by Cate Farren
The first thing to catch her eye was a bookshelf. She grinned and headed over to it, delighted to find batches of books from new authors she’d never heard of before. She giddily read the backs of each one, hoping to find something that spoke to her, pulled her in with a promise of mystery, romance, and thrills.
“Haven’t seen you in a while,” said a croaky voice behind her.
She’d heard the owner walking up behind her but had been too engrossed in the first chapter of The Shining to notice. This Stephen King was a writer that chilled her. She loved it.
She turned to him, suddenly registering his words. He recognized her, even after all this time.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
She studied him for a moment. He was called Adrian Remington. He owned the general store. He’d lost a hand during World War 2, and wore an eerie looking prosthetic. It hadn’t bothered him, though. She remembered him as a happy man, content with his life, glad to be alive. Though he was grey haired now, more wrinkled, he still seemed happy.
“Just browsing through the books at the moment,” she said, smiling at him to assure him she needed no help. “There’s so much to choose from. I’m not sure where to start.”
She continued to read as he pottered about the store, stacking shelves, muttering about the big chain store eating up all his business. It felt nice. It felt normal.
I wonder how Valko is getting on.
“It must be cold up there,” Adrian said, startling her.
She nodded. “It is.”
“You sure you wouldn’t like to move into the village?”
“I’m sure.”
She placed the Stephen King book into her basket, followed by three more books by the same author. She couldn’t wait to get sucked into them back home.
“The last time I saw you, my daughter was just starting kindergarten,” Adrian explained. He watched her as she browsed the shocking number of new candy bars on display. She shoved a few into her basket, and hoped Valko had a sweet tooth. “Now she’s just graduated from college. It took a while, and a few extra jobs on the side, but she managed it.”
Valko did mention Tootsie Rolls the other day. I wonder if they have any?
“You must be proud of her,” said Alanna.
She stopped, deciding it was rude of her to shop while Adrian talked. He wasn’t annoying her, not really. She just didn’t want him to study her too closely and notice that she hadn’t aged in twenty years.
“She wants to be a lawyer,” said Adrian dourly.
“Not all lawyers are evil,” she reminded him. “I’m sure you raised her to be a good person.”
He smiled. “I sure did. It was difficult for a while after my wife passed away, but the town helped. I couldn’t have done it without their support.”
Alanna felt a cloud of sadness. Small towns always helped out those less fortunate among them. They helped with food and babysitting and just being there as comfort during the hard times. That’s one of the things she missed most about Pod’s Mill apart from her family.
Adrian watched her for a few seconds before saying, “You haven’t aged a day since the last time you came in two decades ago.”
He knows.
“I don’t laugh,” said Alanna, turning away, paranoid of his scrutiny. “Laughter ages you.”
“I had my suspicions back then, but now…are you a vampire?”
Alanna kept her back towards him, knowing her time was up. She had to flee now.
“Don’t be absurd,” she said, eyes on the door.
“There’s a legend round these parts that a vampire settled here once upon a time.”
She turned back to him, instinctively aware that Adrian wasn’t scared of her. He wasn’t threatening her with his knowledge, either. He was merely informing her that he knew what she was. He posed no threat.
“I’ve heard it,” she acknowledged him, curious to hear what he knew about the subject. “She was called Desdemona, or something flowery like that.”
She knew very well what her name was. She just wanted to draw the information out of him, to see how much he knew.
“Yes, Desdemona,” said Adrian. “Desdemona.”
He seemed energized. Alanna knew this was probably the first time in his life he’d had the opportunity to talk about this with an actual vampire. His enthusiasm was kind of infectious.
He continued. “The legend also says she turned herself back into a human and had children, and then died of old age.”
Alanna latched onto this bit of information. She knew this too, but not the whole story.
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
“It’s not possible for vampires to turn back into humans,” she said, remembering her lore. “Witches have tried for millennia. It’s impossible. Once you’ve been turned, that’s it.”
“They can’t, not normally, but she could,” said Adrian. “Only she could, and she did.”
Alanna found herself desperate for more information. How could she have known that a simple human would know what she’d been searching for this whole time?
“I know this town was once a test subject for a supernatural village in the New World,” said Adrian.
Alanna was surprised yet again. “So you really do know what I am. You’re not just fishing.”
“I can’t talk in here,” he said. “Let me shut up shop and we can talk privately.”
She smiled, suddenly glad her TV had given up the ghost.
***
Adrian placed an A4 sized, hardbound book onto the coffee table in front of her. She placed her hand on it, but felt nothing. It was old, ancient, but all she felt was its leather binding.
No,no…I feel something. I feel that this book is cherished.
“What’s this?” she asked.
The apartment above the store where Adrian lived was still stuck in the sixties, packed full of memorabilia of The Beatles. Alanna had heard them on the radio way back when, but they hadn’t excited her too much. The rest of the apartment was decorated with photos of Adrian’s family and friends, including the cheeky grandson she’d met outside. He’d been lucky to be surrounded by so much love.
