by Raven Steele
He found a parking spot in a small alley off Clarion. It stunk of rotten bananas and urine. A cold drizzle fell from the sky as dark, menacing clouds threatened to attack at the city’s edge. The weather was perfect. He remembered at that moment why he’d stayed in Ireland for so long. The constant rain was like a cleansing baptism, purging his iniquities.
Lucien walked down Clarion Street toward the dark horizon, eagerly awaiting the black invader. People eventually thinned out as the buildings became scarce. Off to his right, three vampires leaned against a brick building beneath the orange glow of a streetlight. One of them tapped his toe nervously on the uneven sidewalk. Lucien walked over.
The nervous one spoke first. “You here for the gathering?”
“Seems so,” Lucien replied, leaning against the wall next to him.
“I’m Rick, this is Seamus, and the quiet one on the end is Sean. I hope the meeting goes well.”
Rick was just the sort of vampire Lucien needed to find—one who craved attention and needed a lot of validation. Basically, a vampire with a low self-esteem.
Lucien didn’t introduce himself. He kept quiet knowing Rick would say everything Lucien wanted.
“I can’t wait for the meeting to start, can you?” Rick asked. His hand went up to his bright orange hair to swat at an invisible insect.
“Yes,” Lucien answered.
“I sure can’t. All of us together in one room. Can you imagine the power?”
Silence.
Rick continued, “And how about all the friends we’re going to make?”
On the end, Sean walked away, clearly disgusted.
Rick called after him, “See you at the meeting, Sean!”
“Anyway,” Rick continued. “It’s about time we all get together. I hate being alone.”
“What’s the meeting about?” Lucien asked.
“Seamus has a theory about that. Tell him what you told me, Seamus.”
Seamus was short and stocky with dark brown hair. “I think we’re going to create a community of vampires in Antarctica or somewhere isolated. You know, just to get away from the stupid humans.”
Lucien tried not to laugh. “Where will we get our blood?”
Rick looked anxiously at Seamus.
Seamus shrugged. “There’s walruses and stuff up there. We could get by on that.”
Rick laughed a high pitch giggle.
“Any other theories?” Lucien asked.
“I heard we’re going to take over the world. Wouldn’t that be great?” Rick squealed.
“No,” Lucien said. “Who’s in charge?”
“A really old vampire. We don’t know his name, but we hear he’s the meanest and baddest vampire ever!” Rick exclaimed.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” Lucien said, his voice full of sarcasm.
Seamus glanced at him curiously, but Rick didn’t notice.
“Really?” Rick babbled. “Me too! It’s going to be awesome!”
“Later,” Lucien said and walked away. He’d heard enough.
Lucien didn’t have to walk far to find the abandoned warehouse where the meeting was supposed to take place. Inside, a few vampires were already there, talking quietly to each other. Dozens of wooden crates were stacked up against gray cinderblock walls, and long metal pipes were spread unevenly over the floor. In the center of the room, several crates had been built up to create a stage; wide plywood slats had been placed over their tops.
Lucien left the warehouse and walked back the way he came. He needed to find a place where he could observe those going to the meeting without being seen. Two blocks away on a side street off Clarion, he found what he was looking for—a cemetery next to an old church.
He turned down a cobblestone path, leading toward the church, then veered off into the graveyard. He sat on an iron bench that seemed to be placed directly on top of someone’s grave. Most of the old headstones were uprooted and leaned angrily to their sides; even the earth gave them no rest.
Tall, gnarly trees and thick bushes lined the cemetery’s property, but Lucien had situated himself in such a way that a small divide in the shrubbery gave him a clear view to those walking toward the warehouse. He watched them for some time, while also eyeing the increasingly dark clouds above him.
A thunderous roar announced the storm’s arrival. The blackened sky cracked and poured water all at once. Like other intruders in Ireland’s past, the storm had its way with Dublin.
Lucien closed his eyes, tilted his head up to the moisture, and inhaled deeply. The air smelled pure and untainted with a hint of … lilacs. He jumped to his feet and whirled around. In the deepest corner of the graveyard, next to a tall, cross-shaped headstone, stood Eve.
Chapter 27
Eve wore a white, knee-length cotton dress; a strap had fallen from her bare shoulder. Rain covered every inch of her, drenching her entirely and making her nipples hard through the thin material of her dress. Water poured from the tips of her hair and down her arms. The droplets found their course, running in tiny rivers all the way to her fingertips and to the ground below as if she were giving nourishment to the dead below.
The angel in the graveyard smiled.
Lucien didn’t dare move. The sight of her in this place, meant only for the dead, entirely collapsed the world he had so carefully created.
It was Eve who broke the spell first. She walked gracefully among the graves, never lowering her eyes from his. Stopping only inches from him, she took his hand in hers and moved it to her parted lips. She kissed it tenderly.
Lucien moaned in anguish. He couldn’t fight the attraction between them any longer.
Eve kissed his hand again, igniting his skin with a fire that warmed the rain.
