by Bell Stoires
Looking through the narrow scope, Ari saw two smaller stars all focused around a larger central one. The stars were beautiful, each shining brightly in their own unique way, and adorned by the central star whose glow though bright, were no match for theirs. Just off to the side of this was another large star; she guessed this was the star called Sabine.
“Every ninety years or so, the star Sabine shines green, a phenomena which continues to baffle astronomers, who until recently, claimed that light reflection needed to create a green star was impossible. The reason for the change in this star is unknown as is the unusual time pattern the change in colour occurs from. Astrologists write that it reflects the jealousy Sabine felt towards the two Grandor daughters,” said Ragon.
“That’s sad,” said Ari.
The pair looked at a few more constellations, before returning to their table. Apart from initially touching the small of her back, Ragon had made no intimate gesture, and Ari was beginning to wonder the purpose of their date.
“Can I ask you something,” she said, before taking a large gulp of champagne, hoping to boost her confidence. “Why did you ask me out?”
Ragon’s mouth fell open; clearly he had not expected that question.
“Well, I gather from Sandra that this was how it was done,” he said.
“No…” Ari said laughing. “I mean, why did you ask me out now? It’s just… the night you saved me. Well, I had seen you before.”
Ragon stood up so quickly that his chair overturned.
“What?” Ragon asked.
“Yea,” said Ari, surprised by his reaction. “I mean… I went to the library almost every other night, studying. And, I always use to see you there,” she admitted. “So I was just wondering, I mean, you never spoke to me, or even seemed to notice me…”
Ragon’s face relaxed.
“I noticed you,” he said, moving closer to her, so that they were only an inch apart.
Looking up at Ragon’s eyes, Ari lost all thoughts. Only her desires to be with him played any role in her mind, and she leaned in just a fraction of a centimetre closer. With her eyes closed, she felt Ragon reach down and place both his hands on either side of her face, cupping her cheeks. Pulling her closer to him, he kissed her. It was a longing kiss, which Ari returned enthusiastically. Their tongues danced in each other’s mouths, caressing each other adoringly. Ari wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted; all she knew was that she didn’t want it to end. Ragon had removed his hands from her face and placed them behind her back, urging her forwards. Reaching up, Ari locked her hands around his neck, pulling his hair slightly, in a desperate attempt to drag him even closer. Never before had she had a kiss like this; never had her core been so struck that she felt weightless and absent to her surrounds. Feeling Ragon pull away, Ari flinched.
When Ari opened her eyes, Ragon was looking down at her, his face struck with horror, but before he could speak Ari interrupted, saying, “Wait, I need to know something. Before… when you were with Kiara, what were you like?”
Ragon stopped holding Ari instantly, his hands falling purposelessly at his sides. His gloomy eyes, which had only moments ago been so contented, locked onto Ari’s in misery.
“She created me,” said Ragon, moving back to the table, retrieving his chair and sitting down, “and I did whatever she wanted. It doesn’t make it right but-”
Ari cut him off asking, “Does that include murdering fat stock brokers?”
Empowered by the alcohol, she had spoken her mind so freely that she forgot to conceal that she had read his diary. Her few choice words had made this painfully obvious.
Instantly Ragon was on his feet again, leering down at her.
“How much did you read?” he said, his eyes searching hers.
“Just the first page,” she said cowering, and Ragon breathed a sigh of relief.
“It was a time in my past that I am not proud of. I was a young vampire, and blood was the closest thing I could get to happiness; so I took it. So now you know,” he said.
“know- know what?”
“That I am a monster; why did you come here tonight?” he asked.
“I wanted to know; I needed to know who you are,” she replied.
“And so now you do,” he said sadly, “the diary was mine; my hands wrote it.”
“Yea a century ago, but… but you aren’t the same. Please tell me; I am so confused about all of this. I don’t know any better,” she said sadly. “It’s always someone else who tells me about your world and what it all means. All I want is to talk to you; for you not to treat me like you’re stuck with me.”
