The Meridian Gamble

by Garcia, Daniel

  And he watches me, with a look of concern.

  “You should not be able to do that just yet.”

  But I’m not paying attention. I watch as the guards lift the wretched Amisi with their strong legs, that appear beneath the leather skirts that they wear. And I can’t help it, I’m a woman, I’m fascinated by the men.

  Pharaoh watches me, and seems to understand. He calls out to the guards again. And when one of the men comes back in the room, he turns to me.

  “I think I know what you want,” Pharaoh says.

  The guard stands tall, though not as tall as Pharaoh, who is a giant of a man. And he waits patiently for his leader’s command.

  “Guard, I need you to serve Pharaoh. Will you do that?”

  “Of course, Pharaoh.”

  “Good, come to me.”

  He makes the man stand before him, and Pharaoh forces him to kneel. He pushes his head to the side, and pops out his teeth. And Pharaoh plunges them into the guard’s neck.

  The man is stoic, and doesn’t say a word, but with my changing senses I can tell that his pulse is racing. My love pulls his head away, and turns to me.

  “Drink,” he says.

  And in an instant I’m on him, as if I am possessed, and some external force has taken over my body. And I enjoy every second of it, the taste of the man’s flesh against my lips, and the fluids I drink into my body. But his blood is different from Pharaoh’s. I don’t feel a transformation overcoming me as I drink it, but rather, the soldier’s blood seems to sink into a pit in my stomach, which feels like it will never be filled. And the taste is delicious, like the finest of meats that are seasoned to perfection, even better than that. I feel like I am tasting the man’s very essence, and images of his life come into my mind; him playing in the streets as a child, taking his first lover in a back alley of the city. It is as though the most beautiful part of him flows into me.

  And I am dimly aware of a voice in my ear. And the feeling of a hand on my shoulder. Quite suddenly, I am pulled away from the soldier, and thrown to the floor by Pharaoh. I’m stunned, but the strength of my lover gives me a small thrill.

  “No, Saga. No,” he says, scolding me as though I am a pet. “You must never drink them to the point of death. It is forbidden. When you drink to the point that you begin to experience their memories, you know you’ve gone too far. Now get me some water.”

  Pharaoh cradles the man gently, like a child, and in a daze, I do as he says. I pour water into a glass that I drink from, and bring it to him. And Pharaoh gently puts it to the man’s lips. But rather than being traumatized, the guard looks to my love with fascination.

  “Will he be all right?”

  “He will live,” Pharaoh says. “I usually don’t bite into the men. It causes them to have an unhealthy fascination for me. But this one will serve me very well for the rest of his life.”

  Pharaoh smiles, as he lovingly pats the man’s head. It excites me just a bit, to see such intimacy between them. And even though he has told me to stop, I want nothing more than to drink every last drop of his blood. It takes all of my strength to stop myself.

  “If I kill them, will it be as you said? That they will walk with me forever?”

  “You will carry him with you everywhere you go, until the spirit leaves or fades away. And if they are hostile, they will taunt you and do everything they can to annoy you, and there is little you can do to dissuade them. Imagine what it would be like to have two or three such creatures following you around? Or twenty? It can lead to madness.”

  And though the idea of the soldier following me about is not entirely unappealing, I try to listen to what Pharaoh says. It is not everyone that I would want as a permanent guest in my mind.

  But looking at the man, I also realize that a fire still burns in my stomach.

  “I’m hungry. May I have another? I promise I’ll be good this time.”

  Pharaoh looks at me and sighs, though he quickly follows it with a smile. And he calls out to his guards once more.

  Marion takes me through the bowels of the temple, to a dark place where prisoners are kept, who are left to be forgotten. We carry torches, and it is a frightening place, though less so with my vampire powers developing. I feel stronger than I normally would, and my senses are sharper. I can smell the fetid stink of the prisoners, which is mixed with the foul odor of their sweat. It sickens me, yet it is intoxicating at the same time, when mixed with the scent of their blood.

