Aris Returns

by Devin Morgan

  “I’m so sorry Miss Hagan.” Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. “My husband and Carlos don’t get along.” She stood. “It might be best if you left now. It upsets him to talk about Carlos.” She crossed in front of Sarah, making her way toward the front door.

  Sarah rose. She picked up her bag and jacket then followed Carlos’ mother.

  “I’m sorry too, Isabella. I hope I haven’t caused you any trouble.” She stopped. “When you hear from Carlos, please tell him to contact me.” Stepping through the door onto the porch, she heard the sound of the latch behind her.

  #

  “Sarah, he’s here.” Maggie whispered as she disappeared behind the door.

  Sarah rose stiffly from her chair as he entered her office. “Hello Carlos. Good of you to show up today.” Her fingers rested gently on her desk, but her posture showed her displeasure.

  “I’m sorry. I know I should have called but I’ve been thinking. I didn’t want to have any outside influences.” He looked down at his shoes. “Even yours.”

  She motioned him to the chair across from her. She sat down, crossing her arms. “You could have called, Carlos. I thought we were friends.”

  “Sarah, we are friends. You are more than a friend to me. You have a great deal of influence on what I do.” He slouched in the chair. “I needed to make a decision on my own.” He crossed his arms over his chest to match her. “And I did.”

  She knew he was talking about his gang. Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on her desk, looking directly into his dark eyes. “What decision?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m here. That’s all that’s important. I won’t disappear again. I’ve finally truly realized that I’ve wasted so much of my life already. I regret it but I can’t change the past. What I can change is the future. I tried to talk to my dad again. He threw me out of the house and told me I was nothing but a bum. It was right then I realized I am not a bum. Not anymore. I’m so much more than he ever saw. Than anybody ever saw. Nobody before you and Colleen have ever recognized anything good in me. In school, all the counselors did was tell me I’d never amount to more than a stupid crook. I don’t blame them. I know I scared them. Hell, I wanted to scare them. But this time, Sarah, when the old man threw me out, I didn’t want to go to the gang. I didn’t want to get drunk. I wanted to come to you. You have shown me that there is so much more out there than what I’ve known. You’ve shown me that I can honestly find myself and when I die, I am capable of leaving something beautiful behind, not just chaos and pain.

  “I won’t lie. Sometimes I’m scared to death with my subconscious and what’s going on, the changes in me. But because of this guy, this vamp, this figment of my weird mind, I’ve found strength within myself. I’ve found a purpose. And that purpose is to be walking that straight line. And I’m committed. If I give it a hundred and ten percent, how can I fail?” He was silent for a moment. Suddenly he stood to cross the room. As he reached the recliner, he turned to face her. “I mean it.”

  “I’m very proud of you. You’re quite a man already.” She picked up the recorder.

  “Yes,” he looked at her for a long moment. “Yes, and I promise you, this is only the beginning.” Suddenly he grinned, flopping down on the beige leather chair once again the familiar Carlos she knew so well. “Ready to see what the vamp has in store for us today?”

  Sarah felt confused but decided that she would think about it later. She was relieved and somehow nervously excited to have him back. Sitting down, she turned on the recorder.

  “Okay Carlos, close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath.”

  #

  CARLOS HAVARRO, transcript, session 10, April 30

  I made my decision. When my troop returned to court, I would beg my leave of the Emperor to make my way to England. I could not forget Richard’s description of a more advanced group of undead. I knew I had to go to them. I had so much to learn about my new life and in England, I would find my teachers.

