by Clare Daly
‘Like you wouldn’t believe. What do you say we start over?’
‘So, you can win your bet?’
‘Ah, I already lost it. They bet a minute flat.’
‘That’s some record…especially with that mouth.’
‘You wanna get out of here? Come on,” he said, taking her hand. ‘Promise, I’ll behave like a gentleman.’
Velle had broken her own rule. Men on their own were discreet and as they walked by the other two men, they slapped their buddy on the back and whooped for his success even though the bet was lost. A distant alarm bell rang for her but so too did the one for the morning’s stagecoach to Columbus and her need to be on it.
‘You need to pay me up front,’ she said as he opened the door of the hotel room.
‘Sure thing,’ he said taking out a silver money clip, its many bills neatly folded. He handed her the money and she put in it her purse. Kissing her on the cheek, he opened the door for her. It was a nice hotel room, with curtains on the window and a proper eiderdown on the bed. She’d been in a lot worse.
He asked her to undress slowly as he watched. She removed her clothes, item by item, her fingers fumbling with the strings of her corset. She felt woozy suddenly, as pain spiked in her head and she sat down on the bed, disorientated. A light knock sounded on the door and the man answered it, his two friends coming into the room. She tied to sit up again but the room began to spin.
‘I don’t feel well. I think I’m going to be sick,’ she said, trying to get off the bed.
‘You’ll be okay. We just gave you a little something to relax you.’
She looked at him, seeing double.
‘You...’ Her words faded and she slipped out of consciousness, coming too again with a sharp pain in her cheek. One of the other men had slapped her face.
‘Jeez, Robert you gave her too much. It’s never fun when they’re unconscious.’
‘I don’t mind,’ said the third man, unbuttoning his bitches. She opened her eyes, the man looming above her and moaned a groggy ‘No’.
The next thirty seconds, were a bizarre blur of noise and images. The man was on top of her for only a second before he suddenly flew upwards, slamming into the ceiling and falling backwards to the floor. The second man let out a gurgling cry, as a spurt of blood erupted from his neck. The first, had made it to the door but was yanked backwards, his body meeting the wall with a loud crack. She heard the stranger’s voice as he leaned into the fallen man.
‘That ain’t no way to treat a lady.’
She tried to get up but her hands felt numb, and then the blanket was covering her, her clothes wrapped in with her in the eiderdown. Carefully, he carried her out of the room, her bare feet dangling over his forearm and down the back stairs, his grip never faltering.
‘Don’t worry, it’s gonna be okay.’
She rested her head into his shoulder and allowed the tears to flow.
***
‘He put me to bed somewhere dark,’ Velle said, ‘the covers warm, and when I woke up I was alone, the sun streaming in through the curtains. On the bedside table, was a note.
Know that you are safe here. I’ll be back tonight if you choose to stay. Wade.’
Evelyn could feel her heart beating faster.
‘How’s that for a rescue?’ Velle said. ‘Speak of the handsome devil, they’re back.’
28
Wade took one look at Velle and put his arms around her, pulling her into him.
‘Don’t, I smell awful,’ she said.
‘Smells like chicken,’ he grinned. ‘I’m gonna take you home and wash that right out of you.’ He rested his hand inside the hole in the front of her dress, finding her waist as she kissed him. Evelyn watched them, envious of their intimacy. Michael and Baker had also returned and while none of them expected to see Vladimir again, the room seemed strangely empty without him, his books and treasures now orphaned. Lincoln recounted Vladimir’s demise to Baker, as Michael listened in.
‘Are you okay?’
Sasha had come to her side. She felt awkward, unsure how to proceed. Did she condone his revenge?
‘He didn’t suffer,’ he said, sensing her discomfort.
She knew it was a lie. His coat was blood soaked but he was trying to make her feel better, dim the horror of what he’d done.
‘You have nothing to fear from me Evelyn.’
‘What do you want from me?’
‘He will tell you when the time is right.’
‘Who?’
‘Gabriel.’
‘Is he a vampire too?’
‘No. He is much more powerful. He is the gatekeeper of this magnificent city and more.’