“This is the family journal, going all the way back to Desdemona,” Adrian explained.
Alanna was shocked. “You’re related to Desdemona?
“Yes.”
She couldn’t believe it. She’d known in her heart that Desdemona had become human again but to actually find evidence of it was extraordinary.
My plans aren’t foolish after all.
“Then it’s true,” said Alanna, still unable to keep the amazement out of her voice. “She really did turn herself human again.”
He nodded. “And she banded together with some other humans and threw what little supernatural beings there were out of town. She wanted nothing to do with vampires and weres and witches after that.”
This was a part of the legend that Alanna didn’t know.
“But why?” she asked. “Did the other vampires resent her, or did they want the cure, or whatever it was, for themselves?”
Adrian stared at the journal for a few moments. “She did some bad things as a vampire. She wanted to keep as far away from the supernatural community as she could. It just reminded her of the horrors she’d committed.”
“I know how she feels,” Alanna admitted sourly.
Adrian looked into her eyes, suddenly nervous. “So you’re a bad vampire? Am I safe?”
“You’re perfectly safe. Your blood is full of cholesterol anyway.”
He closed the book, which cut her off from asking more questions. She needed to know more about Desdemona and her history. How was she supposed to know if she was on the right track otherwise?
All I know is Desdemona used an enchanted artefact to turn herself human.
“I better be heading back,” she declared, standing up. “All I really came for was a new TV and some books.”
She could see the thirst for knowledge on A
drian’s face, mainly because it mirrored her own. He wanted to know more too.
“You can carry all that back by yourself?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “I suppose. I do have vampire strength.”
She started for the stairs, hoping to hear Adrian calling her back. He didn’t disappoint.
“Let me do you a favor,” he declared. “Let me bring you your TV and books and stuff. It’s the least I can do.”
“What do you get out of this?” she asked him.
“I get the chance to talk to a vampire about her long life. I studied history at college. I love the past. You’re like a living embodiment of it.”
“My past is quite boring. I was never in World War 2 or met Napoleon or anything like that.”
“Please. Humor an old man.”
Alanna said, “I wouldn’t normally invite people to my cabin, but… the more the merrier I guess.
“You have another visitor?” he asked cautiously.
“He won’t bother us.”
She studied Adrian closely, going against her better judgment. She didn’t trust people, especially humans. She’d learned to exist on her own. It had been safer that way. Yet now, in the space of a few days, she had a wolf in her home, and she was inviting a human to visit her. Her life had changed so quickly she hadn’t had a moment to process it.
Do I want all these new people in my life?
Will they betray me?
She smiled as she thought about Valko’s eyes, and Adrian’s enthusiasm. She could trust these people.
Alanna wanted to laugh, but she loved this old man already. He felt like a close friend.
I never thought I’d say that ever again. Looking after Valko must have made me more sociable.
“You look sad,” said Adrian.
“I’m just not used to having visitors,” she admitted.
***
After they’d made plans for Adrian to visit the next day, Alanna left. She missed Adrian almost immediately. She hadn’t had a friend in such a long time. It felt good.
She pulled her hood up as the wind and snow attacked her hair. There was no chance she could get back to her cabin with her new hairdo intact. Valko would never see it.
And why do I care what he thinks?
She was about to ponder that when she saw something across the street. An older man was standing outside the bakery, staring through the frosted glass inside. Something unnerved her about him.
She crossed the road, passing inches by him, and continued on her way. Her vampire senses told her several things almost instantly. The man had a slightly faster heartbeat than normal humans, and he smelled of wet fur.
He was a werewolf.
“I didn’t know there were vampires in town,” a voice called out.
She stopped, the werewolf’s words freezing her. If she ran it would be suspicious. If she talked to him he might sense that she was lying to him. There was only one way out of this.
“Can I ask you a few questions?” he asked.
She turned to him, and offered him a sweet smile. It was time to bring her alter ego out of retirement, the persona she used on the odd occasion a supernatural threatened her existence.
“You’re a wolfie,” she said with a childish giggle. She ran forward and started to stroke his face, which put him off guard. He was so shocked he didn’t even try to stop her. “I love wolves!”
Puzzled, he said, “Erm…have you seen another wolf around here?”
“I don’t see anything,” she said. Her voice was high pitched, almost drunk. “I’ve lived a very long time.”
It was common knowledge that some longer lived beings, such as vampires and demons, came to tire of their long life. In their later years, they would regress, acting odd, childlike, reliving old memories as if they were happening currently. It was a sort of supernatural senility. Most beings like this were “put down” for their own sake, and that of the community.
“Thank you,” said the man.
“I used to make love to a wolfie just like you,” she said as she stroked his chest. “Are you him? Are you here to ravage me?” She gasped. “You are him! You came back!”
