“So you decided not to be rude, and brought down your study materials?”
“No, I had resolved to stay in my room anyway. You know, I’m the pigheaded one, but Michael is physically stronger than me. He carried me downstairs and then placed Nicky next to me so I would stay put. I held on to my writing pad when he picked me up.” I threw Michael a devastating glance to support my story.
“Does the bruise in your face have anything to do with that?” Before I could reply, Michael chimed in: “Hugorio, you know how careful the likes of us have to be with humans. They’re so fragile, especially when they fight you.”
“Oh, I know. But Michael, I’ve heard that she is not just human.” Whenever anyone implied that I was part something inhuman, my entire body tensed up. I tried to pull my hand away, but couldn’t. His energy was present in my body, almost as if it was trying to calm me down. It felt like an invader and I wanted to get rid of it. I ignored everything else and focused on pushing his energy out. Inch by inch, my own energy displaced his. It felt incredibly liberating when all I could sense was my own energy flowing through my veins. The ordeal had exhausted me and left me panicked however, and I could feel Hugorio’s penetrating eyes. Had he been staring at me like that the entire time? When he finally let go of my hand, I tucked my legs in and wrapped my arms around them, making myself small. Only now did I realize that tears were rolling down my cheeks. I rested my forehead on my knees and felt myself tremble all over.
“What did you do to her?” Michael’s voice held an accusation.
“My friend, do you take me for a monster? The real question is what did she do? How about we get down to business now?”
I felt Nicky’s comforting embrace as if I was far away from myself, while the mystic creatures were conversing. When there was a lull in the conversation and it was my turn to listen, Nicky shook me out of my trance-like state. “Okay, some guy from London named Connell offered him five million and a few dragon scales for those weird plants. He wants to know what I am. He has a better offer for the Filguri gold. He hopes that you’re providing some kind of entertainment after the negotiations …” The echo of the strange energy was still reverberating through my body. I had turned inward and was passing on the information like a robot. Michael warned me before he lifted the spell, saying that I should try to rest my brain until they would need me again. Without saying a word, I rose and climbed across Nicky’s lap to fetch a can of Coke from the fridge. Leaning against the pantry door, I felt myself calm down and gather strength again.
“Honey, would you give me a can of Coke, too?” the woman who’d hugged Michael and his relatives in greeting asked.
That brought me back to the here and now with a jolt. I remembered my manners and asked our other guests if they wanted something to drink. The vampire smiled and asked for my wrist. I still wasn’t fully myself, so his request made me flee the room. I just had to get away from them for a moment, but once in the living room, I remembered Michael’s warning. I turned on my heel and went back, sitting down at the table again in time for my next bout of eavesdropping. When that was done, Nicky put his hand on my arm. He’d been scolded by Michael, so he left his hand there for the rest of the evening, effectively keeping me locked in place. At least the mood had relaxed significantly. They negotiated and laughed, chatting easily. Once all business had been taken care of, Michael invited his guests to join him at Peri’s Night later. He asked me to tag along, but I declined, claiming fatigue. When Hugorio held out his hand for me to shake it, I hid mine behind my back. It was an instinctive gesture that made him laugh. Michael gave me a cautionary glance. Maybe it wasn’t advisable to irritate this man. Reluctantly I held out my hand, but I was prepared. I had erected a mental shield around me. He raised his eyebrows, turned around, and left the house with his entourage.
I was pensive when I went upstairs and back to my den. Had I blocked him or hadn’t he tried anything? I wanted to rest from the disconcerting meeting, but once I hit the couch, I fell into a deep sleep. I awoke only when Michael carried me to our bed at dawn. I nestled into his arms, relishing the first sunrays filtering into the room. After a few minutes I fell asleep again. The next time I woke up, it was already ten thirty. I took care of my morning hygiene and went downstairs, feeling thoroughly rested and ready for new adventures. Michael was sitting in the living room with his son Stefan and his grandson Alessandro. He wore a light blue shirt, which made his eyes look even bluer and brighter. I hugged him good morning.
He studied me with a concerned expression. “Are you feeling well?”
“Fit as a fiddle. I haven’t had this much sleep in a long time.”
“Thanks for your help yesterday. You did a really good job.” Was he serious or was there a hint of sarcasm in his voice?
“What is Hugorio? I almost told him the truth.”
“It’s a miracle that you didn’t. We thought he wouldn’t even acknowledge your presence. Nobody expected him to sit with you, talk to you, even interrogate you. That’s unprecedented.”
“He told me he’d heard of me. Rumors apparently spread quickly in your world.”
“Most of us have seen it all. So if anything unexpected or inexplicable happens, everyone perks up and the gossip mill is running full steam.”
I told Michael how I had felt Hugorio’s energy in my body, and how I’d pushed it out again. Stefan and Alessandro followed our conversation from across the room. I guessed it was okay to speak candidly in front of them. There was something I had meant to tell Michael for two days now. “I realized something during that dinner with Zarin and the others.” His inquisitive stare made me explain quickly: “I think I have yet another ability. Let me try, and tell me if it works, okay?” He waited, looking curious. I called up a feeling of joyfulness, just like I had during the business dinner. I wanted to glow. Michael scooted closer. “You’re able to control it?” I nodded.
