Twice Bitten

by Aiden James

  “Okay…as long as it’s only two.”

  “How come you’re protected from the sunlight when you shape shift?”

  I had wanted to ask this question right away, but it somehow slipped my mind once we got to talking about Ralu and reverse infinity, etc.

  “Good question—really it is.” His wry smile grew wide enough to reveal his double fangs. That was another question for another day, since I wanted to hear his take on something more pressing for me personally. “I learned early on in my vampire life that as long as I shifted into a creature that was comfortable in daylight, I would be too. The only drawback is I’m always fiercely hungry when I morph back to vampire form. So, it’s critical for me to eat something when in the altered state.”

  “It must’ve been very difficult not to take a bite out of me on the way here.” I snickered playfully.

  “Yes, it was,” he said, evenly. A rush of tingles surged up and down my spine. “But I knew it would be, so I fed on one of the kitchen staff members this morning. Don’t worry, Txema, I took only enough blood to get by.”

  Good thing the dude is committed to my survival.

  “What is your last question, then?” He gently prodded, when I stared comatose at the comfortable blaze in the fire pit.

  “Okay…you mentioned you were once an alchemist, right? Did you ever come across Racco and his brother? Chanson said they were also over two-thousand years old.”

  “What an interesting question, Txema,” he said, admiringly. He grew silent, as if collecting his thoughts. Then he remained silent.

  “Well?”

  “Perhaps an even better question would be this: Do you honestly think a human being can stumble upon the exact chemical recipe for immortality in a single human lifetime?” he said. “What is that…about sixty to eighty years, perhaps?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, here’s the long answer to your question in sort of a nutshell,” he continued. “After I was turned into a vampire, during Xerxes’ return from the Battle of Thermopylae, I felt quite despondent. I wanted to continue my growth as an alchemist and master magician. But, the miracles performed by a human alchemist are far more glorious and appreciated among the mortal nations of the world, and not so much among immortals. That meant I needed someone to take my place.”

  “And the brothers St. Germain were whom you chose for this?”

  “Yes,” he said. “And without going too far into detail, I found two orphaned brothers left to die by Alexander’s army in a pillaged town near Persepolis. Since the original names I gave them are not easy to pronounce and remember, we’ll stick with who they are now. Comte was the more astute wizard between them, as Racco has always been more interested in the finer things that life has to offer. I made sure they lacked for nothing in terms of luxury and comfort, and as my dedicated researchers into ‘man-made’ immortality, they were considered very wealthy by their peers and within Greek/Persian society.

  “They had a huge head start on their peers by means of my research conducted at night during the previous century. It still took them nearly twenty years of painstaking experiments—some with disastrous results—until they made the most monumental achievement in the history of mankind.”

  “And, how long ago was that?” I was trying to get the full picture of this in my mind.

  “Less than a decade after Alexander’s death…so somewhere around twenty-three hundred years ago, mankind had the secret to ‘real’ eternal life. At least life on earth…which as any immortal will tell you can be terribly lonely at times,” said Kazikli. It looked as if he might pause to reminisce some more, but he pushed onward. “My lads lost the recipe, unfortunately. So, like all of us who can’t experience the magic of normal eating, sleeping, and even really loving anything beyond what we crave and need, these two are alone for eternity. No one else can join them.”

  “That’s so sad,” I said. My heart again was pulled to thoughts of Racco. I ached to hear his voice…to feel his touch against my skin. “I never imagined they were schooled by a vampire. You’re sort of their dad, huh?”

  “Sadly, that’s true,” he said. “And as their ‘father’, I have words of advice for you, Txema. Never let your guard down around Racco. My boy has always been self-serving, and a never-ending scoundrel to women. I warned Chanson about him many times while she was still human nearly three hundred years ago, and like you, she was loathe to listen….”

  He paused to study my expression, which I managed to keep blank. But, his widening smile told me that he had gathered something from my thoughts.

  “I hope you will at least think about what I’ve told you tonight,” he said. “Garvan would be a better match for you, because he does sincerely love you, Txema.”

  My mouth dropped open in surprise, as this was the exact thing I was thinking about when he studied me.

  “But, lasting happiness with a vampire is an impossibility…unless you become one, too,” he said. “You may well decide to do that, in order to oversee your bloodline’s survival, as Chanson decided to do when it was only her and the two baby girls she had with Racco.”

  “What?” I gasped in surprise. “Neither one ever told me that!”

  “I imagine they haven’t,” said Kazikli. He smiled compassionately. “That’s why you need to be careful about who you chose to be with. What about that Worley kid? He seems all right, and is a good-looking boy. Not to mention, he must love you dearly to have gone through the five days of torture in Racco’s dungeon and then still have enough mental fortitude to have sex with you in front of a nation of vampires. You may not have seen it, but I tipped my hat to him that night for coming through when we desperately needed it.”

  All I could do was shake my head in wonder. So many new facts to sort through.

  “Think about it, Txema,” he said, coming over to my side. I was too numb to even care about his instantaneous change of location. “Think about it all, and make the best decisions for you and your child to be.”