Of course. Her guide along this merry path thus far. It had to be. She waited, hoping to hear his voice, to confirm it. But there was nothing.
‘I want to see him,’ she said.
Something caught her eye outside. Movement, then a pair of glowing eyes peering through the window. Sasha drew back the lace curtain. He undid the latch and in slipped the most beautiful and unusual animal Evelyn had ever seen. A large cat, its eyes ringed in black fur that streaked from each corner to the tip of its long ears. Its coat was golden, dotted here and there with traces of black. Sasha bent down to pet the cat’s head, its bright eyes closing, thankful for the welcome.
‘This is Mafdet. She belongs to him,’ he said. ‘Beautiful, isn’t she? Has he sent you my lovely?’
Mafdet purred arching her back as he ran his fingers down her spine.
‘Very well,’ he said.
With that Mafdet left him and went to Evelyn, sitting back on her hind legs at her skirts, like a sentry guarding her queen. Evelyn was almost afraid to touch her. She eased her hand towards her, the spiked fur of her ears touching her hand, as she rested it softly on Mafdet’s head.
‘You will see him tonight,’ Sasha said. ‘Mafdet will accompany us, just you and me.’
‘I don’t want my brother harmed,’ she said.
‘Are we safe from him?’ Sasha said, looking at Velle.
‘Probably not. Do I have your word?’
‘He will be safe, once he behaves.’
Michael was half-way through the decanter of whiskey, his eyes heavy as they followed Lincoln around the room. She could imagine all the scenarios flicking through his head, all ending in bloodshed, namely his own. Baker too was taking caution. Vladimir’s sword lay under the staircase and he picked it up, slipping it back into its casing.
‘He’s not going to let me leave on my own.’
‘I wouldn’t worry. Baker’s taken care of that. There’s more than just whiskey in that bottle. A little laudanum, enough to subdue any notions he might have. For his own good. He is a danger to himself drunk, I think you realise that. He will be trouble and will find himself in trouble because of it. Let him sleep.’
When she looked, Michael had already passed out, the remains of the whiskey trickling onto the floor.
‘Wade will look after him. Now, we must go. We shouldn’t keep him waiting.’
Evelyn could feel the fingers of manipulation beginning to tighten around her and she didn’t like it – even though she knew the importance of her going alone. She’d kept Michael out of everything so far. Where would she possibly begin now? She would meet with Gabriel and at last find out what was expected of her and her gift. Then she would tell Michael everything.
Outside, Mafdet led the way, a few paces in front. A couple walked towards them, saw the lynx and swiftly crossed the road. Mafdet was quite the sight.
‘Do you mind?’ Sasha said taking her hand.
‘No’ she said, though Mafdet cast her head back to them and quickened her pace.
‘Why are you not afraid?’ he asked.
‘When you have nothing left, you have nothing left to fear,’ she s
aid.
‘Not even death?’
‘You’re dead, you tell me,’ she said with a half-smile, as he laughed.
The streets seemed to go past them in a blur as they spoke and as he let go of her, she realised that by holding his hand she had moved at a preternatural speed and they stopped now in a darkened alleyway, miles from the tree lined corner they had left. As Mafdet approached the door it swung open and she turned to look back at Evelyn, her stare transfixed, green speckles like stardust in her golden eyes. Evelyn felt him beyond that stare, looking at her. She could feel him. And he was pleased. Maybe even a little excited.
Inside, they descended a staircase into the basement below. It was vast, a catacomb of tunnels and caverns that stretched out beneath the city like a spider’s web. The walls leading to the main chamber were a blur of yellowing round stones, lit every so often by torchlight and it was only as Evelyn reached out to touch them that she felt the coldness of the bone. Skulls with long lost eyes, compacted side by side and top and bottom, building blocks for another world. She had left the Earth she was sure, for she’d never seen a place such as this and that music – with notes so low they made the ground hum beneath her feet, like a secret world hidden under theirs. Soaring strings mixed with instruments her ear couldn’t identify, their strain charged and powerful and a voice, male, deep and sultry. In a wide cavern, she looked everywhere for its source, for the group of musicians creating such a powerfully seductive overture, and yet they were nowhere to be seen. As the music swelled so too did the inhabitants, the walls lined with its nocturnal residents moving to its chorus, their bodies twisting inwards, their hands treading the air.
