by Yirak, Laura
It was a tricky move, but Count managed to wrap his legs around Ro’s body, this caused them to both sink under the water. They swirled around in the bitter muddy blackness. The Count extended his fangs extra long and sunk them into flesh, Ro’s flesh. He wasn’t sure where he had hit but kept extending them till he felt the fast hot pulse of an artery. The blood spurted fiercely into his mouth, with some escaping out. He drank and drank, till the struggling Ro went limp in the water. It was all luck.
The two finally popped up again with the Count that much stronger and Ro defeated, but weakly undead. The Count swam across the swirls and waves till he reached shore and hauled Ro’s body onto the muddy river bank, his hair no longer so bright as it was filled with a sloppy, stinky mess.
Alesta flying above spotted the two bodies on the edge of the river and swept down towards them. Vampires looked different than humans, just a little whiter and therefore brighter. Nicholas watched her descent.
“So graceful, so beautiful.” Nicholas looked at her grey naked body.
She curled her long smooth wings around her, “Freezing.”
“And your eyes, so blue, lips so red,” Nicholas continued.
Alesta shivered a bit, her leather skin showing tiny little goose bumps, “What happened?”
“I sucked him dry, well almost. It’s a difficult spot to drink from, the upper back, raging rivers, never had the chance till now to try it and earlier I said nothing surprises me anymore. I was wrong.”
Alesta smiled her face was smooth, but tough, shiny under the moon, “Well a night out with me and that’s what happens. Let’s get him back to the manor.”
With that, the Count transformed into her grey leather counter part and they both carried Ro off into the night skies.
Feeding a dozen newborns was quite the task as Balara circled the cribs. They all wanted to eat every few hours, so she just kept the bottles warm and made her way around each one. Her only break was the day and it would arrive soon, then her servant took over. William had insisted she spend all of her time bonding.
She picked up the newest arrival and cuddled it. She remembered her own child that she had born so long ago, but it had been a stillborn. Even in life she had been surrounded by death. It seemed natural to have become one of them, a vampire.
The cell phone rang as the baby sucked away on the bottle, she answered, “Hello?”
“He there yet?” Lachlan asked.
“No, no sign of him. He’s late and so far he’s never been late, but he’s been getting sloppy so maybe it doesn’t surprise me. I’m a little relieved actually considering,” Balara said.
“Considering what? Our agreement. Come on, you know you like him, stop pretending.”
“I do not,” Balara raised her voice firmly. “He’s brutal.”
“And I know you like that too.”
“Lachlan, all I know is he’s not here and that’s it. Why don’t you figure it out, or just turn on the telly,” she said rudely.
“I don’t have one, pleasures of the weak minded.”
“I’ll check mine then.” Balara hung up on him, knowing that would steam him a bit and flipped her long platinum blonde hair over her shoulder; it was a habit she’d developed when she was frustrated. “There!” she repeated the news out loud, “Baby kidnapped…” She listened in, “Blah, Blah, Blah…..so the suspect got away.”
Lachlan picked up immediately when she called back, “So?”
“He’s got the baby and the police haven’t a clue, and he’s killed a couple nurses and a doctor.” Balara put the sleepy, satisfied baby back down in the crib as she said it.
“Christ’s sake. He’s wild. A bit too wild for our own good and so public. What are we doing to do with him?” Lachlan sighed.
“What do you mean, we?” Balara pulled the door over to the nursery, but didn’t close it all the way, “Just get over here, in case he shows up. I don’t want to be alone after the scene he pulled last time.”
“Fine.”
Lachlan beeped his secretary and had Allister come in to do more work on the case. The old man was looked very tired and very drained.
The dungeons had not been utilized in many years. They were well concealed and difficult to get to. Nicholas and Alesta still in their mammal states with human faces, just a dark grey, pulled the damp and muddy Ro through the small opening that lead to the prison and dragged him down under ground. The dungeons had been constructed so deep that once in them all that lay above was the loch.
It had taken years to build, with layers and layers of reinforcements, but William McKenzie took the time to do a solid job on it. That and it could hold any vampire, without possibility of escape. Alesta didn’t know how and her husband died with the secret, but at that moment, she was glad she didn’t know its secret, then she could never be forced to reveal it.
It was dark in the dungeon, blacker than night and the air was stale. Alesta could hear the familiar drip of water and as they passed her old cell, she felt slightly claustrophobic. They shoved Ro into one of the cells at the end that was entirely made of stone and closed the heavy oak door. No sunlight ever reached that place, just the dark. Although the cells had not been used for a while, there were no signs of age or decay that one would expect. The cell block looked as new as when it was first built, just a damp smell in the air.
“So we just leave him here.” Alesta said, “I haven’t any ideas other than that. I don’t want to just kill him.”
“Maybe we should,” Nicholas said, “We might sleep better knowing he’s dead.”
“Maybe so, but I want to talk to him, give him a few days to wake up and ask him what is going on with the kidnappings. He’s the only connection we have to the truth.”
“He’s not going to tell us.” Nicholas opened the little tiny window on the cell door and peeked through at their captive.
