Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  - Does the name Andre mean anything to you?

  The name said something, but I didn't want to talk about his master at all.

  - Andryusha? It's a normal name.

  - Yulia Yevgenyevna, do you not understand me or do you not want to answer?

  - I don't understand," I chose decisively.

  - Yulia Yevgenyevna!

  It sounded like in "Diamond Hand" when Gorbunkov tried to shove the gun in a carton. Why are you stupid, "Semyon Semyonovich"...

  - It's been 20 years. So what? - I haven't given up.

  - The voice of the man in the tube has changed.

  - Yulia Yevgenyevna, let's speak out in the open. When the home invasion began this morning, you managed to escape with two vampires. What's so terrible about it and why don't you want to admit it?

  Oh, really? What? Okay, it'll be on your forehead and on your forehead.

  - We've made a tactical retreat. By the way, who stormed us this morning?

  - It's my band.

  - And what... did you need? - I've already been an outright hammer.

  - We are werewolves, Yulia Yevgenyevna.

  - At least they're ghosts.

  - Do you know so little about our community?

  It's pierced. But in what?

  - None of your business.

  - Not mine. Ask your vampires to give you a face time. In the meantime, listen to me. There are no traitors on my team, everything we say to each other is between us. Yulia Yevgenyevna, do you know that Andre has power over foxes?

  The voice was serious and suddenly tired. With a voice like that, I couldn't yell and mock. I could feel some pain in it, a deep, long-lasting break.

  - What foxes? From the zoo?

  - No. It's just that the fox werewolf clan has to obey Andre.

  The guys are in.

  - My condolences.

  - I couldn't help it," he said.

  - There's nothing else I can offer," I snapped. - Unless it's a big piece of meat.

  That's another problem! Werewolves came out of somewhere... And you can't ask them, and you can't ask them, either. I don't know much about them, which means I can frame us all very much. Yeah, that's easy. Oh, Christmas trees...

  - Then listen to me. Andre ordered us to attack your house.

  - This is not my home," I said. - It's the Snowbird.

  - Does it matter?

  - I'm sorry about the stupid jokes. By the way, how do you feel about Mr. Andre?

  The voice paused for seconds. It felt as if Valentin was choosing the most successful wording of the answer. And finally he found a suitable expression.

  - He is our lord, and a lord should be loved and respected. Until his death.

  Whose is not specified. That's a good reservation.

  - Do you love him very much?

  - VERY!

  There was only one word out of the tube. But there was so much hatred in it... I realized that Valentin really trusts those who stand next to him at the phone and listen to our conversation. Because to express such hatred, sincere, burning hatred in the presence of a vampire is the right death. Duke wouldn't let it go. Hmm, since when did I get so clear about what he would and wouldn't let go? I'm not the best psychologist on the planet, am I? Or have I talked to Duke for five years? Or this guy from the tube? No. But I felt my conversation partner was telling the truth. And honest in his hatred.

  - You know," I slowly said, "I can't show off the same strength of feeling, but some of my friends can. Unfortunately, you and I are enemies.

  The voice in the pipe was sad and tired.

  - Yulia Yevgenyevna, I have been instructed to wait for your call and give you the following information. We have your vampires. As long as they are alive and have not been physically harmed. Andre is willing to trade them in for you and a certain artist. Otherwise they'll be dead.

  - When? - I barely recognized my voice.

  - I don't know.

  I clenched my fists tightly, painfully. Calm down, Jane, calm down. If you snap now, you could lose even your life. And losing one fight doesn't mean giving up the whole country. With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost yet...

  - Are they alive now? I'm sorry, but Andre could have lied to you.

  - I don't know that either.

  - Then how am I supposed to believe you? If you yourself admit that you cannot guarantee the truthfulness of your words?

  - I don't have to believe it. I must wait and give you Mr. André's phone.

  - You can transmit," I said in a dead voice. Then I also, without emotion, scored seven numbers in my cell phone memory. Although I might not have done it. It felt like they were being jigsawed down on my cortex. I didn't say anything. And the voice on the phone was silent, too. But he couldn't take it first.

