Vampires of Cairo: Vampires of the World

by Geoffrey Knight

  —What he might have become!

  His hand went to his neck, and he felt the blood, still hot but sticky, now. No longer flowing, but coagulating, sealing in whatever seed, whatever sins may have been passed into him.

  That’s when the light of dawn appeared up ahead. He charged for it.

  He kept himself from falling over, he held himself up, he pushed himself onward. Nothing was going to stop him from escaping this monstrous mausoleum.

  And then, like a cork firing from a bottle of champagne, Nash staggered out into the world, finally losing his balance and collapsing naked to the ground, just as the secret door behind him sealed itself shut.

  The sky was already twisting its way through the colors of breaking day—from deep blue to bright pink to burnt orange—and Nash couldn’t help but feel a churning in his gut, a dizziness in his head, and then—

  Flash!

  The pop and whir of a camera. A sound he’d heard so many times before in his career, only now he felt like that world no longer existed.

  He recalled his words to Ryan in the bar of the hotel: My career is over!

  As his pupils turned to pinpoints from the flash that had just scattered his thoughts and vision, he wanted to hear Ryan’s voice again. He wanted to know everything was okay, that what they had just experienced was a bad dream. All he wanted at that moment was for Ryan to shake him awake and tell him they were late for a shoot.

  Instead, the hand shaking him was smaller, its fingers like pins. And the voice was nothing like Ryan’s. It was shrill, with a whistle between the missing teeth.

  As Nash’s eyes adjusted, he saw the boy with the Polaroid camera standing over him, laughing, waving a picture in Nash’s face. All he could say was, “Ten dollars! Ten dollars U.S.! Everything come at a price, mister! Everything come at a price!”

  And with that, the little boy turned and ran away into the twisting, winding streets of the City of the Dead, dropping the Polaroid picture on the ground in front of Nash before he vanished, his shrill laughter turning to a distant, haunting echo.

  As dawn broke over the ancient buildings, Nash snatched the photo off the ground, but refused to look at it. He turned it over, face down like a test result from a doctor, like news from a police officer standing at the door, something he simply didn’t want to know.

  But his gut burned, and his chest ached, and his neck throbbed. And the day was coming.

  Sunlight spilled over the stony roofs of temples and tombs. Golden rays raced through the streets.

  And Nash turned the photo over and looked at it.

  Chapter Five

  In her day, she had been a star. A theater idol. The name that appeared on everyone’s invitation list. But there was no holding back the years, nor holding back younger, more beautiful starlets who followed in her wake. Yes, she had paved the way for them, but the day came when they simply left her by the side of the road that she had built.

  Doris Beauchamp struggled with this for many years, as she lost her fans, lost her agent, lost the jewels and the applause. And eventually she lost the light—the spotlight she adored so much—altogether.

  But then the boy came along. That orphan lad on the brink of manhood, clueless and penniless, yet handsome beyond belief. And so Doris Beauchamp taught him the one talent that got her started in the first place. The talent of making somebody feel young again. The talent of making somebody feel wanted. Needed.

  The talent of love.

  She thought about him often, the young man she’d loved so much, the one she had set free, the one who had made a name for himself in the big city. The place where stars are born!

  But not tonight. Tonight, she was thinking about her cats.

  She had so many of them that she had lost count long ago. There were always cats scattered around the house. Fat ones, skinny ones, handsome ones, ugly ones, young ones, old ones, cats with perfect coats, cats with frayed whiskers, cats on the bed, cats on the sofa, cats on the stairs, cats licking the melted ice out of last night’s glass of gin and tonic. She loved them all. And yet tonight, for some strange, unnerving reason, every cat in Doris Beauchamp’s large, rambling Nashville home—

  —had vanished from sight.

  She had called them from the porch. She had looked for them in the basement. She had tapped a fork against an open can of cat food as she walked through every room in the house. Yet nothing. Not a sound, not a purr, not a patter of a single paw.

  And so here she was, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, putting on her make-up at midnight and throwing a silk scarf around her neck in haste because this had always been Mrs. Doris Beauchamp’s job. To look beautiful. To look dignified. To look like a lady every time she left her house, even if it was only to look for her cats in the dead of night.

  She took a flashlight with her. One step at a time, hand on railing, she made her way warily down the porch steps that were in dire need of maintenance. She walked cautiously through the long grass covering her property, cursing herself for not finding a new gardener, despite the fact that the old one had canceled her account because she couldn’t afford to pay him. The out-of-control dandelions brushed against her shins. The cotton candy weave of a spider web caught the beam of the flashlight, and she shook it off with fright. And the weeds were so long that her feet quivered precariously on the edge of a path she could no longer make out.

  That’s when something rubbed itself against her foot.

  She jumped with a start, but then she recognized the love. The belonging. The little face of a cat that was claiming her as his own.

  She shone the flashlight down and saw the black and white speckled face of Horus, her favorite, brushing against her, taking ownership of her. “Oh, Horus,” she cooed. “Where have you been?”

