by Bell Stoires
“Pathology exam on Friday,” Ragon read out loud, pulling one of the post-it notes off the cupboard. “Re-read page 346 on OCD in horses.”
Ragon’s eyebrows rose, but Ari reached over and grabbed the notes, placing them onto her desk as she said, “I don’t have any family to take pictures of.”
“No friends?” asked Ragon.
“Nope, just some girls that I study with occasionally,” she said shrugging.
Though she hoped to portray indifference, it was hard for Ari to be so obviously callous about the fact that she was an orphan and loner. The truth was that she had a hard time trusting people. Reaching underneath her bed, she dragged out a small wooden box. The box was not dusty as might have been expected, but pristine looking, as though it was cleaned regularly. With her back pack draped over her shoulder, Ari held onto the box protectively and cowered away when she felt Ragon reach for it, instead allowing him to gently lift the back pack off her shoulder so as to carry it for her.
The pair was just walking down the stairs towards Ragon’s bike, when Ari heard the unmistakeable clicking sound of Ms Pettigrew’s high heels across the concrete parking lot.
“Miss Sol,” said Ms Pettigrew, her harsh and high pitched voice comparable to nails on a chalk board.
Ari rolled her eyes. She had been attacked, kidnapped, and was currently being held in protective custody by a vampire, and yet she was more fearful of this old dragon than all of them combined. Ms Pettigrew was Ari’s landlord, though Ari often thought of her as a wicked stepmother. Ms Pettigrew must have been around sixty years of age, though she dressed as if she weren’t yet twenty. Currently she was wearing a pair of tight black shiny leggings, high heels, and a silver and black dress that didn’t quite make it to her knees, all held tight with a hideous pink belt around her waist.
“Yes Ms Pettigrew,” said Ari, spinning around to face the woman.
“Going somewhere?” asked Ms Pettigrew, eying Ragon eagerly before placing one of her red manicured fingernails into her teeth and sucking hard.
“Just staying at a friend’s for a while,” said Ari, making to turn around until Ms Pettigrew reached a hand out and grabbed her shoulder.
“You’re two weeks behind in rent and now I find you packing a suitcase and sneaking out at night,” snarled Ms Pettigrew. “This isn’t a halfway house; you think I won’t take your bond and rent your room out? You’ve been gone for days; I was just about to phone the police.”
Ragon growled and both Ari and Ms Pettigrew looked up at him in surprise. Seeing the angered look on Ragon’s face, Ari felt fearful, but instead of bearing his fangs or moving over to Ari’s landlord threateningly, Ragon reached for something from his jacket.
“How much does she owe?” he asked, holding his wallet out and flipping through several crisp, green hundred dollar bills.
“$250 to take her up to date,” said Ms Pettigrew, smiling sweetly at Ragon as she showed off her lipstick smeared, yellow teeth.
“This should cover her for the next few months,” said Ragon, handing over a thick wad of bills.
Ari stared in disbelief at the exchange.
“Take this also,” he added, thrusting a gold credit card into the woman’s hand. “Consider her rent paid in full; no need to call the police now.”
Ms Pettigrew was still counting the money when Ragon placed his hand cautiously on Ari’s shoulder and directed her back to his bike.
As soon as they got home, Ragon insisted that Ari quit her university studies. Ari had thought that their brief meeting with her landlord had instigated this.
“You heard what that woman said,” said Ragon, pulling up a chair and placing a small laptop in front of Ari. “Do you have anyone else that might check up on you?”
Ari looked up from the computer monitor.
“No not really. I’m supposed to report in with Centrelink to get youth allowance,” she said. “Do I really have to stop vet? It’s just…” she said, choosing her words carefully, “I worked really hard to get into vet.”
“I know,” said Ragon, looking down at her understandingly, before adding, “I mean… I know that you want to finish your course. And you don’t need to worry about getting money from the government. I will look after you. But it is just too dangerous you going to university. I can’t protect you during the day. If Kiara found out that you were spending your waking hours studying at university, she could easily send someone after you. Look at Paige. Look at what happened to her. Kiara doesn’t care what she has to do to see me suffer.”