  I have spent days drinking of slaves who are brought to me, and even some of the guards, to the point that they look to me warily. And I have tasted Pharaoh’s blood for the second time. He tells me that when my body has processed this latest infusion, I will drink for a third time, and the transformation will be complete.

  And today, Marion came to collect me.

  “Let me help the little one,” she said to Pharaoh. “I know exactly what she needs.”

  And he smiled, generously letting me go off on my adventure.

  We are led to a cell which a guard opens, and though there is little light, I can still see inside. There is a man in it, a very tall man who is all muscles, with skin so dark it is almost black. But he is wildly handsome, with enormous lips.

  He is chained up to a wall, with shackles around his arms and legs, so that he cannot attack us. But the fights against the restraints anyway, and looks to me with rage.

  I can tell that the cell has been freshly washed, as it lacks the rancid stench of the other stone chambers. And the smell of the man’s skin is delicious. He seems frightening and fragile at the same time, chained up and stripped of his clothes.

  “We captured this Luminos recently, and he is still in excellent shape,” Marion whispers to me. “Go ahead.”

  And I slowly approach the man. I put my hand to his chest and he lunges at me, even though he can do no harm. But the restraints cut into his wrists in a way that draws blood, and I’m ready to pounce on him. Even though I can barely control myself, I decide to play with him anyway.

  “You are Luminos? Do you know of the General?”

  “Yes.”

  “I am Saga, his daughter. Did you know I was in the temple?”

  “Yes, I had heard that. We were sent to try to determine if you were safe.”

  “And you can see that I am. In fact, I’m here to rescue you now.”

  “You’re lying,” he says. “You’ve become one of them. That’s the Queen with you.”

  “No,” I purr, with false innocence. “This is my friend, Lilia. She has come to help me. Now hurry, bend down so I can unchain you.”

  I put my hand on his private self, and despite his fury toward me, he cannot help himself, and it has become engorged with blood. It has a certain masculine scent about it which thrills me, and I put my hand on his shoulder, urging him to drop to his knees. And in this position, I can better reach his neck. The man bends, and I cannot help myself, my excitement is too great. And for the first time, the fangs pop from my mouth.

  I plunge them into his neck.

  I can sense that my venom is flowing into his system, because the man shudders in ecstasy. And I drink of my beautiful new lover, who tastes like the nectar of the gods.

  Marion comes to my side, and gently rubs his bald head, as the man groans with joy.

  “Take him, Saga. He is yours.”

  It is wrong, but I lower myself onto him, allowing him inside me. And the man is enormous, to the point that he almost causes me pain. Yet it is not the same as when I am with Pharaoh, it feels more animal. I kiss his full and sensual lips, and his entire demeanor has changed toward me. The man whispers sweets words into my ears, as he explodes with pleasure.

  “I love you,” he says. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” I say.

  And I drink from him once more.

  Later, we walk back down the hallways. We’ve left the man alive, and I very much hope to return to drink from him again.

  “You’ve fou
nd the perfect solution for your Luminos problem,” I tell Marion

  “Howso?” she says.

  “To keep them in chambers, and slowly drain them of their blood.”

  “This was a special situation, that we captured him alive. We usually kill them in battle.”

  “But why? It just gives them the chance to come back again, all the more quickly. Better to keep them in a dungeon where they can’t learn new tricks, where their bodies can nourish you. But you’ll have to reconstruct these chambers,” I say, looking around. “They’re too close together. You don’t want them to pass information back and forth that they can take into the next lifetime.”

  And slowly, Marion smiles.

  “You are a very wicked girl, Saga. And I am very glad to have you at my side, rather than against me,” she says, with a cruel laugh. “I will think on your most excellent plan.”

  I return to Pharaoh’s chamber, after Marion and I have had our fun. And he lies in his bed, staring at me in amusement.

  “You have been most wicked,” he says.

