“You tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen to you.”
“You died!” Alisha’s hands fluttered to her face. “Then I went to kill it!”
“Your cross had fallen from your chain. He fed off of you.”
“Oh, God! I remember,” Alisha uttered in a hushed voice.
“I tried to stop him from getting to you, but, last night-” Roman cut himself off. “Do you remember yesterday?”
“Your funeral.”
“No, that was the day before,” Roman said, shaking his head.
“I had dreams, Roman, that I was a puppet and someone was controlling me.”
“That was yesterday. He was controlling you. I felt his thoughts flowing toward the house. Last night, he killed you. Then I killed him, but I was too late for you. I’m so sorry, Alisha.”
Alisha looked puzzled, then terrified. Lifting her cleaned hand, she touched her fingertips to her wet lips, drew them away, and stared at the fresh blood on them. Her wide eyes settled on the form of the junkie.
“No! Oh, God, no! It can’t be!” Alisha wailed.
Roman held her close as she cried mournfully, her entire body quivering. “We’ll find a way to conquer this curse, Alisha.”
“I want to die! I want to die!” Alisha sobbed. “Please, kill me!”
“I can’t, Alisha,” Roman whispered, stroking her hair.
“I don’t want to live like this. I killed that man!”
“Please listen to me,” Roman whispered vehemently. He took her face in his hands and piercingly gazed into her eyes. “I will find a way to protect us, save us from all of this. We will not feed off humans again. We do not have to take life. I will find a way to save us from this horror. We are still Alisha and Roman Socoli!”
Alisha closed her eyes, as though unable to gaze upon her hideous surroundings. “Please, Roman, please wake me up,” she pleaded.
Roman pressed his forehead against hers, tears slipping down his face, mingling with hers. “I am your brother. I will protect you. I promise it.”
“Make the dream end, Roman,” Alisha sobbed. “Please make this nightmare end. Wake me up, please.”
“It’s no dream, Alisha. We are transformed. We are no longer mortal, but we can fight against what we are now. We will fight for our humanity.”
“But we’re not human!” Alisha protested. “I feel it inside. I know I’m not who I was!”
“But you are! You are Alisha Socoli! You must always cling to that fact, or you will become what you fear most.” Roman held her tightly to him, wishing desperately to soothe her fears and his own, but the living nightmare would not end. They were supernatural creatures of the night, kneeling within a dark, dank mausoleum, the dead surrounding them, welcoming them to this world of endless darkness.
Alisha drew a ragged breath. “I want to die.”
“Think of Vanora, Alisha. What will become of her?”
“She’s not one of us?” Alisha face registered the horror of the mere thought of the desecration of an innocent child.
“No, but she needs us. She knows what we are now and I have spoken with her. She knows we will not hurt her.”
“How can you be sure?”
“We’ve fed and there is no danger of us going mad with the hunger anymore. As long as we feed before the hunger can fully control us, we are safe around her. She needs us, Alisha. And we need her. We are a family. Tell me. Would you ever hurt her?”
“Never!”
“Neither would I,” Roman declared. And yet the memory of Alisha’s madness made him wince inwardly. The hunger was so powerful they must always control it. “We will find a way to survive.
Alisha drew away from him and peered down at the junkie. “Who was he, Roman?”
“A drug addict who got his drug money by harming others,” Roman responded. “But that doesn’t justify his death.
Alisha licked the blood from her lips, a casual gesture, and touched the dead man’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Roman prodded him with his foot. “I will not add another to our ranks.”
“If you break his neck, he shouldn’t change,” Alisha responded without thinking.
“Where did you learn that?”
“A book,” Curious, Alisha ran her fingertips over her face. “Do I look the same?”
Roman studied her face, ethereal and delicate in the torchlight. “You are more beautiful.”
“Can I see myself? Or is the legend true?”
Roman leaned forward and took her hands tenderly in his. “You can see yourself as long as there isn’t evil in your soul. We seem to have a tenuous hold on our souls. We need to guard them against evil.”
