The Meridian Gamble

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”

  “It’s all right,” I say. “You did what you had to do. And I survived.”

  And he leans over and kisses me, filling me with an excitement that’s far different than what my thoughts of Roland cause. Adam has a magic of his own, and the taste of his lips helps to push thoughts of Roland from my brain.

  I’m not sure how much we can discuss in this room, if he’s cleared it of bugs, like his chamber. So I decide to keep the conversation general for now.

  “I want to go home, Adam. I want to leave this place. Is the building still on lockdown?”

  “No, it’s not. The Luminos got into the Florida tower, but they didn’t get far. Though we’re still not sure how they got past our first level of security.”

  “So I can leave?”

  “Theoretically. But I don’t think it’s a good idea at the moment. You’ve gone through a great ordeal.”

  “Oh, come on, Adam. You’re not doctors, you’re vampires. You can do whatever you want. Can’t you at least transfer me to my own bed, somehow?”

  “Give it one more night, Meridian. For me,” he says. “Roland could still be out there. If you have to face him again, you should at least be at your full strength.”

  And I realize he might be right. Roland is hardly going to disappear, now that he knows who I am. And the last thing I want to do is see him again in this condition. I need to get a grip on myself.

  And I realize that I still feel weak. I’m ready to fall back to sleep again, even though I just woke up. I look to the I.V. drip and wonder if it has a sedative in it, since the vampires love to manipulate. At least they cared enough to pump some of their victims’ blood into me, maybe Luminos blood, even if they’ve only revived me so they could knock me out again.

  “All right,” I say. “But will you at least stay with me until I fall asleep?”

  Adam laughs.

  “Trust me, I’m not leaving your side,” Adam says. “I know you’ve suffered a great deal, but we’re going to get through all this. And we’ll do it together.”

  And just hearing his words fills me with hope, no matter how grim the circumstances may be. I smile, and give his hand a gentle squeeze.

  There’s definitely something in this I.V. drip, because it’s unusual for me to be alone in a bed with Adam and not want to lunge at him, or at least grovel for a bit. And though I want to stare at his beauty for a long while, it’s not long before my head starts to bob. No matter how much I try to struggle against it, I pass out again.

  The next morning, Adam is still in the room, as promised. He’s sitting in an overstuffed chair in the corner, staring at me. It’s just a bit creepy, but it’s Adam, so once again, I’m filled with a rush of conflicting emotions.

  I wonder if he’s slept there, standing sentinel at my side as he said he would, although technically, I’ve never seen him sleep. But I’m fairly certain he’s left at some point during my slumber, because a leather satchel rests on the table at the end of the bed. I sit up and examine it, and find the usual array of fresh clothes and undies, along with my other things. And I smile.

  “Does this mean I’m sprung?”

  “I’ll escort you home myself, if you like.”

  “That sounds great. Let me just freshen up.”

  I stand on creaky legs, and take a tentative step. And Adam comes to my side, putting his hand on my shoulder. We go to a little bathroom inside the room, and I stop him at the door. As much as the idea of him helping appeals to me, I’m just not feeling up for it.

  “I think I’d better handle it from here.”

  And he steps aside, like a gentleman.

  I shut the door, not closing it completely. I don’t want to totally shut Adam out, give him the cold shoulder. But I stand in front of the mirror over the sink, and gently peel off the bandages from my neck. The wounds beneath are ghastly, and the skin along my throat is badly bruised. There are two bright red dots where Roland’s fangs sunk into me, but the skin itself has sealed over, and you’d think the attack happened several days ago. In fact, it seems to be healing the fastest where his teeth made their puncture marks, and I wonder if the bite itself has some kind of restorative properties.

  I look out through the small crack I’ve left in the open door, and I can see Adam sitting in his chair. And he’s watching me with a loving gaze, and a bit of a smile. And I get the feeling he’s drinking in this new form that his beloved Caroline and Saga have found home in. And I can’t say I’m upset by the idea of him watching me.

