“Anything else?”
“Do you want to know where the name Dante Delavega first appeared?”
“Um, I guess… Where?”
“Seventeen ninety. A Dante Delavega was convicted of murder and sent to Australia with the Second Fleet. What a Spaniard had been doing in England at the time is anyone’s guess. I could speculate, but it could be any number of reasons for him being there. But the thing is, after the murder conviction, he was supposed to have journeyed on the HMS Guardian. You know, the ship that struck ice?”
“Wasn’t that the Titanic?”
“Are you shitting me, Loz? You don’t even know your own history? The Guardian originally sailed with the First Fleet but struck ice and limped back to Africa. Eight people were rescued and brought the rest of the way to Australia. The convicts on those ships were infested with scurvy and heaps of other diseases. Many of them didn’t survive.”
“Yeah, ok. So what?”
“Babe, trust me, I’m getting there. Picture this: what if that’s not the whole story? What if what killed all those people wasn’t any disease?”
“If it wasn’t a disease, then what was it?”
*
Servants crossed the vast and open grounds of the Kent Estate. All were anxious; the time of day becoming apparent. The last rays of the setting sun could just barely be seen over the horizon surrounding Darling Point, one of the richest housing areas of Sydney. One of the modern day palaces that the sun always set over first was the crown jewel of the area, the estate of the late Sir Vincent Kent.
One of the servants, Nadia Kraus, carrying a bucket of freshly picked roses, broke off from her fellows and headed inside.
“Nadia! What are you doing?” Solomon whispered.
“I’ll just be a minute.”
“We don’t have a minute. Look at the sky… You know the rules,” he replied harshly.
“But she likes roses…”
“We are not allowed in the house after sunrise!”
Nadia ignored him, walking into the lavish open living area. She ventured towards the back of the room to the elevator and pressed the down button.
Taking four years to construct and occupying 1800 square metres of land with facilities including a boat pen housing a 30 metre vessel on a full-time basis and with an estimated worth of over $80 million, the estate was the envy of its neighbours. The steel and glass construction had views stretching to the Heads and Manly. An inclinator linked the house to the waterfront where there was a large lawn and pool, and the grounds had substantial room for enough staff to keep everything running like a dream.
What made the estate truly remarkable were the elements no outsider ever saw. Above ground, the house was as lush and beautiful as you would expect. Far beneath the estate, however, were a number of chambers with the most precious objects one could imagine. On the first sub-level, artefacts of ancient civilisations were preserved. Below this room was a crypt housing over a dozen coffins. Sir Vincent could be found resting here, along with the rest of his family. Below this was yet another chamber, this one home to the most extensive range of computer equipment in the country. Over fifty screens were set up back to back, connected to a super computer modelled on the FBI and CIA’s counter terrorism measures. A light on one of these screens silently flickered red.
Nadia stepped off on the crypt level and walked past several of the coffins, keeping her eyes on one only. When she reached it, she placed a long stemmed rose on the second compartment of the lid.
The red bulb in the far alcove glowed bright, signalling the sun had just disappeared below the horizon. Nadia had not meant to cut it this close. She hurried towards the elevator, repeatedly jabbing the call button. The lid of the nearest coffin creaked open. Then another. Bony, claw like fingers extended out, curling around the edge of the lid, just as Nadia closed the elevator door, ascending to safety. Sir Vincent and his family were indeed dead. But that didn’t stop them from rising at sunset.
*
Alex pulled into the same driveway she had seen Dante’s car sleekly roll out of. His car wasn’t here right now, though. That might mean he wasn’t inside. Oh well. She checked her watch. It was just a few minutes before opening time. There were no doormen here yet, but a line was already forming.
Alex quietly walked to the double-door entrance and cupped each elbow with a hand, unsure of what to do. She caught a number of filthy looks from the group at the head of the line. Clearly, they thought she should get in line.
Just as she was going to move along towards the end, the main doors opened. The waiting crowd waiting cheered and the usual doormen walked out.
“Hey, Alex,” they said in unison.
“Hey...uh,” Alex smiled sheepishly as it became apparent she did not know their names.
The doorman who’d had a running battle with Lauren answered her look with a grin. “Tyson,” he said, pointing to himself, “and Bison,” he finished, pointing to his partner. “No we are not brothers and yes our names are real.”
Alex shook their hands in turn, and Bison jerked his head toward the door. “You can go on in.”
She realised Bison had never said anything to her before tonight, yet here he was being very friendly. Even for an owner, Dante obviously had a great influence over his staff.
“Thanks. I won’t be staying long. Just gotta get the bag I left.”
“Yeah, that’s cool.” Tyson dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. “Head inside and then upstairs to the office. Can’t miss it.”
“Thanks so much, guys,” Alex said as she walked through.
*
Within minutes the coffins were empty. Those inside silently stalked their way to one of the elevators and took it upwards towards freedom, towards the blissful mother night. However, duty did call for Vincent. He took the second elevator to his information centre.
