A Dark Night (Book One of The Grandor Descendant series)

by Bell Stoires

  “Wait,” said Ari, suddenly interrupting her. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  She had seen the look of terror on Sandra’s face, and it dawned on her that she was about to tell her a horrible stage of her past, one which she would most likely prefer to forget.

  “It’s ok,” said Sandra, looking at Ari meaningfully. “John has been dead for centuries, suffice it to say, that he left his scar.”

  “So how did you meet Thomas?” Ari asked curiously, wanting to move away of the subject of Sandra’s first husband.

  “That night there was a commotion outside. Many small fires were burning, and the stables and winery were completely engulfed in flames. John had left me tied to the bed, and saw that his estate was being engulfed by flames. He raced from the room and returned a moment later, a large sword held at the ready. A second later and two men stormed the room, and with them came thick grey smoke, that rose quickly to the ceiling. From where I remained bound, I could see that it was Indians who had attacked, and watched in horror as John duelled with them. I don’t know whether or not I wanted John to win or them. Part of me thought that at least if the Naztechs prevailed, they might kill me, and I would be spared the life which I had been thrust into. Though he was out numbered, John’s days in the army had taught him well, and the savages fought with inferior weapons. Deep in concentration, John did not notice as another Indian slipped into the room and moved over to me. I watched the tall man in fear, and when he produced a long wooden arrow, screamed. I pulled frantically at my binds, but they would not give. The Indian looked at me for a moment in sympathy, then took aim and shot his arrow. Everything became dark, until I saw a man, with bright green eyes and long dark hair that was tied neatly into a ponytail, climbing through the open window. John had seen this man and began screaming at him, that I was his. I watched as John delivered a fatal blow to my handsome stranger, sending his blade right into the depths of his belly. And then, miraculously, the stranger removed the sword, and in return, thrust it into John. I wanted to scream, but there was something in the man’s eyes that called for me to trust him. After that his hands tore at my binds and he covered me in his coat, slinging me onto his shoulder and racing to a nearby carriage.”

  “Was it Thomas?” asked Ari, interrupting Sandra to stare at her.

  Sandra looked at Ari, smiling mischievously as she said, “Just wait for the ending. We rode in the carriage for many hours, almost until morning. When finally we stopped, the sky was at the point just before it lightens; a very faint blue beginning to overtake the black night sky. I was on the brink of death, my legs and arms were numb and I could feel my heart beginning to slow. It was strange. In that moment I didn’t care if died. By the time we reached the man’s house, I watched him stare at me, and his eyes gave my death peace. The next day I awoke, no longer alive, but a vampire. I can still remember staring up at the beautiful man who had saved me. All I could think to do was to ask him his name, and that’s when he smiled back down at me, and whispered, Thomas.”

  Ari was staring up at Sandra in awe. Her story was so horrifying, and yet so beautiful, and she wondered why Ragon had asked her about it, at the same time the diary entry she had read earlier flooded her memory, bring with it many doubts.

  Chapter 12- Date Night

  It was the next day when Ari discovered the purpose of Ragon’s talk with Sandra. She had not spoken to Ragon about the diary entry she had read, and was waiting for a moment alone to do so. The group were sitting on the veranda, watching the shooting stars which plummeted down to earth. The meteorology department had issued a notice that South East Australia would be privy to a spectacular night-time display, and so the coven had left the confines of the house to witness the unusual event. Ari had to admit that the many shooting stars were all the more beautiful being watched from Mt Cootha, miles above sea level. Larissa and Cambridge had missed the show; it was their night to patrol the streets for any sign of Kiara.

  “So what’s the plan for tonight?” asked Clyde, his eyes lighting when a particularly bright star glided past them. “Another club or maybe we could stop by Kiara’s for drinks?”

  Only Sameth laughed at his words, while Ragon and Sandra snarled. Ari stared up at Clyde; he really was tactless, there was no doubt about it, but there was something fun about his sense of humour that lightened Ari’s mood considerably.

  “Just joking,” Clyde said defensively, placing his hands palm outwards to the group in submission.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere low key tonight? I could use a nice quiet drink.”

  Her mate stared back at her, nodding his enthusiasm. Thomas’s hair, which was usually tied in a ponytail, was out and it moved in concert with his head, sending dark blonde locks over his face.

  “Ragon you can stay here and keep an eye on Ari,” said Sandra, giving him the slightest of winks.

  The entire coven moved inside, until it was just Ari and Ragon left at the table together. Ari had not missed Sandra’s wink, and she pulled her eyes reluctantly from the dancing lights in the night sky, to look at Ragon. He had moved a fraction of a millimetre towards her. His hands were uneasy beside him, and his eyes were wide, his pupils large and dilated, like a cat watching a snake, unsure if it should pounce or not. For a moment Ari considered confronting him about the journal she had read but then he spoke, and all thoughts were lost to her.

  “Ari,” said Ragon, “would you consider… I mean would you want to go out?”

  Ari considered his words, then shaking her head, said, “Thanks, but I think I have had my fair share of hunting for a while.”

  “No, I mean…. would you want to go out with me, on a, err… date?” asked Ragon.