“I can be persuasive.” Alesta nudged the Count aside and took a peek as well, Ro wasn’t moving at all. “And if he doesn’t I’ll take your advise.”
“Gut!” Nicholas said with his thick German accent for emphasis.
“You switch it on and off so easily don’t you.” Alesta stepped back from the window and curled her wings around her; the Count wrapped his large wingspan around her too.
“Practice. I can do any language, any accent,” he said chuftly.
“I can do a few, but not as many, I’m just too busy here…..” she exhaled. “I can’t believe I made him. Is this how it feels to be a mother? Come on then, let’s take a hot shower and get to bed. You reek of the River. They dump sewage in it you know.” Alesta wrinkled her nose.
“Thanks!” he laughed.
Chapter 9
The package arrived just as stated on the receipt, two day delivery with signature required upon arrival. Patrick had paid the extra shipping to get it early because he wanted to make sure it was perfect, with enough time to send it back and reorder if necessary.
He showed the newest guests their rooms, made them all comfortable with tea and all the other little details then anxiously carried the heavy rectangular box upstairs when he thought the coast was clear. The cardboard was stuck like it had been super glued and Patrick ended up just ripping off part of the top layer. At least it was properly secured he told himself as he searched for a box cutter in his bottom night stand. Junk drawers were always handy to shove all the crap in that you only used once a month or less or never at all. How often did one buy something they would never even use, although it seemed like they couldn’t live without it at the time? The only problem was finding the item when actually needed.
Luckily the box cutter was fluorescent pink, not a manly green or brown, but that was all that was left at the market when he bought it. The picture frame was just as he designed it, a marbled dark brown and green to draw out the color of Alesta’s green gown. He unwrapped it completely, and then delicately placed the finished pastel drawing behind the glass and secured the green velvet backing into place.<
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“Perfect!” Patrick was pleased with the final gift.
The rest of the wrap job would be done later, or maybe he’d ask Judy to do it. Wrapping wasn’t his thing. His family could always tell his gifts, just by looking at the job he’d done, or rather the mess he’d made of it. One year he had it all done at the store and they hadn’t a clue, quite expensive, but worth every penny. That was a good Christmas, Patrick reminisced.
Then there was an unexpected knock at his door.
Patrick opened the door a little to peek out.
“There you are!” Alesta said.
“Oh, oh, hold on just a sec.” Patrick closed the door quickly not realizing he’d closed the door in her face.
“Patrick!” she called.
The new delivery mess had somehow spread all over his room. Patrick quickly gathered all the little bits and pieces and shoved them into a closet and carefully slid the picture under his bed.
“Right, come in, sorry. I had just a wee bit of a mess.”
“It’s not like you to be untidy,” Alesta said and stepped in.
Patrick took one look at her and swallowed. She looked impressive in full tartan gown with a little cleavage showing, hair perfectly resting over her shoulders.
“You like? It’s my new dress. I had it made. McKenzie tartan, all hand done.” She gave him a twirl.
“It’s, wow, modern, yet not.” Patrick couldn’t take his eyes off her; the dress was slim fitted from head to toe.
Alesta noticed and blushed just a little.
“I thought you’d approve,” Alesta said. “I’ll be on tonight with you. I saw that we’re almost full and Nicholas will be out for a while, said he had errands to run.”
Patrick took the info in feeling relieved that Alesta’s new guest would be gone, “Yes, got a few unexpected calls asking if we had openings, something about a wedding and their other hotel being full so some of the party checked in with us for the weekend.” Patrick sounded excited.
“Good and I assume you already called Claire?” Alesta said as she peeked out the side window and glanced over at her house, noticing that Nicholas was leaving.
“Yes, that reminds me, she wants to work here for the summer, steadily.”
“Oh, well we’ll see about that. I just hired Judy. I think we might have it all covered.”
“She is good you know.” Patrick hinted.
“You mean Judy or Claire?” she asked.
“Claire.”
Alesta turned to face Patrick picking up on his unspoken request, “Yes. Well….. Let me think about it, we’ll see how she does over the next few weeks. It’ll be a secret trial, keep a close eye on her. Book her for the ball and if she does a good job, I’ll consider it. Is everything in order?”
“Yes, just waiting on some RSVP’s and then I’ll call the final numbers in to the caterer. Everything is going according to plan.”
“Patrick, what would I do without you, now come let’s go get dinner ready for our guests. I smelled something good before I came up here.”
Patrick went with her excited about having some time alone. He pushed the feelings of jealousy aside and decided to bring up Nicholas later. For now it was just the two of them.
The view of the city was fantastic from such heights. Balara admired it while cradling one of the newborn boys; his eyes were a dark blue, as though they would turn out brown later. Her long dress almost matched.
“I think I’ll name you Mark. A good strong name, but simple.”
“Naming them are we?” Lachlan came out from the dark and leaned over her shoulder.
“We must. I already have been. There’s too many of them not to. Going around calling them number one, number two, doesn’t sound right, especially if they are to be our own.”
