by K. M. Liss
“Who are these women, do you know?” he asked her curiously.
“We have had blood donors wearing saris visit us before. That's probably who they are. Donors.”
They sank back again for another long, long time. They finally fell asleep in the tree and woke when it was dark.
“How long have we been up here?” He asked her. She got her phone out of her small hip purse.
“It's eleven o'clock. That makes it fifteen hours and forty minutes.”
“Well I was right. It could be days at this rate.”
The door opened again and they looked expectantly. Four sari wearing women came out one after the other.
“Saba, go and speak to them, find out what's going on in there... Please?”
He jumped down from the tree and quickly rushed to the foot of the steps as the women gathered on the pavement outside chatting.
“Excuse me, is the lady of the house at home?”
“Madame Bhuti?” one of the women replied questioningly.
“Madame Bhuti? No, I mean Calista Gianni... Blond, young...”
“Oh, no, no, no,” she replied and then chattered away in an Asian language to the other three. Then she began in faltering English. “Mr and Mrs Gianni are left, for Italy. In six years, no... six months, to live in it. We live now. Our house.” She pointed at the women around her. “Indian woman shelter. Abuse. This ours.” His heart soared happily with the neck slashing being deferred for a while and then dropped.
Shit, she was going to be so upset.
He walked back to the square as she made her way towards him across the grass.
“Well?”
“They're not here.”
“They're away?”
“No, it's not their house anymore. They moved to Italy, six months ago.”
“Oh no...” Her eyes looked confused and angry. Then they heated to an annoyed brilliance and flashed wildly.
“Perhaps this is fate trying to tell you something Sevi,” he said gently.
“No, it's a fucking annoying setback... But I'm not giving up. We can find them. We'll go to Rome and make enquiries.” Her voice had a hard note to it and her face was a mixture of disappointment, frustration, and ruthless determination. He was content to go to Rome though, if that made her happy.
“We should visit Fro anyway, it's been over four years since we left Milan.”
“There's no point staying here a moment longer. Let us find a taxicab my love.”
Chapter 6
They flew to Rome two days later and drove to the Refugio after booking in at their hotel and dropping off their suitcases. As they had no key, not having planned to visit Rome, they had to wait for a feeding vampire to let them in. He held open the gate and locked it after they entered, staring at them wide eyed and curiously. Vampires looking as they did rarely entered the caverns. They approached the inner door and Severina knocked to gain entry. She was shocked to see Michello staring back at her through the small window. His face was beyond haggard now. He looked to be on his last legs.
The man was almost a walking skeleton.
“Michello, enough is enough. I insist you retire immediately,” she said in horror. How could these vampires let him die on the job? He may be human, but he was their human and so loyal it made her feel very protective towards him.
“Can I open the door first, my beauty,” he joked, flashing her his toothless grin, cackling to himself. He slid back the bolt and opened the door extremely slowly, shuffling back painfully behind it. She entered and turned to face him.
“Have you any replacement in mind?”
“I have... Take a look...” He gestured to his table and chair in the corner. A very young, chubby, light brown haired man of about eighteen sat there playing with his phone.
“'Rocco's my great grandson. He's learning the ropes. Just having a rest right now, aren't you my boy?”
“Yeah, just resting up, Pop.” Rocco didn't even bother looking up from his game or whatever it was he was doing. Sevi was more than disappointed with him. The human youth of today were so lazy and obsessed with these stupid phones. She didn't think it possible the human race could become any stupider, but it seemed the latest few generations were trying very hard to set a new record.
“Michello, do you wish to turn?” She asked him bluntly,
“I don't want to live like those blood and sex crazies do.” He motioned towards the tunnels.
“Of course not. You can live however you wish. You will be young again and it is a wonderful world, is it not?” She looked at Saba full of happiness and he smiled back at her warmly.
“Let's do it now,” she said brightly. “Take advantage while I am in the mood old man. It's not every day I let an octogenarian suck at my wrist.”
“Sevi, are you sure about this?” Saba gave her a warning look. He obviously thought she was interfering. She supposed she was in way, being as she didn't even live in the Refugio any more. But Michello deserved her support and another, far better chance at life.
“Of course and why the hell not? Am I the only one who can see this poor creature is on his last legs and he has served our kind so well?”
“But his replacement is not trained.” He gave her another look, his eyes clearly saying his replacement was no use whatsoever...
“You can stay in the job for a while, can't you Michello? Tell Rocco to go home when you have turned and to come back in a week. Your bloodlust will have passed by then.”
“I guess I can. If that's all right with you young fella..?.”
Rocco ignored the question and she waltzed up to him and pulled him roughly out of the chair.
“Get up, your great grandfather urgently needs this chair,” she ordered and gave the lazy young oaf a push out of the way.
God knows how long they would have to wait for the door to be opened by this laid back electronically addicted moron.
“Michello, please sit.”
“Well now pretty lady... I'm not so sure... not at all, about doing this...” He began falteringly as he sat down with a groan and a creak of his old bones.
