by Kailin Gow
Three months after Aaron had vanished – with nothing but a bloody backpack giving a testament to his whereabouts – two beautiful men had come into her life at the same time. There was Stuart, the kind-eyed boy in her history class, with a hazel gaze and sandy brown hair, who hugged her and comforted her when Aaron's name came up. And there was Jaegar – that mysterious figure who had swooped down from the skies one day to press his lips against her and then vanish, leaving her with a thrilling sensation in her heart between fear and desire.
Over time she had learned what – and who – they were. They were half-brothers of Aarons, the two heirs to the Greystone Wineries. And, more importantly, they were vampires. Aaron had been a vampire too – and since Aaron had first kissed her that day under the bleachers it seemed like Kalina had no choice. Her fate and the fate of the three Greystone Brothers were inextricably intertwined. She had learned that Stuart was a “good” vampire – suppressing his urges with heady bouts of vampire wine – and that Jaegar was far less so. Jaegar believed in his right, as a vampire, to follow his natural instincts – that eating humans was no different than Kalina eating hamburgers. And yet – he had been magnetic, in his animal desires. And he had restrained from Kalina's blood, although every time she saw him she saw desire like a naked flame in his eyes.
She was special – Stuart and Jaegar alike could agree on that. Her blood carried a mysterious power beyond that of any mere mortal. She knew what they had told her: it was Life's Blood, a blood so powerful that even the hungriest vampire would not dare to drink it lightly. And both Stuart and Jaegar, for all their differences, loved their brother Aaron, and out of reverence for Aaron's memory they would protect her.
And she had grown to love them both. She had dated Stuart for a time – maybe she was still dating Stuart. Their fight had never been resolved – the knock-down, drag-out argument that had ensued the last time they were alone together, when her jealousy that Stuart had drunk from her best friend Maeve had overwhelmed her, the fact that Stuart could slake his desire with Maeve's blood while protecting at once her veins and her virginity had gotten her so angry that in her tearful despair she had crashed her car...and then Stuart had been kidnapped.... She could not tell where they stood.
And then there was Jaegar. She had held herself back from him for so long – masking her attraction to him with barbed insults and witty banter – until last night in the hotel, as they waited to make a move on Octavius’ estate, her desire and pain and anger had overwhelmed her, and she no longer wanted to wait, wanted to keep herself from expressing the desire that had been mounting within her. And she had kissed him, felt the fire of his lips on hers, and lost herself within his cool, harsh stare and the tight embrace of his arms.
But then Octavius had come – captured both Jaegar and Stuart in an attempt to have Kailna, and her blood, all to himself It had amused him, he said, to force Kalina to choose whom she loved, and give him her love. It wouldn't have mattered which one she chose – she knew the truth. Octavius planned to kill them both. The only vampire he wanted tasting what flowed in her neck and wrists was Octavius himself. But he wanted to see who she'd pick, nonetheless.
Was she really the carrier? Kalina could not know – she didn't feel like a Carrier. But what did that even mean? She shuddered as she thought about the implications. If she was the Carrier, she held three vampire's' lives in her hands. And if she wasn't, well – that was worse still. Octavius would send Jaegar and Stuart, with their trained wine makers' noses, out into the world to find the Carrier.
And Kalina would be dead.
Kalina felt hot tears pouring down onto the pillow. How could she live like this – in fear? With the two men she loved imprisoned just a few floors below her?
Think fast, Kalina, she told herself. You've just got to think faster, that's all.
Chapter 2
Kalina rose, her heart fluttering within her chest. She took note of her surroundings – the gaudily sensual sheets, the satin so smooth against her fingertips. There were vases of flowers – white lilies and sultry roses – adorning the various tables, bringing a soft smell into the room. It was certainly romantic, Kalina thought, even if she wasn't much interested in Romantics right about now. She walked across the floor, her feet melting into the carpet – a Persian creation that seemed too valuable to be touched. Before her was a portrait of Octavius. It was clearly centuries old; from the style of his dress she guessed that it had been done in the late 1700's. He sat – broad-chested, with a stern expression – his gaze boring into the painter. What had happened after the painter had finished? Kalina wondered. From the look in Octavius’ eyes, she wouldn't have been surprised if this had been the painter's final work.