  Chapter 9

  After learning this latest information from Kazikli, I wasn’t interested in sleep or rest of any kind. Not with my mind racing as I sought clues that might’ve hinted at the bombshell of Chanson and Racco’s one time love affair from centuries past. Maybe that’s why she sought to discourage me from hooking up with Racco back in France. Although, at the time, the main point presented to me was that I had to remain unsullied until the blood and sex ceremony had produced a perfect heir for the birthmark and blood legacy that I alone could pass on to another generation.

  I could live with that, I decided, and was almost ready to move back to the present and consider what was about to become of my life situation later that evening. But then I recalled Chanson mentioned a girl during the heated discussion between her, Racco, and Gustav when determining whose seed I should carry in my womb…. She mentioned a name….

  Marissa.

  That was it! Chanson had said ‘Shall I take her to see Marissa?’, and Racco’s response was a dejected one. It was the last time I ever saw him, since he immediately exited the grand hall in his own castle and left the collective presence of vampires gathered there. It was probably for the best, since he wasn’t allowed to witness my Relance de sang anyway. Briefly reliving the ceremony’s lurid details in my mind made me thankful he didn’t attend.

  But, what about this girl named Marissa? Since I knew virtually nothing about her, other than I could almost feel Chanson’s terrible angst when she spoke of her that night, I had a new thing to discuss with my ancestral cousin whenever we’d meet up again.

  That thought alone brought me immediately back to the present.

  Kazikli had gone fishing for our dinner. His catch was to be eaten ‘raw’ in the river while in his transient ‘bird’ state and mine would be cooked civilized over the fire. He was quite serious about shape shifting into a gull or pelican of some sort—at least that’s what the bird looked like that flew out from our hideout and headed for the river. Not
to mention there was no sign of Kazikli once the bird flew off.

  The plan after dinner was for me to meet my new hosts, who from what I gathered right before Kazikli went foraging for our meal were a reclusive Buddhist sect. Hence his colorful outfit, I suppose, and a similar ‘triple robe’ for me. He even told me a little about the garment, that the collection of robes is called a ‘kashaya’, which is supposed to represent the original mendicant clothing the early Buddhist monks wore more than two thousand years ago. The ‘triple robe’ is also referred to as a ‘tricivara’, and the three layers are called ‘uttarasanga’, ‘antafasavaka’, and ‘sanghati’.

  Why that information would be important to me is hard to say—especially since Kazikli also told me that virtually none of these kind folks could speak or understand English. Only Suddhodana was able to do that, and since he is another vampire, it looked as if my days would be beyond boring. The jokes about the aged having nothing better to do than bird watch might soon apply to me, as well.

  “So what do you think?”

  Kazikli had redressed in his colorful robes and held out a pair of fish that sort of looked like rainbow trout, although he said they weren’t.

  “As long as they taste good, I’ll be fine,” I said, feeling severe hunger pangs since I hadn’t eaten anything that day. Whereas earlier I was too excited about everything to notice my hunger, it now screamed to be taken care of. “I’ll see if I can find something to prepare and cook them with.”

  “That’s already been taken care of,” he said, pointing to a grill that had been placed above the fire pit, and a pair of carving knives resting on the bench he’d sat upon. “Allow me to clean and prepare them for you, and then it should be time to make the short journey to the village.”

  The sun had mostly set, but the faint rays were enough to irritate his skin, as light tendrils of smoke drifted into the air above him from his arms and neck. He hurried over to the pit that remained free from even the slightest fractured sunrays seeping through the bamboo canes of our hideout.

  Before long, he and I sat together next to the fire. Crickets and tree frogs sang for one another as the onset of night fell upon us. He watched me as I ate, and nothing serious was mentioned by either one of us. I’d already decided in my mind that it would be better this time around to gather my own impressions of my new hosts without grilling him beforehand about them, and Kazikli seemed content to allow this.

  Finally, when the near-full moon had risen to where its light danced upon the river, he announced it was time to leave. We followed the roped wooden walkway into deeper jungle, and soon came upon the village he spoke of. Illuminated by a series of torches and pit fires, the village mostly contained thatched huts with only a smattering of wooden pagodas. No doubt at least one of the pagodas contained a Buddha in statue form. I wondered if the idol would be more modest, as the copper, iron, or wooden representations of the Enlightened One, or would it be a lavish golden version?

  That night, such questions would remain as mysteries to be discovered.

  Suddhodana greeted us, and I was impressed with the peacefulness that surrounded this vampire. Even the dozen monks who accompanied their pale leader carried the same air of holiness and confidence that all was well, and so it would remain. The servants—and I say that loosely, since everyone I encountered that night and beyond were always warm to each other—carried themselves with thoughtfulness and mercy, which seemed to be the rule for everyone.

  My new host told me his Sakya clan was immensely pleased to have me there, and they would do everything in their power to make me comfortable. Although I immediately recognized modern comforts were absent from this village, I wasn’t alarmed about it. I knew I should be—and probably would be soon—but at the moment it didn’t matter. I felt unreservedly welcome, and thoroughly at home in my body, mind, and spirit.

  Very strange.