“No more delay. Time is of the essence. Right, let's get this started before you breathe your last.”
She bit her wrist hard to get the blood flowing fast and she offered it to him.
“Suck and keep going until I say stop. Swallow and suck, hard,” she instructed.
She grimaced as his paper thin and wrinkled lips touched her skin and he began his first feed.
“That'll do,” she announced a minute later, wrenching her arm from his mouth with distaste.
“What do I have to do now?” he asked innocently.
“Nothing at all. You wait. You will heat up to boiling point and pass out,” she told him matter of factly.
“Don't care for the sound of that, not one little bit, I don't...”
“Too bad. It's the price you pay for everlasting life.” His wrinkled old face looked full of fear and she felt a softening in her heart. “I'll get one of the house to watch over you later, when the change happens, and to take you out to feed after that. Until you get used to it.”
“I was so handsome when I was younger,” Michello mused wistfully, his eyes glassy and yellowed with age as he looked at her.
“Then you will be even more handsome soon. I shall look forward to seeing you revitalised and youthful again. We shall be back shortly. If the pain starts, simply lie on the ground and accept it. I'm sure Rocco here, can hold the fort for a while.”
She took Saba's hand and they descended into the caverns towards Fro's cell. They passed through into the usual smelly, noisy darkness and rounded the corner. The sight that met their eyes made her gasp with shock.
Fro lay on the floor, curled up. He looked to be almost grey in skin tone and unconscious. There were empty bottles of wine discarded all around him. They forced open his door and rushed to his side.
“Has he been replacing his feeds with wine?”
“Looks like
it. And for quite a while judging by his colour.”
“He looks so anaemic and he's barely breathing,” she said in panic, feeling his mouth with her hand for his breath. “What shall we do Saba?”
“Try and wake him and he can take a little from me. It'll keep him going long enough to get him fed properly.”
“Why has he done this, for heaven's sake?”
“If we get him up and running he might be able to tell us.”
They spent five minutes slapping his face gently and then harder in desperation until a small groan left his lips and one eye opened slightly.
“Fro, you have to bite. Feed, come on. You're killing yourself,” Saba insisted.
“Don't care...” He rasped in a faint voice.
“Well we do. Come on. I'm begging you. PLEASE!” Sevi shouted at him, getting very upset.
“Come on man, stay with us.” Saba lifted him onto his lap on the bench and pushed Fro's face into his neck. Soon he felt a pinch and a very weak sucking began. It stopped. He slapped Fro's hand hard and the sucking started again. Sevi stood looking on in concern, obviously feeling completely useless. The sucking picked up pace and soon it was stronger and reasonably steady. He let him feed for a short while and then disengaged him and laid him down on the bench. The colour was returning to his face, his cheeks flushing pink again.
“We've got to get him some human blood. This will make him feel worse in a few minutes when it starts to wear off.”
“Rocco?”
“Go get him Sevi. Be quick.”
She left in a speed run around the corner and out of sight.
“Hey, what's been going down?” He asked Fro gently as his eyes fluttered open and closed. He was just about focusing and teetering on the edge of consciousness.
“My love, my love...”
“Your love?”
“Portia.”
“Who's Portia?”
“She threw me out.”
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
His eyes fluttered and he fell asleep, his colour fading again.
Sevi reappeared with a struggling Rocco. He looked scared to death and horrified.
“Quick, help us,” Saba requested. Rocco shook his head and backed away into the far corner of the cell.
“No bloodsucker's biting me.”
“It's a matter of life and death, now come on boy,” he appealed firmly.
“No way. I don't care.”
Saba took his hand forcibly and bit his wrist then shoved it under Fro's nose. The scent of the blood oozing out made him awaken, grasp at it, and he attached and started to feed.
“Oh shit, oh fuck, oh my God!” Rocco wailed, petrified and in distress, tears beginning to flow down his young plump cheeks. He was desperately wriggling and trying to pull away, but was held firm by Saba's iron strength.
“Oh do be quiet. All this crying and struggling. Are you a man or a mouse?” Sevi admonished, with her hands on her hips and an exasperated expression on her face. “You're saving Fro's life here. There's nothing to cry about.”
“It's disgusting and painful.” He wailed louder and tried to squirm away without success.
“It's nothing of the sort. I did it myself tonight, right in front of you. It's quite a pleasant sensation. Just relax and enjoy it,” Sevi said calmly. She took his face between her hands and spoke softly to him. “”Rocco, come now, calm down. Do you hear?”
“Okay... It's okay, I'm okay with it. I think. Just about.” He took some deep breaths, panting and blowing, and finally stood still looking at her. “Is he gonna be all right?”
“Yes, all thanks to you.”
“That's cool.”
“Just a little more and we'll stop him... There. What a brave young man you are.”
Saba broke the suction and a well fed Fro flopped back on his bench with a glowing complexion.
Sevi pressed his bite mark with her tongue and Rocco watched as the puncture marks slowly disappeared before his very eyes.