  “I must go wash away the filth of my adventure.”

  “No, come to me. I like you this way, full of sin.”

  And as I get to his bed, he reaches out in an instant, and pulls me toward him. I laugh, as Pharaoh gathers me in his arms, and kisses me.

  I look up at him, filled with adoration.

  “When will I be complete?”

  “Soon, very soon,” he says.

  “Good, because we have much to do,” I say. “I want to go find my family.”

  Amongst Pharaoh’s guards are vampires who are skilled hunters. It is their sole duty to track the Luminos, and he sets them to look for the General and Uncle, my mother and sisters. Although I am truly one of them now, I am not completely trusted, because I was Luminos once. They are afraid I am setting a trap. But the hunters take what clues I can give them as to my family’s whereabouts, and they set off in the direction where I feel they have gone, to scout ahead first.

  After many days, word comes back that their trail has been discovered, and Pharaoh takes me with him, to travel to another city in a distant part of his realm to find them.

  It is a difficult journey, one we make mostly at night, because I am weak during the day. I must be covered up, or my skin will burn in the sun. Only those who have been vampire for many years are strong enough to survive its rays, like Pharaoh and the guards he brings with us. And even they are weaker during the day. But my love holds me as we ride, treating me as if I am the most precious of cargos.

  We finally reach the distant city, and investigate a section of the slums, where we think the General has lived. And though I know they are close, somehow I feel it in my heart that they have fled this place.

  We find a small abode with sandy walls, and I can already tell it is empty. It shows signs of having been hastily packed, and we’ve probably missed them by hours. And a knowing sinks into my stomach.

  “They’ve gone to Adam’s realm,” I say.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. The Luminos are gathering their forces there, to attack us. They know we are after the General, and it would be the safest place for them to hide.”

  Though the home is empty, I hear a soft noise coming from one of the back rooms, a cough. And I push my way past Pharaoh and his men before they can stop me.

  I go to find its source, and Pharaoh comes with me. My heart sinks, when I find a low bed in one of the rooms, and realize that Lina is lying in it. She has been abandoned by them. The General lied when he told me he would care for her. He was quick to leave her behind to make his escape.

  But fortunately, I am here now to protect my sister.

  I go to her, and she looks worse than she ever has before. It sickens me, because even though I love her dearly, I cannot control my vampire hunger. It’s difficult for me to be near her in such a small space. I can smell the precious fluid running through her veins, and I want to pounce on Lina in her frail state. It is my animal reaction. But as I inhale more deeply, something about the smell of her blood makes me nauseous. Somehow, my vampire senses tell me I cannot drink of her, that she bears sickness.

  Lina can barely open her eyes, but when she does, she smiles, weakly.

  “Oh, Saga. Is that really you? Father told us you were dead.”

  “Father tells lies,” I say, coldly. “But luckily, I have managed to survive his twisted games.”

  “I knew they could not kill you. You are too clever for that. I knew I would see you again, before I die. It was the only thing that made it worth living.”

  And my sister is not lying about her state. She struggles to hold onto her consciousness, and after taking a long look at me, Lina passes out again. I worry that she is moments away from death.

  I look up to my lover, the Pharaoh, with hopeful eyes.

  “Can we save her?”

  “Save her how, Saga?”

  “I cannot let her pass,” I say. “Will the blood cure her?”

  “Only for a short while. Her condition will revert if you do not complete the transformation,” he says.

  “Is that allowed? Can I change her?”

  “I will allow it. We each take our turn, and this can be yours. But we usually only change our lovers. Vampires are known for taking their time, and it may be a long while before your chance to choose will come again.”

  “I will take my chances,” I say. “I doubt very much I will ever need another lover.”

  “Then do it.”

  I pause, ever so briefly. Time is of the essence.

  “Is it wrong of me? To not give Lina the choice?”

  “She is not in a condition to choose,” he says. “Let her destroy herself afterwards if she is unhappy with your decision, which I doubt very much will happen.”