  I peel off my clothes, letting my breasts tumble from my shirt, so he can see. And I step out of my panties, letting them fall to the floor, as I slip behind the curtain of the shower with a playful smile.

  I turn the knob on the wall, and say a silent thanks for the luxuries of the vampire tower, because there’s always plenty of hot water, which comes streaming out. It feels delicious against my skin, and the warmth seems to fill me with life force once more. And I have to tell myself not to linger too long, so I don’t wind up a prune. But that might be beyond my control.

  The curtains open, and Adam steps in behind me. I almost can’t look at his naked form. His beauty is too intense, I feel like it might blind me in my weakened state. But he wraps his arms around me from behind, as he reaches for the bar of soap.

  “I think I do need to help you,” he purrs into my ear. “I need to make sure you get clean. Because you seem like a very dirty girl.”

  He starts rubbing the soap over my breasts and stomach, and buries his face in my hair. Adam kisses my neck, and I can feel his insistent member pressed up against me, rubbing against my butt cheeks. I can feel my pulse quicken, and worry that my heart is going to explode.

  I’m all wet, and Adam lifts me in his powerful arms, and takes me from behind. I gasp in delight, and as the warm water rushes over me, I become a big blob of ecstasy under the power of his touch. But something changes.

  Even though I can’t see him, even though he’s behind me, I suddenly feel that it’s Roland who’s holding me. It’s Roland’s strong arms that are around me, he’s the one who’s giving me this pleasure that’s so intense. In my mind’s eye, I can see him so clearly, but I know he’s not really here, that it’s all a trick of the venom. And try as I might, I can’t make the image go away, even as I thrill at the roughness of his sex.

  So I relent. I give into it, and melt into the passion that I’m feeling, becoming at one with this phantom that I know is really Adam. And I only hope that he’ll never discover my hidden shame.

  Later, Adam and I finally manage to peel ourselves apart, and we leave the bathroom. We get dressed, and he walks me down to the lobby of the Omnicom Building, where people are arriving for work. None of them seem to take notice of him, show any look of recognition that he is a vampire, or that I’m one of their overlords’ latest taste treats. They don’t even seem to know that he’s a resident in the building. I wonder how many of them are aware of what’s really going on in the tower. It seems strange at the very least that they don’t take notice of Adam, especially the women and gay men. If I worked in this building, it would be hard for me not to spot a hot piece of ass like him walking around.

  Once again, I suspect it must be something he’s doing, masking our presence somehow. I can feel a slight buzz of electricity that comes from the vampires’ mental powers, and I look to Adam, questioningly. He gives me a knowing smile, which is all the answer I need.

  We go out to the street, and I’m nervous, looking for signs that Luminos soldiers might attack. But Adam puts his arm around me, and whispers in my ear.

  “Don’t worry, we’re not going to get jumped. I’m scanning.”

  “Not even Roland?”

  “Well, that’s another story. He could shield himself from me, if he wanted. But he won’t try to hurt you again, that much I know.”

  I think about Roland for a moment, and get flushed, remembering the way he appeared to
me in the shower not long ago. But at least he’s not showing up now, and I’m glad to have Adam here, because my love for him helps me to fight the effects of the venom, and push whatever speck of desire I feel for Roland out of my mind.

  “How did he get back into the tower without your knowing?” I ask.

  “He was supposed to be at our Boston location, checking it’s security. My contact claimed he was there, but obviously, her allegiances aren’t to me,” Adam says. “As for getting back into our tower without my knowing, I can only assume that one of the others helped him sneak past our security. Probably Marion, or some low level vampire hoping to curry favor. I’m sorry, I should have anticipated this.”

  “But you did anticipate it on some level. Am I right? You knew he was going to try something, didn’t you?”

  Adam starts to speak, but the words catch in his throat, the subtle signs of someone who is guilty. He collects himself, and tries again.