But she could not deny that Octavius was attractive, as all vampires were. But vampires, like the Greystone wine, were meant to only grow better with age, and in his ancient power Kalina could see that he held his beauty with far more poise than either Stuart or Jaegar. He was nearly six foot seven, an incredible height for a man of her century and an unthinkably gigantic one for a man in Ancient Rome. He had been turned, she knew, during his time serving in the Roman Empire under Vespasian; his muscles, created by years of hard fighting in the distant outposts of Empire, had calcified when he was turned; if anything, he had only gotten stronger during the years. His hair was dark and wavy, falling in long locks over his face. His lips were full – deep, without ever losing the hard masculinity in their expressing. His cheekbones were high, like marble slats across his face. But it was his eyes that stood out most at her, the eyes that even in the painter's reproduction betrayed the inner wilderness. They were the eyes of a beast, not a man.
It was like something out of a romance novel, she thought – being placed in this room, with its silken sheets and gauzy curtains, its flowers and expensive carpets, to be the bride of a man who looked like that. But Kalina knew that it was less a romance than horror. Octavius wanted her for one reason alone – her blood. She thought of Stuart and Jaegar, but it was too late. She knew they were imprisoned; they could no more help her now than she could help them. She was on her own.
Kalina's mind flashed back to something Stuart had told her. “If a vampire whom you do not love tries to drain you, your blood will make him – or her – so powerful that it is better for you to kill yourself first than face the consequences of that power. The vampire will grow more evil, crueler, and invincible, and thousands of innocent lives will be destroyed as a result.”
No! Kalina shook her head. That couldn't be the answer – to kill herself without even trying to get away! She had to at least fight first, if for no other reason than her own honor. She couldn't give up now, she couldn't! She scanned the room for a weapon, her eyes wildly passing over each object. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror – her beauty drained to paleness by her fear, her lips red and dark against her milk-white face; it was a face gone pale with terror. Well, Octavius certainly isn't going to want me now, she said to herself, not without irony.
The mirror!
“Here goes seven years of bad luck,” Kalina muttered to herself. She took the gold-plated tissue box from the vanity and threw it at the mirror until it cracked. Shards of glass shattered and fell to the floor. She seized two of the biggest, sharpest shards and hid them in her sleeves. They would have to be used one way or the other, she thought. Either on Octavius or on herself.
She heard footsteps coming down the corridor and froze, her blood turning to ice within her veins.
“Who's there?” she called, but she felt that she already knew the answer. “Show yourself.”
The doorknob turned and the door opened.
It wasn't Octavius.
Standing before her was a young woman – approximately Kalina's height – with a mess of dark brown hair curled in ringlets that reminded Kalina of the 1940's. She wore a silk scarf tied elegantly around her head, and her eyes were obscured by a pair of oversized sunglasses, giving her the look of an Old Hollyw
ood starlet.
Was she a vampire? Kalina caught sight of the bite-marks on her neck. No, she couldn't be a vampire – vampires would have healed those cuts in a manner of seconds. What, then? Kalina had heard of feeders, women who willingly provided services – sanguine and otherwise – to vampires who liked to build up a continual rapport with the source of their blood. She had read about them in Aaron's journal, but she had never seen one in the flesh. Until now.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling. This was a human, she thought, trying not to let her hope bubble up to the surface just yet. A human being – with thoughts, with sympathies, with feelings. Maybe she could convince her....
The woman set down a plate of fruit on the vanity. “Octavius thought you might be hungry,” she said, her voice a distinctive New York drawl. Her voice was high-pitched and nasal. “We don't keep lot of fresh food around here, for obvious reasons. But here's what I have.” The wind blew her summer dress into ripples.
