“Then we will make plans soon. Now I will bid you adieu. Don’t lose track of the time or you might pass out in the lab. That would make for a very uncomfortable day’s sleep for you. I will see you tomorrow night, my love.”
“Okay. Good night and hurry back to me.”
Keisha hung up the phone and hurried over to the timer and shut it off. She soon was deeply engrossed in her research.
Yuri pulled the covers over his head and was dead to the world.
* * * *
A few hours into his flight back, Yuri got a sudden flash of terror. His head pounded and bright lights flickered in his mind. He staggered to the tiny bathroom and sat on the toilet seat to breathe deeply and then he dialed home. It seemed to take forever before the phone was answered.
“Hello?” The voice sounded drugged and unsteady.
“Keisha. Are you alright?”
“Yuri? Where are you? I was reading, then suddenly I thought I was going blind. There was a red cloud over my eyes and I couldn’t see the screen anymore. I moved back to try to focus but it’s still hard to see. That headache came back with a vengeance. It’s pounding between my ears now and behind my eyes. I feel like someone is in here with a mallet, beating my brains into mush.”
Yuri tried to calm himself enough to calm her down.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. What time is it there?”
“I don’t know. It was about eight when the pain started, I think. I don’t know what I’m going to do if it gets worse.”
“Hold on, love. I’ll be in Chicago by two. I’ll fly as quickly as I can back to you. Can you hold on just a few more hours?”
“I’ll...I’ll try. Just hurry.”
“I will,” he replied but the phone disconnected.
Yuri gnashed his teeth in frustration. He needed to feed sometime before the plane landed so he would have the strength to fly at top speed back home.
What could do this to her? The change was progressing normally. Everything changed in her like it was supposed to. Why now? Why the pain? It was like someone is in her brain with her? What? Could it be? No...it can’t be...but it might be them...or him. But why? Why attack her? What reason could they have to want to cause her pain? I swear, if it is them, I’ll kill them myself, or die trying.
* * * *
A few minutes after three, Yuri tore off his coat as he ran up to his front door and threw it open. The silence from inside was ominous.
“Keisha? Keisha, where are you?”
He raced through the house and down the stairs to the lab. What he saw stopped him in his tracks when he reached the bottom of the stairs.
His servant was at the bottom of the stairs, glassy eyes staring accusatorily up at him, as if blaming him for his death. There was a huge gash on his neck and another on his arm, but not much blood.
He gingerly stepped over the body and called out softly, “Keisha? Where are you?”
There was no answer. Then he heard a muffled moan from the supply room. He ran to the door and threw it open.
Keisha knelt on the floor, rocking and mumbling. She had a knife in one hand and used it to poke holes in herself. There were gashes all over her body. Blood covered the floor around her, soaking her clothing and sitting in pools. Judging by the splattered droplets on the walls, she had been slapping at the blood for quite a while.
Yuri swallowed hard. He moved slowly over to her, speaking gently, “Keisha, my love. You are not well. Please give me the knife.” He reached out his hand.
She turned her head up to look at him. He was shocked by the blood red color of her eyes. Even the whites of her eyes were red. Her mumbling grew louder, and he realized it was a language he didn’t know...one he had never heard before.
He grasped the knife by the blade but didn’t expect the downward thrust that sliced his hand open. The blood ran down his arm.
Keisha moved forward and tilted her head so the blood ran into her mouth.
At least she’s stopped mumbling. What the fuck is going on?
While drinking, Keisha closed her eyes and relaxed her grip on the knife. Yuri eased it out of her hand and threw it under a nearby shelf.
Keisha started when it thumped against the wall. She pulled her head back and sat up straighter to stare at Yuri with blood-red eyes.
“Keisha. Can you hear me? Can you answer me?”
She moaned.
“I’m going to have a little taste of you—to try to reach your mind. Is that okay with you?”
She stared at him uncomprehendingly. He leaned forward, pulled her arm up to his face, and licked at a dripping wound.
Instantly his head exploded with pain. Blood pounded, colors flashed across his eyes, noises shrieked, and a low man’s voice mumbled in the same indecipherable language she used. Yuri drew back in shock to stare at her. Shaking his head, he tried to clear out the images of death and destruction.
“Keisha, honey, I’m going to try again. I know you’re still in there...but you aren’t alone. I’m going to find you and bring you back to me. Listen for me, and follow the sound of my voice.”
He lifted the arm again and his tongue delicately poked at the open wound. This time he ignored all of the pain, the lights, the noise, and he searched for the woman he loved. He found her huddled in a dark corner, curled into a fetal ball. He picked her up and carried her in his arms, whispering words of love and comfort.
“Just keep listening to the sound of my voice, I love you. Please come back with me. I need you to come back to me.”
When he severed the blood connection by pulling his tongue back, he studied her face.
She shook her head and groaned.
“Can you open your eyes and look at me, my love?”
She lifted her head and her eyelids trembled while they fought to open. When they did, he was relieved to see the hazel and gold of her irises had reasserted itself. She stared into his face and then she threw herself into his arms. Blood-red tears flowed down her face as she sobbed, clutching at him.
