My Vampire and I (11 page)

I knew where he lived and how to get there now, so I decided if he didn't show up at the bank or my apartment, I'd drive up to his place and bang on the door.

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I needn't have worried. When I pulled up outside my apartment building, he was there, standing on the steps.
"Whew! Am I glad to see you," I said, flinging myself into his arms.
He laughed and crushed me to him. "Were you worried about me?"
"That jerk Kurt came by the bank. Come on in—"
"I know."
"Jeez, is there anything you don't know?" I asked as I ushered him inside.
"Many things," he said, looking around at my modest abode. "But conversations like those, I have a habit of overhearing. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind. I'm glad your early warning system is so finely tuned." I put my arms around him and nibbled at his earlobe. "What did he mean about you having lots of enemies?"

 

He sighed. "When you have lived as long as I, you are bound to make a few enemies along the way. Actually, I think I have been rather fortunate in that I have many more friends than enemies. I can name only two who may be of danger to me."

 

"Who are they?" I asked, leaning back, so I could see his face as he answered.

 

"The Comte d'Arcy for one, although it has been many years since last we crossed paths. The other is an even older adversary, and one I have not given a thought to in many years. Long ago he and d'Arcy joined forces. They have 103

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caused me problems from time to time. Now, it seems they want to do me greater harm."
"What?" I exclaimed, leading him to the couch. "But why?"
"Because of you, dear Roger."
"Me?" I looked at him in horror as we sat down close to each other. "What did I do?"
"It's not so much what you did, but rather what
I
did. I fell in love—something they cannot abide or allow to happen."
I gaped at him. "But why? You said d'Arcy had another lover. Why would he care about who or what you have now?
And who's this other guy? What did he do to you?"
"So many questions." He pulled me into his arms and held me tight. "I have put you in danger, my beloved."
"I don't care about that," I cried. "I care about you, only you, and..." I kissed his neck as I continued. "Even more now that you've said you love me." "And perhaps our combined love will help us prevail," he said softly in my ear. "Often, the forces of love are stronger than those of evil." "If either of those guys comes near you," I said fiercely,
"they'll be sorry fuckers!"

He laughed gently, kissing my lips and caressing my cheek with his fingers. "My brave warrior," he chuckled. "I do believe, that together, we can give them more than they bargained for."

"So what's the plan?"
"Well, for the present, you are safe here in your apartment. In case you did not notice, I was unable to enter until you invited me in." 104
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"You mean that part isn't a myth?"
"Exactly. A vampire cannot enter where he has not been invited."
Right. That's why he'd been standing on the patio at Mark's place. He had to wait for me to ask him in.
"Well, there's no way I'm asking those jerks in here."
"However, there is always a way to circumvent that problem—and his name is Kurt."
"Kurt! That asshole better not come around here, or I'll pop him one."

Marcus chuckled again. "I don't think he'll make the mistake of arriving at your door when you're here, but if he gains access, he can invite d'Arcy in. Then our security is breached."

 

"You mentioned another enemy—an older adversary, you called him. Who is he?"

 

Marcus's expression grew grim, and he rose from the couch, in order to look out of the window. "His name is Gregory. He was a Hungarian monk when we first met, many, many years ago. He blames me for his vampire state, and has vowed to kill me. He thinks I changed him." "And did you?"

 

"No. Believe me, Roger. Nothing could have been further from my mind. I disliked the man at first sight. He was a sanctimonious, miserable human being, without an ounce of joy in his spirit. His fellow monks despised him enough to have him thrown out of the order to which he belonged."

"How did you meet him?"
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"In the monastery where he was lodged." His smile reflected a distant memory. "I have always been a curious man. Religion has fascinated me since my youth. I was not raised a Christian, although Christianity was rampant at the time of my birth. My father believed in the old Roman gods and would not allow Christian teachings in his house.

"After I was changed, I disavowed all gods, feeling if they existed then this calamity could never have befallen me. But as the years went by, I matured in my thinking, and seeing the sufferings of man through the ages, I marvelled at how humans could still cling to the basic belief that there was a God, out there somewhere, invisible, unheard, yet somehow governing the fortunes and misfortunes of all men. I felt the need to know more of this God and see if there was a mention of my kind in those tomes stored within the monastery vaults. I have to admit I wanted to discover if I could ever find redemption from this half-life I was bound to."

"Oh, Marcus..." My eyes filled with tears at the thought of him so lost and alone. "I wish I could have been there then to bring you comfort." "You have no idea how much I wish that same thing," he said, taking my hand and holding it to his lips. "Perhaps then, we would have been spared." He paused and drew me into his arms. "I am just glad that I found you now."

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My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie

Chapter Eight

It was dark outside, and I was hungry—for food this time.
There was so much more I wanted to hear, but I didn't want my rumbling stomach to distract us, so I asked if he'd like me to fix us something to eat.

"I have a couple of steaks in the fridge. Would that do?" I figured he might like his rare. "And I have some wine. Not the vintage you provide, but it's not bad."

 

He smiled and nodded. He was really turning out to be the easiest-to-please boyfriend I'd ever had. While the steaks were grilling, I poured some cabernet into my best glasses—

 

I'm enough of a queen to have had some good crystal on hand—and he pretended it was just to his liking.

 

After a minute or two, I pulled the steaks from under the grill. They were rare all right and suddenly looked extremely appetising to me. Me, who preferred everything well done.

"Look okay?" I asked him.
"Excellent," he said, licking his lips in mock anticipation.

I giggled and flipped them onto a couple of plates. "Dinner is served, sir." I gave him a courtly bow, and he smacked my butt. We sat side by side at the table, feeding each other chunks of underdone steak. I'd never been so happy.

