Hilde was quick to shoo away the two men so she could help prepare Claire for her transition. “I’m the oldest here, so I ought to have that responsibility.”
“Isn’t that my role?” Daniel didn’t look pleased.
“Yes, dear,” Hilde said, mockingly flirtatious. “But she’s going to need some female companionship. She’s not going to see those other two girls again now, is she?”
Those words stabbed Claire in the heart. She knew it was true all along, but wanted to believe there was hope.
The other two vampires left the apartment and Hilde locked the door behind them. She turned to Claire and asked if she wanted any wine.
“No thanks,” she said. “I’m still full from dinner.”
“Ah,” Hilde seemed defeated, but quickly said, “Shall I help you unpack?”
Shrugging, Claire allowed her to help with emptying the box she was working on. It was filled with books, and was not the only box which held nothing but them. Hilde asked her why she didn’t have an eBook reader.
“I can’t afford one,” she said as she started piling the hardcovers on the floor. “And my parents weren’t the type to spoil me.”
“Well, that will change very shortly,” Hilde pretended to examine the back of one book before setting it down. “After all, Daniel did pretty well for himself.”
“Yeah, I can tell, with his art work and that necklace he gave me.”
“Oh that is nothing!” Hilde laughed as she placed herself in a kneeling position. “He’s very smart, not just with writing and languages. He has a very sharp mind that he has kept hidden from you. But now since you’ll be one of us soon, you’ll get the idea.”
Claire slowed down from unpacking her books. She knew Hilde was right. Before he revealed himself as a vampire, she thought she knew everything about Daniel; he was a lover of art, drama and reporting, that was simple. But after his revelation, she saw there was a lot more, besides his vampiric nature. There was a shrewd gleam in his eyes, calculating each and every move. Claire had especially seen it the other night with Casames around. The way Daniel answered to the elder vampire, the way he presented Claire and gave her the necklace, it was all done to show off to the other vampires in the room. As if to brag about his newfound status, something he said wasn’t given to many. She could see it now, that subtle proud tone, the way he smiled at her. Before, she was too tense from Casames’ presence and his story on how vampires were first created. But upon reflection, those gestures were bright and clear.
Hilde glanced up from taking a couple of books. She looked a little concerned, though Claire didn’t want to believe it was authentic, even when she continued to speak.
“I’m proud that Daniel is going to be a Defender of the Blood. He is loyal to the Five and obeys their laws, which aren’t many. He’s also a quick thinker and a good asset for all of us. He’s come a long way.
“I remember when I first met him, back before the Black Death,” she said in a wistful voice. “He was so lost and unhappy. He was in a miserable marriage and had no place in society. I pitied him and wanted to give him the chance to be free from all that. I could tell when we talked that he wanted to fight against his place in the world. Being a bastard, even that of a nobleman, was inexcusable. No one cared that it wasn’t his fault who his parents were. He was born out of wedlock and he was destined for hell no matter what. That made him angry, that he didn’t stand a chance with anyone, alive or dead. Boy, did he want to fight that. I think that was what made me attracted to him, his fighting spirit.
“Anyway, when I made him a vampire, he soon realized he was free from that world and could be treated equally among us. He relished in his freedom, spending decades and decades enjoying happiness for the first time in his existence. He had no more fears, he was no longer sneered at. He was free.”
Claire nodded. “Yeah, he told me that. He really emphasized how unhappy he was before he was made a vampire, and how free he felt.” She paused. “I understood a little. I mean, I had a strict Catholic upbringing and when I went away to college, I made a huge effort to forget about all I was taught. It was all done to manipulate and terrorize people. Once I realized that, I felt liberated.”
“Perhaps,” Hilde twisted a piece of blond hair around one finger distractedly. “But I don’t think you’ll ever understand what life was like for a bastard in the Middle Ages. You are from freer times where illegitimate children are not looked down upon. I think it will take you years to absorb and understand what Daniel went through before he was transformed.”
Claire paused and nodded again. “Yeah, that makes sense.” She had to agree.
Patting a book that was resting on her lap before sliding it onto the floor, Hilde had a faraway look in her eyes. For once, Claire had a feeling she was being honest with her. The way she fingered her hair and stared into space made her believe that maybe this vampire was willing to finally be welcoming towards her.
Unless, of course, centuries had allowed Hilde to master the art of acting and manipulating mortals.
The vampire stopped twisting her hair abruptly and looked at Claire with a hard gleam. She had heard her thoughts and was visibly annoyed. There was silence between the two, as Claire waited for Hilde to make the first move.
Lowering her hand from her hair, she took a deep breath and said, “You know that I never really trusted you. I wanted Daniel to make sure he was making the right choice with you. That’s because I’d known Henry for quite some time. You know, that vampire who didn’t obey the rules, was almost caught by detectives and nearly ruined everything for us?”
Claire gestured her to continue.
“Well, Henry was a big mistake. He was irresponsible before he was made, and he got worse with his newfound freedom and powers. It was all bad judgment to choose him. Since there has always been people hunting for vampires since the Five Brothers, we all had to be careful around the detectives, police, you name it. We used our mind tricks to get many to believe that vampires really don’t exist, but there were just so many people. Those that slipped the cracks became hunters.
