Aris Rising: The Court of Vampires: AN INFINITY DIARIES NOVEL

by Morgan, Devin

  The ship was large, laden with cargo yet it was tossed as if it were salt in the wind. I was tumbled from my bed onto the wooden planks of the floor. The deck heaved and floundered as a horse not yet broken to its saddle. Crawling, I made way toward the false safety of the cot.

  Without warning, a terrifying explosion shook the vessel. First one, then another and another. The smell of gunpowder, sulpher and fire filled my nostrils. Thick black smoke choked me as I clawed at my throat, gasping for air.

  The door was ripped open. Flames silhouetted the form of a huge, torn and bleeding man reaching for me. I screamed as I scrambled to the far side of the pitching cabin. “No fear of me. I come here to save you. The ship is going down. Make your way with haste to one of the waiting boats. It is your only hope.” He reached for me, lifting me into his arms, carrying me as he would a child onto the deck into the open air.

  Rain and hail pummeled the bleeding, dying men who were scattered in every direction. The mast lay broken across the deck, men crushed beneath its enormous weight. The great ship was ripped in two. Fires burned everywhere I looked, somehow consuming the soaking wood like kindling. When, at last, the flames were drowned by the raging tempest, the sound of the hot wood hissing in its’ death rattle added to the roar of the storm. The sailor deposited me into a small boat suspended by ropes hanging next to the bow. He began to lower it into the swirling black water when another explosion rocked all that remained of the only world left to me. The shock sent him flying to the other side of the ship, and blew me out of the skiff into the churning water. My blood froze in my veins as I hit the convulsive, angry waves. My arms and legs grew numb as I fought a battle for my life.

  In no more than a moment, I knew to whom the victory would be given. “Aris, my only beloved,” was my final cry as the raging sea filled my lungs with a watery death. I sank into the darkness, my last memory his face before me. And then eternal peace.

  #

  Sarah lay in the recliner with her eyes closed. She could hear Bonnie’s breath, the therapist’s hand resting reassuringly on her friends arm. “I’m here Sarah. Breathe deeply and just relax. Everything is fine. You’re safe here with me in my office.”

  Thoughts raced through Sarah’s mind. “Safe? How safe can I be with the image of my own death rattling my brain? How safe can I be when I realize that I don’t want to live without the Immortal that returned to my life from a place where fables walk the earth? How safe can I be as my heart lay open, tempted by eternal love?”

  #

  She curled in the corner of her sofa. A light spring rain shower fell from intermittent cumulus clouds. Occasional narrow shafts of sunlight lit the shimmering drops creating rainbows against the glass of the sliding patio doors. The sound of the drops, so soft, so tender, unlike the terrorizing tempest of her vision. She had been sitting in one spot for what seemed like hours. To see one’s own death, to hear her own final cry of his name. Would that be the cry she heard as she breathed her last human breath in the depths of the Catacombs? Did she have that kind of courage? Did she cherish him enough to give her life for love? He asked her once. She asked herself time and again. The answer seemed just out of her reach but she feared it as much as she struggled toward it. The voice in her head spoke only one word. “Aris.”

  CHAPTER 34

  She opened the door to her office to find pale sunbeams shining around dried drops of rain dotting the large window. The sun seemed to spotlight a small branch resting in the middle of her desk. As she approached, she saw it was a gnarled bramble full of wicked sharp thorns. “What in the world is Maggie doing now?” She laughed as she picked it up, tossing it thoughtlessly into her garbage can.

  Settling into her chair, she kicked off her shoes. She always arrived early before her first appointment to read the records of past sessions with the clients she would be seeing that day. She waited for Maggie to appear with her large coffee loaded with her one vice-several sugars stirred into it to make it as sweet as a doughnut. She hit the snooze button once too often this morning and missed her breakfast at Saul’s. Her stomach growled its annoyance. She patted it tenderly, “You’re just going to have to wait until lunch, little buddy. We have no time for food this morning.” A long disgruntled grumble was her only answer.

  She heard the outer door of the office open just as her phone rang. Reaching for it she slid into her shoes in case it was an early client who had just arrived.

  “Just me, boss.” Maggie’s voice carried from the outer office as Sarah spoke into the receiver.

  A deep accented voice responded to her greeting. “Good morning, Sarah, it is DeMarco.” He waited.

  “DeMarco, I’m so glad you called. About last night?”

  “A delicious meal and delightful company. That is what I remember about last night.”

  She sighed in relief. She had been worried their turbulent moment of passion might interrupt their friendship. Even with her deep feelings for Aris, her time with the Italian doctor meant a great deal to her.

  “No more thoughts about it. Now, when may I prepare dinner for you?”

  “Let’s make a date.” She had no sooner spoken when Maggie leaned her head around the door motioning to Sarah there was a client in the waiting room. “DeMarco, I have to go, my client is here. I’ll speak with you later.”

  “I’ll phone you soon. Ciao, Sarah.”

  “Ciao, DeMarco.” She smiled. Her charming friend had smoothed out an uncomfortable moment with his usual diplomacy.