  - Yulia Yevgenyevna...

  - Yeah? - I responded.

  - I don't know who you are or what's going on. But... is it somehow to Mr. Andre's detriment?

  - VERY.

  I've put as much feeling into my word as my interlocutor. And he appreciated it. And he believed me.

  - Then you should write down my phone. Okay, just in case.

  - I wonder which one? Dictate!

  I scored another phone in my memory. And only then did I clarify:

  - Tell me, are you a werewolf?

  - Yes.

  - Fox?

  - Yes.

  - What about Snowgirev?

  - Is that the owner of the house?

  - Yes.

  - Try to guess?

  - Is he alive?

  - No.

  - But he didn't become a vampire?

  - I didn't.

  Poor Sharpei. But I did not wish to shed tears for his sad fate. If you live on the slope of a volcano, be prepared to repeat the fate of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

  - Have a nice day, Valentin Dmitrievich.

  - Goodbye, Julia Yevgenyevna. Excuse me, what can I tell Mr. Andre?

  - Tell him he's a dick.

  - I'd love to," said the voice. - What if without your personal opinion?

  - And if without him, it's not me who makes the decisions anyway. Until I get there, until I wake up one of the vampires, until... Bye, then!

  - Bye.

  I put the tube in my pocket and I got out. Fuckin' hell! Fucking so too! What am I supposed to do now?! Tell Mieczysław everything? Or shouldn't I? Or Daniel? Or both of them?! The Lionel knows him! I can't even consult with Nadja. What shall I do, High Powers?! What do I do?!

  I did what I always do. Problems have to be solved as they come in. And how can they be solved if the vampires aren't awake yet? I spit on everything, took a book out of the closet in the living room and sat down to read the Pinocchio story. He and I have something in common, definitely. Either a long curious nose, or a nice habit of getting into all the trouble!

  And, leafing through an old fairy tale, I didn't see myself falling asleep.

  I blacked out so tight I couldn't even hear when the vampires woke up and my friend came back. Apparently, the exhausted organism solved everything without the involvement of the evil head - and shut me down completely.

  It's the right thing to do.

  Chapter 5

  Second Print

  I opened my eyes and immediately closed them back up. Then I opened them again. Mecislav looked as always - absolutely stunning. The white sweater looked good on him. He had a triangular neckline on his chest - and the golden skin was open to my eyes. Coal-black hair scattered over his shoulders with luxurious curls, framing his graceful, as if carved out by the hand of the best sculptor, face. The white color of the fabric emphasized the thick honey color of his body. The smell of honey and flowers circled his head. So it wasn't cologne. We ran away from Snowbird without any pants or socks at all. And then what? Hormones? Pheromones? Or like flowers, to attract bees? Hell knows... But I was dizzy. Some kind of soft and visceral daze was spilling over his body. And I suddenly felt like climbing my hands under his sweater.
The desire was so unnatural to me that I immediately hit a frank rudeness.

  - Can't we start the day with something a little more cute?

  Mechislav rolled his eyes. He was sitting next to me on the sofa, either looking at me or thinking about something. He wasn't touching me well. The jeans and sweater were clearly in place. And they godlessly rubbed my neck and waist.

  - You really don't think I'm handsome or at least cute?

  I decided to answer as honestly as possible.

  - Your face is like sugar with honey and chocolate. If you eat a spoon, you don't need it anymore.

  Mechislav was crooked.

  - It's a hell of a mixture.

  - And you're no better.

  - Much better.

  - I'll believe it if you get Daniel here.

  The vampire didn't think to listen.

  - Are you sure I'm not coming?

  - That's right. And stop hovering around!

  I kicked the vampire out with both hands. Yeah, it's easier to shove a rock.

  - Get out, you fanger-hoof!

  - In fact, let my girlfriend go," Danielle suggested from somewhere behind his back.

