The Meridian Gamble

by Garcia, Daniel

  I always like to sit toward the edge of the row, in case I have to go to the bathroom, or maybe it’s just a claustrophobia thing. But in this case, Adam takes the end seat, presumably to protect me in some way. Which works, since I won’t mind climbing over him, especially if it gives me an excuse to brush up against him. Marion and Bernard are in the row behind us, sitting next to Nicodemas and his nanny. Tom and Jennifer are in our row, further down, and the two scary twins are sitting toward the front, like unruly teenagers. And a few others are scattered before us.

  I look back, over my left shoulder, and see Angel and Lina sitting in a side row, in the back. And they’re already kissing, barely interested in what’s going on. From the corner of my eye, I can see someone enter the other side of the theatre.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” he says. “Though at least I got here before the film began.”

  It’s a voice I immediately recognize. I don’t look at him, even though it takes great strength of will. Instead, I focus my gaze on the screen.

  “Roland! I had no idea you were back in town.”

  “It seemed a good time to visit.”

  “When did you get in?”

  “Just now. I’d hoped to be here sooner, but there were problems with the plane.”

  “Don’t tell me you flew commercial?”

  “I always fly commercial. It helps me to keep in touch with the humans.”

  And he takes a seat, directly behind us. The bastard. That’s one of the things I hate about Roland, that he always has to be so controlling. And I’m sure he’s trying to provoke a reaction. I maintain my composure, but I’m certain I do something unconscious that gives me away. Perhaps there’s a subtle rise in my blood pressure that sounds like a thunderous pounding in the vampires’ ears. But thankfully, the lights dim, and I don’t have to suffer through Marion introducing us with bubbly enthusiasm. I won’t have to listen to my voice crack with nervousness, as I try to squeak out my “hello.”

  I’m sure his being here is no coincidence, that he’s come for me, to try to poke around and determine my true identity. And, of course, he can’t just walk up and ask me, which annoys me again. It’s mean, but I can’t stop myself from taunting him, just a bit. I lean over and press my lips up to Adam’s ear. My hair is pulled back, and I don’t have my curls to obscure the view, so I cover my mouth with my hand, to maintain a modicum of decorum.

  “Whisper, whisper,” I say, softly.

  The words mean nothing, it’s just an excuse for my lips to feel his skin, to gently brush his ear with my tongue. And when I pull my face away Adam gives me a small smile.

  I lean up against him, pressing our shoulders together, so Roland can’t get a good view from behind us. And I reach down, and give his inner thigh a long squeeze. Unfortunately, I can’t grope him in the theatre. The vampires would know, and I won’t give them that. So I hold his hand instead.

  The lights dim, and trailers come on before the show, just like in a real theatre. And I have to laugh.

  “Previews of coming attractions. How funny,” I say to Adam.

  “They’re the best part.”

  The first is for a comedy, some drivel starring a middle-aged comedian I can’t stand. Though he’s long past his glory days, unfortunately, his movies still make money. And I hate myself, because one or two of his pratfalls make me laugh.

  Another trailer comes on, one that advertises a science fiction film. And though it’s something I want to see, I can’t enjoy the preview, because … it begins. Not the picture, but rather, the invasion of my psyche. The static energy tickles at the corner of my brain, and I begin to hear the psychic chatter of the vampires in my mind. Every once in a while, I can pick up on a piece of their conversation, when they are being especially loud, or one or two of them are arguing. And one phrase in particular stands out.

  “… Adam’s new whore …”

  I recognize the voice as Roland’s, which feels strange, that he would refer to me that way. And I bristle with anger.

  “I hate it when people talk during the film,” I hiss to Adam.

  Even though the trailer is still running, it somehow seems to get more quiet in the room, like when a teacher raps his or her ruler against the desk. And the chatter in my brain ceases. Behind me, I hear Roland chuckle.