“Thank you,” said Kalina, taking an apple warily. She realized that it had been hours since she had last eaten.
She couldn't see the woman's eyes behind the glasses; nevertheless, Kalina had the highly specific feeling of being surveyed, even judged. She prickled under the gaze.
“Huh,” said the woman. “He's not so bad, you know. He can be quite kind sometimes. He's always kind with me.” she giggled. “Unless I ask him not to be. You'll get used to him.”
“Who are you?” Kalina said again, more firmly this time.
The woman took off her glasses. “I'm Olivia,” she said. “I'm his.”
“Willingly?”
Olivia looked offended. “Octavius is very handsome,” she said. “There isn't a woman in the world that wouldn't go with him – willingly.” She sat down next to Kalina on the bed and gave her hand a pat. “I know you're scared,” she said. “I was at first. But Octavius will be gentle. And he knows what to do – he's very experienced. I'm sure you'll enjoy it...”
Kalina wasn't sure if Olivia was talking about feeding or sex; either way, she felt sick to her stomach. “I don't want to...”
“Oh, you will!” said Olivia brightly, completely oblivious to Kalina's disgust. “Every woman does. When you're near Octavius, you can't help but want to...”
Kalina swiftly tried to steer the conversation away from Olivia's sexual proclivities. “How long have you been here?” she asked.
“Nearly three years,” said Olivia. “I came to L.A. in order to become an actress. But I found Octavius instead – and a much more steady occupation. He took me all over the world. We went to France, Italy – Monaco, the Italian Riviera, and Cannes! We didn't get much sun on the beaches,” she laughed, “but the nightlife was exciting.”
“But he didn't turn you?”
Olivia's smile vanished. “He will when he's ready!” she said, her voice drawing higher. “Eternity's a long time, you know. And it takes guys a while to commit. Octavius wouldn't commit eternity to be with just anybody! He turns men all the time to be his soldiers – but that's different. He'll ask me soon. Just you wait.”
“I'm sure,” said Kalina. Olivia didn't seem to pick up on the irony.
“If I was his love, he'd turn me!” Olivia gave a forced shrug. “But vampires don't fall in love with humans. Everyone knows that. It's different for them. They have such high standards.”
“Indeed.”
Olivia rose sharply. “Anyway, that's why I'm completely fine with Octavius wanting you. Completely fine. One hundred percent. You're just food to him, anyway. Just food! He just wants your blood to make him powerful, and that's it!”
“That's reassuring,” said Kalina.
“He said the spell wouldn't work though – if you weren't, you know.”
“What?”
“A virgin.” Olivia made a face.
So, that's what he'd told Olivia. The fact of the matter was that if he drank from her if she wasn't a virgin, the spell would work – it would make him immortal, powerful, everything he'd ever wanted. But it wouldn't make him human. Apparently his desire for humanity was even a secret from his girlfriend.
“That's why he really sent me,” said Olivia. “To check.”
“To check what?” Kalina put the pieces together. “Ew! No – no way.”
Olivia put her hands on her hips. “Please don't make this anymore awkward.”
“How can you...”
“I was a nurse,” said Olivia. “Well, nursing school dropout – same thing. I can tell if you're a...”
“Seriously?” Kalina was beginning to think that humans were even more difficult to reason with than vampires.
“He didn't do it himself! I think he's being gentlemanly – sending a woman to do the job.”
“It's not gentlemanly – it's invasive!”
“He's going to bite you anyway,” continued Olivia matter-of-factly. “I don't see why it's such a big deal.”
“Do you hear yourself?”
“It'll only take a second.” Olivia leaped forwards, wrapping her fingers around the belt-buckles of Kalina's jeans. “It won't hurt.”
Kalina slapped her hand away.
“God, stop being such a bitch, okay? I'm just doing my job. If you're not – that's fine too. I'm sure Octavius won't kill you. He'll just feed on you and use you as a concubine. It'd be fun. We can have slumber parties! Only – you try and become his primary mistress, and I swear to heck I'll cut you. And if you are a virgin – which, considering how frigid you're being, wouldn't surprise me one bit – well, fine, he's found his special Life's Girl, and...”
