Requiem of Humanity

by Catherine Stovall

  Soborgne stayed true to her nature. Turning to look Patrick in the eye, she asked, “What? Train with you! Why, so you can get the chance to finish me off?” Soborgne glared at Patrick with obvious hate.

  The vampire paid no attention to the obvious dislike shining from Soborgne. He looked to Matteo and Jenda with fondness. “’Tis a good night for a wee journey. Be safe.” He nodded to Soborgne as he passed her without a word.

  Jenda was confused. “What was that about?”

  Matteo spoke up first. “It seems our young Soborgne here tempted Patrick’s lesser side this evening and perhaps bit off more than she can chew.”

  Jenda gasped in horror. She stared accusingly at Soborgne. “What did you do, Sobo? How could you have provoked such a nice man?”

  “Oh, it’s always my fault! Everyone here hates me! You are off doing God knows what with Celeste, her high and mightiest, and I am stuck here with your stuffy boyfriend! Then that jerk attacks me just for trying a little mind reading and you accuse me of provoking him!” Soborgne was screaming. Her tears were filling her eyes and running down her face.

  “Sobo, stop it. What is wrong with you? You shouldn’t say things like that about Celeste or Matteo. Celeste is helping us, she’s hiding us from the Dracul, and you are acting completely nuts. No one hates you! They are just a little frightened. As far as Patrick is concerned, he had every right to be angry with you if you were trying to read his thoughts. That’s just rude.” Jenda was trying to stay calm. She opened her mind up so that Soborgne could see she was not attacking her. She hoped that Soborgne could recognize the concern she felt.

  “They do too hate me, every one of them! Oh, I am the big bad boogey man. I’m here to ruin the whole damn world! I don’t want to be bad, Jenda. I am just as scared as they are, if not more! Don’t you understand that?” Her sobs were coming in hard jerks now and her voice was higher pitched. Jenda knew that any minute Soborgne would be having a full-fledged hissy fit right there in the hallway.

  “That man attacked me. He tried to fry my brain. It hurt! He is barbaric! You don’t try to kill someone even if that person is being rude! Now you want me to go to some kind of stupid vampire training with him! NO! I won’t do it!” At last she broke. Her anger spent up, she collapsed into her best friend’s arms. The childish tirade faded into the background and her tears were real.

  Jenda lost a little of her normal kindness. She still spoke cautiously and sweetly to Soborgne, but a slight edge sharpened her words. “Sobo, I love you more than life itself, but you must understand that we cannot make enemies here. Too many people out there want to hurt us. I want to train with Patrick, and if you do not, I understand. I will simply do so without you.”

  The trio went into Matteo and Jenda’s room so as not to attract the attention of anyone passing by. It seemed that the castle was slowly gaining more and more occupants. They saw them throughout the night, here and there, but more than that they could sense them through the walls. The last thing they needed was yet another confrontation. It seemed too many of those were happening lately.

  Soborgne sat pouting in the chair. She wished she were tired. She wished she could just sleep through it all, but her new nature told her that even if she tried she wouldn’t sleep until dawn. Checking the clock on the table, she noted irritably that they still had several hours left because it was just after one. This was going to be a night from hell.

  She watched Jenda and Matteo for a while, the loneliness building inside of her. They chatted lightly, giving her space. With every small laugh or loving glance, Soborgne’s heart grew heavier. Each small touch between the room’s other occupants added another brick to the heaviness in her heart. Was she destined to spend all of eternity alone because she was the despised and feared one? At last, she chose to come out of her pouty sullenness just to feel included, despite the anger and resentment she still felt.

  “Didn’t someone say it was a good night for a wee outing?” She did her best to imitate Patrick’s brogue, but couldn’t keep herself from laughing.

  Jenda looked up in surprise, and in seeing the smile on Soborgne’s face immediately chimed in. “You did promise us a shopping spree, Matteo.”

