by Mlyn Hurn
When Blue glanced up to meet his gaze, he whispered softly, “I’ll call for the car and drive you home.” He didn’t wait for her reply. Instead he slid from the bed, grabbing his clothes to pull on as he walked back to the living room of the suite. Quickly, he arranged for his driver to pick them up, and then called to tell the front desk that they would be leaving shortly. He had just finished buttoning his shirt when he heard Blue reenter the room.
Turning he saw that she was dressed as well. “You look almost as neat as you did when we arrived here,” he told her softly. “The only difference is that your hair is slightly mussed and your lipstick is gone.”
Blue smiled, but ran her fingers through her curls, trying to smooth them into order.
Simon reached out and pulled her into his arms. Holding her close, he lifted his hand, winding a curl around his finger. “From the first time I saw you, there was always this copper penny bright hair to curl about my fingers. It’s always been silky and soft.”
“It has a mind of its own. I can catch a cab home, if you’d prefer to stay here for the night.”
Simon shook his head, kissed her lips lightly and then released her. He picked up two strawberries, dipped in chocolate. “I want to come with you.”
Blue nodded, half-smiling. She moved over to the bowl, took one of the white napkins and filled it with all the remaining strawberries. “In for a penny, in for a pound, my grandmother always used to say.”
“I see that you will make a thrifty and frugal wife.”
Blue paused as she was opening the door to the suite.
Simon realized that he might have spoken too soon by the stiffness in her back.
A second later, she shrugged her shoulders. “Or perhaps I just have a weakness for strawberries?” Blue questioned with a smile.
Simon followed her out the door, closing it behind them. “Dipped in chocolate?”
Blue was already pressing the elevator button when he reached her. Her eyes shone as she answered back smartly, with a grin. “I like almost anything… dipped in chocolate.”
“Now that I will remember!” Simon told her with a grin.
Chapter Eight
Blue walked off the elevator and down the hall towards her brother’s room. She wasn’t completely sure where she would find him. But he had sounded so concerned over the phone that she had cut him off and promised to come straight home. So many times she worried she might find him fallen from bed, or his chair. Or sick—
“Jordan?” she called out softly, but loud enough to be heard if the person were awake and all right.
“I’m at the computer, Blue! Hurry up!”
Blue glanced backwards over her shoulder at Simon, grimacing slightly. She hadn’t been sure how much to tell him. He’d totally thrown her tonight. In all of her fantasies involving him, happy-ever-after had never played a part. Of course, she wanted him. But just how deep those feelings went, she had no idea.
Several times he’d said the “L” word. Enough so that she knew he wasn’t using it by accident, and not too much so she might think it was a casually thrown about word in his normal vocabulary. Then he’d been so considerate after she’d received the phone call, and not once had he made her feel like she shouldn’t come, or that he resented the intrusion. Still, when he talked about her being a wife…
She admitted it. She’d gotten dizzy and felt like something new and fresh. Almost outweighing the lightness and joy were the ever-present emotions that accompanied her thoughts and concerns about a future with a sanguineous vampire. This went against her family’s work, and her career! Even though her mother and aunt had done the same, she’d known all her life her father and uncle were quite different from most other vamps.
Immediately, she knew he’d undoubtedly been talking broadly. No way would he have meant he was thinking of her in terms of wife, and certainly not in respect to himself. God! If any man ever was a worse candidate for marriage, it would be hard to find one worse than Simon. After all, Simon had been around almost as long as her own father and he’d never lived like Iain or Fauster, who had basically passed as non-vampire most of the time.
It had been silly to feel like a moonstruck girl. Blue reminded herself she really had no idea how Simon lived now, or how he had lived in the past. All she had were second- and third-hand reports. Only the man himself truly knew how he had lived… and everything he had done. Was Simon as bad as they had all assumed, or had he been pulling a scam on them all?
Why would he live a lie? Deceive the world unless he truly did have something to hide? Money didn’t appear to be a problem. He could most likely pass in and out of normal society without ever being detected. Had he successfully fooled her into believing he was not the threat they had been chasing?
“Blue! You gotta see this!” Jordan called out again.
She saw he was seated at the computer, using his wheelchair. He had obviously attempted to sleep because he had on his pajama bottoms, but was naked above his waist. Forcing a smile to her lips, she tossed her jacket over a chair and walked over to stand behind him.
“What’s going on, silly?” Blue leaned over and pressed her cheek to her younger brother’s. “You look healthy.”
Jordan shrugged, still not taking his gaze off his computer monitor. “Sorry, Sis, but I couldn’t get hold of Taryn. I knew you would want to see this as soon as possible.”
“You’re right, of course. So what do you have that couldn’t possibly wait until tomorrow morning?”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you, Blue.” Jordan turned in his chair, to look at his sister. Instead, he saw a man standing a short distance away. He’d not heard a second set of footsteps come down the hall. Blue had neglected to say that she was busy, or with someone. “Hello,” he said to the man standing in the shadows of the room.
