The Goddess and The Vampire Read online

Chapter Seven

  I OPENED MY eyes at sunset and stared at the lining of my coffin for a few minutes. I could hear Grandfather banging things around in the small kitchen. He was likely looking for something to eat and was having trouble finding anything. I kept the kitchen stocked when I was expecting human company. Not when I wasn't expecting home crashers.

  "I know you're awake.” Grandfather said. "I'm going to order some food. I think I'll take the left side of the Chinese takeout menu. You should go and see your parents. They’re worried about you. And you haven't stopped by in a couple of days and they’re getting nervous."

  "Right.” I hopped up and went through my usual start of night routine. A little stretching, a quick shower, and a fresh change of clothes. The outfits in the closet were starting to look a little dated. But then, black jeans and T-shirts worn with a black blazer never go out of style, do they? Time to visit the parents.

  "Wil.” Mother said and gave me a brief hug. "So good of you to stop by."

  "Your mother thinks you’re mad at her, Son.” Father said and casually lit his pipe. "You’re not really upset about having James bunk with you for a while, are you?"

  "Not upset enough to forget the two of you need my attention as much as Grandfather.” I said. Mother visibly relaxed and Father let out a long puff of smoke as he nodded his relief.

  Mother was wearing a dress with a knee-length skirt. Silky layers of fabric that said Disco to me. Her dark brown eyes had a kind of desperate glint. She smiled at me with a longing no son wants to see in his mother. Father was wearing a smoking jacket, and I had to look twice to be sure, an ascot. He nodded at me weakly, and then took another mouthful of smoke.

  "You know, you could update your wardrobe once in a while.” I said and put my hands on Father's shoulders and stared into his eyes. He relaxed and I watched the muscles in his face sag. He lowered his arms and dropped his pipe in a small splash of sparks. Mother bent down and picked up the pipe. She patted at the tiny red embers and looked up at me with open jealousy that I had chosen Father to go first.

  I put my mouth to Father's neck and felt the jump of his pulse. I sank my fangs into his flesh, letting the warmth of his blood flow over my tongue and fill my senses. It's at this moment that I wonder if I am cursed or blessed. My head felt light, my muscles felt revived, and it’s a feeling of being reborn that I never want to end. But I have to end it. I stop before the urge to drain Father dry overtakes me. I pour some life back into him. He faints away in my arms and I lower him to the floor where he looks the way I feel.

  "Your Father likes these clothes.” Mother said as she laid her right hand on the back of my neck. "We both like to remember the good times when we first came to this house. We used to go to Spencer's Palace and dance the night away."

  I stood up and took Mother's hand and we did the Hustle for a few steps. She smiled at me and licked her lips, I had been away a little too long, she looked frail and anxious. We stopped dancing and I pulled her close to me. She flipped her long dark hair away from her graceful neck with a practiced ease. I leaned in and pierced her flesh.

  Her blood was slightly tired. It lacked its normal vitality, but it was still blood and it was still life to me. I take less of her blood, but I pour more of my power into her than I did with Father. She stiffens in my arms and moans. She pushes against my chest, but I refuse to stop. Between the blood and the power we both grow weak with pleasure. She surrendered and leaned into me. After a few moments, I pulled my mouth from the wound that was already healing.

  "Is this what you do with Sally?” Mother said as she stepped away from me. She collapsed onto the large white leather sofa. "Or with Kilestra? What is it like with another vampire? When you don't have to be careful, when you don't have to hold back as much as you do with me?"

  "It isn't the same.” I said and licked away a few stray drops of blood from my lips. "You don’t need to be jealous."

  "Of course not.” Mother said and stared at me from the couch. “Why would I be jealous?”

  WHEN I TURNED to leave, I found myself floating in space next to the Goddess Desiara. She appeared to be basking in the recent destruction of the earth. And what looked to be this arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Not that I was an astronomer or anything. It's just that there was a lot more darkness in the sky than there used to be and a lot fewer stars. She looked at me with joy in her eyes.

  “Time to visit the Elven home world, Beloved.” Desiara said and grabbed my hand.

  We shifted through time and space. I found myself in orbit around a mostly green world with three mostly green moons. Even the sun appeared to have a slightly green tint to it. Desiara closed her fists. The two largest moons compressed to half their former size. A moment later they crumbled into tumbling chunks of rock. She made a flicking motion with one finger and the last moon shot out of sight into the void.