  When we returned to Madrid, Charles was still at odds with the English King. As I told you, King Henry called upon Charles to stand for him in his ‘Great Matter’, as it was called. Remember, Henry decided he and Katherine were not really married because she had been married to his brother before him. It was a long story, but the truth was that Henry needed a son to succeed him and Katherine had delivered only a daughter. Katherine was past a time when she could be delivered of another child. The King decided he needed a younger, more fertile woman. Such a woman was Ann Boleyn. Young and lively, she had a strong court background and led the man a merry chase. She would not bed him if he did not marry her. So, Henry decided to be rid of Katherine, annul their marriage, and send her to a convent. He was audacious enough to actually think Charles would step in to help him. Charles was a not only her nephew but a staunch Catholic. The Pope had refused the annulment. Charles would not stand against the Holy See.

  It was Charles’ decision to send an emissary to Henry to demand Henry stay his actions. When I heard of the mission, I begged to be allowed to travel with them. It was a sure way to reach London and the coven of the Catacombs. Charles, knowing I was loyal to him and would do all that he asked, granted his permission for me to go.

  My decision was bittersweet. I had come to know Madrid as my home. I was accepted and honored by the Emperor and his court and I was able to walk among the humans of Spain without their recognizing what I was. I had not the insight as to my fate in England yet I was deeply aware that I must learn about my kind, about the others like me. The stories told by Richard and Gabriela had whet my appetite.

  I prepared for an ocean voyage. When the weather broke, we set sail. The trip was uneventful with calm seas and quiet nights. I walked on deck staring through the black sky at the radiance of the stars. I longed to share my thoughts with one who would understand.

  “You understand, do you not, dear Sarah? I am able to share my thoughts, my very being with you.”

  She was always stunned when he returned to the present during one of his soliloquies. She thought about his question and after a moment, answered, “Yes, of course.”

  “And why is that, do you think? How are you able to accept me and what I am without fear?”

  She was silent again. “Sarah?”

  “I don’t know, Aris.” She sighed. “Perhaps I’m not sure you are more than a figment of the imagination of a very troubled young man in the twenty first century.”

  “Is that what you hope?”

  “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what I hope. This is all so surreal to me.”

  “Surreal? This is a word with which I am not familiar. What does it mean?”

  She thought a moment before she answered, “It means something that is outside of space and time.”

  “Yes Sarah, I am something outside of space and time.” The room was silent as she watched the face of the present day man holding the soul of one other who was not hampered by human constraints. “And one day, dearest Sarah, you will understand.”

  “I will understand?”

  “Yes, my stories will ring true for you at last.”

  “Are they stories, Aris, or are they reality?”

  “That is for you to decide, isn’t it? Now, where were we?”

  Oh yes, the sea journey was easy, without incident. We landed on a day early in the afternoon and were taken to court. There we were given our rooms and bid to rest until evening. There was to be a feast and masque. It was then we would see the King for the first time.

  I waited until I was sure I could leave the palace without question, then went in search of the Catacombs. All afternoon I roamed the gardens, not knowing what I was looking for or how I would recognize it if I found it. But I knew I would never give up until I made contact with those of my kind who were able to teach me. During my wanderings, a few small animals darted close enough for me to catch them and feed. Survival was simple if all I felt was the thirst. The hunger had not consumed me for some time. I was gra
teful animal blood was enough for my sustenance at the moment.

  As an early autumn twilight began to cover the gardens with a soft gray blanket, I hurried back to my rooms to prepare for the evening.

  Such an evening. A feast was laid out on gold plate. Meat dishes by the score, game, fowl and fish. Puddings. All for the humans. What for the vampire? I looked around me at the rich silks of the women’s gowns. Some wore hoods encrusted with diamonds. The diamonds sparkled in the lights of a thousand candles. I could see their pulses beating in their throats as they danced with their heads lifted high. I began to feel the hunger, the pain crept inside my belly. The fire began to burn.

  Quickly I excused myself from my troop and rose to leave the great hall. Just as I stood, the King’s fanfare issued from trumpets announcing the arrival of Henry VIII. I stopped where I stood and bowed. As I rose, I came face to face with Henry. Our eyes locked for a brief moment. He smiled and walked on. I recognized the greatness of the man in that singular glance.

