Love, Creativity & Magick

by Kiki Howell

  Lifting his head, blood dripping from his fangs. Her blood. He commanded, “Think of the robot.”

  In her wonderful delirium, she’d completely forgotten. In her mind she recalled the large human shaped piece of metal. She made it walk across the floor, lift an object on a table, something that looked like a teapot she’d seen there earlier.

  Seconds later, there was a clanking, then scrapping sounds coming from far below. James bellowed like a child at Christmas seeing all the toys and treats hanging from the tree. There was a loud clanging sound like some thing had been dropped, and he turned to look at her.

  Licking off his fangs, retracting them, licking the blood off his lips, remaining inside her, he shrieked, “We did it! That clumsy hunk of metal and gears moved, well more than to just destroy my work place, which is all he’d done before. Come on, we have to see how far. I would get one step from the confounded contraption and it would knock something over.”

  Laying there still shaking, she couldn’t help but light up inside as well with his excitement. While liking nothing better than to have remained in his arms, she followed him as he leapt out of the bed. They threw on clothes and ran down the stairs only to find the robot all the way across the room, standing over the coffin, the teapot on the floor at his feet. His excitement upstairs had broken her concentration, and the robot had just gone back to the way it was before.

  Unprepared, her breath caught when he picked her up and twirled her around.

  “This is amazing.”

  “Wait, could we do this at a ball? The Valentine’s Day Ball is tomorrow night. The robot could be brought to give out generic valentines. Then we could sneak away, into some dark room. If we made love, you bit me, the robot could then wreak havoc on the place, sending everyone scrambling having no idea what is going on. Even the great inventors there won’t be able to figure out how to turn it off. Oh, it would be great fun to liven up that stuffy old Valentine’s Day Ball. If I was really lucky, I could make it step on a few dainty feet of those who feel they are better than the rest of us because they have suitors.”

  “You have a suitor now too.”

  “I know, but still miffed about all the years before I suppose. I hadn’t thought you’d mind.” She paused, studying him, and then the full meaning of her proposal hit her. Guilt weighed in next. “Oh, I’ve made a cake of myself only thinking of my own agenda. Forgive me. It will be then just another of your failed inventions then. Oh, good heavens, once I get a maggot in my head, I lose all my senses.”

  “No, absolutely not. I hadn’t even thought of it. I no longer care. It is you all my concerns regard. I want to be a scoundrel in all of your plans, and if you can use something I’ve built, well then, I’m all the happier for it. I can think of no better use for this hunk of useless metal. Upon occasion, they do have their uses then. But, let’s do it up right. We will go to the ball together, you on my arm. The robot can be brought, like a prop, one holding a basket of lace papers. I do have a steam-powered cart we can put it on to get it inside. It will be the talk of the ball before and after it magickally attacks. What do you say?”

  “Dare I dream you are with me on this? It would never be my wish to hurt you in any way, especially not for ill-favored gains, petty revenge on those who have cut me in the past. Countering their insipid behavior makes me no better than them, I just so enjoy it I fear. Wait, there is but another crick in my plan. If we bring it in, we take the blame. How will I ever live here then?”

  “We won’t.”

  “What?”

  “Run away with me. In fact, I have a villa in Devon. We can go there. Could you give up this life?”

  Her interest more than whetted, she started in, her voice carrying that high pitch of excitement, “In a second. We shall be the talk of the town tomorrow night. We shall announce an engagement, and explanation, two people in love, of why we brought the robot. Then, in days to come we will be the latest scandal, running off to marry and live elsewhere. I can go home and pack today. When night falls on Valentine’s Day, you can grab my stuff and hide it in my carriage. I’ll give my driver the night off. You take me to the ball, me and the robot, and while the robot has everyone wonderfully distracted, we shall make our escape. Can you get your stuff packed up in that little time? Oh, look at me going on, so hen-witted, speaking a bunch of flummery you probably had never intended. Did I make a cake of myself but again?”

  “I hadn’t thought you would prefer it so, but I will give your proposal due consideration.”

  She scowled at him only a second before with his smile large and crooked, he pulled her into him for an earth-shattering kiss. Weak-kneed she clung to him, her fingers gripping his muscled shoulders saved her when the robot seemed to come to life again enough to kick his handmade casket.

  “Residual energy effect, I guess,” she laughed. “Hadn’t accounted for it, but we’ll be well advised to know such things.”

  Chapter Three

  By evening on Valentine’s Day she should’ve been exhausted. But all the work she’d done, packing, writing verses on lace papers, was all of no moment compared to the excitement making her blood pump through her veins all havey-cavy.

  “May I be of assistance to you?”

  Emma startled hearing James voice, her heart beating hard, which was nothing new in his presence.

  “Why yes, kind gentleman. Or should I say kind vampire, wonderful creature of the night with super power and speed. I could use some of that right now.” She batted her eyes at him to go along with her silly talk, feigning young and inexperienced.

  Much to her surprise, and much against her personality, she liked being the less dominant one in their relationship. She liked being controlled by him, a pawn to his every whim, his every demand, his every dominance built of danger.

  “Forgive my giddiness. Can you tell I’m happy to see you, my love? You have arrived just at the right moment to be of service.”