“Will God ever forgive us, Roman?” Alisha’s eyes were bright with tears.
The family was deeply religious and Roman shared her fears. He chose his words carefully when he answered, drawing on all his years of church attendance. “I believe God always forgives the truly repentant. I still believe that is true for us.”
Alisha nodded, blinking the tears from her eyes. “Yes, I think I do, too.”
Roman stood and pulled his sister up. He gently wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead.
15
In silence, Roman quickly broke their victim’s neck and enclosed him in his own casket. Alisha watched with a strange detachment that bothered her. Though a part of her was horrified at her new nature and what she had done, she did not feel the remorse she knew she should feel over Roman’s actions.
“I’m still Alisha Socoli, aren’t I?” Her voice was shaded with doubt. She felt as empty and desolate as any tomb and all she desired was relief from this nightmare.
“Yes, always. I know that you will overcome this curse. As will I,” was Roman’s impassioned reply.
Hope burgeoned within her. A piece of her always trusted Roman. He always took care of her and made sure she was safe. “I want to believe you, Roman.”
Taking Alisha’s arm firmly, he escorted her out of the mausoleum and locked the doors firmly behind them.
“We will never return,” Roman assured Alisha.
Nodding absently, Alisha stood gazing into the velvet sky above. She was transfixed by the absolute beauty of the heavens, the dark richness of the indigo sky and the brilliance of millions of stars shining upon her. Alisha lifted her hands over her head, stretching upwards. The wind caressed her body, gently blowing her golden hair away from her enraptured face. Alisha could feel herself becoming one with the night, the sharp lines of her former reality spreading into infinity as her body loosened its earthy heaviness. She was one with the wind and sky and the eternal night.
* * *
Roman watched his sister in awe as she spread out her arms and allowed her body to ascended, caressed by the wind. She hovered like a dark angel, her eyes lifted upwards, an expression of pure pleasure illuminating her face.
“Alisha,” Roman whispered.
She didn’t respond.
“Alisha,” Roman repeated.
Dreamily, she lowered her eyes to him. “Roman, this is so beautiful. Like a dream.”
“Alisha, we need to get back to the house. Don’t you want to see Vanora?”
“Of course I do,” Alisha responded breathlessly, obviously delighted at her newfound freedom from the laws of nature.
“And we need to talk to Ryan and Miss Robbins about helping us,” Roman continued.
Alisha didn’t seem to hear him. Gaily laughing, she floated away from him toward the house, her long nightgown fluttering behind her like black wings.
“Well, she’s still crazy,” Roman muttered under his breath, then ran after her.
* * *
Alisha floated to her balcony before settling on the rail, her bare feet rested on the cold metal. With a bright laugh, she ran into her room and danced about in circles. She felt so free, so powerful. This was glorious! Something moving beside her caught her eye and she twirled about and stared into her full-length mirror. Her joy vanished as she g
azed at her transparent reflection. She wasn’t in heaven. She was in hell.
“Oh, God!” Alisha cried out and threw herself on the floor.
Roman found her weeping uncontrollably. “Alisha, darling, what’s wrong? What happened?”
She sat up, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “I don’t know! I just can’t seem to control my emotions ! One minute I’m happy and the next I just want to die!”
“I understand. This is too much to absorb all at once. But we need to get our lives organized, and quickly at that. Listen, in thirty minutes we are to meet with Ryan and Miss Robbins. I need you there. I’m going to try and convince them to help us survive.”
“You think they can?”
“I’m hoping so” Roman ran a hand over his face and exhaled wearily. “I certainly hope so, for all our sakes. So could you dress quickly and meet me down in the den?”
“If I can stop crying, I think so.”
“Good. Now, I’m going to check on Vanora. You’ll be okay?”
Alisha nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
Roman kissed her forehead and moved quickly out of her room. Alisha remained kneeling on the floor, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Gazing blindly upwards, she whispered a silent prayer.