  Matteo feigned contemplating the dangers of a two a.m. shopping trip for a moment and then stood up from his perch on the corner of the bed. “Alright, come on you two. I mean, what could be a better idea than shopping in a town full of Dracul and Roma?” In truth, he had planned to take the girls out earlier but had not wanted to risk it once Soborgne’s bad mood returned. Now that she seemed capable of acting half descent, he was sure that the trip would be okay.

  “Are we going to be walking?” Jenda glanced out the window to the crowds still wandering the streets, and at the homeless in the darker corners of the alley. Even from the upper floors of the castle, she could see them clearly. Her sight was greatly improved in just the past twenty-four hours.

  Matteo came to stand behind her. His chin was resting lightly on the top of her head. Their eyes met in the reflection of the glass. For a brief moment, the scene from the night Belle changed her played through Jenda’s mind. She watched Matteo’s reflection now, just as she had then. Only this time, when Matteo came to embrace her, Belle was not there glorifying in the workings of her plan. No, there would be no bloody massacre tonight.

  Matteo jingled a set of keys in front of her, breaking the spell of the memory. “I already talked to Celeste and she has arranged for everything. The most wonderful thing about being in Budapest is that vampires have held contract with humans since putting the first stones of this city in place. These fine mortals operate many of the finer stores. Therefore, all doors can be opened with a simple word from The Lady for our convenience.”

  The girls were buzzing with excitement. Since Celeste decided they could stay, she had provided them with clothing, but it was not a very good fit. Soborgne and Jenda were a whirlwind of movement and laughter as they scurried to look their best. Matteo was as prepared as he would ever be, so he waited patiently.

  At last, they moved through the corridors heading to the underground parking garage. Small bursts of giggles and exclamations at the paintings, statues, crown moldings, and other attractions along the way erupted from the girls every few minutes. Matteo played tour guide as best he could, but the girls were not interested in history now. They were on a mission, and the scenery was just something to keep them occupied on the long walk to the outside world.

  Exiting in the parking garage, the trio met with two armed guards. The duo consisted of one human and one vampire. Soborgne’s eyes narrowed in suspicion when the vampire stared a little too long in their direction. Jenda did not need her friends to tell her that she thought they were staring because she was the “evil one.” Acting quickly to distract her, Jenda asked Soborgne where she wanted to go first.

  Soborgne snapped back into her good mood and the conversation continued as they piled into a standard issue black sedan with darkly tinted windows. Matteo explained to them the shops they would be visiting and the girls contemplated where to go first and what they would buy. The night out was to be an adventure for Jenda, who had never had the luxury of zipping around the continents on shopping sprees. Soborgne, however, was a pro at such things, and she quickly became the director of their outing.

  The managers treated them as if they were royalty, and shopping alone in the large department stores was a rare treat. Matteo told them that they had no spending limit, but to keep him out of the poor house. After seeing that the girls would be okay in each new store, he would wander off and buy himself a modest selection of necessities. He had more money than either girl could fathom, but to him it seemed unnecessary to parade the fact. Soborgne and Jenda did not see it in the same light. They may be immortal creatures of the night, but fashion was still a necessity for a teenage girl, dead or not.

  Laughter and stories from when the girls were younger monopolized the evening. Soborgne enjoyed shocking the well-manicured atten
dant at Sak’s by asking if there was a Salvation Army or Goodwill nearby. The woman nearly fainted, began to laugh as if it were a joke, and then nearly fainted again when she realized that Soborgne was serious. That was always Sobo’s style. She could wear Gucci and Christian Louboutin and carry a Coach bag, all while sporting a pair of twenty-five cent hobo gloves from the nearest thrift shop.

  The car was so loaded down with bags, boxes, and tissue that they were nearly left with no place to sit by the time Soborgne yawned and began to blink sleepily. With happy sighs, they headed back to the castle. The good times left them feeling giddy and bleary eyed. Jenda sat snuggled in the front seat next to Matteo, her head in the crook of his free arm. She smiled to herself, thinking how good it felt to do something as normal as shopping. She almost felt human again—almost.