“What else have you picked?” Lachlan took the boy from her thin white arms and held him.
“Let’s see, she is Bonnie and that one is Breck.” She pointed at the girls, “and the other boys I haven’t picked yet.”
“Well, hmmm, may I? How about Kaelan and that one Phoenix.” Lachlan pointed leaned over each crib as he designated names.
“I like those, thought about those a lot have you?”
“Just a few hundred years. No you daft?”
“I’m just saying. Don’t have to be sarcastic.” Balara took Mark from his arms and placed him back in his own crib, “I take it then that Ro never called.”
“No, nothing, I sent someone out to search for him and all they found were some torn up clothes on the Clyde, no other signs and they were not his anyway. Ro doesn’t spend that kind of money on clothes, thinks it’s wasteful.”
“The baby he captured is in the hospital, recovering from shock, but that’s all they have released last time I checked the news. Maybe he decided to bail on us.” Balara looked up at Lachlan who stood over her then.
“I think that would be in all our benefit it if did. This lot should do.”
“You talk of them like a bunch of bananas or cattle.” Balara frowned.
“Give me time, give me time, I never planned on fatherhood, not in this manner and if Ro hasn’t run off then I have my suspicions as to where he might be, especially since that newborn was just placed in the back of an ambulance, not the actions of a police officer or the likes. Whoever did that doesn’t want to be noticed. Come now; let the nannies do their work. I want you for myself.”
Lachlan pulled the tiny Balara by her thin waist, picked her up and carried her off to the unknown.
“Rack of lamb. Lovely, just lovely.” Alesta admired it as she watched Patrick pull it from the oven; he moved his head back away from the heat.
The guests were all ready and sitting at the dining table, Allister included.
Alesta could hear him talking away to the ladies, with a few of them laughing and one laughing just to be polite, but she was sure he wouldn’t have noticed with as much as he could toss them back. That is the alcohol, not the ladies. She liked him just the same and thought about paying him a visit since he had had a night off technically. The human body was amazing at making more blood.
It was just too bad that she couldn’t enjoy some lamb. Regular food to a vampire could be eaten maybe for show only but always had its price later in the bathroom. Antacids could not fix a real food binge.
Patrick dished out some peppermint jelly into a silver dish and watched it jiggle, “Just not my flavor, don’t know who would have thought up such a thing as mint jelly. Who would want to eat a food that tasted like tooth paste?”
“It’s tradition. And I’m sure it was invented before toothpaste.”
“How do you know that?” Patrick asked tapping the last bit into the bowl.
“I don’t, but doesn’t it sound true?”
“Yes and by the way, I found something interesting, an old signature that looks like yours. I didn’t know Alesta was a family name.”
“Signature? What signature?” Alesta helped place the freshly streamed veggies on plates while Patrick placed the cut up lamb.
“I was up in the library and found some old ledgers with documentation of exchange of goods and such, must have been rent payments to the laird. I found a signature with your name on it, well not your name, take a look, you know what I mean.” Patrick pulled the paper from his pocket and handed to her, watching her every expression.
Of course she gave none, took a close look and handed it back to him.
“Yes, I think there was a wife or mistress back in the family line with my name, or rather I was named after her.”
“Must have been wife then, with the same last name and all, maybe I’ll look into it a little more,” Patrick said to see what she would say.
Alesta turned picked up the plates ignoring the statement and took them out to the guests because it was time to.
“Alesta! There you are!” Allister stopped what he was saying and in a grand tone as if at the opera said, “This is the Lady of the Manor.”
Everyone lo
oked up and took a quick glance which ended up becoming a long glance, “Lady of the Manor.” One man repeated, all going a little blank in thought as they found it hard to look away from her.
“Thank you for the introduction Allister.” She placed the plates down one by one, “I’ll be right out with the remainder.” All eyes followed her.
Patrick decided to drop the previous conversation; he would just go back down to the dungeons and figure it all out himself, he was sure there would be more documents or something down there, with all those unexplored rooms. He found himself gazing at the pantry as he had the thought, then helped Alesta as she came back in with all the extra goodies and sides that went with the grand meal. They both topped off wines and beers and made sure that everyone was satisfied as well as impressed and happy.
The rest was up to them to just relax and eat. She gave them a little bell to ring in case they needed anything else.
“A bell?” Patrick asked. “We don’t usually do that.”
“It’s easier. Anyway, I need to talk to you.” Alesta stepped in a little closer. “Just what has been going on around here? I saw some mud out in the living room?”
“I thought I got it all, but I guess not,” Patrick said shirking his shoulders.
“How did it get there?” Alesta watched him as he took a moment, he looked perturbed.
Somehow he looked more serious as the moments passed and Alesta figured whatever it was, wasn’t good.
“I don’t know where to start.” Patrick tried to clean up as he prepared to just tell all; Alesta waited. “I don’t even know if you’ll believe me. Judy almost drowned yesterday.” Patrick decided to start big.
“WHAT?” Alesta said it so loud that some in the dining room turned their heads and the rest were too drunk to notice as the noise level was slowly increasing anyways.