Ari’s eyes were wide when Ragon reached for her hand. It wasn’t until he retrieved the bag the pharmacy assistant had given them, that she realised he was beginning to bandage her wrist.
“It’s my fault that you are in danger,” he said, slowly dabbing her wrist with iodine. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Ari let these words circle around her head. It was clear that Ragon cared about her; the question was why. Though she understood little of the ways of vampires, she knew enough to realise that humans were their meal ticket and little more. Why then was Ragon trying so hard to protect her? She remembered the cruel way he had spoken to Kiara, and the lack of remorse he had felt over murdering the boys who had tried to rape her. But when Ragon was with Ari, he didn’t act like a monster; he just acted like he wanted to keep her safe.
With a pang in her heart, Ari logged into the University of Brisbane’s website and dis-enrolled from the Bachelor of Veterinary Science. A moment later she had logged into Centrelink, clicking the box which said she was no longer a student, just as a great sadness washed over her.
Chapter 6- The Coven
One week after posting the mysterious letters, it became obvious who Ragon had been writing to. It was half way through August when there was a loud knock on the front door and Ragon jumped to his feet to answer it, while Ari remained on the couch, watching the news.
‘Police remain hopeful of catching the culprit responsible for the senseless murders of four prominent young university students that were killed just over a week ago. The classmates were killed-’
Prominent young rapists, Ari thought to herself, as she made to change the channel.
Instinctively she rubbed her wrist. She had been taking a cocktail of ibuprofen and panadol for the pain, and even though she constantly told Ragon that it didn’t hurt anymore, occasionally the terror of that night washed over her and left her paralysed with fear.
“Welcome,” Ragon said from the entrance of the house.
“Happy to be here,” a deep man’s voice boomed.
Ari peaked over the couch and watched as two people walked inside. Ari guessed by the grace and speed of their entrance that they were vampires.
“This house is lovely,” said a light and musical voice.
Ari locked eyes on the woman who had spoken. She was tall and thin, with elbow length blonde hair and a short fringe that reached just past her eyebrows. Her eyes were a funny honey and green colour, and she was beautiful. She had an oval face, high cheekbones, button nose and thin lips.
“Ari, this is Larissa and Cambridge,” said Ragon, introducing the pair.
“Err, hello,” said Ari, from where she was sitting on the couch.
Ari looked up at Cambridge. He was tall and black, with small dark coloured eyes and a large smile that revealed perfectly white teeth. He had full lips and a wide nose, and his long black hair was formed into dreadlocks that he currently wore half up and half down.
Ari stood quickly and moved to shake the couple’s hands, trying not to startle when she felt how cold they were. Both their eyes raked the bandage on her wrist, looking up at Ragon in surprise.
“You have a source?” asked Larissa.
“What?” Ragon said hotly. “No; Ari is… well Ari is… she’s been marked by Kiara and we have to keep her safe.”
Larissa and Cambridge exchanged confused looks.
“Larissa and Cambridge have come at my request to
form a temporary coven. I have invited a few old friends to stay with us so that this mess with Kiara can be sorted out,” Ragon added.
Suddenly there was another knock at the front door. Ari jumped instinctively, while the other three vampires made no movement until Ragon opened the door, and two more people walked inside.
“Thomas and Sandra, thank you for coming,” said Ragon.
Ari turned around to see the newcomers and was instantly taken aback by a huge bunch of flowers that the woman called Sandra, cradled in her arms. It looked to be a dozen or so roses, but they were not red and vivacious, rather drooped and blackened, as if they had died days ago. Looking past the flowers and to the woman who carried them, Ari wondered if all vampires were stunning. Sandra was much shorter than Larissa but just as thin. Her eyes were a light blue and her red hair was tied into a high eccentric bun. She wore over the top blue eyes shadow and her cheeks were accentuated by bright red blush that matched her lipstick perfectly.
“What’s with the flowers?” asked Ragon, looking at the wilted roses in Sandra’s hand.