“If you knew more, you would hate me,” he said flatly.
“Maybe,” Ari replied, “but at least I wouldn’t sit here wondering, what the hell is going on half the time. Do you know right now that there are ten bodies in the morgue and police are looking for their killers? Half of which you killed! You can’t just keep me away from everything I have ever known, and not expect me to ask questions. I want to know you; to know about what it is to be you. I can’t just be your pet for the rest of my life.”
“You think of yourself as my pet?” asked Ragon, and when Ari didn’t respond he continued. “There are things in my past, things that I can’t change, but anything you ask me I will tell you. I will be honest; I won’t lie to you.”
Now was her chance to find out everything she had ever wanted to know about him.
“Your diary,” Ari asked sheepishly. “Were you really that cruel?”
Ragon nodded simply, temporarily staring up at a wayward shooting star, which offered a suitable distraction from the look on Ari’s face.
“So why not stay with Kiara; why not continue the life you were living?”
“Because she did something, something that let me see what a monster she was,” said Ragon, suddenly looking down at his feet.
“What?” Ari asked curiously.
Ragon paused, apparently undecided if he should answer, but then said, “In the early 1930’s I left her, and lived with Sandra, Thomas, Larissa and Cambridge for a time. For decades I did not speak to Kiara, nor did I seek her out. She was my maker, and so she could sense where I was, and followed me every time I tried to escape her to another a city. Then one night, by chance, many decades later, I came across her again. She had just killed two people, and realised that there was a small child with them. She made to take the youngster but I stopped her. I though perhaps she had killed the parents because she had remembered how I craved humanity and wanted to keep the child. I think she thought that somehow it could make us whole once more- like a family,” said Ragon.
“And that didn’t work?” asked Ari, hanging on Ragon’s every word.
“No. It was probably the only thing that she could have done to ensure I hated her forever.”
Ari nodded slowly.
“Can I ask you a question?” asked Ragon, and without waiting for a reply, said, “What do you remember about your parents?”
Ari blinked a few times at this question. It was so far from anything she might have expected, that she found herself speechless.
After hesitating for a moment she said, “I suppose it’s only fair that I answer your invasive question, after you have answered mine.” She sighed and added, “I don’t know what happened to my parents, no one does. I grew up in an orphanage and I spent the first eighteen years of my life, jumping from family to family, and going to god knows how many different schools, all while living out of a garbage bag.”
“You weren’t adopted?”
Ari shook her head.
“For a while I was with a family that I thought might take me in; Ryder, the guy who Patrick took a liking to the other night, he became like a brother to me, but after a few months they turned me away. When I turned eighteen I moved into my own place and applied for college,” she said.
Ragon looked down at the table. Ari didn’t find the conversation involving her parent’s particularly enjoyable, although it wasn�
��t the first time, in the last little while, that she had been reminded of her past. When she had heard the news story on the television, reporting that the orphanage she had been raised in had burnt down, it had been yet another painful reminder of the fact that she had no parents. The truth was that if she stopped and thought about them for too long, it upset her. Their lives, what had happened to them, why they had abandoned her; and so many other questions like that, were a complete mystery. When Ari was old enough to ask the foster families who had taken her in, what had happened to them, they all told her the same thing. She had been dumped on the doorstep of an adoption centre when she was about two.
Thinking of changing the subject, Ari asked, “How do you become a vampire?”
“It’s relatively simple actually. Any mortal at the point of death can be changed, although it doesn’t work every time. Sometimes, for whatever reason, vampirism doesn’t take. To be changed a mortal must be so close to death that only becoming a vampire can save them. Basically they must be dying; a run of the mill flu isn’t going to cut it. And because the mortal must be close to death, then if the vampirism doesn’t take, they are likely to die, which is probably why so many losses ensue.”
Ari considered his words, “So anyone can become a vampire?” she asked.
Ragon nodded and said, “Although few would choose it if they knew the cost.”