“Hello, Jordan. I didn’t want to interrupt what you were telling your sister. I figured I’d just wait—”
Jordan realized instantly who he was. Maybe it was his cultured manner, the way he looked, or just a general sense—
This was Simon. Only vaguely could he recall the man from a few meetings as a child. His world had become pretty narrow after his accident. “Good evening, Simon. I thought you’d come back alone, Blue.” Jordan grimaced as he heard the tone his voice betrayed.
“We were going to investigate the places tonight that Damon had gotten for us, remember? Simon and I were just getting started.” Blue walked away a few feet and picked up a card table chair. Before she could take a step back, Simon was there, carrying the chair for her, and then opening it. He slid it next to Jordan’s wheelchair, holding it while Blue sat.
Jordan started to turn away when he saw Simon’s hand come forward to rest upon his sister’s shoulder. Jordan may have been crippled for most of his life, but he could tell the difference between a casual friendly touch and the caress of a lover. Immediately, he jerked his gaze to his sister’s. The truth was clear in her blue eyes, staring back at him, with a glaze of tears, which she blinked away quickly. His gut twisted as the realization struck him.
His adored older sister, who he had put on a pedestal, looked up to and even idolized at times, had slept with the infamous vampire! And from the look in her eyes, the vulnerability he had just witnessed, she had fallen in love with the Count Ruthven. He fisted his hands, pounding them once against his thighs. God! He wished he had two good legs—
Out of the corner of his eye, he was aware of Simon moving beside Blue, rather than behind her. Lifting his face slightly, he met the older man’s eyes. The vampire’s eyes were black, and should have been soulless, but Jordan believed he could see much more than he had thought possible.
“I didn’t want her out at this time of the night, alone,” Simon replied quietly.
Jordan nodded once, but felt compelled to add in near defiance, “She’s the most capable person around.”
“Yes, she is capable. But it is only a foolish man who takes unnecessary risks. The wise man i
s careful, alert and cautious. By the way Jordan, it’s good to see you again. You look good, healthy,” Simon told Jordan, holding the younger man’s gaze.
“Uhm, yeah. Blue, I’m not so sure that Simon should hear this.”
His sister looked at him, and then she slowly turned to look at Simon. If he’d had any doubts, the look Blue and Simon shared now would have dispelled any questions regarding their true relationship.
“I trust Simon, Jordan. While he might not be on our side technically, he won’t do anything to hurt us. I’m sure of that.”
Before he had a chance to disagree, Simon leaned down and pressed his lips to Blue’s forehead. “I don’t want to cause any problems between you and your brother, sweetheart. I’ll be happy to wait downstairs if you want.”
Jordan watched Blue closely, and he saw her struggle with her decision. God! He hated seeing her hurt. “Stay, Simon,” he conceded a second later. “Maybe you will see if I missed anything. I’ve been researching on the internet, hoping to find a link, no matter how obscure that would give me something to latch onto, or perhaps get some insight into all of this.”
Simon nodded, grabbed another chair and sat beside Blue. “Go on, Jordan. What did you find so far?”
“As a child, I was always fascinated with the study of alchemy.”
Blue giggled and reached over and patted Jordan’s knee. “My parents had a fit when instead of destroying pots and pans, he went into my mother’s jewelry case.”
Simon chuckled. “I hope it wasn’t too valuable a piece that got destroyed.”
Jordan cleared his throat, but didn’t turn from the screen. “It wasn’t destroyed. It was still gold, she just couldn’t wear it again.”
“And after that my mother got a fancy jewelry box that locked,” Blue added softly, smiling.
“I got better. The fact is… I am not alone in my fascination,” Jordan defended himself quickly.
“Alchemy is one of the oldest sciences… although many deny it to be science at all,” Simon spoke quietly, without betraying his thoughts through his tone.
Jordan looked sideways at the older man—or rather, vampire—seeing something in his eyes that he seemed to know instinctively. “Yeah, that’s what my dad says.”
His sister patted his shoulder a moment later. “I think he would have ignored your efforts if you hadn’t blown up the cute little house he made for the riding lawn mower.”
Jordan ignored his sister as he started to draw their attention to the monitor screen.
Simon’s soft chuckle stopped him, and then Simon spoke. “That sounds like Iain. He was always the one who toed the line much better than I ever could. The riding lawn mower surprises me, though.”
Jordan turned his head to reply, but he stopped when he saw Blue reaching over to place one hand high on Simon’s thigh. Their gazes met and the look they exchanged shouted the level of intimacy they now shared.
“Our mother wanted to mow the lawn—” Blue’s voice was full of laughter as she spoke, “—but she insisted on the riding mower. Even though our yard was pretty small, Mom thought it would be cool to ride around on it.”
Simon covered Blue’s hand with his, smiling back. “And was it cool?”
“She only got to ride it once.” Blue shrugged.
Jordan added quickly, “That’s when I tested a new formula.”
Simon laughed. “Did the mix work? Before it blew up, anyway.”
Jordan slowly shook his head, his chin nearly touching his chest.
Blue leaned forward and kissed the side of her brother’s flushed cheek. “No, but my mom was happy. After that, our father decided a lawn service would work better.”
Jordan ignored the others’ laughter and pointed at the screen. “Here it is. I’ve been following different links having to do with alchemy. As you both may know, alchemy was a chemical science and medieval philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of base metals into gold. There were also offshoots that sought to discover a universal cure for diseases, as well as searching for the secret to prolonging life.”