“As you probably know, there are secret units with many police departments in major cities all over the world. New York has had one since the turn of the 20th century. They were on our case by the time the new millennium came because of the damn technology that made tracking down killers easier. And also because of Henry. He was from London and madeby one of us in the 1800s. He was about nineteen. For decades, he stayed with his maker, being obedient, traveling the world with that person as new vampires are supposed to.” Hilde emphasized her voice at those final words.
“But then, in the 1970s, he wanted his freedom. The whole world had changed and it was more free than it had ever been. Sex was more out in the open, music became more fun, partying was available for all people. Henry wanted to take part in it, instead of observing it from the outside. It made perfect sense to all of us because we noticed the change. Before, we had hedonism all to ourselves, but now the world was like us in many ways. I guess religion mattered less and there was no stopping anyone anymore. It was time to have fun.
“So, Henry begged to be on his own. He wanted to mingle more with mortals to absorb this new world. But his maker refused mostly because the Brothers give the final word on who gets to be on their own, and they didn’t like Henry’s suggestion. But he kept fighting with his maker until eventually it wasn’t worth it anymore. The two split and he went out on his own. That was about twenty years ago.
Claire was confused. “If the Brothers give the final word, how did they split?”
Hilde curled her lips inward. “Sometimes it just happens. The Brothers don’t like it when a maker and its progeny part ways without their knowledge, but once it happens, they can’t do anything about it.
“Anyway, Henry traveled the world, being a total playboy. He mingled with rich and famous people, something he had yearned for since he had been a poor, street boy back in the day. He partied and slept wi
th beautiful fashion models, bought yachts and sailed around the French Riviera - at night, though. He really put himself out there, and it was getting dangerous because the vampire hunters started to suspect what he really was. By the time the year 2000 came, he was being followed everywhere he went, and anyone associated with him was thought to be a vampire. And most of the time, the detectives were right.
“A few times, the Five Brothers called him to their headquarters in the Paris suburbs. They told him he had to go into hiding for a few decades until he was forgotten. Henry refused. He was having too much fun and didn’t want to go back being under the authority of another vampire. I guess being told what to do angered him because he started to rebel against more of the laws laid down by the Brothers. That was when he began to drink women dry and toss their bodies into dumpsters not too far from whatever hotel in whatever city he was staying in. How immature! Shows you can be 130 years old and still never grow up.
“Eventually, the worldwide vampires began to find ways to capture him. He - and anyone around him - knew that there was a plot to get him. You could be walking the streets with him and be followed by a detective. And this time, we could not kill that detective, like we did with that guy who called himself NYCHunter. Because unlike that one, these detectives were a team and Henry was their main target. They knew he was vampire, no doubt. It was just a matter of time before they got him.
“A few years ago, I came to New York to start a new life. I met with Henry several times to try to knock some sense into him. But I could tell he was ready to give up. Not because he was sick of being hunted, but he was sick of being a vampire. He wanted more of the mortal life, including being out in the sun. He wasn’t ready for that because he was too young. He wanted the best of both worlds, but couldn’t have it. I told him he had no choice but to be a vampire, because at the time, there was no other choice.”
Hilde got quiet and paused. She then continued softly, “I didn’t realize how much he wanted out of the vampire life. Maybe because I enjoyed the life that I couldn’t imagine not wanting to go with it. Like I said, Henry was immature and remained so all his vampire life. That’s why it was a mistake to make him one; he didn’t have the right mindset to grow up and accept limitations.” She started twisting her hair again.
Claire watched her. “He took his own life, right? Daniel told me he went out into the sun one day.”
She nodded slowly, eyes averted. “Yes, he did. I take it he decided that this was his way of not only escaping the police, but also us. The Brothers were coming after him. They were sending out their guards to capture him and lock him up for decades. They had dealt with similar vampires before in centuries past, but not like this. Not with the Internet, photographs, and all the technology used to track us down. They moved too slowly, misjudging how times had changed.
“But Henry was ahead of them and had made his plan. He didn’t tell anyone about it, not even me. But all I remember was feeling that painful jolting feeling in my body when he died. It was like my insides were tearing apart. It was midday one bright summer day with no cloud in the sky. I was in my apartment here, and Michel was with me. We had the Swedish drapes blocking the sun, and we were watching a movie we had rented. It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon for us, until we started screaming and twisting. The pain was so awful. I had felt it before when vampires died in wars, such as being bombed to pieces during the Blitz in World War II. But this pain was different. My vampire senses knew who it was that died. I knew it all too well. Henry had killed himself; no one had to tell me.”
Hilde continued to look down, her eyes still having the faraway look in them. It now was impossible to comprehend that those big blue eyes could also have a fierce glare in them.
Which was why Claire hesitated to gently, yet slowly, reach out and pat Hilde’s hand, the one resting absentmindedly in her lap. The touch registered slightly with the vampire, causing the corners of her mouth to raise a bit, so Claire took a deep breath and asked cautiously, “Were you Henry’s maker?”