  I should’ve known Kazikli would be leaving that night, and at first I felt a twinge of worry. But after visiting with Suddhodana just before Kazikli disappeared into the night, I felt assured that all would be well. Real inner peace…who would’ve ever guessed that you could receive this by simply being around an entire population of people who had it?

  Yeah, me neither. But it’s true.

  Once everyone retired around ten o’clock, I thought I’d lie awake in my hut, restlessly twisting the night away in my bed that resembled a secured hammock. But within a few minutes, I was sound asleep, and enjoyed the most peaceful night of rest I could ever remember having.

  Nirvana…at least sort of.

  ***

  At the outset of this story, I said I would stick to the biggest events that have happened since The Vampires’ Last Lover ended. That remains true.

  I doubt very many readers will feel cheated if I fast-forward a little bit, and move this story along. Resuming this tale in mid May should be a perfect spot to land. Lush springtime in the subtropics! If you think it gets muggy in America’s Deep South, try late spring in southern Nepal. If not for the torrential rains that bring some coolness, it can be damned near unbearable—at least for a young pregnant woman about to give birth and who still craved air-conditioned comfort.

  By then, I’d been living with my Buddhist hosts for just over four months. Like many of you, I’m sure, considering my life’s progression at that point from happy care-free college student in Tennessee, to jet setting vampire guest in the French Pyrenees, to the freezing meal in waiting I became for the dragons in the Himalayas, to finally roughing it in ascetic conditions would be one totally fucked-up experience. However, despite the humid spring weather, the last few months spent in that peaceful village near the Kosi River made up for much of the craziness I endured until then.

  Primitive? Absolutely. Having to persevere through one challenging issue after another—like how to maintain clean hygiene in a world where a deodorant soap like Dial doesn’t exist? Most definitely. Yet, would I have traded anything to skip this shit and enjoy the modern luxuries I’ve been used to all my life? Not necessarily.

  The tender care I received from the females was incomparable to anything I’ve known. Ranging from kindergarten age to old women who could barely get around, their kindness was profoundly humbling. And the fact there were women here at all, considering Buddhism’s male monastic traditions, was a marvel in itself.

  The men were kinder souls than I was used to dealing with, but the women were amazing. The bitterness I felt for losing my life’s dreams and being forced to bear a child to feed one vampire elitist society melted into an appreciation for my life as a woman in its simplest terms. I was about to become a full-fledged mother. The miracle that no man could ever understand was upon me, and I didn’t have the crazy hustle and bustle of modern society to spoil any of it for me.

  Alaia had been steadily growing within me, and my distended belly made it difficult to get around by March. Keep in mind, these kids grow fast and a full pregnancy lasts only five to six months. Meanwhile, Suddhodana had introduced me to one of his favored servants, named Yangani, who spoke several languages fluently, including English. I was overjoyed that at least one villager besides Suddhodana could carry on a conversation with me, and that Kazikli was wrong! Yangani shared many things I’m eternally grateful for, including the introduction to a meditation routine I believe will stay with me for the rest of my life. That and Chakra alignment. I intend to correspond with her on a monthly basis, since her younger sister lives near Kathmandu and is willing to take my letters to her.

  So, why the month of May to resume this narrative? Because of two factors, and both are related. The most important one is that I was ready to give birth at any time. Perhaps on account of that fact my vampire friends returned to my life.

  I had no doubt Kazikli would finally reveal my location to them after a period of secrecy that only Gustav and Xuanxang knew. By then, those three fully believed Huangtian Dadi betrayed me, and Ralu was behind the assassination attempt on my life that last day at
the palace.

  You might question how I know this. I can assure you of this information’s accuracy, since it came to me from Suddhodana directly. I have since learned that Xuanxang turned Suddhodana after he cursed the Hindu gods Rama and Krishna for taking his son from him—the rightful heir to his throne—by inflicting this son with too great of a conscience to bear. Had his son not defected from the path inspired by these deities, there would be no Buddha. Siddharta Guetama would have followed his father’s steps, and the course of Eastern religious thought as well as vampire genealogies would be forever changed from what they became.

  But that’s a subject for another time.

  Chanson was the first to visit me. I initially mistook her presence in my hut as Yangani, up much earlier than usual.

  “Who’s there?” I whispered into the darkness, as the shadowed shape moved from my hut’s doorway to my bedside.

  Less than a day before Alaia’s birth, I wasn’t agile enough to defend myself from any intruders. The male guards outside my door were all I had for protection.

  “Yangani? …Reveal yourself now or I’ll scream!”

  Praying fervently that it wasn’t one of Ralu’s assassins that had finally found me, I started to rise up in my bed.

  “Txema, it’s me, Chanson,” said the dim figure, who had picked up a candle from a table near the doorway. A spark emitted from the figure’s hand lit the candle, casting enough light to illuminate her smiling face.

  “Oh my God, it is you!” I squealed, incredibly excited to see her. Four months of forced distractions to not think about her or the others suddenly crumbled, and I felt such intense joy. “You’ve finally come!”

  “Yes, Kazikli finally told us where you’ve been hidden,” she said, pausing to set the candle on a smaller table next to my pillow. “I should’ve known it would be someplace like this, beyond the reach of prying psychic eyes—including those of us who care deeply for you, cousin.”