The Meridian Gamble

  He comes to me, sensing my feelings without even needing to be told. Adam lifts me up onto the edge of the mattress that’s high off the ground, so that I’m sitting, and he’s standing between my legs, still smiling. But he doesn’t kiss me. He buries his face in my curls and inhales deeply, drinking in their scent. He runs his lips against my skin, my cheek and temple, and I can feel my pulse quickening with excitement.

  I want to throw myself onto the bed, like a cat in heat, to have him in the most intimate of ways.

  “You want to drink me, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t. Not at all. You’re far too precious for that. No vampire alive deserves to taste your blood,” he says, running his lips against my skin once more. “And I don’t need to drink you to taste you. Your scent, your skin against my lips is delicious.”

  “You’re endlessly attractive to me, Adam.”

  “Why? What on Earth could you possibly find attractive about me?”

  I laugh, because it’s so obvious. I pull him close to me, hugging him tightly. And this time, I press my face into his neck, tasting his skin also. And the warmth of his body is incredible, erotic and comforting at the same time.

  “Maybe it’s the contradiction. You’re this dangerous creature, yet I feel completely safe with you. Like you’ll use every ounce of your being to protect me. Or maybe it’s that you’re so complicated. I feel like I can fall into you, and the levels will go on forever.”

  I pull back, and look at him.

  “But really, it’s just a feeling when it comes right down to it, something you’re either blessed or cursed with. Of knowing that someone is ‘the one,’ and that no one else can ever take that place.”

  He stares back at me so intensely, his eyes shift back and forth just a bit, practically shaking. The green and gold flecks feel like they’re about to burn through me.

  “I’ve been so stupid, to let you slip away, time and again,” Adam says. “But not this time. There’s so much we have to catch up on. I have missed you so badly.”

  And I kiss him. I don’t care about vampire dinners anymore, I don’t care about scary carvings on the bed. I pull Adam toward me, desperately wanting more. But I’m confused, as he pushes me away.

  “I can’t,” he says, apologetically. “I can’t kiss you, or I won’t be able to leave this room.”

  “And that would be awful,” I say, with just a hint of sarcasm. “Forget about the dinner. I’m not ready to meet more vampires. They won’t care.”

  “They will. We have to, we’re expected,” he says, solemnly.

  And Adam steps back. He looks into my eyes, seriously. And I know it’s a refusal.

  “Meridian, we have to go now. And I have to warn you, there are things you may see here tonight that will be … upsetting.”

  “Things like what?” I say, full of fear.

  “You’ll have to wait and see. But I promise, nothing will hurt you in this place. And we can come back to the safety of my room later,” he says.

  “You’re scaring me.”

  “Just know that I will always keep you safe, just as you said. And that I wouldn’t show you any of this unless it was absolutely necessary.”

  Without waiting for me to respond, he takes my hand, and leads me out of the room with just a bit more force than he’s shown before now.

  We’re back in the curved hallway again, which finally ends at a set of double doors that are nearby. And the circular motif is repeated, at least to a degree. The doors are curved at the top, forming a half-circle. And they seemed to be carved from some ancient wood. In fact, I suspect they have been removed from some other structure so they could be incorporated here in the tower, and I can’t help but wonder how old they are.

  And like the frame on Adam’s bed and the artwork on his wall, there are figures carved into the doors, forming a relief. It’s the scene of an ancient battlefield, filled with warriors on horseback clashing with foot soldiers carrying spears, as bodies lie at their feet, littering the landscape. And at their forefront is a woman cloaked in armor overseeing the war from the back of her steed. For a moment, I think it must be Joan of Arc, but the carvings are so detailed I can almost detect a familiar pout to the girl’s lips. It’s the same one that belongs to the woman from the pictures in the hall.

  Their leader. The one who designed this circular maze. But it’s more than just recognizing her face. I realize that I know her. The past returns to me once more, but only when I’m not really trying.