  Did Ari hear him correctly? She couldn’t be sure because her heart was suddenly beating so fast that she felt faint.

  “Can you say that again,” she asked.

  “Would you like to go out with me?” he said, his eyes averted to the floor.

  How many times had she wanted for him to say something like this to her? All those times in the library, watching him, hoping that he had noticed her, wondering what he was drawing… her mind melted with these thoughts.

  “Sure,” she replied; suddenly the diary entry she had read didn’t matter. It had been written more than a century ago- Ragon wasn’t like that anymore.

  “Tonight then?” asked Ragon. “I have a surprise for you.”

  Moving quickly back to her room, Ari began throwing outfits from her closet onto the bed in distress, until a soft knock at the door made her hurry over and open it.

  “So you said yes?” asked Sandra, her deep Southern accent bringing with it a sense of relief.

  “What?” Ari asked, pausing for only a moment before recommencing her search of her closet contents.

  “You’re going out with Ragon,” replied Larissa, the large wide smile on her face barely contained, as she moved into the room behind Sandra.

  “It’s just a date… But how did you know?” Ari began, and seeing Sandra tap her fingers to her ears, nodded in realisation.

  This must have been what Ragon had wanted to discuss with Sandra.

  “Only the walls have secrets from us,” Larissa replied.

  “I told you that you would find out what Ragon and I talked about,” said Sandra.

  “He asked you about going on a date with me? Ari asked.

  This had been the very last think that she had considered.

  “So, have you picked something to wear?” asked Larissa, her eyes raking the bed where the majority of Ari’s clothes now lay, crumpled in a heap.

  Ari too glanced over to the pile and smiled sheepishly, shaking her head in a firm and obvious no.

  Sandra and Larissa exchanged a knowing look, then pushed past Ari and began inspecting her outfits.

  “I think this one,” said Larissa, picking up a pair of dark black shorts and matching them with some sheer stockings and boots.

  “Oh, good choice,” said
Sandra, now moving over to Ari and holding up a long sleeved, silk maroon shirt.

  “Hmm,” said Sandra, admiring Ari’s outfit, before racing from the room and returning a moment later, with a long silver chain which held a small metallic pyramid. “Perfect,” she said, placing the necklace onto Ari and stepping back to see its affect’s.

  Larissa nodded in agreement and began applying copious amounts of blush and mascara to Ari’s face, only pausing to re-touch her lipstick, which was a bright pink. When both girls were finally finished, they directed Ari over to the mirror. Once again they had managed to turn a pumpkin into a princess, and Ari smiled appreciatively back at them. A knock at the door made Ari jump, and Larissa moved over to open it.

  “What’s going on in here?” asked Clyde, looking at Sandra with a wide smile lighting his face, until his eyes fell on Ari.

  As soon as he saw her, his mouth opened slightly, and he looked at her in awe.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, regaining his composure and moving to sit down on the bed, where the remaining items of clothing lay abandoned.

  “Out with Ragon,” Ari replied, unable to hide the smile that crept across her face.

  She had thought she would feel uneasy admitting this to Clyde. There was something about him that continued to attract her. Still, now as she stood in front of him looking fabulous, and about to go on a date with Ragon, it felt perfectly acceptable that she should tell him and not be concerned by his reaction.

  “Want some company?” asked Clyde, his mischievous grin returning to his face. “Ragon can be such a bore.”

  “Two’s company,” said Larissa, shooing him away from the bed and out of the room, “and three’s a crowd,” she added, slamming the door in his face.

  Ten minutes later, after Sandra and Larissa had painted Ari’s fingernails black, and matched her outfit with a long sleeved charcoal jacket; Ari left her room feeling excited. The others had already left to go hunting, and walking into the living room, she saw Ragon, waiting at the front door with his back to her. Ragon looked even more stunning than normal. He wore a pair of dark dress pants with a blue collared, long sleeve shirt and a black belt; he had removed his token beanie.

  He was gawking at her, but recovered quickly and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

  “You still haven’t told me where you’re taking me,” she said, allowing Ragon to hold the front door open as she walked through it.

  Ragon grinned but did not reply. He had moved quickly over to his car and opened the door for her. A second later and the pair were screaming out of the driveway.

  One particularly steep drive later, and Ragon and Ari were standing outside the planetarium attached to the Botanical Gardens, on the outskirts of the City. Ari recognised the large circular glass building instantly from her website searches, having wanted to visit it for years.

  “This is great,” she said, looking up expectantly at the building; the meteorite shower made tonight perfect star gazing weather.

  As they walked through the large glass doors, Ari’s gaze fell on the walls, where photographs and paintings of the solar system stole her attention. Her eyes remained locked on an image of large planet, before Ragon directed her up a dark wooden staircase. Upon reaching the top, the pair was greeted by a tall man with a thick black moustache.

  “Welcome to the planetarium,” he said, before pulling a clipboard from a podium, “reservations?”

  Ragon moved over to him at this point, and whispered something low in his ear. The moustached man smiled greedily back at Ragon, and the pair exchanged a firm handshake, which Ari thought had been lined with fifty dollar notes, how many, she was not sure.