  Then, too, I had my first glimpse of Anne Boleyn. She was small, angular and had a sharp jaw and narrow, dark eyes. Yet she was graceful. She carried herself as royalty even while Katherine was still Queen. Henry whispered something to her and she laughed. She glanced over her shoulder at me. She nodded her head in agreement as she turned again to answer the King. I knew they spoke of me and it was a concern.

  When the King and his mistress, as she was called by the court, were seated and the feast began, I begged an excuse to my men and left the hall, the hunger in my belly growing more and more demanding. It had been months since I needed to feed on a human. I dreaded the time when I would be driven to drink human blood. And relished it.

  The time was now close to being upon me. I hurried into the darkness of the palace garden and found a deer that had wandered from the woods.

  I took it down. Cleanly. Painlessly. I drained it there within earshot of the great hall. My need diminished as the animal blood gave me sustenance. I could subsist on it for a while longer until the right moment, yet I knew I would need to take human life again, soon.

  I hurried through the palace to my rooms. I entered the retiring room, a lit fire warmed the chill from the stone walls. A table and chairs sat in front of the fire with small ale, bread and cheese waiting for me. I smiled when I thought of what I wish had been waiting there for me.”

  He was silent until she spoke, “And what was that?”

  “The throat of one of those lovely ladies who had been at the King’s dinner.”

  Sarah gasped. She took a moment to compose herself, then spoke. “Please continue, Aris.”

  The table was set but I did not crave the food. I turned one of the chairs to the fire and sat, stretching my long legs out before me. I was warmed and as comfortable as I could be in the circumstances. I was unable to feed on human blood until I knew it would never be found out. All eyes were upon me as a newcomer from the Spanish court. I could not leave the palace grounds at night without someone seeing. I was well aware of idle gossip from my life in Spain. The stable boy would tell a maid who would tell a cook who would tell a ladies maid who would tell her lady. And there it would be. Why would someone from the Spanish envoy ride out late at night? I knew no one in England. I knew they would think me a spy for the Emperor.

  I sat watching the embers snap and glow. A soft rustle behind me alerted me someone was in the room. I turned quickly to see Richard and Gabriela standing just inside the open, mullioned window.

  As I rose to greet them, they moved toward me. Their greeting was warm and I felt they were pleased to see me. I asked how they had come to find me. How they entered my rooms.

  “We saw you in the garden,” Richard replied. “We followed you here and waited until there was no one outside. We came in the window.” He pointed behind him.

  I was astonished. The window was in the tower, very high above the courtyard. “How did you manage that,” I asked.

  “We are able to cling to stone and climb much like a spider.” Gabriela answered, her accompanying laughter, a lilting, musical sound. “You have so much to learn.”

  I assured them the reason I traveled all the way to London to meet the rest of my kind was to learn all there was to know about my new un-life. Gabriela moved forward, reaching out her hand to touch my arm.

  Her face softened. She told me they came to help me, to take me to the coven.

  A loud rap at the door interrupted our discourse and a voice called out. It was the King’s messenger. The two visitors locked eyes for less than a moment. They moved quickly to disappear out the window as I crossed the room to the door and unlatched it.

  The courier handed me an envelope with a royal seal. He tipped his head respectfully as he backed from the room. I closed the door, latched it then sat in a chair by the fire.

  I opened the envelope. It was the King’s command to appear before the court to represent Spain in the royal joust on the following day. At first I was glad of heart until I realized the smell of human blood would be everywhere. Was I doomed? Could I withstand the temptation?

  The morning came. The serving boy brought fresh cheese and bread. I would rather have had the serving boy for breakfast but I thought better of it. After a time, I called for a page to ask him to show me to the audience chamber. It was there I met many of the knights who would ride in the joust. There was laughter and banter as we prepared for our feats of prowess. By the time we walked to the jousting yard, it was as comrades at arms.