* * *
“What does she look like?” Vanora asked as soon as Roman entered her bedroom.
“Just like before. Maybe prettier.” Roman sat on the soft pink bedspread and tousled Vanora’s white tresses lovingly. “So are you excited?”
“Are you sure she’s okay? When she came by earlier, you took her away.”
Roman could see fear creeping into his young sister’s eyes and he laid a comforting hand over hers. “She wasn’t ready to see you yet. She was still a little messed up from transforming. She’s fine now.”
Vanora studied him warily. “For real?”
“For real? Do I ever lie to you?”
“No, but…” Vanora touched his hand lightly. “You’re so cold now.”
“But I’m still your brother.” Roman tilted his head so he could look into her purple eyes. “Right?”
Though he was pale with death, Vanora’s skin was far whiter. Roman realized, with a sharp pang of sorrow, that she had always lived in the shadows of the world.
“Yeah, you are.” A small smile spread across her rosy lips. “I can see it in your eyes.”
That response elicited a bright smile of his own. “Alisha is just like me. I promise.”
“I’ve been worried all day. I just want things back the way they were, you know.”
Roman smiled. “I know that, Snow Pea. So do I. So does Alisha. And we are going to do our very best to try and make sure we keep together as a family.”
“Family honor,” Vanora decided.
“That’s right. Family honor.”
“Besides, it’s kinda cool having a brother and sister who are vampires. You aren’t going to go sucking the blood of the neighbors, are you? Because if you do, I can make you a list of some really nasty ones.”
Roman couldn’t help but laugh. “Vanora! My goodness! No, we aren’t going to be sucking the blood of the neighbors. I’m going to try to work something out with Ryan’s help.”
Vanora considered this development, her face tightly screwed up. “Well, okay, but I still think that cat-killer, Mr. Jergen, deserves to get chomped.”
There was a light knock at the door before it opened to reveal Alisha. Dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans, she looked like her normal self. Awkwardly, she entered the room, her eyes unable to meet Vanora’s.
“Alisha!” Vanora flung herself off the bed into Alisha’s arms.
“Oh, Snow Pea,” Alisha choked, her eyes welling with tears.
“I love you!” Vanora sobbed.
“I love you, too, Snow Pea!” Alisha kneeled and gently held Vanora away from her so she could gaze into the little girl’s trusting eyes. “We are going to take care of you, dearest. Roman and I will always love you and take care of you.”
“And I’ll take care of you!” Vanora vowed solemnly. “And Roman!”
“Then everything will be just fine,” Roman decided and grinned.
16
Alisha sat behind Roman’s desk in his study, reading his journal with fierce intensity. Her lips moved slightly while she read, her brow furrowed as she concentrated. Roman sat nearby distracting Vanora with magic tricks. It was a hobby of his and he was actually really good at sleight of hand.
Alisha was horrified and yet fascinated by her brother’s account of his mortal death and vampire resurrection. It touched her to read how much he desired to protect his sisters and his fierce yearning to maintain his humanity. Reading quickly, breathlessly flipping the pages, Alisha consumed her brother’s story with almost religious fervor.
Roman wrote with such intense passion she could feel his terror as she read and yet the intensity of his humanity had not disappeared. Roman was not just a vampire hating his new existence. He was like an ancient Greek god, struggling to control his inner power to prevent the destruction of those he loved. All of Roman’s life he had struggled to gain some sort of control over his life and now that he had this incredible power he could wield at will, he wanted to use it to preserve his family. Alisha had admired her brother before, but now he was her mentor. When she finally reached the last page filled with Roman’s sprawling handwriting, she shut the journal reverently. Looking at her brother, she could not help but feel awed by him.
“Roman, I don’t know what to say,” Alisha finally said.
Roman plucked a coin from Vanora’s ear and just shrugged. “I just want to do what’s right. Do you trust me?”
“Always,” Alisha responded fervently.
