by L. M. Justus
“Romance,” Nathaniel said before his voice stuck in his throat.
“Yes, romance,” Trudy said. “I never, in a million years, thought I would ever be friends with a vampire, never mind like one. Is it strange for you, because I’m human?”
Nathaniel spoke slowly, afraid to say anything else inane. “It is strange for me in more ways than I can count, Trudy. You are such a lovely woman, but I do not want to like you. Please, do not take that the wrong way. What I mean to say is that you deserve better than what I can offer. It is not possible for me to give you all the things you have a right to experience: a family, a life without vampiric drama at every turn . . . picnics in the sunshine. None of the normal, human things, big or small. And I am afraid . . . afraid of opening myself to the pain of loss. I have lost so much already.”
Trudy stepped forward and approached him slowly until they stood inches apart. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. He did not relax in her embrace, but she rested her head against his shoulder and caressed his back, undeterred.
“I do not think I know how to love anymore,” he said, his breath whispering across her forehead.
“I didn’t think I did either,” she said. “But then I met you.”
A fluttering sensation expanded across Nathaniel’s chest as his heart soared. Her words were some of the most beautiful he had ever heard, and it was one of the rare, perfect moments of his life. He wished time could stand still.
Unfortunately, at that very second, a jarring sensation struck every cell in his body, screaming to let him know dawn was about to break. He needed to find shelter immediately.
“The sun is rising–I must go,” he said, breaking out of Trudy’s arms.
“Wait–” she called, but he had already run out the door.
He raced around the corner and down the stairs to the basement level of the cabin. What would Trudy make of his hasty exit?
Nathaniel listened for the sound of Trudy following as he paused, taking stock of his surroundings. The area was beautifully furnished, with rustic wood paneled walls, an earth-toned tiled floor, and sectional couches across from a flat-screen TV. Marcel’s voice carried through a closed door at the far end of the room, where he was speaking with his partner, Gabriel.
Footsteps padded down the stairs behind Nathaniel. “I don’t care about picnics in the sun,” Trudy said.
He turned just as Trudy took the last two steps into the basement. She pushed her glasses up her nose; the cute gesture made Nathaniel smile. “I did not mean to leave you so suddenly,” he said.
“I know.”
“Did you not want to get some sleep?” he asked, trying to be considerate of her human needs while wishing she would stay to keep him company.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep. I rested long enough during the drive here. Anyway, this would be a good time to talk and get to know each other better. If we’re being more open, maybe you’d be willing to answer some questions for me. I can’t help being curious.”
“Of course,” he said, and walked over to one of the couches, indicating for Trudy to join him. “What would you like to know?”
“Everything. Anything. Whatever you’re willing to share,” she said. “You told me you were born in the eighteenth century, which means you must have an endless supply of stories to tell.”
And so he did. Nathaniel opened up his treasure trove of experiences and shared them with Trudy until the sun set. He asked her about her own past as well, and he delighted in hearing her tales. As he learned more about Trudy, his affection for her grew. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt . . . happy.
After he had suffered his last bout of emotional trauma, when he lost someone he cared for, Nathaniel had sworn to turn off his feelings forever. Stubborn to a fault, he had abided by his strict rule to remain psychologically unattached for decades. Once he’d met Reed and then Sarah, his demeanor had begun to thaw, and now Trudy was melting the last vestiges of ice from his heart.
Hours later, a bizarre clacking sound and the occasional shout carried down the stairs, interrupting Nathaniel’s conversation with Trudy. The same noise had gone on for some time when they’d first entered the basement, and now it had resumed after several hours of peace and quiet.
“What the heck are they doing up there?” Trudy asked.
“I am uncertain, but perhaps we should investigate,” Nathaniel said. “The sun has set, so it will be safe for me on the main floor.”
“I’m guessing you guys will have to find a source of blood soon,” Trudy said. She had already taken a break from their chat around noon to rustle up lunch, and would probably want something for dinner in the next hour or so. It was as good a time as any for the vampires to feed.