Sasha took her hand protectively as they came closer to investigate. Her humanity was a beacon in the darkness, the smell of her filling their senses, the curiosity of their human visitor luring them closer. She felt a sharp prod in her back and turned to see a cloaked creature, half her size, retract a wizened hand, its black fingernails curling back in. Sasha pulled her through them and they left the cavern, travelling down a narrow tunnel into the darkness until the light ran out and Evelyn could see no further. Sasha led her onwards, his vision clear but the sudden loss of hers was unnerving and she felt the first tiny drops of fear start to invade. Sasha stopped and she grabbed his arm as he turned back to her in the dark, putting his hands to her face. Her eyes searched in the darkness catching the tiniest glint of light from his as he moved closer to her.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ he whispered, his lips brushing her cheek.
‘Where is he?’ she said, his lips finding hers as he kissed her softly.
Sasha didn’t answer, his lips parting to kiss her again. She felt every cell in her body react, accelerated by desire and for a moment she lost herself, forgetting their surroundings and the purpose of their visit. Her heart leapt as his lips moved over her cheek, into her hair, softly skimming her ear before finding the soft flesh of her neck where he kissed her hard, catching her body up in his arms. She gave herself away in that moment, not realising until she felt the sharp pain, that his desire was of another kind. She could feel his tongue drawing the blood from her, his hold strong as she tried to push him away. In the darkness, Mafdet’s eyes glowed at her and she knew he was watching.
Through the murky blackness, all her fears were suddenly given form as invisible hands sought to grab at her, pulling her clothes. Decaying faces loomed out of the shadows, as they begged for their lives. The face of her father, soil resting in his eye sockets, Corcoran’s spectre beside her, his tongue extending to lick her cheek. Cries of starving children filled her ears as they crawled on the ground beneath her – and Sasha, in a blur now as she swooned into unconsciousness, the loss of blood too much for her as he pulled back, sweeping his hands up to her face. Through half-closed eyes she saw him but gone was the handsome prince, replaced instead by a red eyed monster, his skin a slick of black oiliness, his long teeth jagged hacksaws dripping with her blood. His hands felt like leather on her face, his nails curling as they extended, gripping her and threatening to pierce her skin. He was silent, holding her as she tried to cry out, the noise crushed in the small space and as she lost consciousness, she saw Mafdet’s eyes, the gleam swirling before disappearing into the black.
The tunnel exploded with the flames of torches along its path and Sasha carried her to a small chamber – Mafdet gone, returned to her master. Animal furs lined the floor like some prehistoric dwelling and as she came to, Sasha was bent over her, pulling at her corset. She felt her lungs expand and the agony with it, her insides no longer able to bear the pain as her veins ran empty, a million tiny tributaries with nothing to offer her slow beating heart. His hand brushed her cheek, the leathery touch now warm and soft, and she felt a trickle of liquid touch her lips. He pressed his wrist to her mouth.
‘Drink, Evelyn,’ he said as her body convulsed, spitting it out. ‘Drink. You have to, do you hear me?’
She looked at him, the prince returned, the concern etched on his face, and her tongue slid involuntarily over her lips.
‘That’s it. Your body knows what to do. You just need to let it.’
She found his wrist again and drank gently at first, the flow increasing as her pull became stronger. When he eventually pried it away, she glared at him with wild eyes. Her humanity ebbed away as his blood ran into every fibre of her body. It wrapped around her organs, remoulding them for immortality and when it reached her mind, it engulfed her in its immortal fire. It was a different fire though – not hers. She couldn’t feel hers anymore. It had fled, a distant human memory, and she knew that it was lost to her. Everything was different. Everything had changed. He tried to take her hand and she pushed him away, surprised that in her state she was strong enough to do so. When he tried again, she pointed a finger in accusation.
‘Stay away from me. Don’t you come near me.’