  “Well, I do have my uses upon occasion.”

  “Upon every occasion since I’ve known you, you have been beyond useful, my love.”

  “My love? I like that coming from your beautiful full lips, the color of a fine, sweet blood.”

  “Better than a fine wine then or glass of port?”

  “Much better, I dare say. Is that less than pleasing for you to hear?”

  “On the contrary sir, I take it as a high compliment coming from you.”

  He grabbed her by the upper arms then, turning her toward him. “I love you, Emma, more than I can ever find the words to express. I’m beside myself that we are starting this night a new life together, that my plan to woo you from afar has worked so well in my favor.”

  “Yes, instead of love at first sight, I believe it was still love at first feeling upon my first meeting with my phantom of the night.”

  “Though I am loathe to admit it, before we begin our journey together, there is something from my past, information which manacles me like a malediction. Therefore, I must free myself with a confession.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned if you will do any such thing. No confessions, no insipid words, not on this night. Let me enjoy my first chance to…well…enjoy a Valentine’s Day. You have no need of my forgiveness for your past. Your oft-beastly ways are to be surely understood given what you’ve been through, having your life taken from you. You didn’t ask to become a vampire, and I’m sure you had some hard times adjusting. If you are going to tell me you took innocent lives, then I don’t want to hear it. I outflank your decision to confess. Words such as those, you will not spill another cursed drop of. Your discretions I will pay no heed to. And now, won’t that be a first? With you I will not hold onto these useless grudges that have helped me pass the time in the past. No, to you, and to you only, I will offer up my forgiveness if you so desire it.”

  “Still, this one—“

  She cut him off putting her fingers to his mouth. “Stop. I can see you are absolutely riddled with remorse, and that is enough
for me. Leave it go. Speak on it no more.”

  “But, it has to do with a surprise too,” he mumbled with her finger still on his lips.

  “It shall wait. I’m not now, nor later, going to judge you. Now, come, we have much work to do before the ball. And, I have picked a dress the color of blood to wear tonight. I hope you shall find it arousing in many ways.” She winked, and at the same time couldn’t stop a blush from heating her cheeks.

  “Your blush smells divine, my dear.” He kissed her, a light peck on her hot flesh. “You shall shine everyone else down this evening, of that I’m sure.”

  They got right to work, energy buzzing between them enough to power a dirigible she was sure, but at the very least, it was keeping them going. There was definitely a great deal of excitement and hope afoot.

  A few hours later, they had both packed the essentials for their move. Where they were going, these balls and dinner parties would hopefully be a thing of her past. They were actually going to live like the working class, and she was rather thrilled about the prospect of not having to tire herself with the aristocracy any longer.

  On the carriage ride over, with the steam engine rumbling in the background rather than soft music, he gave her flowers, chocolates and a verse written on a lover’s knot. Despite the bumpy ride, she turned the paper until she had devoured every word of his sentiments, his sonorous pronouncements on paper.

  “I didn’t know what to say,” she spoke, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Every word of it is the somber truth, my lady. I love you, and am proud to escort you to this ball tonight. You make one tempting armful. So, may I ask how you are as we come up to the curb?”

  “With you, I am always quite well, and at this moment, more so than ever before.”

  “Come, let’s go raise some kind of a breeze, then.”

  Such a fuss was made when she walked into the ball, her crimson gown a tad more low cut than was the norm, shaping her entire body, accenting every curve in the color of blood. Tonight though, with her hand placed gently on James’ arm, she no longer thought to feel exposed or even scandalous. Only she knew that right below the cream lace of the top were two small red wounds, the bite of her lover. Her secret was such a fantastic notion that nothing else really seemed to matter at the moment, even the fodder for scandal-broth they had planned.

  Finally, Cecilia spotted them and waved them over to a tiny alcove near the doors to the terrace. Isabella and Laurisa’s faces both matched Cecilia’s in their disapproval of her date. Their glowers gave them more of a ‘hung gallows’ look than maidens should ever be able to possess. She knew this would be the case, him being a nightwalker and all, but she had paid it no mind, not letting it interfere with all the good and positive steps she was taking. She merely wanted to say good-bye to them.

  “Your cousins await us. They obviously know what I am.”

  “So, please, pay them no mind then. I simply need to say my good-byes.” Emma took off, looking back once to make sure he was following. He was, head down, like he was going to his execution.

  Just as she was upon them, he grabbed her arm, turned her to him. “I wanted to be the one to tell you this, but you wouldn’t let me before. I knew we would run into them, and that their moods would be sour, their feelings ardent. Remember, you said my past didn’t matter, that you forgave me. Remember that you would not let me tell you. And, if you so change your mind about me, know that I love you more than anything in this world.”

  “What are you going on so about? You are scaring me now.”

  “Gads! What this vampire is jawing about is that he was one of the one’s there the night Aunt Sophia was killed. I saw him with my own eyes holding onto the vampire who had just drained her.”

  Emma heart stopped beating then. Her body froze, colder than the hand still on her arm.

