Vampyre Rescuer

by Marion Webb-De Sisto

  Delia made herself comfortable in the armchair, wishing she had a cozy fire in her apartment to sit near at night. She would love to see the rest of this house, but didn’t dare to go exploring in case the disapproving Mrs. Perty found her. Maybe she’d ask Herres to show her his home when he returned.

  The mantel clock chimed six times and Mrs. Perty came into the study. She stated, “Cook wants to know what you would like for supper.”

  “I don’t need to eat food every day. Something light will be fine.”

  “Master Herres also doesn’t need to eat, but he left instructions to give you whatever you wanted. He’s a very considerate vampyre.”

  “Is he? I barely know him, but he’s been good to me. He rescued me from vampires who stole some of my blood. I like him, but it’s hard to forget he’s a vampyre. Does he treat you well?”

  “Yes. Many vampyres look upon humans as beneath them, but Master Herres doesn’t. I hope you’re not here to hurt or take advantage of him? Several women that he’s known have done that.”

  “No, I’d never do that. I want to get to know him because, as I said, I like him. How did they take advantage?”

  “Some have stolen items from his home when they were here. Others have hurt him by making rude comments about his face before or after he’d used his power on them. He hates the fact he looks different from other vampyres, but I think what matters is how a person behaves and not how he looks.”

  “You obviously care a great deal about him. Please know I would never intentionally hurt him or try to steal anything that belongs to him.”

  Finally, Mrs. Perty’s stern expression lightened. “I believe the master is attracted to you for more than your essence. Treat him right because he is very special. Now, would soup or salad satisfy you tonight?”

  “Either, whichever is easier to prepare.”

  “I’ll tell Cook what you’ve said.” Mrs. Perty picked up the tray and went out of the study.

  Delia sat by the fire and waited for Herres to return. She looked forward to spending some time with him.

  Chapter Seven

  The meeting was held in a vampyre’s home. Herres was taken to the study and sat down on one of the chairs arranged in a circle. Whenever possible he didn’t attend these meetings. They usually involved a discussion of one or more matters that rarely resulted in a plan of action. He found them boring, but if he missed too many, he’d be removed from the Council and this was his only way of learning what took place in the vampyre community. Unlike most vampyres, he didn’t mix socially with his kind.

  Recently, there were several heated arguments taking place during a meeting. Some older members had retired and were replaced by much younger vampyres who seemed to be of the opinion their views on everything were the correct ones. Herres could have retired, but chose not to because one particular young member, named Jadic, appeared keen to take over the running of the Council. He kept introducing new suggestions, which Herres objected. If all the old members retired, the community would become subject to whatever the young vampyre instigated. One of the founding principles of the Council was to ensure that vampyres were free to pursue their lives with little intervention. It seemed to Herres that Jadic wanted that principle scrapped.

  Herres hoped the young vampyre wouldn’t be there, because he wanted to get back to Delia as quickly as possible. Jadic’s suggestions always prolonged a meeting. There was no sign of him at first, but he hurried in just before the meeting began. The usual opening guidelines were run through, and then one of the young vampyres requested a discussion on the recent influx of vampires to Kurbridor. He painted a dire picture of what could happen if they were not banished back to Terra. They would destroy all the humans, and then there would be a short supply of life-force essence for vampyres to take.

  Various views on this matter went back and forth, including several older members saying the concept of essence becoming scarce was ridiculous. There were plenty of different life forms on Kurbridor, and their life-force essence was equally beneficial, even though most vampyres preferred that of humans. As frequently happened, no definite solution was agreed upon. The Council would monitor the influx of vampires and delay a decision until it was deemed necessary.

  During the mid-meeting break, most of the members got up and went into another room where a number of humans waited to give them some of their life-force essence. These humans offered this gift willingly and were always on hand at these meetings. A few other members stayed in their seats, chatting to those sitting close to them. No one spoke to Herres, but this didn’t surprise him. Many vampyres, whether young or old, felt wary of him, probably because he reminded them, by way of his demon face, of their origin. However, he was aware that Jadic glanced at him as he chatted to another young vampyre.

  As soon as the meeting resumed Jadic stood up and announced, “Fellow members, I believe we need to discuss an urgent matter. Although the taking of essence from angels is prohibited, it has never been decreed that any other life form should be avoided by vampyres, but I think those who are part angel are dangerous to us, too. As with angels, if we take their essence or have sex with them, we could come under their angelic influence and feel obligated to no longer take the life-force essence from anyone.”

  The young member, who’d chatted with Jadic, questioned, “What has brought your attention to this matter?”

  A slight smile preceded the answer. “I’m glad you asked. I didn’t want to make this a personal matter, but maybe I should. It has come to my attention that a certain vampyre, who is also a member of this Council, has been seen on more than one occasion taking the same part-angel woman to his home. I don’t understand why he can’t get his needs met by humans, the way we do. I’m concerned for his welfare and I believe we should make a ruling immediately. Others may copy him and endanger their vampyre nature.”

