The Violet Line

by Bilinda Ni Siodacain

  “And what about us? What happens to us,” she asked, still not looking at me but I could see the tears sliding down into her mug.

  “Well, I don’t think it would be a good idea for you two to be around each other, alone, just yet. He has a lot to learn, but he loves you so much I’m sure he’ll learn fast.” My voice sounded positive but Annie still continued to cry.

  “He just didn’t look like Aidan today,” she told me. “He would have killed me, Jade. I could see it in him; he was a monster and there was nothing of the man I loved in there. But I couldn’t hurt him and I couldn’t have turned him away. I do love him, Jade, and I’m scared.”

  I looked at her as she spoke. I understood where she was coming from. If Sam ever did that, I couldn’t turn away from him either; I hadn’t turned away from him when he had been overcome that one time, but at least I could protect myself. Annie was helpless.

  “Look, it’s going to be fine, but for a while you both need a bit of distance from each other. It’s not fair to Aidan to put him through that and it’s not fair to you either. When he gets himself under better control, then you can be together; but until then maybe look at it as being a long distance relationship. You both have mobile phones, don’t you?”

  Annie nodded slowly.

  “Well, you can stay in contact just not have physical contact.” I finished.

  She looked at me then. “You really think that might work?”

  “If you really love each other than I don’t see you two having too many other choices in all of this. Maybe ring him, see what he thinks about all of this; at least over the phone he can be Aidan. Just be sure to tell him that you shouldn’t really be alone together; you can’t take that risk and he wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt.”

  She smiled then for the first time. “I’ll ring him now,” she said, bouncing up off the couch. “Can I use your bedroom?”

  “Yeah, go ahead,” I said, not looking at her. She reached the door and turned back to me.

  “Wait, where’s Sam? He’s not in there,” she whispered, pointing at the bedroom door.

  “Sam,” I said, still not looking at her. “I wish I knew but it’s another story. Go make your phone call I’ll fill you in after.”

  She looked serious as she nodded, and slipped into my room. I could hear her voice muffled through the wall as she talked to Aidan. I felt a small pang of jealousy that I tried to quickly smother; I wanted so desperately to be able to reach Sam.

  Picking up my discarded phone, I checked for messages but there weren’t any. Sam’s phone rang and rang, then went back into the network message. I slipped the phone closed and looked out the window at the traffic passing on the street. My mind wouldn’t be kept busy with mundane thoughts; it kept wandering back to Sam.

  Annie slipped quietly back into the room. I had been so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I hadn’t heard her finish up.

  “Well?” I asked, watching her face eagerly.

  “Yeah, he agrees; time apart is best but we can stay on the phone to each other. He promises not to come around my apartment again; he thinks it’s too dangerous. He doesn’t trust himself at all. It was so strange talking to him like that; he sounded so… so, broken.”

  I stood up and walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her.

  “It’s going to be fine. You’re both strong; you’ll get through this. Just you wait and see.”

  “I just – I don’t know. I wish it had never happened. But there’s no point in crying about it; we need to get on and make the best of it.” Her voice became stronger with each word she spoke, and she pulled away from me. She walked back over to the couch to sit down.

  “So, what’s this other story with you and Sam? It’s not like him to not be here. Usually you two are inseparable, unless he has to hunt or you’re working. Is he hunting today?” she asked, glancing doubtfully out the window at the sunny weather.

  “No, he’s not. He was; he went hunting last night. But, he actually didn’t come back.” Sitting in the chair opposite the couch I avoided looking directly at her. I didn’t want to start crying again but the worry and panic were slowly building inside me.

  “So, he went last night and he hasn’t returned? Did you guys have a fight or anything? Have you heard from him at all?” Her voice had taken on a speculative quality as she quizzed me.

  “No, I haven’t heard from him and I can’t contact him at all. I’ve rang his phone but there is no answer. It’s not like him, and he knew last night before he left that I was really worried; I told him that it felt wrong. And with my power feelings like that usually mean something. Last night felt as though I was saying goodbye to our normal life together, that my Sam was going and not coming back.