  The movie starts, and I try to focus on what’s happening on the screen. In it, Queen Latifah plays a harried secretary who works for a megalomaniacal Cameron at a TV network, and through some ridiculous plot twist, they switch bodies and lives, romantic interests. And it’s funny enough, to see each actress “play” the other, to see Queen Latifah pretend to be a skinny blonde trapped in her more voluptuous figure, and to see Cameron act like she’s a ballsy African-American woman. But after about 20 minutes or so of their antics, the attack on my mind renews with a greater intensity. I feel the familiar psychic energy forming the sensation of fingers embedding themselves into the back of my skull. It’s Roland, of course, and I try to push him out, but he’s just too insistent, even though he can’t get in. And the energy grows to the point where I’m gritting my teeth, and I want to scream.

  I sigh in frustration, and lean over to Adam.

  “Will you excuse me?”

  And without waiting for him to try to stop me, I step past his legs and walk up the aisle. And I don’t even look at Roland.

  But I do catch sight of Lina and Angel, still making out in the back row on their side of the theatre.

  I have to escape it all, if only for a few moments, and I cross the lobby and go to one of the restroom doors at the side of the concession stand, the one with the cartoon symbol of a woman. When I step inside, I can’t help but to be amused once more. It’s exactly like a movie theatre bathroom, with a long row of sinks, and hand dryers on either side of the mirror. There’s a row of bathroom stalls which feel just a bit more sturdy than what you would normally find, and I lock myself inside one, enjoying a moment of peace. I’m grateful that Roland has stopped mentally antagonizing me.

  I didn’t think it would happen so quickly, that I would see him so soon, though I should have known. And I wonder what happened to him, after my betrayal in England, of running to the Luminos. I wonder if he hated me for that. And I wonder if he even realizes that I asked Adam to consume me. What will he think, to find us together? Will he wonder why I didn’t go to him first? Or will he have dismissed me by now?

  Does he even know that I’m Saga, or is it in my best interest to try to fool him, so he won’t try to come after me? Will he take vengeance on me if he thinks I’m not her, to make Adam suffer the same pain of losing someone he loves?

  But maybe I’m kidding myself, maybe it’s all a coincidence, and he’s moved on.

  After sitting in the stall for a bit, staring at the door, I force myself to pee, even though my need isn’t that great. And when I’m done, the toilet flushes automatically as I stand and button up my jeans, just as it does in a real theatre. And I laugh once more.

  I get up to wash my hands at the sink, not even wanting to go back inside. I press the button on one of the hand dryers, the kind that I hate. They’re useless, and never seem to dry anything. It’s the one convention of the movie theaters I wish they would have skipped, because paper towels are so much better.

  But suddenly, something seems wrong. I can feel it. I look to my side and gasp, jumping back against the counter.

  Because Roland is standing in the bathroom with me. Which shouldn’t have surprised me at all.

  “Should you be in here?” I say.

  “Why not? It’s just a room. It doesn’t matter what the little sign on the door says. And besides, I’ve been in here plenty of times before,” he says, with a smile.

  I wonder where Adam is, why he doesn’t rush in to protect me. He isn’t stupid, he must have heard Roland get up from his seat. He was right behind us. And I realize that if Roland is in here, it’s only because Adam has allowed it. He must want me to pass this test on my own, to le
t whatever it is between us work itself out just a bit.

  I look at Roland, and can’t help but to be struck by his beauty, just as Saga and Caroline were. He towers over me, as he has in all of my past lives. Roland’s hair is longer, as it was in Pharaoh’s time, but now it’s cut straight so it falls below his ears. And his clothes are modern, black slacks and a grey V-neck sweater that’s made of something soft, maybe cashmere. It’s appealing to see a big man dressed so smartly, to see the chest I loved curling up against hugged by the tight material.

  I used to feel so safe with Roland, but now, I sense danger. And I’m reminded of the kind Saga once faced when she walked into Pharaoh’s chamber. Once again I have to dance with a monster who could kill me on a whim.

  “You’re Roland?” I say.

  “Yes. And you are?”

  “Meridian. I’m Adam’s new whore.”