“You mean having to drink blood?”
“Yes that, and the other requirements of immortality,” he said, and seeing Ari’s curious look, added, “such as intolerance to sun, and having to remain in the shadows for all eternity, as well as the inevitable loss of humanity. Besides, many vampires do not take on fledglings because of the risks involved.”
“Risks?”
“Creating a line of vampires comes with a risk,” said Ragon. “Every time a new vampire is created, a blood line forms. It is a watered down version of the original vampire’s power. This is why older vampires are more powerful. The risk of one’s fledgling becoming a blood hunter deters most vampires from creating others.”
“But what is blood hunting?” Ari asked confused.
“If a fledgling kills their maker, they inherit their maker’s powers, and become a blood hunter,” Ragon explained. “Some vampires lose all morals, and so fledglings can easily begin to crave their maker’s power. The more of your blood line you kill, the hungrier you become and the more powerful.”
“So every time you create a new vampire, there is a risk that they will want to kill you?” asked Ari.
As she spoke, she had reached nervously for her glass and sipped from it, before remembering that it had been empty for ages. Ragon had noticed her movements, and quickly raced towards the roof exit, pushing the door open and disappearing through it. Ari watched him as he went. A moment later however, he had returned, a new bottle of white wine in his hands. He opened the bottle, smiling down at Ari and poured her a fresh glass.
“Iz et to Mademoiselle’s liking?” he asked, imitating a French accent and waiting eagerly for Ari to try the wine, as his hands imitated curling a moustache.
Ari picked up the glass and held it up to the light cast down by the stars. She then smelt the liquid, breathing in the slightly intoxicating fumes a little too deeply and coughing. Finally she took a mouthful of wine, swished it around, and then swallowed. She smiled up at Ragon in response, and he filled her glass to the rim.
The light-hearted moment had reminded her of their kiss and she stared longingly at his lips. Yet as she took another sip of the delicious fruity wine, their conversation about blood hunters came flooring back.
“But why would a fledgling want to kill their maker, just to get a bit more powerful?” asked Ari.
“Power is everything to immortals, and it’s not just a bit more power, a blood hunter’s powers are magnified. The bond between maker and fledgling is sacred, but vampires have few moral guidelines and some would do anything for power.”
“But what do you mean, magnified; aren’t you all already powerful enough? Why would you need access to more power?”
Ragon let a soft smile curl his lips, and said, “All vampires are privy to certain powers; eternal youth, super strength, and all the other things that come with being immortal. But these powers are just imitations of the original vampire’s powers, the powers of the Ancients. Becoming a blood hunter and destroying your blood line gives you access to more power and greater control over these abilities. A blood hunter who is only a few decades old could easily be stronger than a vampire who is centuries old.”
Ari nodded, while considering the implications of Ragon’s words. This meant that if Ragon killed Kiara, he would become more powerful. Turning to face him and ask about this, she found her thoughts wanning as she watched his lips meet with the glass he was holding, as he sipped from it.
It felt like a lifetime since they had kissed. She could remember the moment, as though it was off in the distance, but too far away to focus on. Taking another large gulp of wine, she let the alcohol fuel her will, and boldly placed her hand on the table, hoping Ragon might interpret this as a sign for him to take it. A few minutes of silence followed this. Ari wanted to ask Ragon what he felt about her, why he had asked her on this date, what their kiss had meant… and so many other questions.
“So what happens now?” asked Ari.
She liked the multi meaning of her question, and sat waiting for Ragon to answer.
Ragon cocked his head to one side saying, “I thought that would have been obvious.”
Ari was frustrated; Ragon had answered her question with an equally ominous one, leaving the interpretation back to her.
“Well,” Ragon said, when it became obvious to him that Ari was not going to jest with him any further, “It is getting late; the restaurant will be shutting soon, and I want to get you back to the safety of the house.”