She was listening to her own heartbeat fade away, its drum beat faint and then it was gone. She waited, but it was silent, settling into its eternal stillness. She wished for death to come quickly but nothing happened and as she lay there she felt all pain leave her, her limbs tingling as Sasha’s blood finished its act of fortification.
Sasha waited, his back to the rocky wall, his head in his hands. Was that guilt or just the reminder of what he’d endured himself on his own transformation? The most visceral of reminders. She could hear Mafdet approach, her paws soft on the earthen floor and Sasha stood up. It was time. Her legs felt strange to her, as if the muscles were not yet strong and carefully Sasha slid his arms underneath her, lifting her easily. There were no torches in the dark passageway and yet she found it to be filled with light, her vision clear, every shadow transparent. By the time they reached the chamber, she was confident of standing and she demanded that Sasha let her down. In front of them on a table was a piece of folded cloth, a cloak that she swept around her bare shoulders where her open dress had slipped, no longer held in check. She pulled the pin from her hair and it fell past her shoulders in waves, shiny and dark and though she could feel Sasha’s eyes on her, she focussed ahead, half afraid of seeing the monster again in the darkness.
‘Welcome my dear.’
His voice, from all around her. Then with it, Gabriel himself, out of the shadows, his arms outstretched, reaching for her embrace. It was him and despite herself she was glad to finally meet him face to face.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked.
‘Betrayed. I was told I was safe. He told me I was safe.’
Sasha lowered his eyes.
‘You mustn’t blame him, Evelyn. It was I who gave him his instruction, in return for his revenge. It is a price which bears heavy on him.’
‘Am I dead? Like him?” she asked her eyes remaining on Gabriel.
‘Yes, my dear.’
His words cut her more sharply than Sasha’s assault.
‘It’s okay to grieve for your life
, Evelyn. Like all grief it will diminish over time but it is important to let go of your human sensibilities. You will eventually.’
‘You want to make me a monster,’ she said, finally looking at Sasha.
‘That is not my intent,’ Gabriel said. ‘But you need to learn from Sasha about his kind and how to survive, how to feed and we will talk again, when you are ready.’
‘I’m not going with him,’ she said flatly.
‘You must,’ said Gabriel. ‘Don’t you wish to see your brother again? Please, Sasha is not your enemy. Believe me we have many enemies here. Sasha is not yours, so let him help you. Mafdet will stay by your side and watch over you.’
‘I am trapped then.’
‘It is a mere question of perspective. You will be glad of your new vampire family. They will take care of you. You are angry and I understand that believe me, but have patience.’ He turned to Sasha, ‘It is almost dawn, my friend. You should both rest here.’
‘You can take me back home,’ she said. ‘I won’t stay here. I want to see my brother.’
‘We’ll make it back,’ said Sasha to him. ‘Lincoln was making provisions for us to rest there.’ With a short bow, Sasha turned to go.
‘Thank you, Gabriel.’
‘How tasted your revenge?’
‘Bittersweet,’ he said as Evelyn glared at him, her eyes a bright sapphire blue.
Gabriel took her hand as Sasha left the cavern.
‘Trust me. Trust him and all will be well, sweet Evelyn. And try not to kill him,’ he said.
‘I don’t know how,’ she said, ‘but perhaps I’ll learn’ and with a turn of her cloak, she disappeared into the darkness after him.
29
Michael had awoken on the sofa, where he’d slept sprawled, one leg hanging to the floor. He forgot where he was for a moment, his eyes blinking, head thumping, as he looked up at the ceiling. Slowly he moved his eyes from side to side, his brain sending a fork of pain across his temples and he winced, rubbing them with his hand. He was no stranger to the after-effects of too much drink but he hadn’t felt this bad since Jack O’Keefe’s emigration wake when he, Jack and his six brothers, had stayed up all night drinking poitín. When light dawned, five of them had black eyes, him included, one was missing two teeth and another two were found asleep in the fields, a fresh trail of snails shuffling over them. It was wild stuff that crumpled their minds into a mess of laughter and violence and Michael had never seen a man look as green in the face as Jack did when he left the next day.