  “Marion,” I whisper.

  It’s her name. And Adam looks at me in surprise.

  “I didn’t tell you that,” he says, smiling.

  And yet, I know it all the same.

  “Come on. Let’s go meet Marion.”

  And he opens one of the large doors, placing his hand on my back, as he ushers me inside.

  Chapter Five: Marion

  We enter a huge room that’s rectangular in shape, finally something that isn’t round or curved. To the left is an expansive wall made up entirely of windows that gives yet another spectacular view of the city. To the right, there’s a long onyx table that’s been set for the night’s festivities with plates that glisten with gold embellishments. A small staircase looms over the dining area that goes up to a second floor landing filled with bookshelves, and a door leading to God knows where.

  Past the table is a lounge with sofas and more bookcases, and I can see several couples milling about there. Even from a distance, they look like beautiful, well-dressed people, and I already feel outclassed. My palms start to sweat as we approach them, and all I want to do is run and hide.

  A woman at the front is talking to a tall African-American man. She has brown hair that falls in gentle curls to her shoulders, a different cut from the long hair in the paintings. But it’s not enough to hide her identity. I know in an instant it’s Marion.

  As we get closer, I can hear bits of their conversation, and it sounds like they’re talking about a Broadway show.

  “I don’t know why they insisted on adding music to the story. The songs are pretty, but they would have been far better off simply letting the drama unfold onstage …”

  They’re talking about a musical. It’s funny to me, that vampires see musicals.

  We pause for a moment, so as not to interrupt the discussion, and it gives me the chance to examine Marion, to try to test my memory. I’m nervous, wondering if the past will come flooding back into my mind. And as I stand there, expectantly waiting, I can’t help but to try to figure out what it is about her that captured the imaginations of so many artists over the centuries.

  She’s lovely, certainly, though her beauty seems simple enough. Her hair has an attractive sheen, and she has a trim figure, like any other woman. But her voice has a pleasant lilt with a slight accent I can’t quite place, and she has green eyes like Adam’s that sparkle with a mix of intelligence and mischief. And as I look more closely, I see that her skin is flawless, like porcelain, and her ruby lips form a perfect Cupid’s bow.

  And I quickly realize that Marion is anything but simple. It sneaks up on you, but soon, I can barely look away from her visage. Her features combine with some kind of alchemical magic that makes her absolutely stunning.

  She wears a beautiful necklace encrusted with diamonds and emeralds that compliments her eyes. It hangs in the opening of a beige, silk blouse, which Marion wears with flowing black balloon pants, and with horror I realize they’re exactly the same as mine. When she finally turns to me, we stare one another up and down, realizing our outfits are almost exactly alike, save for her flashy jewelry, which is far more expensive than anything I have on.

  I feel silly and awkward for a moment, but she breaks the uncomfortable silence. Marion rolls her head back and laughs, delighted by the surprise.

  “Marion, I would like you to meet Meridian,” Adam says.

  “So you are Adam’s new friend? Well, I certainly like your style,” she tells me. “It’s so good to meet y
ou, Meridian.”

  She gives me a warm hug, and when she does, it finally triggers something, a memory. It’s not some bit of information like I thought it would be, but rather, an emotion. When we embrace, I feel like I’m greeting a long lost friend.

  She turns to face the two couples who stand behind us, on the other side of a large, red velvet couch.

  “Everyone, I would like for you to meet Meridian.”

  Two of the women seem to be together, one with dark hair and a little blonde, and Marion faces them first.

  “Meridian, this is Lina … and Angel.”

  Lina is interesting looking. She’s the taller of the two, and has a hooked nose that one would almost call ugly, at first. You wouldn’t think the vampires would immortalize such a feature, but on her, it looks distinctive, striking even, and gives her an almost regal appearance. She nods to me when Marion says her name, and offers a sugary smile.

  “Sweet, Meridian. We’re all so happy to meet you. Welcome to our home,” Lina says.