  - Your girlfriend is my last name. And I need her strength for a while.

  - That's later, I answered. The jeans would get into a soft spot, and I'd get even more irritable... at least somewhere else. - Now I'm going to the bathroom, and if anybody shows up, I'll personally castrate them.

  - Even me? - Danielle gave me his hand. I grabbed his cool fingers, and the vampire helped me get off the couch. Mecislav watched this scene with displeasure, but he said nothing out loud. And the bread that wasn't lard. Nadjushka poured water on him well.

  - Are you awake, motherfucker?

  Oh, easy on the devil.

  - Why am I an infectious disease?

  - I come back here with a bottle and she sleeps like a marmot in the sun. I didn't even dare to wake you.

  - And good. At least I got some sleep. And now I'm going for a swim. Nadia, please watch out for those two fangers. Otherwise, they'll start to figure out the relationship - the whole apartment will be blown to pieces and the neighbors will fall out.

  On that note, I turned around and went to the bathroom. Fortunately, it was a combined one. I wonder if vampires need a toilet. Do they drink blood? And if the fluid enters the stomach, it just can't absorb it all. And it has to come out of somewhere. Or does everything just soak up? I wish I could experiment with vampires! What kind of thesis topic is missing, said Van Helsing while dissecting Dracula!

  A hot shower in fifteen minutes made a man out of me. Or at least made me in a great mood. I got dressed, and I came out of the tub. The voices of vampires and Nadia came from somewhere in the kitchen.

  - ...plans for Jane. I'd prefer her to stay with Daniel. Or better yet, find a normal boyfriend.

  - I don't think that's possible now.

  - But she didn't become a vampire, did she?

  - Just by sleeping with Danielle, she won't be a vampire.

  - But she won't stay an ordinary person either, will she?

  - She wasn't. She just wasn't aware of her abilities.

  There was an idyll in the kitchen. Nadia was doing something by the stove, snarling at Mieczysław, who was sitting on a high stool in the corner. Daniel painted something on album sheets in the kitchen corner - a bench corner and a table - and did not take part in the conversation. I was the first to be noticed by Mečislav.

  - How are you feeling now, Curly?

  - Much better. What were you talking about?

  - That dolphin and mermaid, they're honestly not a couple, not a couple... - Nadia sang.

  - Jane?

  Danielle took his eyes off his drawings and looked at me. What a lover he is after all...

  - Sit down with me?

  - Won't I be bothering you?

  - No. And then, I painted for you.

  - He wouldn't let me see," said a friend.

  - It's personal," the vampire cut off.

  I sat next to him on a soft kitchen sofa. I thought, so I kissed him on the corner of his mouth. Danielle quickly punched me at the tip of his nose. He raked the painted sheets off the table, and handed them to me.

  - This is for you, my love.

  I took a dutiful look at the first drawing.

  Danielle is a genius after all.

  The first drawing was of two birds called Sirin. I think so. Or Gamayun? What was the name of a bird with a human face in Russia? I don't know, but it was her - and at the same time - me. White plumage, crown on the head, clawed paws. My face, stylized in the manner of ancient Russia, was both beautiful - and terrible. A bird with my face sat on a branch, throwing its head. One wing of her was broken and hanging as usually wings do not hang. There was another bird sitting opposite it. Much more beautiful than the first, but black. And she left an oppressive impression. Like making up a dead man. Disgusting... and very sad.

  - What was that bird singing about? - I whispered.

  - About the great sorrow," said Mieczysław suddenly. - Danielle, can I see the drawings now?

  - Now, you can, the vampire has spoken.

  Mecislav carefully took the drawing from my hands.

  The second painting depicted... me too, but it was different. The background was a coniferous forest. Wide and high trunks of pines, spruce paws, which looked prickly even in the picture. And in front of everything - a healthy tree, so big that the artist did not even depict it entirely, limiting himself to one pine branch, which moved into the foreground like a greedy paw of a predator. I was lying on this paw. But again, not in its natural form. Now it was a female cat in an ambush. And please don't think about Hollywood monster bastards. That cat had nothing to do with them. No mask, no costume. Naked nature, shown on the side, and so elegant it didn't even seem naked. Still can't see anything. And the cat... The face was mine again. But instead of hands and feet, there were predatory clawed feet. And with them, the cat got into the tree on which it was lying. You could see deep chips and scratches on the bark of the tree.

