed on the door ahead.
Marc raised his hand to knock, but a woman opened the door before he had the chance. She was tall and thin, dressed in an evening gown that hugged every slight curve. “He has been expecting you.” She motioned for them to enter.
Inside, people lined the walls. Some reclined in chairs or leaned against the wall itself. Their smiles were not friendly. They were eerie and almost scornful. The woman at the door walked ahead of them, leading them. Against the back of the great hall was a grand staircase, and making his way down it was a tall man with long dark hair that fell just above his shoulders. His eyes were amber, light brown with flecks of flashing fire. She could feel his gaze, hot, on her as he made his way to the bottom of the staircase. By physical standards alone, he was not at all unpleasant to look at. He had strong broad shoulders, and a lean waist. His skin was tan with an olive undertone. She knew that despite his complexion, he couldn’t have basked in the sun for centuries. He was handsome in a way, but you