  The blonde girl next to her is a slip of a thing, dressed in a gaudy rainbow-colored top, and tight leggings. She almost looks too young to be here.

  “Hey, I’m Angel,” she says, offering a casual wave.

  The other couple are both preppie-looking and attractive, like something that just stepped from the Ralph Lauren catalogue, a man with sandy blonde hair who’s a real cutie, and a woman with straight chestnut locks that fall to the middle of her back. They seem familiar somehow, but I can’t quite place it, and again, I wonder if it’s repressed memory.

  “Tom, Jennifer … this is Meridian.”

  “Welcome, Meridian,” Jennifer says in a friendly way.

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Tom says, with a toothy grin.

  “And, of course, this is my companion, Bernard.”

  “It’s good to meet you,” the man at her side says.

  Bernard looks distinguished in his grey business suit. I’m guessing he’s maybe a college professor, or perhaps a Wall Street guy. And I’m curious about his relationship with Marion. He’s so much bigger than her, and I wonder if that’s her thing. Maybe it has something to do with being a powerful woman, to want to seek out a man who can dominate you on some level. Or maybe she simply loves him, in the same way the heart leads us all where it wants.

  He offers a friendly handshake, and seems to notice that I’m dissecting them with my eyes.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Bernard says, with a knowing smile.

  “You do?” I say, in surprise.

  Is he another human with telepathic gifts?

  “You’re wondering if I’m a vampire, and who here is human,” he says. “I wondered the same thing when I first arrived.”

  “No, I know you’re human,” I say, with a chuckle.

  I blurt out the words, without even thinking. And the slightest look of hurt flashes over his face, which Bernard tries to mask. Marion’s head darts my way, and her brow knits with interest. And I can sense the others watching me.

  And I realize I’ve made a terrible mistake. I’ve walked into a trap.

  “How do you know I’m human?” Bernard says.

  I want to say it’s because he’s old, and not a perfect physical specimen. There’s the slightest hint of grey on his temple, and though Bernard is hardly ancient, he must be in his mid 40’s. Even though we met an elderly vampire in the hallway outside, Adam said that Nicodemus is the exception to the rule, one I suspect they don’t often make. And Bernard is past his prime. It means that Marion didn’t want to turn him, or at the very least, she won’t want to now.

  And somehow, I instantly know it’s a cause of concern amongst the humans, whether or not a vampire master will change you. And that they delude themselves into thinking it might happen some day, even when they’ve clearly been passed up. But I need to give him an answer, and luckily, I can come up with good bullshit at times, especially if it means saving my hide.

  “Your hand,” I say.

  “My hand?” Bernard responds, with a laugh.

  “When we shook. It’s warm, but it doesn’t have that extra bit of heat a vampire’s would.”

  And Bernard smiles, seemingly relieved by my answer.

  “That’s true, their body temperatures do run hot. That’s very perceptive of you, Meridian.”

  “Well, done,” Marion says, smiling giddily. “In fact, we should make it a game.”

  My heart skips a beat.

  “Pardon me?”

  “That is, if you don’t mind, Meridian.”

  “Well, if we’re going to play a game, we should wager,” Adam says.

  “And what would the prize be?”

  “You know what I want.”

  “And you know I can’t give that to you, Adam,” Marion says, gravely.

  “Fine, if you want to be boring, then make it money.”

  “Shall we say five?”

  “Ten,” Adam says, without missing a beat.

  Ten what? Ten ensorcelled human lives to drain? Ten thousand dollars?

  But Marion pauses, and her expression becomes a playful, sidelong glance. And Adam stares her down with a smile.

  “Actually, I’m not sure I want to bet against her. Meridian seems like such a smart girl. What do you say, would any of you like to take up the wager?”

  And before I can do anything about it, they’re betting on me. Marion stares at the others in the room, saying nothing. A weird buzzing begins to fill my mind, and I can tell they’re communicating telepathically. It’s similar to what I felt when Adam tried to read my thoughts, only now, with two or three of them in the discussion, the sensation is far stronger.