“I was so lost. I didn’t know where I was. Everything hurt. He hurt me.”
Yuri pulled her onto his lap and held her while she broke apart. He murmured words of comfort to her in every language he knew. Still she sobbed so loudly that he was afraid for her. Her limbs trembled as she shook on his lap. He held her tightly and rocked her, raining kisses on her head and rubbing her arms and shoulders to remind her that she had a body and could still feel it.
He had no idea how much time passed but it seemed like forever before Keisha’s sobbing grew quieter. Gradually the trembling ceased and she was quiet on his lap. Still afraid for her, he tilted her head up to gently kiss both of her eyelids before he licked her luscious full lips, and then kissed them.
“Can you open your eyes again for me? Can you look at me?”
She nodded and then looked up at him with the terror of a small child.
“What happened?” she whispered. “How could I lose myself like that?”
Yuri held her tightly, trying to contain his growing rage.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before, but I’ve heard stories.”
He gently smoothed her hair back to cup her face in that hand, caressing her high cheekbones.
“I’ve heard that only the very Old Ones are able to, in essence, break into your mind and make you a prisoner in your own head. I don’t think I could do it but I’ve never wanted to find out. I would never violate another person like that. It’s rape of the worst kind. You said he. There needs to be a blood connection. I have an idea who might have done it.”
Keisha wearily shook her head.
“I’m so tired. I feel like I’ve been drugged. My body feels so strange...like it’s not mine anymore. Like I’ve worked hard, but I don’t remember anything except feeling lost.”
“Let me carry you upstairs. We can take a long shower to clean the blood off of you, and then I will hold you in my arms until you sleep.”
“Blood?�
� She looked down and gasped. “Where did all of this blood come from? Whose is it?”
“Some of it is yours, my love,” he modulated his tone, trying not to alarm her. “I’m afraid that you fed a little too heartily on George. Some of it must be his.”
“George? Sweet, thoughtful George? What did I do to him?”
“I don’t want to tell you yet. I don’t want you to see him yet either. Just close your eyes and let me carry you upstairs to the shower.”
She began to cry again but this time it was with sadness and regret.
“Poor George. He was so nice to me...checking on me while you were gone...bringing me glasses of his blood. I can’t believe I would hurt him. How could I do such a thing?”
“Shh, don’t worry about that now. Just shut your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you. Let me take care of you now. Let me love you.”
She sank into his arms as he stood up. She buried her face in his chest, sniffling.
“Promise you won’t leave me again?”
“I promise. I also promise I will find out who did this to you. I will stop it from ever happening again.”
He strode across the lab quickly, slowing down only to gingerly step over the body at the bottom of the stairs. Then he walked up the stairs and closed the door behind him. He carried her into the bathroom and started the shower, then gently removed her stained and tattered clothing, tossing it aside.
Once she was naked, he helped her stand and walk into the shower. Then he stripped himself and joined her in the steam. For once, he didn’t allow himself to fondle her as he wanted to, but gently soaped her up, shampooed her hair, and massaged her limbs to improve her circulation.
When he thought she was warmed up enough, he wrapped her in a big towel and carried her over to the bed. He pulled back the covers and placed her in the bed, then lay down beside her and opened his arms. She crept into them and lay very still.
“Yuri?” she asked after a long while of silence.
“Yes?” He forced his thoughts away from plotting revenge and back to her.
“Do you really think you will be able to stop it from happening again?”
“I’m going to do my best, my love.”
She sighed heavily.
“It’s almost sunrise, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Yes, honey. Rest now.”
He pulled her closer into his arms and felt her go limp.
“Keisha? Are you awake?”
No answer. Time to clean up the mess downstairs so she doesn’t have to see any of that. First, I need to make a phone call.
He went just outside of the bedroom, keeping the hallway door open. He used speed dial to get his target on the phone.
“I need to see you.”
“Yuri? It’s so late. What does this concern and why do I sense such anger coming from you, my countryman?”
“I need to see you tonight. Can you come to my home?”
There was silence for so long that Yuri was afraid Casimiro had gone out for the day.
“You are not willing to come here to see me?”
“No. I don’t want to move her so soon. I need to talk to you.”
“This concerns Keisha? I would be glad to see her again. Very well, give me the address. I will be there soon after I awaken.”
* * * *
Yuri stood still for a while after he hung up the phone, watching Keisha from the doorway to be sure that she was certainly asleep for the day. He trudged wearily down the stairs to take care of poor George.
* * * *
Once the lab was as clean as he could manage so late in the morning, he forced himself to walk back up the stairs and crept back into bed next to Keisha. He pulled her into his arms once again, and was out before he got a chance to pull the blanket up.
Chapter Fourteen
When Keisha opened her eyes the next night, she was momentarily alarmed that Yuri wasn’t there holding her. She heard voices coming from behind the closed door and realized that he awakened before her. She stretched and moved each part of her body to see if the pain from the previous night still remained. Feeling refreshed from her rest, she got up and quickly pulled on some clothing,
She opened the door.