  From inside the theatre, I can hear a ripple of laughter, even with my human ears. And I wonder if it’s from the dialogue Cameron brays on the screen, or something else.

  “I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to hear that,” he says.

  “Funny how things happen, even when they’re not supposed to.”

  His eyes narrow, and he smiles a charming little grin.

  “In any case, it’s very nice to meet you, Meridian,” he says. And he makes the gesture of extending his hand.

  I shake it quickly, and pull mine away. Roland will think it’s because I’m scared, which I am, just a bit. But I’m more afraid of sensing it, the electrical spark that will happen between us when I touch him, the feelings it will ignite.

  And it annoys me that he wants to play games with me, after all this time. I know I’m supposed to act the role of the innocent who’s never met him before, even though it’s hard to do. But it’s not going to stop me from getting right to the point.

  I turn away from him, and flip the faucet on the sink so the water will run. I press the button on the hand dryer, which makes its noisy fans whir. And I face Roland once more. I whisper, so low that I can barely hear my voice, so low that only he’ll be able to detect my words. Or, at least, I hope only he can hear them.

  “Will this make it easier for you?” I say. “To do whatever it is you’re going to do to me?”

  And the dryer runs out, the sound stops.

  “What is it that you think I’m going to do?” he asks, softly.

  “Hurt me. Rush at me and snap my neck.”

  “If I was going to hurt you, I wouldn’t do it here. There are too many vampires around. Who knows, one or two of them might be able to stop me.”

  “But you will hurt me, won’t you? If you find out I’m not her, this woman you’re both hung up on?”

  “Oh, I know you’re not her,” he says, casually. “If you were, you would have come to me first, and not Adam. Our’s is the much stronger bond. The only question now is, whether or not he truly cares for you.”

  Roland reaches over me, and presses the hand dryer again. And it fills the room with noise once more, as he leans in close, almost pressing his face into my cheek. I can feel the heat coming from his body, the warmth of his breath tickles my ear.

  “If he does love you, I’m going to drink you dry, and carry you with me forever,” Roland whispers. “But only if he truly loves you. I can’t have any old cow rambling about in my mind.”

  And I shake my head, disappointed with his cruelty. The Roland I knew was so much more, and it’s sad to see this petty, vindictive side. Even worse, it wounds me to know I helped bring it out in him.

  “Can I say it for her? The words she never had the chance to say?”

  He pulls away, and stares at me quizzically.

  “And what would that be?”

  “I’m sorry. She would have wanted you to know.”

  “And what makes you think you have the right to speak for Saga?” he says, acting taken aback.

  “Because we have something in common. I love Adam. And if she felt that way, if she was torn between the two of you, I know she must have cared for you deeply. She wouldn’t want to see you like this. But more importantly, I’m sorry for my part in the drama, for whatever feelings I’m forcing to resurface.”

  His icy blue eyes narrow as they burrow into me, analyzing me.

  “Interesting. Very interesting, indeed. I can see the appeal now. The sweetness. The impenetrable mind. The intriguing curves. I didn’t realize how similar my tastes are to Adam’s.”

  “Lucky thing, I guess. If I’m going to be rambling about in your mind.”

  There’s a noise at the door. Suddenly, Adam’s here, standing near us. It happens so fast, I barely see him enter the room. Roland smiles, not even bothering to look his way.

  “Are you quite finished?” Adam says.

  “Not quite. But perhaps it would be better if I leave. I do so want to see the rest of the film. And Marion would be cross with us, if we tussled in here and destroyed her precious theatre.”

  “Then I won’t have to show you the door,” Adam says.

  Roland smiles and nods his head at me, as a way of saying goodbye. And he leaves the ladies’ room.

  I turn to Adam, and there’s not much we can say. It’s not safe to discuss what happened with the prying ears of the vampires so close, so I don’t even bother to try.

  “Can we leave? I’m so not interested in the movie anymore.”

  “Of course,” he says.

  And he takes my hand, and leads me away.