  #

  Saturday mornings at Saul’s were a madhouse. They waited for a table for almost half an hour and Sarah was chomping at the bit to really talk to Bonnie. She was confused by her own feelings and actions. She really hoped Bonnie could give her some insight as her friend as well as her therapist. What in the world was she doing having DeMarco to her house again? She knew she wasn’t ready to have an intimate relationship with him. Even if Aris had not been in the picture, she didn’t know enough about DeMarco to be emotionally vulnerable to him and sex with him would certainly put her in that position.

  Finally when they were settled, their orders placed, their coffee on the table steaming hot in front of them, she felt able to begin the conversation.

  “Bon, I’ve got some questions here so put on your therapy hat, okay?” She chuckled as she watched Bonnie’s expression change, becoming serious and quizzical.

  “Yes?”

  “Well, it’s kind of embarrassing. DeMarco and I.”

  Bonnie leaned closer, “Yes?”

  “He came to my house for dinner the other night.”

  “Go on,” she urged quietly.

  “We got pretty carried away and almost did the deed and I’m kind of scared. I don’t want to be hurt again. We don’t even live in the same country. He says he has feelings for me, but I’m not sure of mine for him. I’m feeling pretty confused and honestly don’t know where this could go anyway.”

  “Yes?”

  “I invited him over again and I’m not sure why.”

  “Are you sure you don’t care for him?” Bonnie waited for her to answer. Sarah knew she would continue to wait for as long as it took to get a response.

  “I’m not sure, but my heart just about jumped out of my chest when he kissed me.”

  “Yes?” The old therapy trick of agreement, then silence, always seemed to work even when it was used on another therapist.

  “Okay, maybe I do have some kind of thing for him, but I don’t know what it is.”

  “Sarah, DeMarco and that mindless attorney you dated for a while are the only two men you’ve been associated closely with except Carlos since your divorce. You and Carlos have become incredibly close friends but nothing more, or so you say. Is it any wonder you’re stirred by some exotic, handsome Italian who tells you how much he wants you? Come on woman. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that.”

  “So you think it’s just hormones, nothing more?”

  “Nothing more tha
n hormones? What is wrong with your brain this morning? Hormones are some of the most powerful drivers of human action. He’s gorgeous, he’s here, he wants you. You’d have to be dead not to respond in some way.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Silently her thoughts raged. “Life, death, immortality. So many choices, so little time.” Her indecision was becoming tiresome even to her.

  #

  Sarah held the baby on her lap while Colleen and Bob set the table for dinner. Her heart melted as Collette’s tiny fingers curled around her thumb, holding onto her hand. Her baby eyes held such innocence. Sarah was amazed at the feelings that surfaced looking at the miracle she held in her arms. A new life. So dependent. Sarah was filled with nearly overwhelming emotions.

  She felt protective, nurturing. This miniature person was totally vulnerable to everything that surrounded her, so helpless. It almost frightened Sarah to think of having the responsibility of raising a child, teaching it, giving it a solid foundation for life.

  As a therapist she understood that parents, without even realizing it, can color a child’s entire future simply by thoughtless words spoken in a moment of anger or fatigue. Time and again she had listened to her adult clients with tears in their eyes and holes in their psyches speak about incidences that occurred in the toddler stages of their development; incidences that still pounded them into the ground even as full grown adults. Insecurity, obesity, a lost sense of self. It is a rare parent that wants to instill such sorrow in their child, yet a common occurrence in families simply through careless statements a child may never forget. A parent is a god to a child. Their pronouncements are taken as ultimate truth in the tiny world of an innocent. “How can you possibly know if you have what it takes to be a good parent?” she thought. “Would I be a good parent?”

  “Hey, little girl, ready to go to bed?” Lost in her thoughts, Sarah was startled as Bob came close, reaching out his arms for his daughter. His eyes lit up at the sight of her and his voice took on a soft sweetness that Sarah had never heard before, not even when he spoke to his wife. He lifted her tenderly and cradled her in his huge arms. Nothing could harm her while this man was near. She smiled as he carried the small bundle from the room. Even his walk was different, special, as he carried his daughter. Slow, small steps, his feet placed gingerly so as not to disturb her sleep. She was a very lucky child to be born to these two caring people.

  “Dinner’s on the table. Come on, Auntie Sarah. Let’s chow down.” Colleen made a quick stop in the baby’s room to tuck her in and make sure the baby monitor was working before she settled into her chair.

  “Wow, this looks great.” Sarah placed her napkin on her lap as her best friend spooned steaming vegetables on her plate. “You sure have come a long way from ordering in.”

  “Yeah, well now that I’m not working like a dog, I have the time to cook.” She kissed her husband on the top of his head. “As well as a reason. I want this guy healthy.”

  Sarah watched the couple as the three friends ate a relaxed meal together. Bob and Colleen were so completely comfortable with each other. Their movements seemed to meld into a perfect dance. There was obvious love and so much more: respect, real companionship, friendship. They communicated with their eyes without words. Would she ever know such comfort as they shared? She knew Aris had been the answer to this question even before it was formed. But what of the humanity she would have to sacrifice to consummate her love? With DeMarco in her life, it seemed she might have other choices.