  Matteo must have called ahead at some point during the night because when they arrived there were two uniformed humans awaiting them. The girls snatched up a couple of bags as they exited the car, but the attendants insisted that they not carry a thing. “So this is how it feels to be completely spoiled?” Jenda asked in pure wonder.

  Matteo hugged her tightly to him and whispered, “It will always be like this if that is what you wish.”

  They wandered back up through the winding corridors without much conversation. Worn out from the tragedies that had befallen them and unwound by the enjoyment they had shared, the trio fell into a contented silence. Matteo had even enjoyed Soborgne’s quirkiness this evening. He was learning that often she said things just to get a reaction out of others. Perhaps she wasn’t as mean spirited as he had thought. After hearing all about the girl’s life at home when they were merely human, Matteo understood a little better.

  Soborgne’s parents did not give her the unwavering attention that Jenda received. She received the finest objects, but she was often alone in the world except for her best friend. The fast cars, credit cards, and never-ending flow of cash were her parent’s way of nurturing a child. He could see why she acted out. All creatures needed love. Possessions were comfort, but companionship was a necessity. If only she had not provoked Patrick, maybe they could have found something together.

  Jenda possessed the perfect balance of love, attention, and possessions in her home life. She never did without anything, but her parents set limits. They did not attempt to buy their child’s love with shopping trips in Paris and fancy sports cars. They didn’t allow her to buy things that were obscenely expensive. Jenda had even balked at the price of a few things in the store tonight. She only chose modest, fair priced items.

  What she did not know was that Matteo purchased the things she would not. He wanted to shower her with all the things she wanted, needed, loved, and desired. He also acquired a very special gift for her. Just thinking about the small leather case his pocket made him smile. He hoped she was as pleased with it as he imagined she would be.

  Soborgne could barely walk by the time they reached the hallway. The sky was getting lighter and her resistance to the sun was no less devastating than it was on the first morning. Jenda helped Soborgne to her room and waited while the men placed the bags that she designated as Soborgne’s near the closet. Jenda carefully laid a light blanket over her semiconscious friend. She whispered goodnight and crept away. By the time she closed the door behind her, Soborgne was already asleep.

  Jenda stood hesitantly outside the door to her and Matteo’s suite. As she waited for the butterflies in her stomach to calm, she traced her finger over the dancing golden symbols on the door. She was almost blind to them now. They were everywhere in the castle. She made a mental note to ask Celeste when they met again, what they were. She dropped her hand from the golden swirls to the doorknob and hesitated again.

  Jenda couldn’t understand why she was so nervous. This would not be the first time that she and Matteo had spent the night together. Maybe it was because she knew her own heart, or the fact that she could feel the desire in her already building. Either way, she couldn’t just stand here outside the door. She would have to go in. She was afraid that Matteo would refuse her again, but she was also secretly afraid that he wouldn’t. Swallowing her doubts, Jenda steeled herself for whatever may come.

  She opened the door quietly and stepped inside. The only light in the room was the lamp beside the bed. Someone had come during the night and cleaned the room. The leftovers from their bedside picnic were gone and fresh flowers spilled out of the vases. She let her eyes roam the room, searching for him. When she let them finally come to the bed, she half hoped and half feared to find him there. He was lying on his side, facing her with his eyes closed and the light of the lamp illuminating his features. His peaceful face was hauntingly beautiful, and instantly a fierce love replaced her disappointment in finding him asleep. She quickly changed into an oversized t-shirt and slipped into the bed beside him. Snuggling in close but being careful not to wake him, she fell into a peaceful sleep.

  8

  Soborgne was sitting in the sand. She could see him approaching. She didn’t get up to meet him. She simply sat there, watching him come to her in his languid stride. As he stood beside her, she still did not stand to welcome him. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted up into the sun. He stood patiently for a moment. Soborgne remained perfectly still. He stood above her with his back towards the sun, and it crowned his head as if it were a halo. Finally, she spoke. “Where have you been?”