“Well, I don’t know honey,” Sandra said in a deep southern accent, thick with kindness. “They were at the front door when we got here.”
Ragon swept over to Sandra and wrenched the flowers from her, searching manically through the black and crumpled bouquet, so that many dead petals fell onto the floor. Finally he pulled out a card amongst the dehydrated stems. In a flash he had torn open the envelope, read the contents, and then moved purposefully over to the veranda door. With one fast motion he swung the bunch of flowers a good thirty metres out into the valley below. When Ragon turned back, his face was livid and pale, while his eyes were narrowed.
“Well, I know they were a little wilted,” said Sandra, holding her hands to her hips as she let out a small laugh, “but I am sure that’s nothing a little water can’t fix.”
Ragon stormed back into the house, still clutching the note in his hands.
“Ragon honey, what’s wrong?” asked Sandra, moving over to him.
Ragon was clutching the note tightly in his hand, and his eyes darted from his guests and back to Ari. After a moment’s hesitation however, he seemed to control himself, and gently un-crumpled the card and read its contents allowed:
‘To Miss Ariana
I do hope these flowers find you well, although it’s funny how living things have a way of dying. I look forward to your next visit.
Till then-
Matthew’
“Matthew and Ariana?” asked Thomas, his eyebrows screwed up in confusion.
Like Cambridge, Thomas was tall, with dark blond hair that reached just above his shoulders. He had a prominent chin, smooth skin and small dark eyes, and when he spoke Ari thought she detected a slight British accent. She guessed him to be around thirty, although his boyish features hid his true age well. He reminded her of a young, good looking doctor.
“Matthew is one of Kiara’s fledglings,” said Ragon, the worry plain on his face. “And Ari is… well… a human who has been marked by Kiara. I need your help to keep her safe.”
At this explanation there was a sharp intake of breath by everyone.
“But your letter…” said Thomas, searching Ragon’s eyes for truth. “You never said… we just assumed that Kiara was tormenting you not your source.”
“Ari is not my source,” Ragon reiterated.
“But-” Thomas muttered, about to question Ragon further, until Sandra spoke.
“Oh honey, come here,” said Sandra, moving over to Ragon and hugging him warmly, while surreptitiously wrenching the card out of his hands and beginning to tear it up into many tiny pieces.
“I’m going to kill him,” said Ragon, pulling away from Sandra and storming towards the door.
“Ragon wait,” said Sandra, but he did not turn back.
He was at the door, his hands prised around the knob when Thomas and Cambridge blurred towards him. In an instant they were restraining him.
“Let go,” growled Ragon; his teeth were clenched and his fangs were beared menacingly.
“Please,” Ari pleaded, moving over to him and reaching out a shaking hand to touch his shoulder.
Instantly Ragon’s eyes became wide and he looked away, hiding his fangs from sight. The other four vampires in the room seemed to become paralysed as they watched the exchange. Their eyes were large and wide and they were surveying Ari in utter disbelief.
“Look what they did to her,” said Ragon, moving over to Ari and pulling the collar of her turtle neck jumper, so that yellowing bruises were revealed.
Sandra’s and Larissa’s eyes widened in horror and Ari moved away from Ragon, covering her bruises from sight. She had thought wearing high necked shirts would have meant that Ragon would not be reminded of her injuries, but apparently she was wrong.
“You can’t do anything tonight,” said Thomas. “That’s what Kiara wants; they were probably hoping that you would get this and go straight over there. You’d be playing into their hands and probably walking into a trap.”
Ari, who had moved away, suddenly felt Sandra reach over and hug her, just as if they were old friends.
There was no heat to her embrace, in fact her skin was icy cold to the touch, but Ari appreciated the gesture and smiled when Sandra said, “That silly cow. Don’t you worry honey; she’ll get what’s coming to her.”
Ragon growled at these words, but moved over to Thomas to shake his hand in welcome.
“Nice grip,” said Thomas, flinching slightly.
“So, how many fledglings does Kiara have with her?” asked Cambridge.