  “I can’t lie to you, Meridian,” he says. “I knew there was a chance that it could come to this, but I had hoped to communicate with him before he would act. The last thing I wanted was for him to bite you. But I also knew that he wouldn’t kill you, I knew he would see the truth before that could happen. It was a risk I took that didn’t pay off, and to the degree that I’m complicit in this, I apologize.”

  And I know Adam is telling the truth. He hardly wants to see me come to harm, and the last thing he would want is for me to fall under Roland’s spell. And I like that he says the word “apologize,” that he doesn’t dance around his own guilt, or offer some half-hearted words of regret. But it’s a strange dichotomy, to know that Adam loves me, but that he would let someone put my life at risk in this way.

  But I realize that I’m the one who is truly to blame. I was foolish to think I could play games with such dangerous men, and not suffer the consequences.

  “I know that you’re doing the best that you can, and I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me in this strange situation. But Roland has gone too far this time. He’s made a terrible mistake.”

  “I agree,” Adam says. “But if there’s one good thing to come out of this, it’s that his actions were convincing. At least Marion might be thrown off the scent for a while.”

  “Great. Thanks, Roland.”

  Adam stops in the street, and puts his hands on my shoulders, looking at me with a steely gaze.

  “Roland will not hurt you again, we know that. And, unfortunately, we may need his help to keep you safe. But there will be consequences for what he has done,” Adam says. “It may take a while, but I promise you he will pay.”

  As I look up at Adam, I can see murder in his eyes. And I’m not sure how I feel about it. Even though he attacked me, it’s still Roland, there’s a history between us. But for the moment, I say nothing more.

  We go to my building, and as we enter the elevator, Adam pauses. He gets a strange look on his face, and tilts his head about like it’s a receiver, and he’s trying to tune in to something. And it must be that I’ve been around the vampires too much, because I immediately know what it means.

  As we approach the door to my apartment, I can feel his hand tighten around my shoulder.

  “Brace yourself,” Adam says.

  I tense up, because I know what I’m about to see a second before I open the door. It swings wide, and Roland is standing on the other side. He’s leaning up against the couch with his blonde hair gelled back just a bit, perfectly coiffed. He wears a black jacket and black jeans that show off his beefy thighs, and the expression on his face makes it look like he owns the place.

  I become almost dizzy at the overwhelming power of his charisma. It’s scary, I want to go to him, despite everything that he’s done to me, despite the fact that Adam is standing by my side. But an image of him draining me to the brink of death comes into my mind, and I take a deep breath, quickly remembering who I am. And how much what he’s done disgusts me.

  The effect of my expression isn’t lost on him, and Roland seems remorseful. There’s a white paper bag on an end table, and he lifts it, making a peace offering.

  “I believe I owe you some Chinese. It’s still warm.”

  But his gesture is less than amusing, and only makes me feel even more violated. I don’t even realize that I’m backing away from him, until I bump into Adam.

  “It all right,” Adam says.

  “Actually, it’s not. I don’t want him here,” I say, trying to sound like I actually mean it.

  “I’m sorry to have broken into your home,” Roland says, with utter calm. “But needless to say, I thought it was best that we talk.”

  I drop my new leather bag from my shoulder, and ponder locking myself in the bedroom or leaving the apartment altogether, since it’s obvious that Roland isn’t going to leave until he gets what he wants. A part of me itches to run out into the streets and find the Luminos who are watching me, just to escape him, but another part is fascinated to hear what he has to say, and I’m not entirely sure it’s not part of his influence over me, making me want to stay near him. But I fold my arms across my chest and lean up against the wall to listen.

  Adam seems ready to pounce, but somehow controls himself.

  “How long have you known?” Roland says.

  “We’ve only just met, several days ago,” Adam tells him. “It’s been a little over a week.”

  “You were a fool not to come to me.”

  Adam shrugs, and smiles with a hint of sarcasm.

  “It wasn’t exactly my first thought,” he says. “But now that you know, the question is, what are we going to do about it?”