Lucien raised his free hands and cradled her face. He pressed his forehead against hers, eyes closed. Eve nuzzled his face with the side of her cheek, but when her breath warmed the skin near his mouth, he turned his head slightly to let his lips touch hers. Slowly, at first. Hesitantly.
He lowered his hands and gripped Eve’s waist for support, afraid he might stumble. Then, carefully, his mouth moved, taking in every part of her lips, the taste, the plump softness. It was overwhelming and drove an intense hunger straight to his core.
His heart thundered against his ribcage as he pressed his lips harder into hers and swept his tongue into her mouth. She welcomed it eagerly and sucked it long and hard. He growled low in his throat and picked her up, his hands gripping her nearly bare ass. Her long legs wrapped around his torso, her arms around his neck.
In a quick motion, he had her back against the brick wall of the ancient church. He pushed his hard cock into that sensitive spot between her legs and rubbed against her. She broke free from his mouth and gasped in pleasure while he trailed kisses up and down her neck, pausing briefly over her pulsing carotid artery. His hand moved up to her shoulder, and he slid the strap of her dress down until he had access to her breast. He cupped it eagerly and brushed his thumb across her pebbled nipple.
All sounds faded into the background and even rain’s icy touch didn’t faze him.
“Are you warm?” he whispered in her ear, then drew her lobe into his mouth. His hand slid between her legs.
“I’m so hot,” she gasped. “Your touch …” She didn’t finish her sentence.
Lucien continued to caress her, tease her, kiss her for what felt like eternity. He savored the taste of her, the smell of her, until he felt her in his blood and bones.
But it wasn’t all physical. A thick layer of energy had pressurized the air around them, trapping them in what felt like an electric cocoon. In that moment, he felt so full of ancient magic that nothing would be impossible to him.
“I need you inside of me,” Eve breathed, her bare and wet chest heaving in the darkness.
Lucien was about to comply when the church’s bells donged to eleven o’clock. He froze, his blood cooling. He should be entering the inside of the warehouse.
He brought his li
ps back to hers and kissed her deeply, while he pulled her dress back over her top. Reluctantly, he stepped back. “I should go.”
She tightened her lips in frustration and glanced in the direction of the warehouse. “I wish we had more time.”
“I do too.” He removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. The rain had let up, its passion gone, but it had left behind a gentle mist.
“Why did you come?” she asked.
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“I don’t know what you want.”
He took hold of her hand and pulled her close. “I think I just showed you what I want.”
“But do you feel you deserve it, deserve us?”
It was a difficult question for him to answer. “I know I don’t want to be with anyone else, and I definitely don’t want to see you with anyone else. If you’ll still have me, I’m yours forever.”
She smiled. “That will do. For now, but when this is all over, we’re going to have a serious talk.”
He lowered his head and rubbed his cheek to hers. In her ear, he whispered, “And I’m going to finish what we started here.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
He kissed her again, finding it very difficult not to.
This time it was Eve who pulled away, lines of disappointment etching her face. “I’m sorry, but I’m meeting Alana not far from here before she goes to the gathering.”
“Don’t apologize.” Lucien smoothed back her hair. He didn’t know how he had resisted touching her for so long. “Let me uncover what this vampire reunion is all about, and then I’ll meet up with you and Alana later to discuss.”
“Alana really wants to go.”
“Tell her not to. If she was at all associated with Michael, then there’s a good chance they know about her, too. I’ll go.”
“Where do you want to meet?” she asked.
He glanced up at the old stone church. In front, two stained glass windows dominated the exterior. One portrayed the crucified Christ, the other the Virgin Mary. Vampires didn’t like churches. Just like bad humans, they made bad vampires feel guilty. She would be safe here.
“Inside here should work.”
She nodded in agreement.
“Do you know about this gathering?” Lucien asked, while he glanced toward the road leading to the warehouse. He couldn’t see them, but he sensed a couple of vampires from within the shadows heading toward it.
“Not much. I spoke to the Deific office about an hour ago. They’ve had to request more help from the other offices because they can’t keep up with the amount of vampires being turned. But they’re not so much worried about their growing numbers; they’re worried because these vampires are methodical in how they attack humans. Kidnapping and torturing their victims is their modus operandi. Someone is teaching them. Michael was supposed to be at this ‘training’ when he was killed.”
“Don’t worry about tonight. I will uncover who is behind all of this. You just stay far away, deal?”
“I’ll wait inside the church for you. Come for me when you’re done,” she said.
“I will.” He moved to leave but stopped to ask her one last thing. “Where did you go back at your house? It was like you just disappeared.”
She smiled mischievously. “I’ll explain later, but right now, we both have important things to do.”
He kissed her one last time, but briefly so it wouldn’t be harder than it already was to leave her. “Do you want me to walk you to wherever you’re meeting Alana?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be okay.”
A week ago, he would’ve insisted, but there was a new, inner strength to her he hadn’t felt before, and he didn’t doubt she could take care of herself.
“See you soon, Lucien,” she said, her eyes twinkling beneath thick eyelashes.
He watched her walk away, his heart soaring. Eve was all his. He couldn’t believe someone like her wanted him. Maybe he wasn’t as awful as he thought he was.