Stefan and Alessandro were suddenly standing very close. They touched me. Michael gave them a look that made them step back, looking sheepish. They were obviously drawn to me like moths to a flame.
“Can you also suppress it?”
“You want me to suppress it, Michael?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Stefan and Alessandro protested simultaneously. They were still standing rather close.
I thought their reactions were cute somehow. I laughed and hugged them. “I like you, too.” Then I did Michael the favor and visualized collecting my energy and containing it within me.
“Oh come on, couldn’t you have waited a while longer before you did that?” Alessandro’s question was a distraction, which shattered my concentration.
“There it is,” he purred.
I pulled away from them and looked at Michael. “It’s exhausting. When I lock up my energy, I feel trapped and caged in.”
“See, Michael, you can’t do that to the poor creature.”
“Alessandro, I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
Alessandro hadn’t called me a human but a creature. I didn’t like the implication.
Michael had planned to spend the day with me. Just the two of us, a day without anything supernatural, and I was ready to skip my classes for that. He wanted to take me out for lunch, then head for Europark, and later to Berchtesgaden in Germany, where they had an amazing spa. But right before we were about to leave the house, I got a call from Astrid. Probably Andreas had told her I was mad as a hatter, ready for the booby hatch.
“Hello, Melanie. Are you attending Adelheid’s funeral?”
“What? How … what funeral?” As it turned out, Adelheid had been murdered the day before, after our lecture. The funeral was set for Sunday, two p.m.
Two women I knew had fallen victim to a violent crime within the span of a single week. My boyfriend with his perfect, far too sensitive hearing had followed the conversation from the neighboring room. He was there to hug me and comfort me even before I’d hung up. I held tight, wanted to melt into him, bec
ause a frightening thought was beginning to form and take hold at the back of my head. What if I was involved in their deaths somehow? I didn’t see how I could have been responsible, but on the other hand I seemed to be the only connection between the two women. We were sitting in the car, ready to leave, when Michael interrupted my brooding. “Melanie, what’s eating you? I can see that you feel fear and guilt rather than sadness and grief.”
“The only connection between the two dead women I know of is me.”
He didn’t seem impressed or alarmed. “So? Just because you knew both of them, doesn’t mean this has anything to do with you.”
“I’m not talking about having known them both.” A questioning look from Michael. He had no idea what I was talking about. “I met both women shortly before they were killed. I might have been the last person to have seen them alive.” He waited patiently, so I added in a small voice: “And I hugged them. Well, Adelheid hugged me. You saw that, remember? The girl in front of the uni.” That small detail had changed his expression from unimpressed to alarmed. His reaction confirmed my fears. The death of these two women had to do with me. Scared to utter the next sentence I looked into his eyes: “What if I am a monster, some sort of angel of death?” He exploded with laughter. He laughed and laughed, shaking his head and trying to regain his composure, but one look at me made him laugh again. “I’m sorry,” he finally said between laughs, still shaking his head, and then explained his amusement: “Says the woman I watched struggling not to slaughter a fly for about half an hour only yesterday. You kept waiting until you wouldn’t reach it anymore, and only swatted at it when you were sure it would escape. One time you made as if to hit it, but held off at the last moment.”
My face reddened. “You were watching? I didn’t notice you were.”
“I didn’t want you to notice me, for I felt you might feel pressured to kill the poor little creature after all. I couldn’t do that to you, could I?”
“Please stop making fun of me. I’m not in the mood for it.” He suppressed a smile. “Stefan, Alessandro, you heard everything, yes? – Okay, you know what to do. – Yep, see you later. – Thanks,” he said loudly to no one, because the two of them were in the other room.
“If your hearing is that good, wouldn’t it be possible for a neighbor to eavesdrop on us in here?”
“Of course not, Melanie. We’ve made sure that that is impossible.”
“After you’ve found my fears so very amusing, would you please tell me what it was that alarmed you about my words?”
He threw me a glance that asked whether I was serious, and then explained with ostentatious patience: “You hugged them, so they smelled of you.”
Michael and I headed over to Europark. I was still trying to process the fact that Adelheid was dead, but I simply couldn’t believe that it was true. I was convinced Astrid would call any moment and tell me there had been a misunderstanding. Maybe the funeral would help me realize that she was really dead. Once at Europark, we went to the same restaurant where we’d gone for our first ‘date.’ I wanted to know everything about his world, but he barely told me anything substantial. When we were almost done eating, I asked: “Why do you evade most of my questions regarding your world?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Please at least try to explain.”
“We have a covenant. It bars us, all the creatures that use magic, from disclosing the secrets of the other species of magical beings to third parties. In other words, we don’t talk to humans about anything to do with non-humans. Of course we do instruct and teach our own children. They inherit our knowledge. If you were only half human or less, I would be allowed to tell you everything, but since you aren’t, I have to keep it to stuff that’s pertinent to my species alone.”