Silent to the human ear, but as clear as a telephone ring to a vampire, Vincent headed straight for the blinking screen, stepping off the elevator as the others continued on up. “Report!” Vincent demanded. There was a crash of paperwork and a mug of coffee at his words. Clive, Vincent’s human hacker had never gotten used to seeing the clan leader so soon after he woke.
Clive straightened his glasses and concentrated. “Sorry, ah… There’s this guy that’s checking out a vampire’s history, I think.”
“You think?” Vincent hissed, a hint of menace in his tone.
Clive shut his eyes for a second. Remember, he told himself, when around Vincent; assertiveness!
“I know. He’s only managed to access random personal data at the moment, but it looks like an in-depth search. This guy is going back through the years with birth certificates and so on. It’s pretty awesome how he bypassed secure government passwords and failed to trip anything until now, actually.”
“Which vampire?” Vincent spat.
Clive tapped frantically on the keyboard. Vincent had lived for more than eight hundred years and had no use for computers. Clive had tried to remind him carefully, that if he wanted to keep in control of his world, he had to stay up-to-date. Clive could easily outmatch him in knowledge of modern day technology and this was the only reason he was still alive. Regardless, Clive knew better than to take this in any way for granted.
As Clive’s fingers danced, Vincent leaned closer to the screen. The name being searched scrolled by and Vincent let out a low growl.
“What do you want me to do?” Clive asked softly.
Vincent folded his arms. “Impress me.”
*
“Exactly. What indeed?”
Lauren closed her eyes, holding her breath, trying to focus. A battle she was losing. “So his family history goes back a long way and a ship his great-great-great-great-great grandfather or whatever was on shit itself. I still haven’t heard anything unbelievable or fantastic that will get Matt to back off.”
“Bitch, you’re not getting my point. Your boy Matt is actually right. This guy isn’t who
he seems. If he were, there’d be a lot more boring information about him out there in the ether. Actually, I have had suspicions about this for a long time, man. All the wacked-out shit that goes on, you know?”
“What are you talking about?” Lauren was getting really irritated. How was any of this crap going to help her with Alex?
“It’s taken me so long to find out, but now that I got real proof, I dunno what I can do with it.”
“Real proof of what, for crying out loud?” she said, hearing footsteps outside, coming towards the door. Ryan was home.
“That they are real!”
“Who is real?”
“The undead! The dude that wants your friend is a filthy fanger.”
About to hang up in exasperation, Lauren heard a small pop and electric crackle, and then some swearing on the Information Man’s end of the phone. Something had exploded. The line went dead.
Ryan walked in carrying a pizza box. “Who’s that, babe?”
Lauren stared at the phone briefly. “No one, really. Just an old friend.” She’d have to call him back later. And she had to talk to Matt. She turned to Ryan, who gave her a wink.
“Old friend, huh? How’s about giving this new friend some love?”
Lauren grinned up at him and gave him a kiss. Matt could wait.
*
“Denied, motherfucker!” Clive cackled with his hands in the air. He turned towards Vincent, but the clan leader did not look impressed yet.
“I want the number of the person he was talking to.”
*
Alex stepped over the threshold and couldn’t get over how quiet and empty the place looked with no one in it. Not to mention spacious. She saw the stairs Tyson had mentioned and ascended, wondering why she hadn’t noticed them before.
At the top, the door to the office was open. She approached and knocked.
“Come in,” came Dante’s voice.
He was sitting on his desk with a wry smile and her bag dangling from his finger. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
Alex walked forward and her dream from that morning flashed through her head. Suddenly, she found she had trouble looking at him.
It was the shortest hug and kiss she had ever given anyone.
“Everything all right?” he asked casually.
“Yes, thank you so much for keeping it here. I went out of my mind this morning.”
“Did you realise where you left it?”
“Well there was only one place,” Alex laughed.
“You must’ve left in a hurry. Are you sure everything’s alright?”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I might have stormed out, actually.” Alex laughed. “It was just stupid, you know?”
“I see,” Dante said, rising from the desk. He walked over to the mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of Crown Lager, popped the top off and handed it to her. Alex took it and frowned at him. Dante nodded towards the bottle and then looked at her. “Now why don’t you tell me what’s really wrong?”
The sudden softness of his voice touched Alex. She didn’t even know where to start, so took a drink. “Nice. Did you know I drink this, or is this just a coincidence?”
Dante laughed. “I spotted you the first night you came in here. It was the drink you ordered for yourself.”
“Wow, that’s an impressive memory…and kinda weird. Do you keep watch of all of your customers like that?”
Dante smiled, “No, I don’t. All right, you caught me.”
You caught me, but what did that mean? Alex took a long gulp, eyeing everything about Dante bar his face. Did he like her? Had he been watching her ever since she walked in to T for the first time all those weeks ago? Or did he want something else from her, something much less emotional, much more primal? She shook her head. I’m probably just reading too much into it.
Dante continued the casual conversation, asking how her day was, what she’d taught the kids at school that day. Alex knew it was filler. Dante wanted an answer to his question about what was wrong with her, but did she really want to tell him? She finished her beer and looked around for a bin.