“Keisha, you are finally awake. It’s good to see you again,” Casimiro rose from his chair and bowed formally to her.
Yuri got up and strode over to take her in his arms for a quick kiss.
“How are you feeling, sleepyhead? You obviously really needed that extra time to rest because you look wonderful tonight.”
She shook her head, answering with a small smile, “I feel okay. Most of the pain from last night has subsided. I still have a lingering headache and I’m really hungry.”
Casimiro indicated the open bottle on the table in front of him.
“I brought a bottle of my finest to appease my countryman, who sounded upset with me on the phone. After what he has told me, I’m not surprised by his anger, though it is misplaced.”
Yuri walked over to the couch Casimiro was sitting on with his arm around Keisha’s shoulders. She sat, her gaze fixed on the blood in the bottle. He poured some of it into a glass and offered it to her. She greedily gulped it down and then held out her glass for more. He filled the glass again and she drank half of it quickly.
She noticed them watching her and took one last sip before she put the glass down in front of her.
“What? Why are you both staring at me like I’ve grown another head? I haven’t, have I?”
“No, but your behavior is odd. You may still be under an influence of some kind,” Casimiro began, adding, “That’s why I’ve contacted Apolinar. He is on his way here.”
“From Arizona?” she asked.
He smiled and shook his head. “No. From our home on the north shore of the lake. He comes up to spend time with me here when it is summer and warm enough for him to enjoy the change of venue. He was painting when I left. Once I told him of Yuri’s fears, he became as concerned about your recent behavior as I am.” He turned to address Yuri, “I am confident he can allay your concerns that he is in any way connected to your troubles.”
Keisha frowned. “I don’t remember much about last night. I remember being in pain, then feeling blinded. I remember a voice intruding into my thoughts but I can’t—for the life of me—think of anything intelligible that it said.”
Casimiro stood with a smile. “Ah, he has arrived. He will want to question you himself.”
He walked over and opened the balcony doors wider. An instant later, there was a whooshing sound and Apolinar landed in front of him. He rearranged his clothing briefly then strode into the room.
He bowed low before Yuri and Keisha.
“Thank you for inviting me into your home. I see that Casimiro brought a gift to show our concern over what has happened to you, Keisha my dear. Please tell me everything.”
He perched on the edge of a seat across from them. Casimiro walked over to sit on the chair next to him, pouring some of the liquid into a glass and offering it to him. He sipped on it slowly as Keisha and Yuri once again told the story of what happened the night before.
Apolinar asked no questions until Yuri ended with, “She has no lingering symptoms other than a slight headache.”
“Has this happened before? Were there any previous incidents of inexplicable behavior?”
Keisha shook her head but Yuri broke in, “Yes. Remember that time when you explained your findings to me about the spores, and you talked about aliens? You said you felt weak and had a headache bothering you.”
Keisha smiled wanly at him. “You fed me. We took a shower and that was the end of that.”
Apolinar leaned forward. “Tell me what you have learned about the nature of our existence. I think it is somehow connected.”
Yuri studied him, “First look me in the eye and tell me you had nothing to do with what she suffered. I know that Ancient Ones are capable of entering someone’s head once there is a blood link betwee
n you and that you can do this over great distances.”
Apolinar gave him a wounded look. “I would never do such a thing to our beautiful Keisha. I’m hurt that you would think that of me. What she and I shared is a special memory for me. I have so little contact with the more modern members of our community. Her insights and experiences are still entertaining me. I have even created a few paintings which reflect on what she showed me.”
He turned to Casimiro, “Tell him, querido. How we both feel about her. How we would never want her to be hurt.”
Casimiro shrugged. “I did. He needed to hear it from your lips.” He turned to Yuri and Keisha, “We have brought few over during the last few centuries. We are more comfortable with each other and with the lives we have created for ourselves. Allowing us to share the blood with you was an honor.”
Apolinar nodded in agreement.
“We know that Yuri is your progenitor but we feel intimately connected with you as well. Think of us as...perhaps uncles who feel a special affection for you because we are family.”
Apolinar now spoke, “Yes, that’s it. Family. So tell me, what happened? I can see that Keisha is not as sparkly as is her usual self.”
Yuri’s eyebrows rose. “You can tell? Can you sense anything else?”
“Perhaps...but tell me again so I can determine if my suspicions are warranted.”
Keisha and Yuri once again detailed the experiences that Keisha had the night before, as well as the previous time. Keisha felt self-conscious as Apolinar and Casimiro studied her as she spoke. She thought she should sit perfectly still, but couldn’t fight her overwhelming thirst, so when Yuri was talking she picked up the glass and tried to take only small sips of the fresh blood. It had cooled slightly so was not as intoxicating as it had been. None-the-less, she felt a deep hunger that was insatiable.
When Yuri finished, Apolinar leaned forward to take Keisha’s free hand in his.
“What were you doing with the knife? Do you remember why you cut yourself?”
Prophecy of the Undead Page 10