  “Here you’ll find all the Elves of the world.” Desiara said and pointed at the giant green world below us. “Wood Elves, such as myself, rock elves, shore elves, ocean elves and countless other minor tribes and groups.”

  I peered down at the world as if I would be able to spot the groups of Elves. Of course, I couldn’t see anything but clouds and forests. Desiara floated close to me and put her mouth near my ear.

  “They are all here now.” She said and her hot breath moved over my cool skin. “I summoned them all home and they had no choice but to answer. The end of the world is not the kind of event you want to hear about second hand.”

  She moved away from me and brought her hands together. The Elven world shook and rattled. The world compressed like cotton candy as Desiara squeezed the life out of it. A sound like the universe’s largest beer can being crushed rattled my brain. I watched in horror as Desiara ground the world into ever-smaller bits.

  She grew in power at each step of the destruction. She breathed in the energies released and laughed in her exultation. I felt her power flow toward me as well. It was delicious. Like feeding on all those dead Elves at once. My head was light with power and Desiara’s laughter filled my ears again.

  I fell away from her and once again, I was back in the mundane world. An insane God hadn’t destroyed the Elven home world. At least, not yet. I lay on the ground and stared up at the stars that hadn’t been blown out like birthday candles. I had made it out of the house before the vision had hit me. I had known a few Elves over the years and felt a tremble of grief in my chest at what I had witnessed. My body shook at the loss of that feeling the Goddess had shared with me as she destroyed worlds. How could something so evil feel so good?

  I took a deep breath. Maybe I needed to talk to someone about all this. The next question was who. I didn’t really have a go to person for the coming of the Apocalypse. Or maybe I did. I seemed to recall that the Death Goddess, Izumi, had offered some information about Desiara. Now I just needed to get her away from Raoul next time I saw her.

  DRIVING IN FORT WORTH in the evening can be a challenge. Many people seem to have nothing better to do than roam the streets and freeways. They live to dart in and out of traffic.

  The night’s early hours soon pass. Then the streets belong to me and a handful of shift workers and truckers. The Metroplex’s downtown areas empty out after ten. By the time I rolled into downtown Fort Worth the streets looked like the set of some post-apocalyptic movie. A few cars were sitting around Carlo's parking lot and I pulled into a spot near the back.

  I walked up to the main door. I walked through a small courtyard. A couple of statues of vampires frozen in the act of biting the necks of nubile young women. The plants were all dark and many were night blooming. Their flowers an odd mixture of the lovely and the macabre. A few hanging baskets with large pitcher blossoms filled out the stereotypical vampire garden. The air was heavy with pollen and fertilizer.

  I walked up the steps to the heavy wooden doors. I used the oversized metal knocker that was shaped like an upside down crucifix. The door was solid and the knock made a dull
thud.

  “Master Walengrave.” Henry said as he pulled the door open. “Welcome back.”

  “Carlo around?” I said as Henry ushered me into the massive entranceway.

  “Master Acerbi is in his office at the moment.” Henry said and shifted his eyes as he silently communicated with his master. “He will see you now.”

  Carlo’s office was down another long, curving hallway. Its carved wooden door was dark and bore a thick patina of wax and age. Henry opened the door and stood aside as I walked in. The room was stark by modern standard. A large table served as the desk and two Roman style chairs sat in one corner. The walls had red panels with a couple of Gods painted on them. The floor had an intricate mosaic made of small tiles.

  I half expected Carlo to be wearing a metal breastplate and a bronze sword. But he was dressed in modern business casual. He stood over the desk looking down at a map of Texas. Small wooden pieces rested on it, arranged as if they were about to go into battle. There was also a large black-figure amphora sitting on the table. The scene depicted a man floating in midair surrounded by people kneeling to him. It looked out of place.

  Carlo caught my glance and cupped a hand around the side of the ancient bit of pottery. He turned it on a small rotating tray so that I could see the other side of the scene. The man tumbled from the sky and his worshippers had turned away.

  “Do you know who this is supposed to be?” I said as I stepped closer to look at the amphora.

  “I know it’s not Roman.” Carlo said with authority. “It was Fredric’s last find in the Shadow Realm. After he broke its seal, he was never the same again.”

  I could see a few small chips that looked recent around the edge of the lid. It had a design that showed a jumble of bones and a grinning skull. Not sure I would have opened it.