  That’s when the others began to appear. Every single one of them. They seemed to appear from nowhere, running to her through the long, dark grass. The fat ones, skinny ones, handsome ones, ugly ones, young ones, old ones. They swarmed around her feeble feet, all wanting attention, making her teeter, making her stumble on that overgrown path.

  A cat’s tail got under her heel. There was a hiss, a startled squeal from the cat, and then a gasp from Mrs. Beauchamp as she began to topple.

  The flashlight hit the ground first, and went out. Doris Beauchamp knew she was next. And in the moment between losing her balance and hitting the ground, she wondered how bad the fall would be. Would she break a hip? Would she be able to scream for help? Would she lie there in the overgrown garden for days, perhaps even weeks, before anyone found her?

  But she never did hit the ground. Something stopped her fall. An arm, two strong arms. She caught her breath, at once surprised and terrified, then in the pale light of a hook moon, she saw a face she had not seen for years. A face she loved. She realized she was in the arms of her—

  “Darlin’ boy? Is it really you?” That’s what she had always called him, ever since she had found him at the bus shelter trying to stay out of the rain like a stray cat.

  “Yes, Mrs. Beauchamp.” Which is what he’d always called her. “It’s me, Nash.” He righted her, but didn’t let go of her waist, even when she was steady again. All her cats were now purring and milling about, all of them present, as though they had vanished to find her darlin’ boy and bring him home.

  “You need soup. Some biscuit and bread,” she said, noticing how thin he looked. Noticing how drawn and gaunt he had become. Noticing with concern his tattered clothes.

  “I am hungry,” he nodded, and his eyes danced lightly over her face, her lips, her scarfed neck.

  She noticed the attention and smiled. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

  “I brought you a present,” he smiled back, and held up a necklace, its pink-tinged diamonds catching in the dim moonlight.

  Doris Beauchamp clutched gently at it as she clutched her breath, remembering all the jewelry she’d lost, all the precious things she had to sell over the years just to survive. “Oh my darl
in’ boy! Is it really mine to touch? Is it really mine to keep?”

  “Yes, it’s yours. Forever,” Nash nodded. “Allow me,” he said, pulling the scarf from her long, thin neck, and letting it snake lightly across the overgrown grass. He turned her around so that her back was to him. He lifted the diamond necklace over her head, and placed it around her neck.

  She helped him by lifting her hair out of the way, revealing her white slender throat. And she said with her eyes closed, feeling the heat of his breath against the tender skin of her neck, “You make me feel young again. Do you know that?”

  And he replied in a whisper, “Yes, I know. I’ll make everyone feel young again.”

  THE END

  About the Author

  Geoffrey Knight is the author of more than 30 gay fiction novels, novellas and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense and gay comedies.

  The heroes of Geoffrey's books love to spend their time jumping off the page, seeking lost treasures, unraveling mysteries or falling in love.

  Geoffrey is the recipient of two Rainbow Awards including Best Mystery Winner and Best Overall Gay Fiction Runner-up. His work has been featured in several anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2013, and he appeared as Guest of Honor at the inaugural Rainbow Con in Florida, 2014.

  Geoffrey has worked in advertising, politics, journalism and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories. He lives with his partner, their young daughter and their small furry family in a rambling old house in North Queensland, Australia, where the paint is fraying and life is good.

  VAMPIRES OF ROME

  Vampires of the World

  Ancient Rome—a city ruled by the bloodthirsty Emperor Nero; a place of decadence and debauchery, of hedonistic pleasures and deadly delights. But for two young slaves, Tyberius and Mateus, it is a place they must escape. For every night under cover of darkness they risk death and torture all for the sake of their forbidden love.

  Destiny, however, has other plans for these star-crossed lovers. A mysterious sect, a brotherhood of dark and powerful creatures dwells in the catacombs beneath the city. They look like Romans. They pass through the shadows, working as slaves, mingling with the people of Rome. But no mortal alive knows the secret these creatures have held for centuries past… and many centuries to come.

  For he who learns their secret… must surrender his mortality forever.

  VAMPIRES OF MIAMI

  Vampires of the World

  Some of us are gatherers. Some are hunters. Some are healers.

  Jaxon Cain ran away to Miami not only to escape his past, but to escape his future as well. He left behind a pretty girlfriend, a college education, and a promising career in the shadow of his father, a prominent Chicago surgeon. He also left behind a haunting tragedy, something that stopped him from becoming the man he was destined to be. But all that is about to change.

  Under the Miami moon, Jaxon Cain is about to be chosen to fulfill his destiny—to become a healer.

  Drawn into a forbidden world, plucked from the streets of Miami and taken to a mansion filled with danger and debauchery in the middle of a Florida bayou, Jaxon is about to experience male love, lust and longing like he has never known before. Here, the Vampire Xavier—the muscular, dominant master of his own lair—will give Jaxon the redemption and healing that he so desperately craves. The price—his mortality.