“Here,” Dante said holding out his hand. Alex put the empty bottle in his hand and was immediately presented with a full one.
“No, I can’t. I’m driving.”
Dante raised the bottle a little higher. “You really look like you could use some down time. Plus, I did want to see you about one or two things. I’ll make sure you and your car get home.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr. Delavega?” Alex said, in mock astonishment.
Dante placed the bottle in her hand. “You can if you wish. But either way you’re safe with me.”
Alex’s first instinct was to laugh, but she didn’t. Dante sounded completely sincere. She looked around and saw the plush red leather couch and sat down. What the hell? As her body sunk in to the absurdly soft material, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Dante indicated the spot next to her. “Would you mind?”
Alex shook her head. “Not at all.”
Once Dante sat, he grabbed a cushion from behind him and put it on his lap. He leaned down and lifted Alex’s legs, placing her feet on the cushion.
“What is this? Full service?” Alex said.
“Something like that. You look exhausted.”
Without another word, Alex’s pumps were dropped on the floor and Dante had started kneading and pressing the soles of her feet with his thumbs and fingers.
Alex leant her head back slowly. “Oh my god.”
“Oh, believe me, God has nothing to do with it,” Dante said softly. “Now, where did you want to start?”
Dante’s fingers seemed to be expertly easing away all her stress and tension. She couldn’t believe she could be so relaxed with someone rubbing her feet, getting to look at her stubby toes. “Sorry…what?”
“You were going to tell me what’s wrong.”
The club had opened. Alex could hear a distant thumping from the music. She felt protected by it somehow, the distant rhythms shutting out the outside world, making it easier to open herself up to him. She didn’t know why, but she felt such a strong kinship with him at this moment. His presence was soothing and she wanted to tell him everything, and it all came spilling out at once. “Well, things aren’t going too well with me and Matt lately, and now there’s this thing with Ryan and Lauren that’s going from strength to strength. It’s like the universe is out of whack, but I feel guilty feeling that way, because I’ve had one great guy for three years and Lauren has had…well, countless over that time. I am happy for her finally having someone, but at the same time I think why is it that mine has to be so hard when hers is so easy? They fight, they screw and everyone’s happy. Whereas Matt and I…well…” Alex paused, not sure how to finish the rather touchy subject.
“Well?”
“I’m sorry, I’m babbling.” She tried to sit up but Dante’s rather large arms were draped across her legs and it was so comfortable.
“Please, keep going.”
Alex took another bottle of beer before continuing. “Let’s just say there hasn’t been a whole lot of love in the Hensley house of late. It’s mostly fighting.”
“These are things that can be worked out,” Dante said, continuing his work, softly pinching and running his fingers along her heels and Achilles tendons.
“How can I if we don’t talk?”
“You are both adults. You will find a way.”
“Normally I would agree with you, but the worst thing is he isn’t an adult. He acts like a kid with a tantrum. He says and does stupid things that he knows pisses me off. It’s not even all his fault. I’m not any better when I dream of another guy going down on me.”
“Another guy in your life?” Dante asked, seeming interested, using his knuckles to slowly press along the length of her soles.
“Not exactly. It was just one dream I had. But it was awesome.”
“Sounds like a harmless fantasy.”
“I
t was, but it felt so real.”
“Do I know his name, this guy?”
Alex flicked her eyes to his, pausing before answering. “Yeah, you’ve probably seen him around.” Alex couldn’t explain why she felt so bold now. Could it be the beer?
“May I ask who he is?”
“You.” The words were out of Alex’s mouth so fast she covered her face with both her hands. “Oh, this is so embarrassing,” she moaned, thankful she was obscured.
She peeked out to see Dante softly smiling to himself. Alex sat up and playfully punched him on his shoulders. “Don’t you dare make fun of me!” she laughed.
Dante let go of her legs and grabbed her wrists with one hand and grazing her chin with the other. “It was a dream, that’s all. Why should you get embarrassed over a dream?” he asked, still touching her face. “Did you mean it when you said it felt good?”
The alcohol in her system was starting to sing in her head. She found herself staring at Dante’s lips. The lips he’d used so effectively in her mind. The same lips he used to kiss each of her hands right then. He was so touchy feely. “It felt incredible,” Alex mumbled.
“I’m not making fun of you. It’s flattering that you think I could pleasure you in such a way.”
“You probably get lots of chicks telling you they think about you, huh?”
“No, I don’t. But strange as it may seem to you, I don’t have these types of conversations with every woman I meet.”
Alex sunk back down and placed a hand on her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said…you know…anything.”
Dante gently took her hand again and held it until she looked at him. “I don’t have these conversations with anyone else, because there are only a select few I can stand to be around.”
“So you…like hanging with me?”
Dante gave her a simultaneous nod and quick close of his eyes.
“So…you don’t think I’m weird, telling you?”
Night Walker (Undeadly Secrets Book 1) Page 9