“I can’t be sure,” said Ragon. “Matthew is the only one I know of.”
“Well if it’s just the two of them, it should be no problem keeping Ari safe,” said Sandra, before winking at Ari.
“But,” Cambridge said, “I don’t understand? Why would Kiara want to kill a human?”
Larissa elbowed him hard in the side while Sandra gave Cambridge an incredulous look.
Ragon didn’t smile but said, “Let me show you around,” and gestured for his guest’s to follow him.
The four new comers followed Ragon through the house.
“I will be moving down onto the first floor next to Ari’s room,” said Ragon. “Which means that Thomas and Sandra you will be opposite us,” he added, pointing to a large mahogany door.
“But… but you two don’t sleep together?” asked Sandra before she could stop herself.
Ari flushed furiously, placing the palm of her hands to her cheeks to try and cool them, just as she had done countless times when she had caught Ragon’s eye back at the university library. Ragon, who seemed not to notice Sandra’s comment, continued to show his guests around.
“And this is your bedroom,” Ragon said to Larissa and Cambridge, after they had walked to the second level, up a small flight of stairs.
“Well this place is certainly much cheerier than the cemetery,” said Larissa.
The other three nodded in agreement and then Cambridge spoke, his loud booming voice demanding attention.
“Well, we must eat; the journey was not a short one and I for one am famished,” he said, pulling Larissa with him.
“Yes, as should we,” agreed Thomas.
Once downstairs and out on the veranda, all four vampires turned to face Ragon expectantly.
“I will stay here and mind Ari,” he said.
“Mind me?” asked Ari, unable to hide the insult from her voice. “I think I can manage being home alone.”
“Oh honey!” said Sandra, sweeping over to Ari and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “How would we feel if we all went out and gorged ourselves and something happened to you? You saw Matthew’s note- didn’t you?”
Ari didn’t respond, though a flash of the dead bunch of flowers popped into her mind, and she hung her head in defeat.
“I know,” said Sandra, suddenly turning to Larissa, “how’s about us girls stay and chat, and you boys
go off and hunt? I can wait to feed.”
Ragon locked eyes with Ari, but before he could protest, Larissa said, “Don’t worry; we’ll take good care of her.”
A small nod from Ragon followed Thomas moving over to Sandra and kissing her. At the same time Cambridge reached out for Larissa. After embracing their mates, Thomas and Cambridge joined Ragon near the edge of the veranda, and all three vampires leapt from the balcony, into the forest below and disappeared from sight.
“So,” said Sandra, moving over to the large couch in front of the television, “tell me everything; how did you two meet?”
Ari began telling the story of how Ragon had rescued her, recanting only briefly how she had seen him a few times before, at the library, mentioning that she thought Ragon as a literature major, or art student. By the time she had finished, both vampires had a look of concern plastered on their faces.
“But,” Sandra said, her eyes roaming to the bandage on Ari’s wrist. “Let me see if I have got this straight. Ragon rescued you and kept you in his family mausoleum, and then bought a house for you to stay in; all because he wants to keep you safe from Kiara?”
“Why wouldn’t he just let you go after your attack and command you to forget everything?” asked Larissa.
“He said he wouldn’t control me,” said Ari, looking down also at the offending bandage. “He only bit me after he had rescued me from Kiara. He said it was a mistake, that he couldn’t stop himself because he was too badly hurt.”
Both Larissa and Sandra’s eyes grew wide.
“But,” Sandra said, staring at Ari in fear and disbelief, “you haven’t been lulled? If you wanted to you could leave this place and tell anyone you wanted about the existence of vampires?”
Ari nodded slowly. She was confused.
“Why would Ragon risk breaking one of the Final Death Laws,” whispered Larissa, no longer looking at Ari but talking intimately with Sandra.
Slowly Sandra and Larissa turned to look at Ari in awe. Ari blinked back in confusion at them. She had heard this phrase before, the Final Death Laws; Kiara had mentioned it after she had searched Ari for bite marks. Ari was just about to ask what it meant, when Sandra moved closer to Ari and hugged her warmly.