  “I have been searching for you.” His voice was the same, and she felt the slight electric tremor she always felt in these dreams.

  “Where are you, really? When you are not haunting my dreams and lurking in bloody alleys, where is it that you go?” As she spoke the words, her resolve against him was fighting to hold on. She thought about the night in the alley.

  She had killed the pedophile while in a fit of blood lust on that fateful night. She had also fought alongside Matteo and Jenda against the. If she had gone with this man—as he had wanted—her best friend would have died. She didn’t want to trust him. She did not want to feel this pull towards him. Yet Soborgne was filled with the feeling that they had always belonged to each other. The knowledge of millennia spent in each other’s arms overwhelmed her mind and she knew she loved him despite never knowing him outside her dreams

  “I do nothing but wait for you. I search for you. Since I learned that you were changed, it is all I have done. I am everywhere you are or have ever been. I have no home. I only have you.” He held out his hand. He beckoned to her to come into his arms, to let him hold her.

  “You are lying.” She said it as cruelly as she could. She had to drive him away, but it broke her heart even as she said the words.

  “No, my love, I am not. My purpose in this life, and all those to come, is to have you by my side.”

  She decided to change tactics. She knew she couldn’t argue with him, so she tried to punch holes in his logic. “I don’t even know your name. I don’t know you. Why are you doing this?”

  “I am only doing what my heart is telling me, and if you listen to yours it will tell you the same.” He did not offer his embrace again. He reached down and pulled her into his arms. Their lips met in such a forceful kiss that it would have bruised a human.

  She really did try to pull away. She fought at first, but as the kiss continued she couldn’t deny the longing inside her. She could feel in her soul that this is where she belonged. She stopped refusing him. She met his ferocity with her own. “Mine,” was her only thought. She could feel his warm hands, his soft lips, and his cool flesh. She wanted—no, needed—more. She softened the kiss to prepare him for what she knew she had to do. Placing her hands on each side of his face, she slowly drew back. Her eyes focused against the sunlight and her vision cleared.

  Through all the dreams, and even that night in the alley, she had yet to see his features. This time it would be different. She could not trust him, could not love him completely until she knew who he was. He was smiling at her. His eyes glowed like emeralds in
a fire. Brilliant gold dotted the fluorescent green, and the depth she saw mesmerized Soborgne. He was a magnificent man. Long, ash-blonde hair, high cheekbones, and a square jaw made her think of long ago heroes who once carried swords and saved maidens.

  “Are you happy now, mon ami? Can you trust me now that you have seen my face? Better yet, do you know who I am?” He questioned her with curiosity blazing in those glimmering green eyes.

  She couldn’t speak at first. His beauty entranced her once more, just as she it had in the beginning. When the dreams first came to her she wasn’t able to talk with him, and she forgot all the things he told her almost immediately because she was so caught up in his glorious looks. Now that she could see his face, she felt lost and confused by the pure beauty of him.

  At last, she found her voice and her strength. “Tell me your name. If you love me as you say you do, and I believe that you do, you must tell me your name.”

  He sighed and her heart broke with the sadness of it. “I cannot tell you my name, love. You must remember. Please try. Let your mind fill with your love for me and you will know.” He turned from her then and began to walk away.

  Soborgne cried out. She pleaded for him to stay with her. “I’m sorry. Please. Please, don’t go. I will remember if I must, but please don’t leave me.” She was dying. She was fading away without him next to her.

  He stopped perhaps fifteen feet away and turned back towards her. She fell back down in the sand and wept miserably. “I shall return, my beloved. You must remember. You know me. You have loved me for as long as I have loved you. When that time comes, you must throw away childish things and join me. Those who you call friends will try to stop you. They are not to be trusted. Stay in the night and you shall stay with me. They will only hurt you. I am the only one who really loves you.” Then, with a wave of his hand and a deep bow, he turned and walked away.