  Adam takes me through the labyrinth of corridors, down some stairs and to the floor where his room is. I think. I recognize the stark white halls, and I’m fairly certain we pass the elevator that leads to the vats in the cellar. It’s hard to tell, though. Everything is so seamless within the odd architecture of the tower.

  “Can they hear us? From this far away?” I ask.

  “It’s a bit of a stretch, but we shouldn’t risk it. It’s best to talk in my quarters, where I’ve installed security measures. You never know who’s lurking around. And some of them are better than others at concealing themselves, masking their thoughts. You never know who’s behind a closed door.”

  And I look around the halls, wondering how many listening devices and cameras are concealed in ways I can’t even see.

  We reach the dining room filled with books, and the paneled corridor that’s lined with portraits of Marion, the one that houses his room. We get to the door of Adam’s place, and when we’re inside, he locks it and I feel a bit more safe.

  “Roland wants to kill me,” I say.

  “He’s not going to kill you.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “He’s not going to kill you. If I thought he was going to kill you, it would be his death sentence. I would rip his heart out.”

  “But isn’t he … stronger, somehow? Because he’s older? I thought that’s how it works.”

  “He is stronger. And faster. And more of everything. He’s much older than I am. But he can still be killed. If I thought he was going to harm you, I’d put an end to him. Trust me, I’d find a way to make it happen,” he says. “But Roland’s not a threat to us. Not in that way.”

  Adam stares off, preoccupied. And his nervousness makes me worried, in turn.

  “And he knows?” I say, tentatively. “He knows there’s something between us? That I had feelings for you all along, in Saga and Caroline’s lives?”

  “He’s figured it out by now. At first I’m sure he thought I had consumed you out of spite, some twisted sense of Luminos revenge. But I’m sure Marion explained it to him eventually, why you asked her to change me, that we had a connection. Or maybe he thinks I fell in love with you after the bite. He knows I’ve been looking for you ever since we met last.”

  “You said that Roland isn’t a threat. But he’s not going to stop until he finds out the truth about me, will he? He won’t rest until he knows whether or not I’m her … or them, Saga and Caroline.”

  “No, he won’t. But we�
��ll need to tell him soon enough. Unfortunately, Roland is an ally, of sorts. We may need him to help keep you alive.”

  “Keep me alive? Is that what it’s going to come to?”

  “You are Luminos. If Marion finds out for certain, she will have no choice but to deal with you.”

  “But, she was my friend, once. Would she really do that?”

  “Of course, she would. It’s vampire law. You’re the enemy. And we don’t have the blood to protect you. Marion is our leader. It would be a sign of weakness if she showed you mercy, if she even wanted to. But there’s something else.”

  “Oh, God. Why does there always have to be a ‘something else?’”

  And I back up and lean against the edge of the couch to steady myself, unsure if I’ll be able to handle the next bombshell he’s about to drop.

  “Lina has chosen to transform Angel. Which means Marion is the next in line to choose. And after that, Roland.”

  “But, that doesn’t matter. Marion isn’t going to transform Bernard. It will never happen.”

  “It might. She cares for him. And now that she has a chance to save him, she might take it. And she would have to do it quickly, before he gets any older.”

  “She’s never going to transform him. She has the same look in her eye that she did back in England, when she consumed the man who pretended to be your father. It’s an affection, but not love.”

  “She might do it for Roland. Vampires are complicated creatures. Who knows what deals they’ve made over the centuries, what favors she owes him. The only reason Marion rules in the States is by his permission. Roland is our true leader. It’s his rightful place to retake his kingdom, if he so chooses.”

  The enormity of what he’s saying takes a moment to sink in. And when I finally figure it out, I shake my head, confused.

  “No, Adam. No! I don’t want to be with Roland, despite what’s happened between us in the past. I don’t want him to turn me into a vampire. I want to be with you. I know that now more than ever.”

  And he puts his hands on my shoulders in a forceful way that’s not filled with his usual gentleness. He stares at me with an intensity that I haven’t quite seen before.