  Jadic didn’t look at Herres, but he knew he spoke about him. In previous meetings the two had argued about various issues that seemed to center on removing most of the original guidelines and principles. Herres didn’t like or trust Jadic, and he was certain his adversary felt the same way about him. How did Jadic know he’d brought Delia to his home? It had only happened twice, the second occasion being today. Someone must have kept a close eye on what he did, and then reported it back to Jadic. Herres trusted his servants implicitly, but a new part-time gardener was hired recently. It was possible he was the culprit.

  One of the older members asked, “Are you going to name the vampyre about whom you’ve spoken?”

  “That will depend on what we decide. If today we make a ruling that anyone who is part angel is strictly off-limits, then I would have to name him, because I think he should be struck off the Council. In my opinion, such behavior does not merit being a member. However, if you disagree with me and don’t make the ruling, then I’ll have to trust he will remove himself after admitting his foolishness.”

  One of the oldest members questioned, “Have you ever taken the essence of a part angel individual, Jadic?”

  “No, I haven’t. To my mind it’s detrimental, and to take it is inexcusable.”

  “Well, if you had, you wouldn’t be wasting our time with this nonsense. Their essence is sweeter than that of humans or any other life form. It doesn’t change who we are other than to possibly improve our health. Also, being quite young, you may have only just learned that one of the original principles set down by this Council was not to intervene in the pursuits of vampyres. We value our freedom in most matters. If we were to accept your misguided view, we would be in violation of that valuable principle.”

  All of the older members made sounds of agreement with this comment, and Jadic sat down. He shrugged and said, “I am only trying to be helpful. Let’s hope you don’t come to regret not paying attention to me.”

  The rest of the meeting continued without Jadic putting forward any other issues. At its end, those vampyres, including Herres, who hadn’t already replenished their a
ppetites by taking human life-force essence in the other room, did so. This gift given to the members was considered a bonus and envied by those vampyres who were not on the Council. Herres always went to Selva, a blind woman.

  As these few remaining vampyres left the house, Herres stopped Jadic on the driveway and asked, “Why do you have a problem with me? What I do in my life should be of no interest to you. I don’t interfere in your life, so stay out of mine. I may be an old vampyre, but my powers are not less than yours, and I believe they are more.”

  “Don’t threaten me. This matter isn’t settled yet. I don’t intend to let you ruin the welfare of vampyres.” He strode away from Herres, got into his waiting transporter and was gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Delia wished Herres would come home. She was anxious to show him how she’d arranged the bookshelves and hoped he’d approve. His love of books was obvious and she wanted him to know she felt the same. In many ways they were different from each other, but this was an example of how they were similar. She was curious to find out where he’d acquired the rare books and why he had a lack of interest in fiction.

  The fire kept her warm and as she gazed at the dancing flames, her thoughts wandered into the world of speculation. She liked Herres, and even his unusual face was important to her. His thin lips didn’t feel unyielding when he kissed her, and his pointed ears were not oversized like those of some demons. Anyway, his hair was long enough to hide his ears completely, when it wasn’t tied back. His eyes mesmerized her. They were black and seemed to assess the inner person, rather than view someone’s outer image. She could believe what he’d said about them being his best asset. If she stared at them for longer than a couple of minutes, Delia was sure he would draw her into the confines of his vampyre power. Already, he’d captured her thoughts and body, as well as made her feel the same way she did the very first time she’d been attracted to a man. Was that her own reaction to him or had he compelled her to view him so favorably?

  Delia began to fantasize about her life in this beautiful house with Herres. They would share their love of books and pursue many other interests. He’d make passionate love to her every night, and her inner angel and his inner demon would be totally compatible. Other vampyres would wish they could be as happy as them.

  The fire crackled and brought Delia out of her reverie. What was wrong with her? Herres was a vampyre and only wanted to make her addicted to his wild sex so that he could steal all of her life-force essence. How could she dare to relax in front of this fire when she should be getting out of his home as quickly as possible? She sat forward and intended to get up, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

  “Stay where you are, Delia. I’m going to look at the bookshelves to see what you’ve done.” His hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment and she could feel his dominant nature forcing her to stay where she was. She hadn’t even realized he’d returned. Had he sensed her thoughts of escaping? She should have gone from his home before he came back.

  Delia watched Herres move from one set of bookshelves to another, looking up and down and nodding. He walked all around the study and finally came back to her with a smile.

  “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “That’s one of my power tricks. I can be right on top of someone before they’re aware of me. Thank you for tidying the study. I like what you’ve done with my books.”

  “Good, then I’ll go home. If I may use your voicer, I’ll call a transporter.” Once again, she attempted to stand up, but his hand was back on her shoulder.

  “I want to reward you for tidying my bookshelves. I stopped on the way back here and bought you a little gift. Let’s see if you like it.” He gave her a small box and instructed, “Open the lid.”

  Delia pulled back the hinged lid and stared in amazement at a thick, gold band that was fashioned into a bracelet with strange, inscribed symbols circling it. It was a stunning piece of jewelry.

  “Put it on your wrist.”