He started to walk quickly away. Alanna shouted, “Can I see your tail? Oh please! Please!”
When he hurried around a street corner she couldn’t help but laugh. She loved dotty Alanna.
***
Alanna pushed the door closed as snow flakes blasted into the cabin. She locked it, and hoped to never set foot outside again for a long time.
I hope Adrian can get here in this weather. He’s old.
She still couldn’t believe she’d invited a virtual stranger to her cabin. It was so out of character. What if it had nothing to do with her being lonely? What if she’d subconsciously fixated on Adrian’s human blood and had invited him over to kill him?
No.
She’s had a moment of uncertainty, that was all. She was a vampire. It was in her nature to seek out warm sources of blood. Cow blood sustained her now. It was just as good.
Not really, but I have to tell myself that.
The bed was empty.
“Valko?” she called.
She inhaled through her nostrils but couldn’t smell anything. Her nose was too cold.
Shit!
She pulled off her coat, threw it on the floor, and readied herself. She’d never fought a wolf before, but knew she could do it. She was strong. A shifter could never best her.
The door to the barn was open.
Alanna charged forward, a sudden realization dawning. She should never have left him on his own to wander around and snoop in places he didn’t belong.
“Valko!” she bellowed.
She watched him emerging from the small basement door in the corner of the barn. He was filthy, covered in dirt. He didn’t look guilty for invading her privacy, only defiant.
“What were you doing down there?” she demanded.
He eyed her balefully before saying, “Explain.”
Chapter 7
Valko waited a good ten minutes after Alanna had left before he climbed out of bed again. He needed to get some things done before she came back, and he didn’t want her watching. This was personal.
Ever since waking up, he’d felt disconnected from the wolf inside him. The wolf wasn’t a separate being. They were one. But when he was human, he could feel the shifter part of him, the animal part. It comforted him to know it was always there. He only felt a slither of it now, almost as if that part of him was sleeping.
He pulled his boxers off and flung them on the floor. He always felt free when he was naked. The feel of the air on his privates was sensational.
It’s time to see if I’m wrong about my suspicions.
Changing into his wolf form was an almost instantaneous experience, though it still required immense mental discipline. It had been harder when he was younger, less developed. Shifters didn’t usually start changing until they hit puberty. Trying to control his raging hormones as well as night time morphing into wolves was hard.
Not as hard as it was now. He couldn’t change at all.
“Come on,” he shouted, balling his hands into fists. “Come on!”
He could feel his wolf part struggling to get out but it wouldn’t come. It was tired and defeated and healing, just like he was.
They hurt me so badly I can’t even change into my fucking wolf!
He roared, wanting to smash something, anything, to vent his anger. He loathed to desecrate the vampire’s home, but he had to do something or he’d implode. He located Alanna’s broken TV and smashed his fist through it. Shards of glass embedded themselves in his skin but he felt magnificent, even as his blood dripped onto the floor.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He still didn’t feel any better, and now he was cold. Really cold.
I need something to wear.
He pulled on his boxers and used his senses to sniff out his old clothes. Surely they weren’t a total write
-off?
He found them under the sink. His shirt and jeans, even his boots, were mere shreds of fabric, which were covered with blood. He could still smell Rian and Coy and the others on them, too. At least he’d drawn his enemy’s blood while they were ruthlessly trying to murder him.
He shivered, feeling the cold more than ever. He hadn’t noticed it before because he’d had a fever, but now the low temperature bit his skin like a mosquito.
I’m not going to die of hypothermia. I wouldn’t give Rian the satisfaction.
He crossed over to Alanna’s room. The door was left wide open. He went inside, and found it small but homely. He pushed aside thoughts that intruding into her privacy was wrong. He needed clothes.
The bed was made, covered with a many-colored quilt that looked cozy. A bedside table contained a black and white photograph of an old woman who had Alanna’s piercing eyes. Was it her mother? Sister? For all he knew, it was her great-granddaughter.
He checked her closets, and found simple clothing for women. He could smell the musk of a man, though. It was light, but it was here, somewhere in this tiny, cell like room.
His senses brought him to another, smaller closet near the window. He opened it to find several piles of men’s clothing, all neatly piled. He brought a pair of grey pants to his nose, inhaling its scent. It was familiar.
“Grandfather?” he whispered.
Alanna must have cared for his grandfather more than she’d let on. Why else would she keep his clothes? And why would Grandfather leave his clothes behind in the first place? It was weird.
He pulled out a black sweater to go with the pants. They were a tight fit, but they instantly pushed away the cold that nibbled at him. He felt good in them, almost as if he were honoring his grandfather’s memory.
He found a massive pair of black hobnail boots, which also smelled of his grandfather. He pulled them on, and found that they fit perfectly. The men of his family always had big feet, and even some of the women, too. They’d always had to have their shoes specially made.
“Thanks,” he said, and sent his prayers out to his grandfather.