  “Annie, what will I do if he never comes home? I don’t think I could bear it. All his stuff is here; everywhere I turn there is something reminding me that he’s missing. I have to find him!” My voice had grown more hysterical but Annie sat there simply listening to me.

  “Well, you can’t allow yourself to get worked up,” she began. “Now just saying, for argument’s sake – I’m not saying anything has happened – but what if it did and he couldn’t get to a phone right now? Knowing Sam he would find a way back to you.

  “I think you need to give him some time. It’s a few hours to night fall. If he doesn’t come back tonight then I agree we can have a full on panic, but until then I think you need to sit tight and wait. Jade; you two are like homing beacons for each other. It’s like you both know where the other one is at all times, even when you’re in different rooms. He’ll come back. So relax; you don’t want him to panic about you if he comes back and you’re a mess. Come on, we’ll sit and watch some silly soppy movie. You still have your collection of Elizabeth Taylor stuff, don’t you?”

  “Yup, over in the press.” I pointed at the cupboard under the telly.

  “Good. You make some more tea and if you have tissues, I’d bring them with you; I think we could both do with a bit of a cry.” A wry smile curved her lips. I nodded and headed back into the kitchen. What she said made sense but the feeling of something being terribly wrong still wouldn’t leave me. I switched on the kettle and leaned my head against the press door.

  “Please, please God, if you can hear me, send my Sam back to me! Anyone who can hear me, send him back safe. Please.” I closed my eyes and waited for the kettle to boil.

  Chapter Seven

  Sam felt the dawn as it arrived. It had been the longest night he had ever had to endure. After the revenants had finished with Sarah, some of the other partygoers had thought it might be a fun idea to throw some of their human play things to them. He had tried as much as possible to avoid watching but Oskaar had not allowed him to move away. The only thing he could do successfully to blot it out was to think about Jade; he knew that she would be out of her mind with worry at this stage.

  The party ended and Sam stood stock still as if super glued to the floor. Most of the guests had retreated downstairs for other pursuits before they left.

  The council sickened Sam. He had grown discontent with their ways many years before he finally built up enough courage to leave them. The memory of those dark days he spent at their side in the Carpathian Mountains sent a shudder of revulsion through him; so many innocents had been lost. Sam knew deep down that he was not truly to blame he did it to survive. He had made it as easy as possible for his victims; insuring that they never felt anything. Sam had always taken more pleasure in spoiling the fun for vampires such as Marianne and Raphael than in joining the blood sports they dabbled in.

  A rustle like wind on autumn leaves prompted him to open his eyes. Oskaar moved towards him from his perch on the stage. His feet seemed not to touch the ground and his cloak whispered along the stage as he moved. Sam knew Oskaar liked to impress and intimidate and this was just one of his many parlour tricks that he had learned to perfect over the years. Oskaar was one of the most powerful vampires in existence, second only to t
he powers Reuben and Omega enjoyed as brothers. Many legends had sprung up about the twin brother vampires; many of the legends based on horrible truths about cutting great swathes of death and destruction through some countries before finally coming to settle in the Carpathian Mountains. They built their castle there and set it up as the seat of the official Vampire Council. They sought out only the most talented and powerful vampires to accompany them on the council. Other vampires, Sam and Marianne included, who possessed powers, just not on the scale of the council members enjoyed powerful positions as the tools of the council. Sam’s power had begun to diminish as he refused to attack and drink fresh blood from humans. There was something in taking a life force that caused his power to spike, allowing him to pull anyone within range of his gaze into a trance. His power didn’t distinguish between vampire and human and it didn’t matter how powerful they were in their own right; his power of the gaze could take all in his path if he so wished it. Now it took him some effort to take a vampire under his control and that usually gave the vampire a chance to escape.