  “Right this way sir,” said the man, after pocketing his hand shake’s contents.

  They walked past several large booths, all of which contained couples that were partaking in a meal, else lying on their backs on soft couches, and gazing up at the stars. Looking up also, Ari realised that the glass roof of the planetarium was magnified, bringing the nights sky into even greater focus. The usually small moon occupied almost half of the large glass panels, easily outshining Venus, or any other star that dared try to outcompete it.

  Reaching a small metallic door labelled, ‘Staff only’, in bold glowing green lighting, the moustached man retrieved a small bundle of keys from his waist belt, and thrust one into the lock. A moment later and the door pushed forward.

  “Just up to the top level; you should find everything that we discussed earlier waiting for you,” he said, now holding the door open as Ari and Ragon walked through it.

  Ari led the way up the narrow staircase and felt Ragon place a hand on the small of her back, offering support. Until now, the fact that this was a date had escaped Ari’s notice, yet this intimate gesture bought this reality crashing down on her. With this thought preoccupying her mind, her foot caught on the last step and she tripped. In an instant Ragon’s outstretched arms steadied her, and she blushed furiously at her clumsiness. It was amazing how strong he was. He must have been supporting her full weight with just his outstretched hand, yet he held her up as though she were light as a feather. After that she steadied herself, and upon reaching the landing looked around. They were standing in a very small, poorly lit, concrete room, which fit them both but not comfortably.

  “Are we supposed to be up here?” she asked sheepishly, breathing in a deep whiff of stale air, lined with the faintest trace of brick dust.

  Ragon smiled and pushed the door open. The door led to the roof top of the building, where the warm night’s air brushed Ari’s hair across her face. Though there was no roof to magnify the heavens, the sheer height of the accent, made the sky feel closer than normal. Ragon guided her over to a table, where a single red rose sat in the middle, and a bottle of champagne lay in wait, chilling.

  “This is insane,” she said, her head pulled all the way back, so as to admire the stars above.

  “Insane in a good way… or insane in an axe-murderer kind of way?” asked Ragon.

  “There are worse things than axe-murderers,” Ari said, laughing lightly to herself as she recalled the pair’s first conversation when they had been at Ragon’s family mausoleum.

  Ragon laughed also, and it was only when she sat down at the table and stared at him, that she was reminded about the diary entry she had read. Murderer- was that what Ragon was? She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts, that she had not noticed Ragon opening the champagne and letting the cork fly off into the distance. For a while the sound reverberated off the building’s roof, only silenced when Ragon had reached for her glass and began pouring, where the splash of the fizzing alcohol soon stifled all other noises.

  “Are you hungry?” asked Ragon.

  Ari thought for a moment, her mind recalling the delicious meals that she had seen being served to the couples in the booths below.

  Yes she was hungry, but she felt uneasy at the thought of eating while her Ragon sat and watched, and so she replied, “No, not really.”

  Ragon seemed satisfied and moved his chair a little closer to hers, almost as if he were going to tell her something.

  “Would you like to get closer?” asked Ragon.

  Ari snorted in response, some of the champagne forcing its way down the wrong hole, as she coughed loudly, while a few drops of carbonated liquid spilled from her nose.

  “Wh… what?” she blurted, quickly retrieving the napkin besides her and dabbing at her face.

  “To the stars,” said Ragon, indicating a large telescope off to the side.

  To the stars- of course to the stars, Ari thought to herself.

  Ragon moved over to the large telescope and sat in one of the chairs, while Ari placed herself next to him. For a moment he fiddled with the focus, and then finally pulled a constellation into focus.

  “Do you know much about astronomy?” he asked.

  “No not really,” she replied.

  Ari loved the stars and the moon; there was something sensual an
d romantic about them. Yet she had never taken the time to research them, or to learn the names of the twinkling lights that shone down on her every night. As she looked through the telescope at the constellation Ragon had bought into focus, she lamented this fact. There was so much that she didn’t know; so many things in heaven and hell, more than she might ever have thought possible. Didn’t knowing Ragon prove this? He was a vampire, a walking, talking, breathing, well maybe not breathing, but a constant reminder of just how mysterious the world she lived in was. If blood drinking night creatures were real, what else might be out there? Suddenly the conversation she’d had with Larissa and Sandra flashed back to her. Weres, witches, wraiths and blood hunters- that’s what was out there… and who knew what else?

  “Would you like me to tell you about one?” asked Ragon, pulling a laminated manual that sat next to the telescope, closer for examination.

  Ari nodded for a moment, then realising that Ragon was concentrating on the star guide, said, “Yes.”

  Ragon flipped through the small book, searching, until his eyes widened and he moved back to the telescope. Carefully he adjusted the fine focus of the telescope, until four stars were perfectly in view.

  “It says that this is the constellation Grandor. Grandor was the father of two lovely daughters, whose beauty was so great so as to challenge Aphrodite herself. Hearing of the girls, a jealous demon known as Sabine cursed the women. She gave each daughter a power so terrible, that they would never be able to find a love that would accept them. The two stars shine brightly next to their father’s; the only man that could love them, for they were unable to be united with their soul mates”