“It is true; I and the other vampires will need to satisfy our nutritional needs soon. I believe Marcel brought bagged blood for us, should we fail to find a source of blood elsewhere. I suspect it will not come to that as he did mention there are humans scattered about, with dwellings even in this remote area. In any case, shall we see what the commotion is upstairs?”
“After you,” Trudy said, nodding to the stairs.
Nathaniel led the way with Trudy close behind. The sound of wood striking wood was interspersed with laughter and the occasional grunt. They stepped into the cabin’s main room, just in time to witness Sophie whack Reed in the ribs with a long stick.
“Ow!” he said, but with a grin.
Sarah leaned against the kitchen doorway on the opposite side of the room. Her arms were crossed and it looked like she was trying not to smile, but her eyes still shone with obvious amusement.
Reed and Sophie continued to do battle with their makeshift weapons; pieces of bark littered the floor at their feet.
Nathaniel scratched his head. He failed to see how such an absurd activity could be the source of joviality.
“Time out,” Reed said, dropping his stick to the floor. He turned to Nathaniel and Trudy. “Hey. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good,” Trudy answered.
Nathaniel nodded and was embarrassed to note a flush warming his face.
“I’m letting Sophie get some practice fighting,” Reed explained. “We started out with me using a branch and she had the sword, but after my first accidental slice I found a second tree branch for her to use instead. Good thing vampires heal so quickly and it was just a flesh wound.” He grinned.
“I hope we didn’t wake you up,” Sophie said.
“No, not at all. I couldn’t sleep anyway,” Trudy said. “While we waited for nightfall, Nathaniel and I chatted for hours. It was lovely.”
Eyebrows shot up around the room.
Sophie smirked. “Well, well, well . . .”
“We couldn’t sleep either,” Sarah said. “I think we’re all adjusting to vampire time.”
“Speaking of vampires,” Marcel said, appearing behind Nathaniel and Trudy and then stepping between them into the room. “It is time for us to find nourishment. I have a supply of bagged blood for emergencies, but I’m confident we can find fresh sources not too far from here. There are year-round residents living in the area. When we have recovered after feeding, I have a fun surprise for you all.”
Marcel moved to the front door and started putting on his coat and boots. Reed approached Sarah and kissed her on the forehead before following Marcel’s lead, donning his winter clothes.
“Enjoy your own dinner,” Nathaniel said to Trudy. “I cannot imagine we will be gone longer than two hours at most.”
“Take care, Nathaniel. See you soon,” she replied.
Nathaniel quickly dressed and joined the other two vampires outside. The moon was almost full, its brightness muted only slightly by the plumes of smoke rising from the chimney. He took a deep breath, his nose crinkling at the faint scent of skunk in the air. Sometimes the strong senses of a vampire were truly a curse.
He wondered what sort of mystery surprise Marcel had in mind
for them upon their return to the cabin. He had said it would be fun, yet Nathaniel had forgotten more than how to love; he could no longer recollect what it was like to have fun. In the past, vampire surprises tended to turn out violent and ugly, so he felt wary and more than a little suspicious.
Reed seemed to be in high spirits however, and practically hopped through the snow on their way into the forest. Nathaniel made the conscious decision to relax and picture Marcel’s surprise more optimistically.
They had not traveled longer than ten minutes when Nathaniel scented a mild hint of a human’s presence; body odor and soap, and underlying those things of course, blood. Marcel had spoken truthfully; there were people living in the wilderness, and soon they would fill their bellies with fresh blood.
Reed
We flowed through the wintry forest like a stream over a bed of rocks, splitting apart to avoid obstacles and then meeting back up again to follow the current. The subtle scent of human blood grew stronger as we neared our prey. I still wasn’t completely used to the idea of drinking people’s blood, but I couldn’t help the lightning flashes of adrenaline that sparked through my veins while we hunted.