Ari nodded and allowed Ragon to sweep behind her, and pull her chair out as she stood. She glanced back at the telescope that adorned the roof and then up to the stars. Off in the distance towards the west, she could just make out the Grandor constellation, and the three twinkling stars which bejewelled it.
After Ari walked down the steep roof access stairway, careful not to trip this time, and entered the restaurant, she realised how late it must be. Almost all of the previously full booths on the main floor of the planetarium were empty, their tables set anew for tomorrow night’s guests. As they walked towards the grand staircases that lead to the car park, Ragon was greeted once again by the moustached man, who shook his hand vigorously. Ari thought that there was a look of disappointment in the manager’s eyes, as he returned his hand to his pocket, this time with nothing in it.
When Ari and Ragon were finally back in the car, she felt the effects of the alcohol, as if many tiny bubbles were bursting through her veins, disorientating her focus. She watched the street lights blur past as they drove, acting like a cheap imitation of the shooting stars which were still darting across the sky above. When they were only a few minutes away from home, Ari’s head slumped against the window, partly cradled by her seatbelt, and she began to drift off. She felt the engine die, just as Ragon’s cold hands reached under her and he picked her up and carried her inside.
“Is everyone still out hunting?” she asked, still in his arms.
Ragon looked down at her, smiling softly as opened the front door, walked inside and said, “It appears so.”
The fact that she was in his arms had heightened her resolve and she looked at him, hoping for more.
“Ragon… What do you want?”
In an instant he had placed her on her feet, looking around the house momentarily, as if wanting to make quite certain they were alone. His breathing was fast and erratic, while hers had completely stopped. She was afraid that if she did anything he might hesitate. Her eyes were plastered on his, and she felt him reach for her hand and intertwine their fingers together. As soon as they were locked like this, her eyes closed. It felt so
wonderful that even this most humble of gestures could sweep her off her feet. With her eyes still closed, she felt Ragon lean in close to her, brushing the strains of hair that covered her face, and tuck them behind her ear.
“What I want…” he said, breathing heavily into her ear, “is you.”
Suddenly Ari’s body was on fire. Why had they wasted the entire night with chit chat? She felt as though she were being engulfed by flames, as tiny electric impulses surged from every neuron in her body. This spasm of excitement ran havoc over her. Her heart was pumping so erratically that for one horrifying moment, she thought she might be having a heart attack. And then, when she thought her heart couldn’t beat any faster, she felt Ragon’s lips meet hers, and he kissed her.
“Breath,” he whispered, grasping both his hands to her cheeks, as he pulled her even closer.
But Ari had no thoughts for air; instantly she was reaching up, grasping his hair and dragging him closer. He moved obediently towards her, pressing his hard body up against hers and slamming her into the wall behind them. Rather than being hurt, Ari jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, as her arms swung around his neck for support. At the same time, Ragon’s hand clutched her head, with a few of his fingers intertwining in her hair, so as to kiss her more fully, and soon their tongues were alive in each other’s mouth.
Ragon’s hands were still intertwined in Ari’s hair, pulling her head back, so as to angle her mouth and expose her neck. She moved one of her hands from around his neck, and made to place it on his back, but Ragon had reached for it, throwing it above her head so as to pin her to the wall. Then he began kissing softly down from her lips and to her neck.
Oh God, she thought, feeling an uncontrollable desire to tear the clothes from him.
Her unrestrained hand made to undo the black tie of her dress, but Ragon took the hand that fumbled for the strings, and threw it behind her, so that it joined her other hand. He had no trouble at all restraining both her hands with only one of his, and took this opportunity to kiss her again on the lips, while one hand dragged her dress upwards, revealing a thigh. His fingers were pressed hard against her leg, almost too hard. Once again he was kissing her neck, and lovingly prying her legs further apart, so that she straddled him more fully. She felt her body move in a rhythmic riding motion, pressing herself into him hard. His hand had made to dive in between her legs, but suddenly he stopped. For a moment his whole body went rigid, as he became transfixed on her neck. In an instant he threw Ari to the ground.