Her monologue was interrupted by the sharp sound of Kalina's fist colliding with her eye socket.
“Ow, what the...”
Before Olivia could respond properly, Kalina punched her again, then delivering a swift blow to the back of the head with the box she had used earlier. Olivia collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Kalina thought quickly. In a flash, she had removed both her clothes and Olivia's, forcing Olivia into her straggly jeans and putting the summer dress and scarf on her own body. She put on the sunglasses and looked into one of the mirror shards. Yes, she thought, the resemblance was passable, especially under candlelight. She dragged the unconscious Olivia into the bed and made up the sheets around her, making it look like Kalina was merely sleeping, exhausted.
She took the tray and headed out the door.
Chapter 3
Stay calm, Kalina told herself. Wearing Olivia's wide-rimmed sunglasses and the sunny floral printed scarf tied over her hair, she almost resembled Olivia. She had to stay in the shadows and keep her head down. Vampires probably didn't notice humans too much anyway, she reasoned. They were far more interested in their own kind.
She held her grip more tightly on the tray as she left the room, Olivia's unconscious body still prone beneath the bedclothes. She hoped they wouldn't find her too soon.
“What's that there, missy?” One of the guards was leaning in closer, inhaling the scent of her.
Kalina fixed her eyes on the tray. “Just bringing in food to the new girl,” she said, mustering the best impression of a New York accent she could. “Octavius’ new floozy.”
“Jealous, are we?” The guard leaned in – just close enough to sniff...
“Hey, watch it!” she said. “How'd you think Octavius would feel about you sniffing' his lady? Don't touch the merchandise, hey?”
“Apologies, Miss Olivia,” said the guard, and retreated.
She passed another few guards on the way down the corridor; they did not notice her, or if they did, they paid her no more attention than they would a passing stray dog, or a chicken in the yard. The up side of being thought of as food, Kalina thought. To vampires not paying attention, all humans looked pretty similar.
She heard whispering from the other end of the corridor – two guards were clearly gossiping, exhausted by their duties.
“And to think,” one of them was saying. “We used to host the Gr
eystone brothers in our nicest guest room – and now they're in the dungeon with the rats and the filth!”
“Octavius must be really angry. I've never seen any of his men fall so far, so fast.”
“Gerard Greystone's sons, too! Why, Gerard Greystone must have been Octavius’ best friend. What would he say if he saw his sons...”
“They kept the girl from him,” said the guard sagely. “You know Octavius and women...”
“Octavius and women, indeed...”
“This girl's making him soft; I expected him to drink her right there.”
The other guard cut him off. “Don't you dare,” he said. “Don't you dare.”
“What?”
“You know the trouble I'd be in if anyone heard you talk like that? Octavius is not soft when it comes to those who cross him – understood?”
“I was only saying...”
“Only saying? Only saying? Well let me tell you, boy - “only saying” has gotten vampires killed before this.”
“I'm sorry – I just..”
“Keep your mouth shut! Or I'll toss you in the basement with the Greystone brothers. And it's getting crowded in there. I bet it’s starting to smell...”
“I'm good, thanks.”
“You don't mess with Octavius.”
“I don't mess with Octavius. Got it,” said the younger vampire, swallowing nervously.
Kalina slipped past them and rounded a corridor. It was dimmer here – only a few candles lit the passageway. From the dark, dank smell rising up from the spiral staircase, she guessed it led to the dungeon. She slipped down into the shadows, one step at a time.
A hand clamped down on her shoulder.
She gasped and whirled around. Octavius was standing before her.
“Pretty girl,” he said – and she noticed he was slurring. Wine was strong on his breath. Did he recognize her? She cast her eyes down and shoved the two of them into the shadowiest corner of the stairwell she could find. Nevertheless, if she could hear her heart pounding, it must sound like thunder to a vampire....