Hilde blinked slowly, inhaled heavily, and nodded. She looked at Claire. “I guess you would’ve found out somehow. But yes, it was me. I was the one who thought he would make a good addition. He was so much fun to be around, and I figured he would make a good companion. Since back then he obeyed to everything I told him, it seemed like he would grow and mature. But his childishness was dormant for many years until the 1960s when the sexual revolution started. At first, he watched it from the outside like all of us, but within ten years, he wanted to be part of it.”
She sighed. “I don’t know where or how I went wrong. Michel was my first creation and nothing went wrong there. I made Daniel and he flourished. I made a few others and they did fine. But that one? He ruined me. Completely destroyed my standing as a Defender of the Blood.”
It took a moment for Claire to understand her. “You’re not allowed to make vampires anymore?”
Hilde shook her head, her mouth twisted in a near sneer.
“But you did well with your other vampires.”
“True, but like I told you, Henry nearly blew our cover and destroyed us. Some of us are currently in hiding. Where they are, I don’t know, but they are not to come out until the coast is clear.”
“Why aren’t you locked up now?”
“I should be, out of punishment. I actually spent a week locked up in a box there before the Brothers put me on trial. I don’t know how they managed to find me. I went into hiding after Henry died. I know, that’s cowardly. But I was hiding in a motel in some small town upstate for two weeks when Casames himself actually found me. I am still baffled to this day that someone found me. I barely told anyone where I was going! Just how…”
Hilde shook her head again before continuing. “I could’ve faced decades in that box, consumed by thirst, for letting Henry loose without their permission, which led to this fiasco. But many rallied around me, begging me to live. Michel stood up for me, as did Daniel. Those two were my lifesavers, and I was allowed to be free, but with restrictions. I am now under Michel’s authority - the opposite of how it used to be - and I can never make a vampire again. Those vampires may be five millennia old, but they don’t have short memories. They’ll never forgive and forget my mistake.”
There was a soft silence between the two. Claire didn’t know whether to say something or wait for Hilde to go on. She had learned a lot just then, and she was still making sense out of it. Clearly, it was a massive gamble to allow her to be changed with Henry still fresh on the vampire’s minds. She had already shown signs of rebellion, such as contacting NYCHunter before. What if she didn’t go along with what Daniel told her, the laws, and other regulations of being a vampire? Would she be tortured for decades to come?
She looked at the vampire. Her sad eyes were staring into space, reflecting on how things used to be with her and how she failed. Claire’s heart began to soften, but she flexed the muscles needed to harden it. How could she sympathize with someone who was always unfriendly toward her? And how could she suddenly sympathize with all vampires after they killed those around her to force her to say yes, she’ll join them.
But she knew she couldn’t stay angry with them for all time. Here she was, just days away from becoming a vampire and it was her choice. She could have been made a slave and had others be killed.
Hilde suddenly cleared her throat, reached into the box for one more book and checked out its cover. “Have you traveled a lot? You really appear to enjoy novels that take place in other countries.”
“No,” Claire shook her head. “I mean, no I haven’t traveled much. I’ve been to five states, Ireland, Aruba and Quebec, but that’s about it.”
“I see,” Hilde lowered the book she was holding onto the pile the next to her. She then looked right at Claire, her eyes shining with anticipation. “Guaranteed you’re going to travel a lot more once you’re one of us. The world will be your oyster!”
Before she could respond, the other woman
stood up and grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s get you ready for your big night! Can’t be transformed looking like you do!”
Getting to her feet, Claire followed Hilde to the couch, where she was turned around away from Hilde. The vampire dug through her shoulder bag to produce a comb and began running it through Claire’s brunette hair.
“Do you want to keep your hair this length? Would you want some highlights? I think you’d look good with blond streaks. Oh, once you’re in Paris, I’ll see if I can arrange for an esthetician to come and give you a facial. Your face will glow for eternity.”
Hilde went on giving suggestions like a new best friend, but it made Claire wonder if this new friendship was to be true, or something else was slithering around.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Claire and Hilde went through more of the boxes, particularly those that had her clothes. It was Hilde’s suggestion that she give most of them to a thrift shop so she could be rid of what she called, “crappy outfits.”
“Obviously you didn’t have much money, so you shopped at cheaper stores,” Hilde said. “But now since you’re going to be living in TriBeCa, in the richest city of the world, you can buy anything you want and dress as you please.”
“I think some of my clothes are fine,” Claire said, holding up a pale green shirt with an asymmetrical neckline.
“They were fine for a girl fresh out of college, but not anymore. You’re a trophy wife now. Remember that!” Hilde gleefully smiled.
Claire returned the smile. Maybe she could learn to enjoy the rich life.
They separated the clothes into two piles: one for a thrift shop, the other to wear in Paris. Hilde suggested Claire go shopping the next day and buy something that would go well with the ruby and diamond necklace, which Daniel was keeping in the bedroom. Chances were he would happily give her some money to spoil herself.
After they put the clothes away, they then made room on Daniel’s bookshelf for Claire’s three dozen books. “Maybe for Christmas, I’ll give you an eBook reader,” Hilde said as they squeezed the books into their spots.
The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy) Page 20