“I don't believe it!”
“It's quite impressive, isn't it?” She smiled.
“Really neat, sick!”
“Rocco, would you run back and help look after Michello, I'm concerned about him. He's old and frail and I'm fond of him.”
“Sure. See you later then, Sevi.”
“We'll be there shortly. Here, take some money for a burger for being so helpful and kind.” She said rummaging in her purse for a ten euro note. Rocco took the offerered note with thanks and walked off grinning widely and looking back over his shoulder waving and smiling at her as he made his way around the corner.
Saba took her hand and pulling her to him, hugged her close and kissed her lovingly on the cheek.
“You surprise the hell out of me at times. One minute you're dying to stab a fellow vampire through the heart for no real reason other than she has the wrong surname and the next you're being all sweet and loving towards lowly humans. D'you have some kind of personality disorder?”
“Perhaps I do. I often feel the need to be far too pleasant. I don't understand it myself and for God's sake, please don't tell anyone.”
“Saba, Sevi....” Fro's voice whispered from his position on his bench.
She rushed to his side. “How are you feeling?”
“Dry as a bone.”
“Want some water?”
“Could really do with some sweet pants.”
“I'll go find you some, then.”
She left the cell on a search for a bottle of fresh water.
“So, why's Portia so important you're willing to die for her, hmmm?” Saba took the opportunity to ask some more about the cause of Fro's near death experience.
“She's a queen. My only desire. The one I want for my immortal bride.”
“Oh yeah? And why's that?”
“She makes my heart flame. I can't describe it. I need her so badly Saba.”
“You haven't ever mentioned her before.”
“I know, I only met her six weeks ago. She came to visit, enquiring about Raffaele.”
“She did?”
“She stayed all day, but the place was not to her liking. Can't imagine why, I think it's great here. Anyway, she suggested taking a place of her own nearby. She arranged it and asked me to join her.”
“She must be some special kind of girl if she managed to drag you out of here in just one day old friend.”
“She is. She makes the sun rise in my life.”
“But you don't in hers anymore, apparently?”
“No. Don't remind me. My heart hurts.”
“So what did she want with Raffaele?”
“She'd been looking for him. She's a relative of his. She said she knew he had been living somewhere in London for many years but she never knew where. He always visited her, at her home in Naples, every couple of years. But suddenly, he didn't visit any more. She came here for some clue as to why. She had exhausted her list of enquiries and didn't know where else to turn. The door keeper mentioned Raffaele had been to see me and that's how we met.”
“So she knows he's dead.”
“Of course. But I couldn't give her details, because you never told me any.”
“That's probably not a bad thing, believe me.”
“I mentioned you two. She said she'd go and look for you, in Milan. I went with her, we searched for three days, but weren't successful.”
“We don't live there anymore Fro. We left four years ago for New York, a few months after our last visit to Rome.”
“I see. Well that explains things.”
“So why did she kick you out?”
“I don't know exactly. She was the hottest, sweetest, most loving female one minute, and the next she changed and went cold as ice on me. Then she asked me to leave. She needed time on her own, to think, to mourn her loss properly and to inform the other few members of the family, or so she said.”
“Is she still around? D'you know, or back in Naples?”
/> “I don't know. After I begged her to reconsider for two whole days, hanging around her door, she became quite unpleasant and sent me off with cruel words. I came back down here. I started drinking and didn't stop for over a week. I didn't mean to finish myself. I was simply trying to blot out my feelings of hurt. I overdid it, didn't I?”
“You did. That was a close shave my man. You nearly copped it, I can tell you. Sevi was distraught.”
She appeared carrying a bottle of water.
“Sorry I was so long,” she apologised while handing Fro the bottle. “I made a detour to check on Michello. He is being tended to by Tara, the redhead with the cat. I met her on the way to collect Rocco. Things are progressing at a fast pace, he looks twenty years younger already. What a marvel vampire DNA is, repairing such an ancient and broken human as he. It's a shame that the elderly burn so much hotter during their change, it'll be hard for him, but worth it in the end I suppose.”
“What are you talking about?” Fro asked as he glugged down the water greedily.
“She's turned Michello.”
“You have?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, I'm amazed. I've offered for the last ten years and he's turned me down flat. You must have hidden powers of persuasion sweet pants.”
“Maybe he'd had a bad day. His bones were creaking, his lungs straining, and his heart was almost about to stop. Perhaps he knew he was dying.”
“Perhaps, but well done you, anyway. He deserves our thanks. And Sevi, I'm so sorry about all this. I've had a few problems in my love life. Saba can fill you in as I have a pressing need to visit the great outdoors for a moment.” He stood, stretched, and taking his key from the hook, left his cell.
“So… tell me...” she asked impatiently.
“Her name is Portia. She came here looking for Raffaele. Apparently it was love at first sight... But, she changed her mind and kicked him out of their love nest.”
“Oh dear… poor Fro!”
“She was looking for us in Milan.”
“Really? And where is she now?”
“We don't know.”