  “I tried to save her!” James exclaimed loudly, enough to rouse some attention their way, so he lowered his voice. “But, it was too late by the time I arrived, not that that fact eases my guilt one whit. Please, you must believe me. I told you that at first…well the blood lust was too strong, but after, soon after, I tried to gain control over it, and made the stupid mistake of trying to help others of my kind do the same. Got the hell beat out of me many times for my troubles. That night Emma, I was too late. I drug her killer away, and we fought until I could fight no more. After I healed in the woods, I saw you…you and your cousins, plus other family going into your aunt’s house. That was the moment I first saw you, and my dead heart came back to life. You preserved the things in her country home, and I returned there each night to study them, to learn all I could about you. You had asked me how I knew so much, and that is the how and the why of it. Please, Emma, look at me. Say something. Please tell me all is not lost to us now!”

  She turned from her cousins to him then. Her heart breaking with the loss of her aunt. She scrambled for purchase upon his words, to find something in them to let her move past all of this and move on with their plans.

  “Your oft-beastly ways are not welcome here. Unhand my cousin and go, you servant of the black spy” spat Cecilia latching onto Emma’s other arm.

  Caught in a tug-of-war, just not her body but her mind, she passed beyond the boundaries of polite conversation. “Enough already! Wait, Cecilia! Hell and blast! Just give me a minute’s peace to think.”

  He’d tried to tell her, several times in fact, but she hadn’t wanted to hear of his past. What had he done wrong really, but arrive too late? She knew him better, she wanted to believe, than to think him capable of great deception, of great misdeeds, of great violence now. It wasn’t just the last few days, but the last few months. She had not felt anger, violence, hatred; anything devilish in any way from him. In fact, if she were to be most honest, she had far more of the devil’s ways in her than James did. Rather he’d been peaceful, well to an extent even, as well as loving, protective; a whirlwind of creative energy if truth be told, something she loved feeling from him.

  “Emma,” Cecilia started again. “You are not truly considering dating one of his kind. Please tell me you are not of such weak constitution as to fall for the lies of this wretched miserable creature. They drain us, and then they kill us,” her cousin whispered. “You are lucky to have gotten through meeting him with your life.”

  She looked around at the ball before her. The noise in the room had met unbearable limits for her frazzled nerves, and all because of that blasted robot that they’d brought in. Lace papers were everywhere. Dancing had commenced. The whole place was merry, people toasting to love, speaking of betrothals no doubt. It finally hit her like she’d lived the whole of her years, maudlin drunk until now. She no longer had the need to fight against the conventions of society. She no longer felt a pawn of their fate. No, she had a future now of her own. Why? Because James loved her, and she him.

  “You tried to tell me.” Emma stated looking into James eyes. They were dark, stormy more perilous then she’d ever seen them, and yet he stayed put. He could have taken one, or even all four of them out the doors, into the yard and done them all in without anyone being able to do a damnable thing about it. But, he didn’t. He wouldn’t. Of that, she had no doubts.

  As he shook his head, she realized she’d stopped his confessions before so adamantly because she hadn’t wanted anything to stand in their way that badly. She plumed herself on being able to read people, a gift of her magick, to be able to feel their true natures. The aura’s around her so-called monster was tinged in grays, for he would always be a vampire. But, the rest of it was bright colors, warm colors, showing how he fought tooth and nail against his baser instincts to retain his humanity. Dangerous? Yes. And, he always would be. Everyone had baser instincts within them they had to do battle with on a daily basis. Did she like that fact of danger? Yes, it excited her to no end. Everything about him, about them, was something of a contradiction, but new and exciting, nonetheless.

  She turned to her cousins, giving them each
a hug, which to her meant good-bye.

  “The sober truth is my dear cousins, that he has watched me, studied my ways since then, even fallen in love with me from a distance rather than dare get too close before he knew I would be safe. He had nothing to do with Aunt Sophia’s death other than to perchance be to late to stop it. He tried to tell me numerous times, but I was the one who wouldn’t listen. You might find this a fantastic notion, but there is no subterfuge in his story, in him. In fact, it is him, this vampire, who puts me now in a mind of being a better person upon this earth than I have been of late. We are leaving this night to start a new life together with or without your wishes. I’ve left a note for mother and father. They will find it when they realize I didn’t return home. I love you all, and wish you the best. I shall be back to visit from time to time if you will have me into your homes, I would most like to come.”

  She turned to James then who extended his arm to her. A man of propriety till the end, he whispered in her ear, “If I but could, I would kiss you right here in this room. Thank you, Emma, my love, for understanding. I shall make you happy, I promise, the rest of your days. Do you wish to join me still in animating the robot or would you rather just make haste on our journey?”

  “I no longer have need of it. I have you, and don’t feel I have to fight their ways. I just need to establish my own, apart from proper society, with you.”

  “I’m happy to hear it. All the more reason then, just to have a little fun before we go, with no ill wishes toward anyone. It will give them all who are here tonight a purpose tomorrow, something to call upon each other and whisper about in drawing rooms all over London. Do it for them this time.”

  Her grin lit her face just as she felt inside. A great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. And while still acting in mischievous ways, it was no longer with a heavy intent.

  “There is a small sitting room close to the main entrance. Follow me,” she giggled like a debutante.