Chapter 28
Lucien made his way to the abandoned warehouse. Other than a few parked cars, the streets were empty. The clouds above had cleared, giving way to the full moon. Its light lit up the poor neighborhood better than the street lamps.
A slight breeze filled the air with the smell of vampires. Lucien could sense them as they all traveled to the same destination. They remained hidden in the shadows whereas Lucien walked openly. He did not want to be a part of them any more than he had to.
Lucien was not prepared for what he found inside the warehouse. It was already packed, even though it wasn’t quite midnight. He had no idea so many vampires existed! They were sprawled over crates, perched on ledges of the high windows, while others paced nervously waiting for the meeting to begin. The female vampires huddled together toward the back as a way to protect themselves from the males; they were clearly out-numbered.
He estimated at least two hundred present. He was both shocked and appalled, because that meant there was at least ten times this in the rest of the world. As an older vampire, he knew how dangerous it was to have too many of their kind. It was only a matter of time before vampires became more than just a myth. The humans would hunt them to extinction.
After several minutes of observing the crowd, Lucien determined most of the vampires to be newbies. He sensed only a few older ones present and most likely they were there out of curiosity. He didn’t recognize any of them, but this didn’t surprise him.
At least a dozen beefy vamps patrolled the room, stopping fights whenever one broke out, which was about every minute. Vampires were not meant to be in the same room. It was like stuffing hundreds of male grizzlies into the same cave. Eventually they would start killing each other.
Someone grabbed Lucien’s shoulder. He spun around, ready to tear off a head.
“Easy there,” Rick said, moving his long, boney fingers off Lucien’s shoulder.
“Don’t touch me,” Lucien growled.
“Sure, my bad.” Rick looked around the room. “Isn’t this exciting?”
“Yeah, a real fucking riot.”
“Look, there’s Sean!” Rick waved madly. “Sean! Hey, Sean over here!”
Sean glanced over but turned the other direction.
Rick shrugged. “I guess he didn’t hear me. You want to sit down over there?”
He pointed to an empty crate near the center stage.
“I’m sitting in back.” Lucien turned around and walked toward the rear of the building.
Rick jogged after him. “Yeah, the back’s good. I like the back. It’s not so crowded.”
Time moved slowly. If he could describe hell, this is what it would be, with Rick playing the devil. Lucien longed to be back with Eve. He’d never deliberately put himself through such torture, but he’d do it over and over if it meant Eve’s safety.
Without warning, the lights turned off, and throaty growls filled the room. Not sensing any danger, Lucien waited patiently. A spotlight appeared in the opposite corner, lighting a path to the center stage. A vampire, his head covered by a towel, seemed to magically appear in the center of the beam. His shoulders slumped forward and his arms swung like a gangster as he shuffled toward the stage, escorted by an entourage of tall and muscular vampires. A few whistles burst from the crowd, then a few yells, and soon the whole room filled with shouts and cheers.
Lucien looked around incredulously. He couldn’t believe they were all playing into this. Evidently, someone had been watching way too much Ultimate Fighting Challenge and was trying to copy every aspect of the professional fighting venue. As a vampire, he’d never felt embarrassed until now.
The vampire with the towel reached the center stage. He jumped on top and waited in the darkness, muscles lean and tight, chest heaving up and down. As soon as the spotlight encased his tensed body, he shook off the towel and raised his arms into the air. He yelled a monstrous roar that seemed to shake the building’s foundation.
Lucien froze. Stoppe
d breathing. Stopping thinking. All while the world spun around him.
He couldn’t comprehend the ghost before him. Impossible! There, standing in all his mock majesty, stood his brother Aiden.
Without thinking, Lucien let out the angriest feral cry his inhuman body could produce. Even though the other vampires’ combined cheers were much louder, Aiden snapped his head in Lucien’s direction. It took all of Lucien’s mental strength to force himself off the crate and into the shadows.
Aiden recovered and continued to egg on cheers from the vampires. He moved in a circle with his hand to his ear, his other arm waiving in circles, eliciting more screams from the crowd.
Lucien’s fists balled up tight, and his face contorted into animalistic rage. He couldn’t fathom how his brother still lived!
Aiden’s sandy blond hair was slicked back into a ponytail, and his dark eyes danced wildly through the crowd, absorbing their energy until Aiden, too, was jumping up and down like a wild monkey. He ripped off his shirt, revealing a long, tattooed serpent twisting around his lean torso.
Lucien noticed a few of the older vampires try to walk out the door, but the guards stopped them. He was glad he wasn’t the only one who found this spectacle absurd.
On the stage, someone handed Aiden a microphone. The guards motioned everyone to be silent.
Aiden spoke, “Fellow vampires.” He paused for effect, his voice growing louder. “Fellow friends.” Finally, his voice boomed, “Brothers and sisters!”
The crowd exploded. Screams and whistles punched the air. The guards silenced the group again.
Aiden continued, his voice smooth and calm, “Throughout time, humans have ruled the earth. We have tolerated their existence because they give us the one thing we need: blood.”