  Oskaar came to a halt in front of Sam and looked him over head to toe. “My dearest Samuel, you have certainly not been treating yourself kindly over the years. Why, I can see the gauntness of your body and face and you smell the same as one who is hunted. You do not strike me as the fearsome predator you once were. Now when I look at you, I feel pity. I should not feel this for one so young; you have paid a high price indeed for the love you hold for your Jade. Perhaps when she joins us you too will reconsider and follow her destiny, becoming one with us once more and enjoy the life you have been given.”

  Sam’s voice rang out strong. “She will never join willingly with you. Jade is not like you; to hurt another hurts her. For fuck’s sake, she will barely use her own power to defend herself because she doesn’t want to hurt someone who might want to hurt her! She is soft and kind and loving; she will never become this dark queen you seem to think she is capable of being.” He spat the last words out; he felt secure that the Jade he loved wasn’t capable of becoming a monster in the same way that he was one.

  “Sam, so young, you have not seen what I have seen. It is true this human Jade that you love is soft and kind and loving. I will admit, she loathes hurting others, but it is her human soul that causes this. What you fail to understand or see is truly what Jade is; you do not know what she comes from or how she is made. When her human soul leaves her body and she ascends to become one of our kind, when she thirsts for the life that runs through all humans veins, then she will become our dark queen; the prophecy speaks of it. You cannot avoid prophecy, Samuel; it is woven into the very tapestry of her life. Would you like me to show you? I could do that for you, so you know that what I say is the truth. I’m not trying to deceive you, Sam; you have always been dear to me. It was I who saw the potential in you from the first moment you were dragged into the palace as a paltry human boy. I saw the power you could wield over the lesser vampires even in your human state. Let me share this with you. We cannot suffer anymore lies between us.” Oskaar reached out towards Sam as he struggled to pull away.

  “I don’t want to see your prophecy!”

  Oskaar held him in place with his power. “It’ll only hurt if you fight this, Sam; relax and see what I see.”

  The moment Oskaar’s hands touched Sam’s face, he could feel the searing heat as it tore through his body; he felt as though he was being burned alive. He could feel the blood as it began to trickle from his nose and ears; a vampire should not fight a vision share. Sam knew this but he didn’t want to see any possible future in which his beautiful Jade was being used as an evil instrument.

  He screamed as the pain tore through him again and again. Oskaar continued to hold his face, forcing him to view the images he was being shown. Blood trickled from his eyes.

  Suddenly, Sam wasn’t standing facing Oskaar anymore; he was back in the high council’s palace in Carpathia. The throne room was a magnificent affair. Gilt thrones lined the dais; chandeliers lit the cavernous hall, thousands of twinkling lights hanging with crystals to help reflect the light around the room. Black and silver velvet hung from the ceiling and covered the walls. Rich vibrant tapestries of famous historical scenes from vampire folklore hung among them. The stone floor was covered in a rich red carpet that spread out from the centre of the room like a giant pool of sparkling blood; vampires certainly knew how to decorate in the most dramatic fashion.

  The council stood on the stage. They all wore their most elaborate costumes, the ones usually reserved for the important ceremonies. The hall was filled with vampires of all nationalities, all wearing the elaborate costumes of ceremony.

  Sam’s eyes flitted over the whole scene, ignoring it. He knew this already, had seen it numerous times, but this time something was very different. She stood on the edge of the stage, beautiful and magnificent. Her chocolate coloured tresses fell about her in waves to below her waist; it looked even darker against the icy tone of her skin. Her blue eyes stood out against her face; a deep furious blue, more of an indigo than an ordinary blue. They glowed with the violet sparks of power that danced off the ends of her hair and fingers. She shimmered with power where she stood. She wore a long white gown to the floor; the front of the bodice was laced in a black velvet thread holding her together.