  And I bite my wrist as he once did, putting the wound to her mouth. Lina stirs, and when she gets a taste, it seems to rouse her. And despite the darkness of the gift that I bestow upon her, I am thrilled to see the color return to my sister’s skin.

  I am thrilled to know I will never have to be without her again.

  Months later, on a battlefield. Pharaoh and the Queen have gathered their forces, and we’ve invaded Adam’s lands, in part to search for the General, but also to strike first, while they think we are lulled into complacency by their false promises of peace. And though I have embraced my new vampire life, I cannot help but to feel conflicted. I love Pharaoh, but I cannot forget about Adam completely, and I worry for him. I feel as though I have betrayed him, though it is ridiculous, as there was never really anything to betray. The feelings were all one-sided, on my part. But that does not mean I will enjoy seeing him hurt.

  And I must take small comfort in the fact that his Luminos nature makes him immortal, and he cannot truly die. Adam will be back, while I am surely damned for my sins.

  We fight at night, as always. Though there are humans in our armies, we wage war when our vampire soldiers are at their strongest. And in another part of the country, Lina attacks with the prince, to divide their troops. It turns out my sister is the one who is a natural born warrior.

  This is the land where the Luminos are their strongest, unless you count continents across the seas. And I only wish I could still detect the glow about their bodies, so that I could be of more use. Apparently, that gift leaves you when you are made vampire. But it does not matter. Despite their preparations over lifetimes, our battles with the Luminos have decimated their forces, and they are falling under the strong arm of Pharaoh.

  The smell of the blood flowing from their corpses fills the battlefield, and smelling it is a heady sensation. I get a small thrill over the smoke rising from their burning lands. Today is a good day, our greatest victory. I half-expect to find my father and Uncle lying amongst the fallen. And in the case of my uncle, it will kill me to see his lifeless body.

  Pharaoh rides off, to confer with one of his lieutenants, leaving the Queen and myself behind. And I look to o
ne of the enemy’s tents, lying abandoned. And I sense that there’s something inside it.

  When I enter, my worst nightmare is realized. I find Adam lying on a cot, dying. And I don’t have to examine his body to know there is a gaping wound to his side. I can smell the blood, everywhere.

  I go to him, and cradle his head. His hair is matted with dirt, blood and sweat.

  “Adam? Adam?”

  He looks to me with groggy eyes.

  “Saga. You live.”

  Marion comes in behind me. And I can tell she is concerned, to see me so upset.

  “I remember you now, Saga. I’ve dreamt of it. You looked like a monster back then,” Adam says, with a weak laugh.

  “And what about now? Do I still look like a monster?” I say.

  But he can’t hear me anymore. He rolls back his head, groaning in pain from his wounds. Marion comes to the cot, and sits by my side.

  “You knew him?” she says.

  “In my first life. The one I barely remember.”

  “Here. This will help him,” she says.

  And she pops out her fangs. Marion goes to bite Adam on the neck, injecting the venom into his system. And soon, he is groaning with pleasure, even as he dies. And it never occurred to me that the bite could be used to grant mercy.

  I wonder if this is why Pharaoh told me to be careful in handing out the transformation. Because now that I’ve changed Lina, there is nothing I can do for Adam. My love will not let me do this again. But there is something in the way the Queen watches me that makes me wonder if there is another way.

  “Can we save him?”

  “You know how it works. You have granted Lina our gift. We each get a chance, and if you transform him out of turn, we will have to destroy him.”

  “And who’s turn is it now?”

  “It is mine,” Marion says. “Tell me, do you love him?”

  I turn away. And I cannot lie to her, at least not completely. She is too smart for that.

  “What I had for him was little more than a young girl’s crush. But it’s enough that it hurts me to see him die.”

  “I was going to save this gift for a lover. And he is very handsome. But if he means something to you, I will change him. You are more than a sister to me. You are a dear friend, Saga.”