  “You know, Walengrave.” Carlo said and gave the table a sharp rap with his fist. “I didn’t expect you to take such aggressive actions against me. I could have killed you, if I had really wanted to run this small city in the middle of nowhere. But I didn’t.”

  Carlo looked up at me with a pale fire burning in his eyes. The fire crackled and fizzled out as I watched. Carlo looked down at the table and let a long breath escape. He nodded at me and kept his eyes down.

  “How may I be of service?” Carlo said in a low voice.

  “Tell me what you know about Fredic’s death.” I said and watched as Carlo let a pained look pass over his face.

  “Fredric had been acting a bit strange.” Carlo said and walked around the table. “As I told The Captain when he investigated the murder of my Fledging. But he seemed happy enough with his books and his studies. And his new business ventures.”

  There was a knock on the door. I turned and watched as Katie the Elf opened the door and moved close to Carlo. She was dressed as she had been before. A hoodie and tights with the strap of her messenger bag crossing her upper body. Carlo put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. He smiled at her. Then he turned her around so she faced me. He gave her a small push.

  "Katie has something she would like to say to you, Master Walengrave.” Carlo said and narrowed his eyes at me. “Don’t you, Katie?”

  "I am yours, Master.” Katie said and she looked at me with cool resignation. "The Vampire Carlo offers me as a gift. To make up for any misunderstanding you may have had in the past."

  "A gift?” I said and another click of reality falling into place set my teeth on edge. The others didn’t notice as Jackie’s latest prophecy came true. Of course, none of them had been warned. "Why would you want to give me an Elf?"

  “Katie is skilled in many areas.” Carlo said and when he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. “Her blood is strong and she does things only an Elf can do.”

  Katie knelt before me with her head bowed and her arms crossed behind her back. There was something ritualized about the stance. I felt as if I had walked into a meeting at some secret society. Only I didn’t know the passwords or countersigns. There was also a little buzz from that black steel ring Beth had given me. It felt good. An overwhelming calmness washed over me. I knew I was being whammied, but I didn’t care.

  I noticed Carlo was wearing a ring like mine. He was also wearing an odd out of place look that might have been happiness. The rings seemed to be talking to each other. Some kind of energy contained within them was confusing me. I put my fingers on the ring and gave it a quick twist to pull it off. A moment later, I absent-mindedly slipped it back on.

  "Fredric was impulsive in many ways.” Carlo said and motioned Henry forward. The butler carried a crystal decanter filled with blood on a tray. He poured out two wine glassfuls and offered one to me, which I took but didn't drink from. Carlo walked back over to the table and looked down at the map.

  "I don't know what, exactly, Fredric did to offend you.” Carlo said and took a sip of his blood. "But I have no intention of offending you any further myself. Please believe me on that point. The word has been spread that I am persona non grata. My business is suffering and no one will return my calls. More people are afraid of you than I would have believed possible."

  I looked over at Katie, who now stood before me with her head tilted to one side. She bared her neck and waited. Her eyes were closed and she wore a look of fearful anticipation. I absently rubbed the ring and Katie stood straighter and took a quick breath. I moved my thumb away from the cold metal.

  I took a sip of the blood in my glass. It was still warm and tasted of young human. It held hints of the person it had come from. A young man, and a regular donor who was surely one of Carlo's Chosen. Carlo was honoring me by giving me this man's blood. I drained the glass and set it back on the tray.

  "If the taste pleases you.” Carlo said without looking up from the map and its painted bits of wood. He made a sudden sweeping motion and pieces tumbled off the table and onto the floor. A moment later he stood still and visibly relaxed. "The donor may also be yours. I know how tiresome it can be to have the same Chosen for so long. It is entirely up to you, of course."

  I looked over at Henry. He met my gaze and stiffened, he was not going to show me anything. He looked away and took on the official blankness of the perfect servant.

  "What, exactly, is going on here?” I said into the room’s stillness. I touched Katie's shoulder to get her attention. She flinched, but kept her place. She slowly rolled her face toward me. She was still defiant, but resigned to the fact that I owned her. It's been a long time since I owned anyone, but I remember that look well enough. I stared into her eyes and said, "Speak."

  “Carlo is honoring you in the traditional ways.” Katie said and narrowed her eyes at me as if I were some kind of idiot. “When a great vampire has been offended, it is traditional to offer gifts. A Sex Slave is the usual first offering. Followed by Blood Slaves. If the Vampire is still not appeased, monetary gifts are offered. Carlo is waiting for you to name a price.”