  Roland looks to me for a moment, carefully considering his words.

  “There are only a few options. You could separate, pretend you’ve lost interest in Saga, now that I’ve given them reason to believe she’s a fake. And then she will come with me to Paris,” he says, turning to me. “We’ll pretend that I’ve found something appealing about you when I drank of your essence. And I’ll try to get permission from the Elders to change you.”

  A vision of the three creepy elder vampires pops into my mind, and sends a shiver down my spine. They’re the last ones I want to run to for help.

  “You are still a part of this house. They will never supersede Marion’s authority.”

  “I have reason to believe that they will. But there is, of course, the other alternative.”

  “What’s the alternative?” I say, almost afraid.

  “Kill Marion,” Roland says. “Then I will resume my rightful command of this territory. I will pardon Adam, and you will be allowed to choose which of us you want to make the transformation.”

  And the madness of what they’re saying snaps me out of any residual hold Roland might have, at least for the moment.

  It’s even worse than what I thought he would say, which is that they would kill Bernard and find someone worth changing to take his place.

  “Are you insane? You can’t kill Marion. It’s not safe.”

  “It’s necessary,” Adam says. “She’s what stands in the way of your survival.”

  “We won’t kill her ourselves,” Roland says. “We will arrange it, perhaps find a way to get the Luminos to do it. Just as I had them break into the Florida tower, to provide a distraction. To get closer to you, Meridian.”

  The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge, and I breathe deeply, trying to hold in my rage.

  “You did that? You worked with the Luminos to get at me?”

  “We have been playing this game for a very long time. I have ways to communicate with them, if need be, to negotiate. We all do,” he says, looking to Adam.

  Adam turns away, not returning the gaze, and I can’t help but to wonder what kind of negotiations he’s made with the Luminos, to what end.

  I shake my head in frustration. It’s sheer madness, what they’re planning, this conspiracy against Marion. And it’s even more bizarre that I’m standing in the middle of my living room
, plotting with them. I’m a Human Resources secretary at a Fifth Avenue advertising agency. How did my simple life become so convoluted?

  “It’s not safe for you to try to assassinate Marion,” I say. “If you’re found out, I can only imagine what they’ll do to you. And I’m sure you’re the first one’s they’ll suspect.”

  “It doesn’t matter, we don’t matter, you do. And I am more than willing to take that risk,” Roland says.

  “We can pull it off if we work together,” Adam says. “And we’ll gladly do that for you.”

  “Can’t we just go back to a simpler plan? Like the one where we get Marion to change Bernard?”

  “Do you think she would do it? Could you make her?” Adam asks.

  “No. Marion will never change Bernard. I’ve asked her. It was never her intention to transform him. And even if we killed him, she would hardly rush to find a replacement.”

  Poor Bernard, I think, with his eyes so full of hope. It seems so cruel, that she never wanted to change him, and I can’t help but think that perhaps the vampire bite is what’s clouded his judgment. But I also can’t worry about him now. It’s to late for Bernard, and I have my own neck to save.

  “Would she transform me?” I ask. “We were friends once. Maybe a part of her still remembers.”

  “She might,” Adam says. “But it’s too great a risk to approach her. Marion is our leader, and it would break vampire law to change one of the Luminos knowingly. After you and I were transformed there was an … incident, and it’s just not done anymore. Even if she would be willing to help you, she might be just as likely to put you to death to avoid being torn from her throne.”

  “Marion would not change you, Meridian,” Roland says. “She’s too jealous. She remembers what it was like with you at my side, how you helped us track down the Luminos. She would be too afraid that I might reclaim the throne and make you my queen. Better we put an end to her reign of terror.”

  “This is crazy. It’s Marion we’re talking about. She’s your friend.”

  “But she’s a threat to you,” Adam says. “She needs to be dealt with. And it’s her own fault, that she would put her love of power over everything else. Don’t feel bad for her, Meridian. She’s had a good run.”