  CHAPTER 35

  The lights in the restaurant were soft and romantic. As the waiter cleared the plates from the table, DeMarco asked for a brandy while Sarah sipped the last of her second glass of wine. Their conversation had been light, friendly. They spoke of his travel, the lovely weather, their mutual work, all things mundane and none of any great importance. However, she could tell from the look in his eyes that was about to change.

  Reaching across the table, he took her hands in his as was his habit. “Sarah, I told you I would not put demands upon you or our relationship and I hold true to my promise. I would not even bring this up if the limbo of not knowing your feelings for me were not driving me to distraction. I have trouble concentrating on my work; thoughts of you intrude in my every moment. You told me there was another man in your life yet I hope there is the possibility one day to have an exclusive relationship with you.”

  She looked at his handsome face, his eyes glowing in the candlelight. How could she walk away from this exquisite man?

  “Please. I am willing to accept any decision you make, but I must know. Is it possible for there to be a deeper relationship between us in the future?”

  She knew she owed him an answer. He was a kind, generous and gentle man. She could no longer leave him in torment while she wrestled with her fear of letting go and falling in love. Her respect for him forced her to face the reality of her relationships with Aris and DeMarco. Regardless of the answer to the life or death enigma she faced if she chose Aris, she knew she had feelings for both of them.

  She stared into the candlelight for a long moment before she met his eyes. “I can’t lie to you, DeMarco. I don’t know what I feel.”

  “Very well, Sarah. I will give you time.” Placing his napkin on the table, he reached into his pocket to withdraw his wallet. His voice was cool, collected, without passion. “Take all of it that you need. Just know that I am in love with you and have been since I first saw you, which seems to me an eternity ago. I will not push you or tempt you. Your decision is your own.”

  She sat in silence. “What did you expect?” The small voice of reason spoke to her shock. “This man just offered you his heart and you refused it. Did you think he was the type of man to beg?” At least this was one question that had an immediate answer. No, of course not. In spite of his declaration, he was a man with great pride. He didn’t need her, he wanted her. He was a man obviously accustomed to getting exactly what he wanted. Without her he was precisely the same as he was before he met her. Complete.

  “I will return to Italy tomorrow. I will return to my family until you decide what you want. When you know, phone me. I will be waiting to hear from you, however, I believe I already know the answer even though you do not.” He signed the check, then stood.

  She placed her napkin in the vacant space on the table in front of her. He was distant as he helped her from her chair and guided her to the door of the restaurant.

  CHAPTER 36

  They sat on Sarah’s living room floor, piles of canvas of every size surrounding them. One by one Aris revealed to her the work that had been consuming him for the last few weeks. One miracle after another was presented to her. Colors and shapes exploded from each canvas, each painting more powerful than the one before. She expected his work to be exceptional, but now realized he was a master of his art.

  “These are all unbelievable. Each brush stroke has a voice.”

  He laughed out loud as he leaned toward her to kiss her lightly on the lips. She ached for more. “I am so happy you like them. I thought of the light coming from your eyes, your face, as I painted. You are my muse and inspiration.”

  “Yes, well that and your small, insignificant teacher, Monsieur Monet.” She wondered at all his past life experiences as well as all he observed silently during the centuries he was without a body.

  “My many teachers to be correct. When one is only consciousness, there is no limit to eavesdropping.” He chuckled as he stacked the canvasses by size and shape. “I have watched many of the great masters at work in very close quarters. I have learned well.”

  “I’m so excited. Your show might be all it takes to launch your career and afford you the material security you so need.”

  “Yes, from the palaces of kings to my small apartment has been quite an adjustment, even for such as I am. It has been my destiny to move in the company of renowned men and women, some notorious and some truly great. It appears from all I have seen and learned that small day-t
o-day obstacles are so much more difficult to overcome than issues of state. Working people are so tied to just creating a life for themselves and their families they have little time for true introspection. Their lives are dictated by their basic human needs; finding food and shelter has been paramount since those first humans who lived in caves.

  “Yet while many of those of great power have those basic needs met quite easily, they so often have no desire for self-reflection, believing their power gives them all that is necessary in their world. And so we have two sides to the same coin; different reasons yet the same outcome, life and death without depth of knowledge of oneself. One of your famous authors believed that the purpose of human life is joy, yet it is truly a rare commodity in the human world.”

  “Is there great joy in the Catacombs?”

  “In the Catacombs? Often.” He fought his intense desire to hold her in his arms and instead spoke from his heart. “For me, wherever you are, Sarah, there will always be joy.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Sarah sat in the lobby of her apartment building curled into a ball, her cell phone pressed to her ear. Aris answered on the second ring, but it seemed to her to be forever before she heard his voice.

  “Aris, it’s happened again-only worse.” He heard fright and something that sounded like anger in her voice.

  “Sarah, calm down. I’m here.” His soothing voice and assuring words relaxed her and she uncurled, sitting upright. “Now, what is it?”

  “Someone or something has been in my apartment again.”

  “Slow down. Take a moment. Now take a deep breath.” She complied. “Now, another one.” He waited without speaking while she took a moment to breathe. “Where are you now?”