  Jade stood there in a haze of her own power and the room bowed to her presence and ferocity as she beckoned a group of vampires towards her. They approached holding a struggling young man and woman. They cried and the woman begged for her and her partner’s life. Jade observed them from her position on the stage, a strangely detached air about her. Her eyes filled with violet flame and before Sam could cry out for her not to do it, the necks of the young couple slashed open, spraying blood all over the vampires who held them and Jade herself. She turned at the shout from Sam, the white dress stuck to her body with the splash of blood; it looked like an artist had poured a deep red paint across her. She looked at Sam and smiled. He could see the points of her fangs as they flashed in the light. There was no humanity left in her, nothing of the Jade that he had fallen in love with. This creature simply wore the mask of the one he loved.

  Sam sagged and Oskaar’s power and vision left him. He fell forward onto his hands and knees. Blood still dripped from his face but it mingled with the tears he shed. He wept for the one he loved and would lose if he turned her over to the monsters. He couldn’t allow it. Dragging his hand across his face, he wiped away the blood and tears that ran in streaks down his cheeks and chin; he could taste it in his mouth. He dragged himself to his feet and faced Oskaar.

  “Oh dear, I fear it did not quite have the reaction I was hoping for.” Oskaar’s voice held a jeering quality and the smile that split his mouth told Sam that he knew exactly what he was doing when he showed him that vision; after all Oskaar fed on pain and cruelty just like all the other vampires here.

  “I cannot promise to bring you Jade, but what I will tell you is that I will tell her of your plans and let her decide what she prefers. I have seen that one possible future and I will avoid it if I can, but I will take your message to her.”

  Oskaar stopped smiling. “You will bring Jade here or I will send Raphael to collect her!” Oskaar spoke low, his tone menacing.

  “No you won’t; you can’t afford to let Raphael anywhere near your precious dark queen. You and I both know what he is like. Jade would use her power on him and that would just serve to excite him further. He would kill her and not be able to help himself. It’s his nature; it’s what he has done over and over. So you will let me go and I will tell Jade. Then I will meet you when the time is up and she will either accompany me or not. Is that fair, Oskaar? It’s the only deal I’m willing to give you.”

  Oskaar’s voice was grave as he answered. “Very well, I agree but you had better hope for her sake and yours that she accompanies you. You will meet us on the pier; you know the place, Sam. I am giving you two nights and three days to persuade your love. When
that time is up and if you have not succeeded, I will use you to trace her and I will let Raphael track her with Marianne to keep him in check. Her rebirth from this life will not be pleasant, if that is the course of action I am forced to take. As for your insolence in this instance, I will not tolerate it.”

  Sam watched as Oskaar’s face lit up in anticipation once more. “Cassiopeia.”

  Sam hadn’t noticed that she was still in the room. He glanced around for her and watched as she melted from the shadows at the wall; she couldn’t do that when he had known her.

  “Darling Cassie, could you escort our rebel Samuel here to the dungeon and teach him a few lessons in respecting his elders?” Oskaar turned to look at her as he spoke.

  She nodded. “Of course, Oskaar.” Her husky voice purred over the words and as she turned back to Sam, her lips curled into a twisted and cruel smile. “It would be my pleasure.”

  Sam watched without feeling as she grabbed him by the upper arm, curling her long fingers around the muscles that were corded under his shirt.

  “Come with me, Sam; it’ll be just like old times.”

  He refused to show her any sort of emotion as she led him away to the darkened dungeon, but he knew that by the end of his time with her she would have dragged at least one scream from his lips.

  * * *

  Sam drew in a deep breath from the cool night air. It caused him to grimace. His back was a bloody mess from his time spent in the dungeon with Cassiopeia and it would take time to heal. She had used silver in his open wounds; this allowed her to keep the slash marks open for longer. She had enjoyed running her tongue along the inside of his open wounds, probing and biting him whenever it had taken her fancy.

  Cassiopeia always did like to have full control. She could never control Sam. Their powers were too similar; except hers was forever and her victims did not fall into a trance, they simply bent to her will. Whatever she wished them to do, they would do it and somewhere inside their heads their real personality would sit locked away, unable to stop or refuse her anything she asked. She became mistress of their minds and she enjoyed watching the pain and torment she could inflict upon them. Anyone she could not control in this way, she would have chained up and she would unleash all her frustration and fury upon them.