  “A price?” I said and stared at the Elf who looked like a child, but had just described herself as a Sex Slave. She looked into my eyes and sighed. Images flashed into my mind. All of them pornographic and all of them featuring Katie in a starring role. The images were impressive.

  “The price that will buy my safety and allow me to resume my work.” Carlo said without looking at me. “You like those books upstairs? Take them all. You want money? Money I have in plenty. You want a nice car? A home in the Hamptons? A jet? Tell me what you want.”

  Carlo sounded almost like his old self, a bit gruff and more than a bit annoyed to have to talk to me. He seemed to understand that he had been rude and froze where he stood. He waited for me to deliver some kind of death blow to him. That he thought I possessed some kind of death blow didn’t fail to amaze me. I looked back at Katie and found another burst of Elven porn running through my mind. Damn, I really wanted to try that. And that. And definitely that.

  "Not here.” Katie said and rolled her eyes. She tilted her head to the door leading to the hallway and pu
shed her face toward me. I nodded and without saying another word to Carlo, I left the room. Katie followed dutifully behind me. We were soon outside and heading toward the Dodge. I stopped her before she could climb inside.

  "Slavery is against the law these days.” I said and looked into her green eyes. "People don't own other people, at least, they shouldn't."

  "Is that so, Master?” Katie said and put the emphasis on my title. "Besides, we aren’t exactly ‘people’ are we? Human laws have always been more like suggestions."

  “Maybe we can start over.” I said. “My name’s Wilhem, but my friends call me Wil.”

  “Yes, Master.” Katie said and held her hand toward me. “My name’s Katie, but people who own me call me fucktoy.”

  “Think I’ll stick with Katie.” I said and took her hand in mine. A jolt of metaphysical power flowed into me. I tried to pull my hand back, but it was already too late. My nerves tingled and my blood rushed. The current of her bondage flowed throughout me. I took a moment to examine the tendrils of energy. Yes, she was the slave and I was the Master. I peeled my hand away from her’s with an effort like pulling free of a tar pit. It felt like Velcro slowly separating.

  "So, destroy any good planets, lately?” I said and stared at my hand. It had a slight glow from the forming of the bond that faded as I watched. Damned magic.

  “You should talk to my parents about that.” Katie said and smiled in a way that hinted at the Goddess I had seen on the rooftop. “It’s all very hush hush.”

  "I’m asking you."

  “Ask again later, Master.” Katie said and spread her arms in a bow. "When we are alone."

  Katie looked around and motioned with her eyes toward Carlo's home. I looked up and saw Carlo standing in a window looking our way. I unlocked the doors with my key chain. Katie opened the passenger side door and hopped in.

  I was briefly tempted to put her in the cargo area. If she wanted to play slave, I could play master. But a sudden image of the Goddess put an end to that line of thinking. I opened the door and slid behind the wheel. Katie was buckled in and staring straight ahead. I drove out of the parking lot and headed toward the freeway.

  "I have lots of skills.” Katie said and waved her hands around. "I can do a bit of magic. My blood has a nice flavor, or so I've been told. I like sex..."

  "I still have the images bouncing around my head.” I said before she could list any more of her talents. "I don't need a slave, I don't need a Donor, and I don't need any more complications. Tell me why Carlo was acting so weird."

  "Really?” Katie said and seemed to become something like a normal person. "You’re given a beautiful young Elf to do with as you please and you think Carlo is acting weird?"

  ""He's never been so, frightened, of me before." I said and frowned. I couldn’t help but stare at the Elf. I had flashbacks of her wielding powers beyond the mortal kith and kin. It was like seeing an actor play a different role.

  "Well, maybe you've never killed one of his vampires before.” Katie said and crossed her arms. "Carlo isn't exactly the best vampire in the world, but I've seen worse."

  "I didn't kill Fredric.” I said.

  "Yeah, well, you had Kilestra kill him for you.” Katie said and ran her tongue over her lips. "Amounts to the same thing. Carlo doesn't want to be next. He was serious about not wanting to piss you off. He was also serious about your naming a price. He has a lot of nice things."

  "He thinks I control Kilestra?” I had to laugh at that idea. "And what's with the attitude?"

  "I’m just trying to feel my way.” Katie said and let some of the tension run out of her body. "I’ll learn what you want me to be soon enough. At least for a little while I can try and be myself."