There were heavy footsteps outside the door, then a quick rap on the wood. It was Miss Robbins’ familiar knock. She opened the door and peered about the edge.
“Is it time for the meeting yet, Miss Alisha?” she asked. Then Roman caught her eye. “Oh, Lord! Sweet Jesus, Joseph, and Mary! It can’t be!”
“Roman’s back,” Vanora said nonchalantly.
Miss Robbins crashed through the doorway in a dead faint. Her plump body landed on the oriental carpet with a soft thunk. Roman rushed to her side and knelt over her.
“Did you see how she fell? Straight down! Just like in the movies!” Vanora commented in awe.
“Is she hurt?” Alisha asked worriedly. She hurried over and bent over the fallen housekeeper.
“She just passed out. I don’t think she hit her head very hard,” Roman responded.
“What’s this?” Ryan, the gardener asked as his gangly frame appeared in the doorway. “What’s Ellie doing on the floor?”
“She passed out when she saw Roman,” Vanora responded as she studied Roman’s magic quarter.
“Roman?” Ryan's eyes fell to the man leaning over his wife. His dead master looked up at him and Ryan nearly fell over in fright.
“Ryan, let me-” Alisha started.
Ryan was halfway down the hall before she could even finish her sentence. His long, skinny legs pumping hard, he skidded around the corner and made a dash for the front door. Roman and Alisha pursued him. Roman moved faster than the wink of an eye and abruptly appeared before the fleeing man, one hand held out to stop the gardener.
“Ryan, please, you don’t-”
Ryan spun about on his heel and shoved the door to the dining room open. Racing blindly, he bounced off furniture, and nearly tripped as he burst into the kitchen. Alisha skirted around him, elated at her swiftness. She twisted about and caught him firmly.
“Ryan, listen to me! You don’t need to be afraid! You have to listen to us!”
“Roman’s back from the dead, he is! Back from the dead! I saw his throat ripped out, plain and simple, just two days ago!” Ryan shouted wildly.
Roman came up from behind them and laid a gentle hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Ryan, I’m not here to hurt you.”
Ryan shrieked and backed thr
ough the kitchen door. Knocking over a chair, and falling over one corner of the dining room table, he made a dash for the front hall. Alisha was much faster and caught him firmly with one hand.
“Ryan, we are not going to hurt you!” Alisha said firmly.
“How’d you-You were in there!” Ryan declared, pointing a trembling finger toward the kitchen.
“There is much we have to tell you,” Roman said joining them.
Vanora leaned against the doorjamb and pocketed her quarter. “Yeah, like they’re both vampires.”
Ryan gasped and passed clean out, his limp body falling into Roman’s arms.
“Thanks a lot, Snow Pea,” Alisha sarcastically muttered.
Vanora just shrugged and smiled. “It was fun.”
* * *
Two hours later, Ryan sat transfixed in Roman’s study, sitting on the edge of his seat. The poor man had recovered from his initial shock and disbelief and now, after hearing all the facts, he believed everything that Roman had explained to him. His wife, Ellie a.k.a. Miss Robbins, sat next to him, her hands clutching his hand so tightly he had lost all feeling in it about an hour before.
“So tonight, Alisha woke up. It’s my intention for us to continue on as before, with just minor adjustments to our life,” Roman said as he wrapped up his incredible tale.
“He’s dead,” Miss Robbins whispered to Ryan. “We shouldn’t talk to the dead.”
“Shush,” Ryan responded. “You’re dead to the world, Mr. Roman. What are you going to do about that?”
“My intention is to go to my Uncle Nicolau and make some sort of arrangement with him so I can continue to have some influence over my company through him. I know I’m dead to the outside world, but my sisters are important to me. Instead of leaving them to live a life elsewhere, I intend to stay on the estate with them. In a few years, I figure I’ll be able to go out and about to some places that I didn’t use to frequent. As for Alisha, she is still alive to the outside world. She can continue on with her life, the only hindrance is that she has to live her life at night now.”
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