Jordan turned to look at Blue and Simon as he continued his explanation. “Jung’s epoch-making study into alchemy and psychology led to opening doors for many other scientists, beyond chemistry, to begin looking at alchemy as a symbolic framework, and there by going beyond matter and into the realm of the psyche.”
Blue held up her hand in front of her brother’s earnest face. “Stop right there. You’ve lost me.”
“I believe Jordan is referring to the Individuation of Self in Jung’s writings, or the Four-Color Personality Test of Max Luscher.” Simon offered patiently.
“Okay, boys.” Blue lifted both her hands, one in front of each man. “Dumb down for the hunter mentality and put this in mega-simpler terms. What does this have to do with our problem?”
Simon grinned, grabbing her hand and lowering them both to rest on his thigh.
Jordan ignored her, turning back to the computer. “I’m talking about using psychic powers, which are built up through various means, and then using them to alter the basic elements of life on Earth.” Jordan spoke quietly. “Someone studies, or finds a way, to manipulate fire, wind, water or earth.”
Blue nodded. “Maybe on paper, but not very likely in the real world. I believe in fantasy and make-believe just as much as the next little girl, Jordan. Get real here! We’re talking about somebody having some major-mojo. How could somebody achieve that kind of power?”
“It’s sort of like Father’s method of psychic draining, but the vampire is limited. You can only take so much from a person before you leave them in a zombie-like state for a few weeks while they recover,” Jordan explained, reaching out to take a sip of soda from the can on his desk.
“It takes great skill to lightly drink from a Black Swan, the same as it does for the psychic tasting of another’s energy. Both require timing, mastery of technique and dedication to one another. But there is another way—” Simon told them quietly.
* * * * *
Something about the place seemed strange. Taryn still walked into the seedy bar just as the clock over the mantel behind the bartender showed two o’clock. Instead of going to bed, she’d been too wound up to relax. Her restless brain remembered the name at the bottom of the list that she’d left for Blue. Walking downstairs to enter the place had only heightened the sense that danger lurked nearby.
She had dressed in her “special” clothing before coming out tonight, just as an extra protection. Other places she’d been in had paralleled this dump in its level of seediness, and she doubted that she’d run into anything she’d not encountered before. After all, she’d hunted vampires and demons, along with a few things that defied description. This was nothing new.
Walking up to the chipped, cracked and generally disgusting-looking bar, she hopped up onto an empty barstool. The added height would help in her conversational advantage with the barkeep. Nearly a minute or so passed before the odd-shaped person came over. As the unusual creature spoke, a third hand came out from the middle of his stomach region, wiping off the counter in front of her.
“What’s your poison, little lady?” the bartender asked.
Taryn slid a twenty-dollar bill across the countertop, pressed flat by her hand. “Information. I’m wondering if you’ve noticed anyone new hanging around here of late, or heard any odd conversations.”
The demon barkeep wiggled all four of his ears as he laughed. “If I did know something, and I ain’t saying that I does, it would cost more than a twenty.”
“Is the owner around tonight?” she asked instead, changing the focus.
“He might be, but it depends on who’s asking.”
Taryn pulled a small white card from her leather vest pocket, holding it towards the demon. She wasn’t too surprised when a fourth hand, attached to a much longer arm, came from behind him, over the top of his head and took the card. Meanwhile, another hand took her twenty quickly.
“Might as
well buy a drink with that twenty.” The demon whisked a shot glass out from beneath the bar and set it in front of her. With his last free hand, he lifted a whiskey bottle and poured her two fingers’ worth into the glass. “I’ll go see if he’s in.”
Taryn considered skipping the drink, but she also knew it was considered a measure of one’s chutzpah, so she sipped it slowly. Ten minutes passed. She had just tilted back the glass to drain it when through the glass she caught sight of brightly colored silk cloth. It seemed to come to a point. As she lowered the glass, the silk formed a dunce-style hat and it was atop a gray-haired old man. He also wore long robes, but this was in a multitude of shades. What she also saw was that his shoes turned up at the toes and he was pointing a small stick directly at her.
“Oh my God!” Taryn called out. She felt lightheaded and then it appeared as if gold stars were going in circles. Dimly, she was aware of colors blending and bleeding together as objects started moving upwards. Belatedly, she realized she was sliding towards the floor.
* * * * *
“She has a bump on the back of her head, you old sot! Did you hit her?”
The gray-haired man twirled one index finger around and around in his long, scrawny beard. “I was excited at seeing her. I was afraid that she recognized me.”
“Dargon, you old fool! I thought you said no one saw you that day at the mall. Were you lying?”
“Yes, Master… I mean no, Master. Well, maybe a little, Master. I didn’t think she saw me, but today I saw a look of recognition on her face. I panicked. I knocked her out.”
“Yes, Dargon, I can see that. Where did you strike her and with what?” Darien Ruthven paused and looked back towards his bartender. “I assume, Birdie, that is her card you brought to me?”
Birdie came closer, holding the card in front of his right eye. “I can’t read what it says.”