A small cabin came into view and I sniffed the air, confirming the source of our meal. If there was a road leading to the building, it lay under several feet of snow. Footprints and a weird eighteen-inch-wide track marked the ground, but the cabin’s windows were dark and there were no other signs of life. Whoever lived there had to be asleep; maybe they’d turned in early.
“I believe there is a single occupant,” Marcel said.
“I concur,” Nathaniel said. “Reed, you may have this one. Your death after feeding will last longer than ours; therefore, you should proceed first. Marcel and I shall search for other sources of nourishment, lest we risk permanent damage to this human by taking too much blood.”
I eyed the silent home sitting innocently in front of us. “You guys are gonna leave me here while I’m lying dead and vulnerable after feeding?”
“Do not worry. I will mesmerize the human and ensure your safety,” Nathaniel said.
I nodded my thanks. I still didn’t understand why I couldn’t hypnotize people, and it was possible I might never know. Whining about the way things were wouldn’t solve anything, so I bit my tongue and followed Nathaniel to the cabin. Marcel leaned against a tree to wait for us.
The door was unlocked; it was a safe bet no one out here expected any visitors, never mind two hungry vampires. We let ourselves in and crept through the dark interior. The kitchen, living area, and bed were contained within a single room. We crossed to the bed against the back wall where a man snored softly, curled up under a pile of blankets.
Nathaniel leaned over and whispered into the man’s ear. The cabin owner didn’t stir and there was no sign he’d absorbed Nathaniel’s words.
“Are you sure that’s good enough?” I whispered. “He’s not even awake.”
Nathaniel stood up straight. “I promise my instructions were sufficient. The human will remain asleep.”
“How do you know he understands English?”
“I have told you, the language does not matter. It is the meaning behind the words that affect them.”
Our eyes met, and Nathaniel’s gaze held mine steadily. If he was that confident it would work, I had to trust him. “Okay,” I said.
“Marcel and I will meet you here after we have found nourishment and rested.”
“Okay,” I said again.
Nathaniel left, and I turned to the man’s sleeping form. He faced away from me and the covers were pulled up to his chin. I needed to expose more of his skin other than his face, but he held the blanket in some kind of death grip. I tugged as hard as I dared and the covers came free a fraction of an inch at a time. Finally, his neck lay bare in front of me and if I concentrated, I could actually detect the sound of blood pumping through his veins.
Salivating as my thirst rose, my fangs elongated and I fed.
When I woke up, everything was quiet except for the man’s heavy breathing. He’d stayed asleep, like Nathaniel had said he would. I pushed up from the hardwood floor and climbed to my feet. Tiptoeing to the front of the cabin, I wondered how long I’d have to wait for the other two to show up. I brushed the curtain aside from one of the windows and peeked out. Seconds later, Nathaniel and Marcel zipped into the clearing.
Wow, talk about good timing.
I joined them outside and Marcel slapped me on the back.
“Now for the fun part, mon ami,” he said, grinning.
We fell into step behind Marcel as he took off into the woods. Retracing our path back to the cabin where the girls waited, we arrived in no time.
“Wait here,” Marcel said. “I’m going to summon Sarah, Sophie, and Trudy.”
He entered the cottage while Nathaniel and I waited outside. I sniffed the familiar odor of wood smoke, and the others’ individual scents. A yuckier smell mixed in with the others–skunk maybe? Did skunks wander around in the depths of winter?
The door swung open, interrupting my thoughts, and everyone gathered in front of the cottage, eyes on Marcel. He walked over to the property’s ten-by-ten storage shed. The snow had already been cleared away from the doors, probably because the generator was inside, which he’d started up for us earlier.
Marcel grasped the handles and threw the doors open wide, revealing the shed’s contents. A generator chugged away at the back, but the real surprise was the set of three, shiny riding machines lined up in a row.
“Are those–” I said.
“Jet Skis!” Sophie exclaimed, and Marcel laughed.