  The day was bright blue with a sprinkling of white clouds floating in a perfect sky. The master of the horse chose an enormous stallion as my charger. He was magnificent, full of fire and power. He was just the horse I would have chosen for myself.

  A fanfare blared from the trumpets as the King and Anne entered the arena. Her head held high, she rested her small hand on his extended arm. He was dressed in splendor, his huge athletic frame spoke volumes about the man. They mounted the steps leading to their place, sheltered under a golden canopy to protect them from the sun. They settled into their great chairs. Anne smiled at the King as he grasped her hand in his. It was easy to see that in his eyes, she was his Queen already.

  The opening ceremonies completed, another fanfare and the two who were first at the joust took their places. The trumpets sounded once again; the enormous horses began their thundering race, carrying their knights on their sturdy backs. A crash as one of the men was unhorsed. He fell hard, lay in the dirt for just a moment, then rose and was helped off the field by his page. He limped and so I knew he had been hurt but there was no smell of blood about him. Time after time, man after man, one unhorsed, the other proud of his victory.

  As the sun rose in the sky, my moment was at hand. I mounted and the feel of the strong beast beneath me was invigorating. I held my lance and slid my hand along the shaft, finding the perfect balance point. The trumpets blared as I heeled my horse. We raced along the wooden rail, dust flying in our wake. I lifted my lance and at the perfect moment, jammed it hard into the chest of my opponent. With a cry, he fell from his horse. Just as he touched the ground, his animal reared, forelegs beating the air. In a flurry of hooves and broken metal, the huge stallion trampled his rider. The scent of blood was everywhere. It surrounded me, filled me with wild lust and desire. I sprang from my horse, jumping over the rail. Just as I neared his broken body, he was lifted on a litter and carried away. Unable to contain my need, I followed as they transported him to the stable. He cried out in pain. He was broken, dying, It was only a matter of time before he would expire and those moments would be spent in agony.

  They rested the litter in the hay and stood back to watch his death throes. Incensed, I screamed at them to leave, to allow this brave knight to die in peace. He thrashed on the makeshift bed. His movement tore his wounds even more. I was hardly able to contain myself until the last man left. Once I was alone with my opponent, I crept near to him.

  “Kill me,” he begged me. “Please, the pain. Please kil
l me.”

  Without thought I would be seen, overcome by bloodlust, I buried my face in his throat. The smell of him drove me to madness. I moaned as I began to drain him. Quickly I brought about his death, his final rest.

  I fell back on the bed of hay to wipe my mouth on the back of my hand. A few precious drops of blood smeared across my skin. I licked the flesh of my knuckles then my lips. I was satiated at last, the need for human blood met. And no one was the wiser.

  I walked from the stable and found his page. “He is dead,” I spoke the words as I walked away.

  CHAPTER 18

  The night was cool so she pulled the blanket close around her shoulders. She loved to sleep with the window open, to hear the faint sounds of the city in the distance. From her pillow she could see the lighted windows in the buildings that shared her neighborhood. It gave her a secure feeling to know other people were still awake so very late at night.

  Yet the darkness of her bedroom and comfort of her bed didn’t halt the struggling of her mind. Thoughts swirled in her head making her feel dizzy. Could Aris be real? More likely, he was a subconscious desire Carlos had to feel invincible in a world where he felt so vulnerable. As a twenty-first century person, believing in the undead was almost unthinkable. What was the answer? Carlos knew nothing about Tudor England or Alexander the Great for that matter. Where did his information come from if not from Aris? She researched all the history he shared. Each and every story was based on fact. Not fact about vampires to be sure, but facts about times, places and people.

  Aris was a tragic figure. His life was stolen from him when he was just a young man about the same age as Carlos. He wasn’t a demon by choice, but by fate. Turning to face the window, she thought of Carlos. What was the connection between the two, the man and the vampire? Each one was a victim of circumstance. Would further regressions bring light on the association?

  In a state of confusion and mental exhaustion, she fell into a fitful sleep.

  #