  "I was serious.” I said and looked her way as I pulled onto the freeway. "You’re not my property."

  "Yes, I am.” Katie said and pushed herself down into her seat. "You accepted me, so you are now responsible for me. I'm yours. You don't have to do much. I don't eat a lot and I can sleep anywhere. You can use me whenever and however you feel like it. Ignore me the rest of the time. I'm kind of used to that."

  "How old are you?” I said as I zipped down the mostly empty freeway. I drove on autopilot, focusing my attention on Katie.

  "Almost 214.” Katie said and rolled her head toward me. "How old are you?"

  "I've got a few years on you.” I said and shook my head. "I'm a shade over 234."

  "You don't look a day over 230." Katie said as she stared at me from the other end of the front seat.

  "Funny.” I said. "I think I need a cup of coffee."

  “Vampires and coffee.” Katie said and narrowed her eyes at me. “Carlo always had a pot brewing.”

  “It’s hot and liquid, what’s not to like?” I said and stared off for a moment. “Are you the jealous type?”

  “Jealous?” Katie said and laughed. “Is your left shoe jealous of your right shoe?”

  “Do you ever have dreams of destroying the world?” I said and watched her from the corner of my eye.

  “Not me.” Katie said and a green light flashed in her eyes. “Sounds depressing though. I’d rather not talk about it.”

  I spent the rest of the drive thinking about what Kilestra and Sally would have to say about me owning a beautiful Elf. Then there was the other half of Jackie’s vision, that I would soon be spending a lot of time with her. It's not as if I spent a lot of time with Kilestra and Sally to start with and now this.

  I absent mindedly took the Camp Bowie exit. I cruised the last few blocks to the Coffee Spot and pulled into a parking space in a fog. I knew Sally would be working tonight. I could see her through the large plate glass window. She was wearing the dark brown apron with the company logo of a stylized coffee ring. She looked lovely as always.

  "Why don’t you stay here.” I said to Katie as I got out of the Dodge and slammed the door before she could answer. I walked into the vintage 1940s coffee shop. I went up to the counter where Sally was looking in my direction, but not looking at me. I turned and found Katie standing behind me like a lost child who didn’t want to be seen.

  "Who’s this?” Sally said. She pointed a shiny bit of coffee paraphernalia at Katie. Katie was peeking around my shoulder.

  "Katie.” I said without looking at her. "Her Elf name is Desiara or something like that."

  "Call me Katie.” Katie said and bowed her head.

  I stepped a bit closer to the counter and leaned in toward Sally, who leaned in to give me a small kiss. She was used to me having the occasional stray in tow. She looked a little less forgiving when Katie kneeled by my feet. Katie crossed her hands on her lap and tilted her face up toward me. She resembled a dog begging for a treat.

  "So this is the Elf, Wil?” Sally said and pushed away from the counter. She tossed what looked like a strainer of some kind into a sink filled with bubbly water. She walked over while drying her hands on her apron and gave Katie the once over. "Nice. I didn't know we had any of their kind in the Metroplex."

  "You notice that she's an Elf.” I said and looked down at Katie as she did her best to look contrite. "Not that she's sitting on the ground at my feet?"

  "I thought vampires liked that kind of thing.” Sally said and crossed her arms as she stared down at Katie. "You're sure as hell not getting this kind of worship from me, so enjoy it while you can."

  "You could enjoy it, too.” Katie said and looked up at Sally. "I don’t mind sharing."

  "You don’t mind sharing?” Sally said and looked out the window. "I had him to myself, mostly, for a few months anyway. I’m getting a lot of supportive comments on my blog about this."

  "Katie was a gift from Carlo.” I said before I could think better of it.

  "A gift?” Sally said and nodded like the Godfather about to make me an offer I couldn't refuse. "Did you get the receipt so you can return it?"

  "That's not nice.” Katie said in her sultry little submissive voice. Sally gave her a go-to-hell look and Katie sto
od up and brushed off her pants. "Wil and I are, you know, connected. I’ll be there to protect him."

  "Uh, yeah. So you’re just moving right in, huh?” Sally said and walked around Katie with a cold look in her blue eyes. "Where you'd be able to make sure that Wil never woke up again and no one would be there to stop you."

  I shrugged the concern aside. How could I protect myself from a Goddess anyway? I wasn’t sure how to deal with the situation. Clearly, I needed to do some more thinking.