  And ears. Long, pointy, with tassels at the ends. And big animal eyes with vertical pupils.

  It's beautiful.

  - Is that a panther?

  Nadia brazenly stretched out her neck, looked, and shook her head.

  - Jane, come on! It's a lynx.

  It's really a bobcat. Beautiful one.

  I also gave this drawing to Mieczysław.

  The third painting was... weird. Painted in the style of yin-yang. Naked nature. Nothing superfluous, strict and concise lines, a beautiful body (although Daniel definitely flattered me, my legs and butt are thick, and my chest is small), and all this is done - fifty to fifty. Half the page is white, half the page is black. Black lines on white, white lines on black. How Daniel managed to achieve this effect with just a simple pencil - I do not even want to guess. Black and white lines seemed to be an extension of each other, all smoothly, gracefully, without breaks ... Is that also - me?

  The last drawing was the most beautiful. Aphrodite coming out of the sea foam. The goddess appeared naked from the sea, waves licked her knees, one hand she held her hair, and the other as if pulled forward. But it was not the body that attracted attention. The features of the divine face were so bright and expressive that the drawing seemed to be a small window - there, in the sea. The impression was so strong that it seemed - now it will touch your cheek. With this goddess, we were nothing like each other. She was too beautiful. And yet we could guess the similarities with the "yin-yang" drawing. Either the eyes or the smile...

  - You were so... this morning...

  Danielle was whispering very quietly, but I heard him. And looking at these drawings, I knew that Danielle could lie to me, but he really loves me. He bloody loves me. Because every line of women in the paintings was brought to life by love. And that's the only one.

  - Did I mention that you're a genius?

  - No.

  - Why do I love
you?

  - And you haven't said that yet.

  I gently kissed Daniel.

  - I love you so much. Even though you think of me better than I deserve.

  - I'm the one who doesn't deserve you.

  - That's enough!

  Mieczyslaw did nothing, but his voice blew through the room, freezing our emotions. You fanger bastard! All the romance... hmm... broke!

  - What do you want? - It was rude of me to ask.

  Mecislav wanted to say something, but he didn't have time. Nadia was ahead of him.

  - I gotta think about where the dachshund went.

  - What?

  - Togo. Jane told me everything - and I don't understand what's going on.

  - In what way?

  - How did the werewolves get at you? You didn't give anyone your address or even double-check from surveillance.

  - And it doesn't surprise me," I shrugged my shoulders. - I was watching a movie the other day - there was a bug under the bottom of the car, which showed the traffic on the screen. That's all I need. We didn't leave anyone in the car...

  - Jane, I'm a donkey, - Mechislav self-critically admitted. - I should have changed my car or at least left it away from the club. But I didn't even think it could be like that...

  - The result is sad," I summed up. - And what were those werewolves? I haven't even figured out what they were... I'd run away... Would you?

  - I managed to understand a little more. They were foxes.

  - That doesn't tell me anything.

  Actually, it did, but so far I've preferred to keep quiet about talking to a werewolf. Let's see what Mecislav has to say... let's hear it... compare it...

  - Absolutely. You just don't know, curly, but every vampire can control animals. It's our specialty, like levitation, hypnosis, speed. Some have more, some have less. Like wolves, bats, rats and night birds can control absolutely all vampires. Although for some it's much harder than for others. But some people have other animals available as well. Andre has foxes.

  - What about you?

  - Tigers, curls.

  - Tigers? But we barely have any of them!

  - Not werewolves. And then, a vampire doesn't choose who he controls.

  - What do you mean, control? - Nadia asked.

  - No werewolf tiger can resist my will.