“Snowmobiles,” he corrected. “Similar to personal watercraft, but meant for snow.”
I glanced at Sarah and her eyes widened. I turned back to the snowmobiles and couldn’t help smiling. They looked pretty freaking cool.
“Well, I see there are only three of these and six of us, so . . . I call this one,” Sophie squealed, racing over to the leftmost snowmobile and climbing on.
“There are only three snowmobiles here,” Marcel said, “however, I do have two more at my other cabin. Which brings me to my next proposition: Sarah and Reed, how would you like to spend a couple of days at the second cottage? Privacy seems to be at a premium these days–perhaps you would appreciate some time together, just the two of you.”
I wanted to shout, ‘Hell, yeah!’ but managed to rein myself in. Sarah and I shared a look, and I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know she liked the idea as much as I did.
“That sounds nice, Marcel,” Sarah said and nibbled her lip.
“Nice?” Sophie said with a big eye roll. “Whatever. You guys go do your thing, as long as I get to be one of the first to try out these babies.”
“Is it a good idea for our group to separate?” Trudy asked.
“I can’t foresee any problems,” Marcel answered. “If you remain here with Nathaniel and Sophie, I can take Reed and Sarah to my other property. I should be back in less than an hour.”
“First you have to show me how to use this thing, Marcel,” Sophie said, grasping the snowmobile’s handgrips, ready to go.
“Actually,” Trudy began, “I know how to operate a snowmobile. I can show the other two how to do it.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised; we’d already discovered Trudy’s knowledge about hotwiring a car and flying a damn helicopter. She probably knew how to use every kind of vehicle in existence.
“It’s settled then?” Marcel asked.
We looked between each other and murmured our agreement. “Let me grab my bag and a few things to eat,” Sarah said. She jogged back to the cabin and I followed so I could get my own stuff.
When we got back outside, Sarah went over to give her sister a hug. “Be careful driving the snowmobile around in the dark, Soph,” she said.
“No worries. Look,” she said, pointing, “it has headlights. I’ll be fine.”
We waved goodbye to the others and started toward Mar
cel’s second cottage. I could have scooped Sarah up and zoomed through the forest at vampire speed, but we decided to take our time and enjoy the night walk.
Our route traced the edge of the lake until we reached its northernmost edge. Then we turned away from the water and continued in a northeastern direction. The path we followed couldn’t have been a road, even in summertime. Who knew if there even was a road leading to the cabin? I would have asked Marcel, but he seemed lost in thought. He’d almost drifted out of sight up ahead while Sarah and I hung back, chatting. I wasn’t worried about losing Marcel’s trail if he disappeared into the woods; his tracks in the snow were impossible to miss and I could have followed his faint cologne scent with my eyes closed.
“It was considerate of Marcel to do this for us,” Sarah said.
“Yeah, no kidding. He’s been pretty awesome.” I glanced at Sarah and she looked up at me. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold. I wondered if my cheeks were pink too. It’s not like I couldn’t feel the cold at all, but it didn’t bother me.
Marcel had stopped, so we caught up to him while he waited. The soft moonlight glinted off his dark hair, and the occasional snowflake drifted around him as he stood under the canopy of towering pine trees. His mouth was a flat line and his eyes drew down slightly. He looked . . . sad.
“We appreciate you doing this for us, Marcel,” Sarah said.
“I guess it must be hard to see us together, all happy couple-ish, when Gabriel is so far away,” I added. “We know you miss him.”
“You are such a fine group of people,” Marcel said and sighed. “Lovely. All of you. I didn’t know how much I would come to like you.”
He turned and walked away from us, so we followed. The treeline ended and we stepped into a small clearing. A cozy cabin nestled in the middle, a tiny gem in the wilderness.
I inhaled deeply to fill my lungs with the pure forest air. An unexpected scent hit my nose and I gasped. I whipped my head to the side to stare at Marcel, my mouth hanging open.