  Marion watches me from the corner of her eye, being careful not to look at anyone directly, so I don’t get any clues as to whom she’s talking with. And finally she turns my way.

  “Well, Meridian. Go ahead,” she says, smiling. “Let’s see if you can guess who else in the room is a vampire.”

  And I feel sick. I look to Adam and glare at him for a moment. I could drive a stake through his heart for bringing me into this. But he only smiles back at me, seemingly just as delighted by this game. And he watches me carefully as I look about the room, studying my reactions.

  And I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know if he wants me to confuse them as to whether or not I’m Saga. Maybe I should fake it, and purposely try to guess wrong. But Adam has money on the line, something, whatever “10” is. Hopefully not millions. And I can’t let him down. So I take a deep breath, and begin to more closely examine the other couples who stand before us.

  I start with Lina and Angel.

  Lina has on baggy black clothes, a silky ensemble that I suspect hides a thin frame. Her outfit is black, matching her hair, and she has on thick gold jewelry that looks like it could have come from an Egyptian temple. And I wonder if she wears it because she was alive at that time.

  She clearly seems older than Angel, who’s almost her polar opposite. Angel has a casual style that makes her seem even more youthful than her tiny frame already does. I notice she has a necklace made of seashells over her bright top, and her funky clothes look like they could have come from a thrift store. But I wonder if this is all a trick, some vampire deception she’s practiced to make her seem young and unassuming, to mask her true nature.

  But as I’m studying them, a waiter comes into the room, carrying a tray of hors d’oeuvres. As he approaches Angel, she smiles with delight, and begins loading a napkin with the tiny puff pastries he serves. She almost looks like a child stealing cookies from a cookie jar. And when she has enough, Angel stuffs one into her mouth with relish.

  Lina takes one of her own, sharing in her glee, and begins to nibble at it. And I know.

  “Lina is definitely a vampire,” I say, almost too quickly. “And Angel is human.”

  Lina glares at me, looking annoyed, probably because she’s bet against me.

  “Really? How are you so sure?” Marion says.
>
  “Because Angel is eating, more than a vampire normally would. And Lina is only taking tiny bites, the same way Adam does.”

  As she inhales another puff, Angel’s eyes go wide with a guilty expression, like she’s done something wrong.

  “Well done,” Lina says, smiling. “You always did like the clever ones, Adam. But then, don’t we all.”

  And she gives Angel’s cheek a loving caress, feigning an indifference to her defeat. But Lina turns back to me and stares me down, and I feel like I’ve angered her, somehow. She looks like she’s challenging me to go on.

  I turn to Tom and Jennifer, who stare back at me passively, giving me nothing. They’re smart, they haven’t so much as looked in the waiter’s direction.

  They’re both so similar, tall and statuesque, so beautiful. And I wonder if perhaps they’re both vampires. They sip at their champagne placidly, and I wonder if they’re communicating telepathically, coordinating their game.

  I look to Tom, who gives me a small smile, and it’s almost too much to take. Even his slightest grin sets my heart fluttering. Tom is a real hottie, big and blonde like Trevor was, and if I didn’t have a relationship, he would more than capture my attention. I pity the poor women who cross his path, because like Adam, I’m quite sure it’s impossible to resist his charms. And that alone could make him the vampire, or at least an ideal candidate. Yet, Jennifer is just as pretty. But in her case, I’m more attracted to the chic white sleeveless dress she’s wearing. It has a black band around the waist, and I’d swear it’s from a designer I know, though I can’t quite place it.

  As I search for clues, a thought crosses my mind. Since they’re making it so hard for me to guess, I wonder if I can force the issue.

  It’s cruel, but I can’t help myself. Tom is watching me, with his blue eyes that sparkle. And I smile back at him playfully, in a way that I hope Adam will later forgive.