“So you’re not going to tell me what Hugorio is? Okay, but I have a question that shouldn’t infringe upon your covenant. Why does everyone comment on how good I am for you?”
“Let’s just say that I spent a long while going through life without a lot of zest or enjoyment. I did my job, and I did it well, but there was nothing beyond that in my existence. I couldn’t get excited about anything much. Social events and occasions bored me to death, even going stalking as a group.”
“Going stalking? Are you talking about hunting?” He chuckled and raised his eyebrows. I thought about that for a moment, and then it dawned on me. “Oh, stalking us!”
“Right. Would you do me a favor?” I was quick to nod, before I realized just what it was that he wanted form me: “Melanie, please let’s not speak about my world and the things it involves for one day.”
“But I wanted to know one more–”
“Please, do me the favor!” he cut me off. I concurred and we switched back to chatting about more mundane things. After we left the restaurant, he bought me several dresses with matching shoes, so I would be prepared for any further business meetings and other occasions. I also got a few pairs of jeans, several blouses – he seemed to favor the sheer and transparent ones – a few sweaters and a beautiful, turquoise winter coat, on top of the black one he’d bought me before. I kept protesting that he was spending too much on me, giving me too many expensive gifts. He suggested I see them as commission on my help during the meetings, and continued to spend money on me. Before we headed for the spa, Michael bought several pieces of elegant and less elegant lingerie and a bikini. I felt as if I was his favorite toy, and he was buying accessories.
It was a Saturday and the spa was busy. We spent the day joking, teasing, chatting, kissing and hugging. It was fantastic. This could have been us all the time, had both of us been human.
After we’d spent a while swimming and dusk had fallen outside, Michael stayed in the relaxation room, while I made my way to the slides. Suddenly I felt a cold shiver run down my back. I turned around and discovered a woman who had been watching my every move. Our eyes met, and I took an instinctive step backwards. Her reaction was a malicious smile that made my skin crawl. Frightened, I quietly called for Michael. I knew he could hear me.
“Melanie?” He came over, was still a few yards away. With all the other people around, he had to stick to human speed. Once he’d reached me, I pointed in her direction. “That woman over there, she’s not human. She’s been watching me. She laughed at me.” She was gone.
Michael looked amused, as he often did in my presence – all too often. “You’re right, she should go to jail. What a heinous crime!” His derision unsettled me, but I followed him into the relaxation room. I didn’t leave his side for the rest of our stay.
“You’re acting like a frightened puppy. Did the mean woman scare you?” he teased me on the way to his car.
I was slowly getting pissed. “Michael, how many times have you underestimated me before? I swear this woman hated me.”
He ruffled my hair and shook his head, before getting into his Audi R8. On the way home we stopped by my house, because I had forgotten quite a few things I needed. When I stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor, I could hear Silvia argue with someone. It was Manuel. I didn’t want to be hit again, so I pulled out my phone and called Michael, telling him to come upstairs and help. He had to park the car and act like a human until he was inside the building, so it would take a minute or two before he could be with us. I opened the door to my apartment. Manuel was holding Silvia by her shoulders, shaking her and ranting, but is words were unintelligible. Silvia was crying, a picture of misery. All I wanted was play for time. “Hello, Manuel, how are you?”
He turned to face me and took a few menacing steps towards me. “You lying little bitch. Your boyfriend almost broke my jaw the last time we met. I’ll make you pay for that!”
I had noticed the traces of Andreas’ hand print in his face the moment he’d turned around. Now I could hear Michael’s steps coming up behind me. He went to stand between me and Manuel. “Get lost. Now!” he said in his angriest voice. His pitch was different depending on what he was doing or who he was
talking to. When he spoke to me, his voice was clear, patient, slightly more high-pitched. When he conversed with the other Peris, especially when they were talking business, it was dominant, adamantine, stern – his boss voice. In private conversation he sounded amiable, friendly, understanding. For his business partners, he had a charming, obliging, trustworthy voice. But when he was pissed, the fitting adjectives were frightening, formidable, demonic.
Manuel took in Michael, who stood a head taller and was of a far more muscular build. Manuel stepped away from Silvia, gave Michael a wide berth, and left my apartment. Silvia was still crying, weak with fear. I hugged and comforted her, and when she had regained her composure, she sniffled that she wanted to be alone. I suspected that she didn’t want to be a burden on us, but it felt as if she was throwing me out of my own apartment.
Michael and I were holding hands when we left the building, and then we headed back to his mansion. For once we were the only people in the vast house. Spending time with Michael was amazing; we never lacked stuff to talk about. And we kept touching, as if we were magnets drawn to each other by some irresistible force. He took my hand and led me down the stairs to the basement, where the spa area of the house was hidden. There was a sauna, an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, and an all-purpose rec room. Why had he taken me to the public spa if he had all of this in his basement?
He led me into the sauna. “Thank you, Melanie.”
“What for?”
“I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”
“Me neither.” He smiled and wanted to add something, but I didn’t let him. My mouth was already on his, and I kissed him tenderly. We’d had a long, relaxing day together, and that was mirrored by the sex we had to wrap it up.
Peris Night: Terakon (Secret Language) Page 15