  She lifted the bracelet out of the box and could feel its heavy weight. “It’s solid gold and must have cost a great deal of cash. I can’t accept it.” She put it back in the box.

  Herres stooped down beside her, took the bracelet and pushed it over her hand and onto her wrist. “There, it’s yours. Don’t argue with me or I’ll make you keep it. Do you like it?”

  “It’s beautiful, but why would you buy me such an expensive gift? It wasn’t difficult for me to rearrange your books.”

  “I wanted to give you something and not just because you’ve tidied my study. I ordered the bracelet early last week and had to wait for it to be ready.”

  “But I’ve only known you for a few days, so you couldn’t have intended it for me when you ordered it.”

  “Ah, I followed you to and from work for more than a week before the vampires attacked you. I made it impossible for you to sense me.”

  That was a surprise, and why would he order a gift for someone he hadn’t even met? Did that make him a stalker?

  “I don’t like the thought of you following me. It’s creepy, as is ordering me a gift before we met. Why would you do that?”

  He caressed her cheek. “Sweet Delia, I was captivated by you the first time I saw you leaving a restaurant with a female lycan. I was determined to get to know you, and I wanted to have a gift to give when that happened. Please keep it.”

  “Are you trying to bribe me into giving you my life-force essence?”

  “Why bribe you? I can take it whenever I want. This gift is merely a token of my interest in you.”

  “What are the symbols? Do they mean something?”

  “They do, but if I tell you, then you’ll be upset.”

  “Oh, so they must be some kind of magic that will cast me under your spell. Maybe I’ll become your source of life-force essence, or perhaps they’ll turn me into your sex slave. Thanks, but you can give this bracelet to some other unsuspecting female.” Delia started to pull it over her hand, yet before it was off, his hand pushed it back onto her wrist.

  “The symbols don’t possess any magic; they are ancient vampyre glyphs that give you a message. Don’t make me force you to wear them.”

  Was this an attempt to fool her? Had she guessed their real purpose? She would love to keep the bracelet because it was beautiful, but if it didn’t possess magical powers, why did he insist she keep it? They had only just met. “I don’t understand. What message are the symbols expressing?”

  Herres stared at the fire for a moment, and then his demon eyes bored into her. “I’ll tell you later. Let’s go and eat our supper.” He pulled Delia up, took hold of her hand and walked her out of the study, along the hall and into the dining room.

  It was another large room with a long, oak table that had several matching, richly ornate chairs surrounding it. Red velvet drapes were drawn closed and light came from two silver candelabras positioned close to each other in the center of the table. At one end there were two settings of crockery and cutlery on wide, lace table mats. One was at the head of the table, while the other was close by at the end of one side.

  “As always, Mrs. Perty has set a welcoming table. Did you tell her what you would like for supper?”

  “I explained how I don’t need food very often and would be happy with something light. She suggested soup or salad.”

  “I’m sure she will bring both. Come and sit with me.” He guided her to the chair next to the end of the table, pulled it out and pushed it back in when she sat down. Herres then settled in the chair at the head of the table.

  Steven came in with a bottle of the same white wine she’d had before. He opened it and poured a generous amount of the pale amber liquid into both of their glasses. Then, he put the bottle into a container of ice resting on a short stand positioned between them. He was gone without saying a word.

  Herres raised his glass and stated, “I trust you will enjoy your night here with me, sweet Delia.”

  What else could she do b
ut lift her glass and smile? They drank from their glasses and she was fascinated by the candlelight sparkling on little facets of her glass. “Are these glasses made of crystal?”

  He nodded.

  “You must be very rich. Everything in your home is beautiful and expensive.”

  “When you’ve lived as long as I have, there is plenty of time to accrue a great deal of cash. If there is anything you want, just tell me and I’ll get it for you.” He touched her hand and she could feel those warm tingles shooting up her arm. So she hadn’t imagined them when they were in the bar. He could make them happen.

  “What are you doing? I can feel tingles moving up my arm. Is it one of your ways to make me obey you?”

  “No, it’s something vampyres do to show affection. I’m giving you a little of my essence.” Herres covered her hand with his and the tingles were even more intense. “Do you like the feeling?”

  Delia did, but she didn’t want to admit it. “It’s okay, I guess.”

  Mrs. Perty came into the room, carrying a soup tureen. The woman was about to serve Herres, but he indicated that she should attend to his guest first.

  The soup was a golden brown, and when Mrs. Perty ladled some into his bowl, she explained, “Cook has made a vegetable broth, Master Herres. She hopes you both like it.”

  Steven entered, carrying a small basket of rolls. He placed them on the table and followed Mrs. Perty out of the dining room.

  Delia and Herres ate their soup and rolls in silence. When they were finished, she commented, “Your servants seem to do a number of different jobs that would usually be done by several people. I only know this because I once worked as a maid in a large house.”

  “I prefer to have a few trustworthy people perform the required tasks, rather than a larger number with whom I would be less familiar. There are only three who work in my home—Mrs. Perty, Steven, and Betsy, the cook. I also have a gardener and a couple of part-time gardeners who help him, but they don’t live here.”