  THE CROSS OF SINS

  Fathom’s Five Book One

  Somewhere in the world is a statue so sinful that a secret sect of the Church wants it destroyed at any cost. Somewhere in the Turkish desert, in the streets of London, and in the depths of Venice, are the clues to find it. And, somewhere in the hearts of five sexy, daring, thrill-seeking gay men, is the courage and die-hard determination to unravel one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

  Meet Luca da Roma, an Italian model and expert in art, both ancient and modern; Dr. Eden Santiago, Brazilian biologist, physician and genetic engineer; Shane Houston, a Texas cowboy and an expert in cartography; Will Hunter, a San Diego college student and football star, majoring in ancient history; and Shane Stone, an adventurer-for-hire from New York and the newest member of Professor Fathom's team of hot gay adventure seekers.

  SCOTT SAPPHIRE AND THE EMERALD ORCHID

  The Adventures of Scott Sapphire Book One

  Meet Scott Sapphire—lover of French champagne, Belgian chocolate and dangerous men. He is suave. He is sexy. He is a man of the world—and a man that the world desperately wants to catch.

  For Scott Sapphire is the greatest jewel thief of our time. Dashing. Daring. And always neck-deep in trouble.

  But when Scott’s latest heist lands him in possession of a map to a rare and precious orchid, it’ll take more than bedroom eyes and a charming smile to stay one step ahead of one of the world’s most powerful business tycoons, as well as keep the CIA off Scott’s back and a handsome special agent out of his pants—or maybe not.

  From the Venice canals to the Amazon rainforest, from Rio de Janeiro to the casinos of Monte Carlo, comes a brand new gay hero as irresistible as diamonds and pearls.

  THE CHOCOLATE WORKS

  After losing his job, his apartment in Chicago and every hope he had for the future, Henry finds himself in the tiny dead-end town of Los Encantados in the middle of the New Mexico desert, ready to sell the small roadside diner recently bequeathed to him by an uncle he never met.

  But Henry never planned on the slightly unpredictable, seriously sexy Levi Jones walking into his life.

  Before he knows it, Henry is pulled into Levi’s plan turn Henry’s diner into a chocolate factory with the dream of creating the most delicious, irresistible, mouth-watering, knee-buckling chocolates the world has ever imagined. At the same time Henry finds himself falling head over heels for the reckless, romantic allure of a man who is the complete opposite of everything Henry holds sacred.

  Will Henry succumb to the charms of a handsome stranger despite every instinct warning him that Levi is nothing but a snake oil salesman? Will the secrets of Levi’s past destroy Henry’s hopes of ever finding true romance?

  Or is Levi destined to melt Henry’s heart as he discovers that chocolate truly is the food of love?

  THE PEARL

  The Top End of Australia— a tropical paradise filled with beauty. Wonder. Danger.

  For two young boys growing up in the Northern Territory— half-Aboriginal Jarrah “Jad” Yindi and his best friend Luke Lawson— the remote beaches and aqua waters of the Top End are a playground of adventure. And as two best friends become young men, true love washes over them like the sea upon the sand.

  But life is full of challenges and change, and if Jad is to discover who he really is, he must piece together his ancestral past, his dream-filled present and his uncertain future to become the man he was always destined to be.

  Through water and fire; through love and loss; through the days of youth to the stories of the world's oldest living culture, journey across the heart of Australia to discover what's in the heart of one young man.

  THE PATHFINDERS

  JACK

  Hell, I knew the divorce from Sophie would break my heart, but I had no idea how lost and lonely I would feel once she was gone. Everything ended amicably, almost too peacefully, but now I’m facing a whole new chapter of my life. The only problem is, I don’t know what that chapters holds, or if anyone will ever be there to catch me if I fall again.

  My only savior right now is my cousin and best friend Hux. We’ve known each other just about our whole lives, and his invitation up to the woods to help him rebuild the old cabin by Pathfinders Lake could be the one thing I need to figure out what plans the universe has in store for me… and the path I need to find.

  HUX

  Hell, I knew Jack’s divorce from Sophie would break his heart, but I had no idea it would bring to the surface all the yearning and pain and hopelessness I’ve felt over the years. The fact is, Jack’s the one
and only person I ever want to spend the rest of my life with. But how do you tell your best friend— your cousin— how you truly feel?

  I know I need to help him through the dark days following his divorce, but will I be able to keep myself from betraying all his trust by letting my true feelings show? Will inviting him up to the woods to help me rebuild the old cabin by Pathfinders Lake be the end of our relationship? Or will we finally find our very own path in this world together?

  THE BILLIONAIRE’S BOYFRIEND

  Matthew Darcy is a romance writer in a rut. He’s been stuck on Chapter One of his new book for as long as he can remember, and so has his love life. But when his on-the-side job as a flower delivery guy puts him in the right place at the right time to save the life of billionaire banker Calvin Croft, Matt’s life takes an unexpected detour toward romance.

  With billions to his name, Cal Croft has everything… except someone to love. But is Cal’s paparazzi-pursued life something that Matt is willing to take a chance on? Can a struggling romance writer who delivers flowers for a living possibly have anything in common with a handsome billionaire with his own Lear jet? And could the secret that Cal’s keeping tear these two lovers apart— just when their romance begins to blossom?