"Tell me about your friends, Marcus," I said. "Do any of them live here in LA?"
"A few ... one in particular I want you to meet. His name is Jean-Claude. I was his mentor for many years."
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"Oh, yeah?"
Mentor
, I thought, with a twinge of jealousy.
That means they're really close
.

"Yes, we are. Very close," Marcus said, a smile playing about his lips as he read my mind—darn it. "He was changed only one hundred years ago," he continued, "and had a lot to learn as, like me, he was abandoned after his change."

 

"Is that common amongst vampires?" I asked. "I mean, I would think if you go to all the trouble to change someone, you want them in your life."

"No, it is not common. Jean-Claude and I were unfortunate. I, because the man who changed me was a coward, and Jean-Claude because he was taken against his will and grew to hate the one who changed him.
That
is not unusual. Being changed is a traumatic experience, one that takes you from one life to another, making you leave everything you have ever known behind—forever. Imagine awakening from what you supposed was some kind of nightmare to find it a reality, and no matter how one might try to wish it way, it cannot be undone."

"So you helped Jean-Claude through all of this?"

 

He nodded. "He was lonely, lost and very bitter ... For a time I did not think I could save him from himself, but gradually he came to an acceptance of his new life."

"Were you lovers?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't notice the strain in my voice.
"We loved each other. We still do, but not in a sexual way.

He is a very attractive man. He was changed just before his thirtieth birthday, still in his prime, but no, we did not engage in acts of love." He tapped the tip of my nose with his 108

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forefinger, and grinned at me. "So take that jealous glint from your eyes."
"Sorry," I muttered, grabbing his hand and holding it tight.
I brushed his knuckles lightly with my lips. "I'm being obnoxious."
He smiled into my eyes, a smile guaranteed to melt my heart. "When you meet Jean-Claude, you will love him too."

* * * *
"So about this creep, Gregory," I prompted, after I'd cleared the table and we sat back down on the couch.

"He was one of the Brothers in the monastery I joined for a short time." He sipped his wine, without a grimace, so I figured he was getting used to it. "I had by this time, adapted to many of the ways of humans. The discipline and the solitary monastic life benefited me enormously. Very few monks approached me. No one spoke except at meal times from which I absented myself. Only the Father Superior knew my true identity, and he was eager for me to find the path to redemption and allowed me to stay within the monastery walls, on the strict promise that I would not bite the necks of any of the Brothers.

"This promise I adhered to, finding my sustenance elsewhere. I threw myself into my studies, pouring over the volumes the Father put at my disposal. For months, I searched for the answers I needed, but I found nothing. You see, Roger, I just could not find it in me to believe what I was reading. To me, the texts were awash with superstitions gleaned from every religion that had gone before. I rapidly 109

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became disillusioned, even though the good Father gave me daily encouragement.

"Then disaster struck. Not immediately, for it came in the guise of Andrew, a gentle young man to whom I felt an enormous attraction. It was obvious from the start that he felt it too, and before long, he was in my cell and we were making love most every night. I hid my vampirism from him—he had not guessed my true nature, thinking that the sexual heights to which I raised him were partly his doing."

He paused. "I'm sorry, did that sound very conceited?"

 

I nodded. "Yes." Then I grinned at him. "But, as one who has been raised to those heights, I'll forgive you." He kissed me gently on the chin, and shot me that amazing smile of his.

"Don't do that," I warned him, "or we'll never get to the end of this story."
"Mmm," he murmured. "Something to look forward to.

Anyway, Brother Gregory had been spying on us and had informed the Father of our liaisons. The Father had no choice but to throw us out of the order, but I begged him to give my young lover another chance. This he did, and I took my leave of the brotherhood the very next day. I retreated to Naples where I had a villa and for a time forgot about redemption, Christianity and all things religious. I fell in with a group of vampires who lived only for enjoyment. After the harsh monastic life, this seemed the perfect antidote, and I indulged in all the pleasures put before me. There are some things for which, upon reflection, I feel shame and embarrassment, and I would rather not talk of them, if you don't mind. I would not want you to think less of me."

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"Nothing would make me think less of you, Marcus," I assured him "But if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."

"I thank you for that," he said sincerely. "It was as though I had lost my senses for a time, and indeed, it is a miracle that I survived this period of my life. I became careless with whom I spent my time, but even more dangerous was
where
I spent it. I did not confine my socialising to the vampire circle but took to going out to places frequented only by humans—taverns, bars, and gatherings at private residences—that sort of thing.

"It was at one of the latter that I saw him, Brother Gregory, large as life and just as obnoxious as ever. Why he was a guest at this particular party, I never did find out, but if anyone was a fish out of water, it was him. When I arrived, the owner of the house, a young nobleman of great charm and beauty was in a corner being berated by Gregory, probably for indulging in such gaiety. On seeing me, my host rushed forward, relief plainly written on his face. He grabbed me, dragged me to the other end of the large salon and begged me to rid him of this nuisance. Gregory, meanwhile had attached himself to a group of young men, all of whom I noticed with some amusement drifted away rather quickly, one by one.

"My host pushed me towards him, and so, reluctantly, I hailed the monk as cordially as I could. If he was surprised to see me, he did not show it but shook my proffered hand and enquired after my health. I stood there, pretending to be interested in our conversation, until he said, 'By the way, 111

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your little friend, Andrew, met with a terrible accident after you left us.'

"Trying not to show too much emotion, I asked what had happened. 'He was found raped and beaten,' he said. I did not miss the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes as he added,

'And was struck mute from the shock.' I knew then and there that he had perpetrated that dreadful deed.
"An almost uncontrollable rage seized me at that moment.
It took all of my vampire discipline to resist seizing him by the throat and ripping him to pieces. But instead, I formulated a much more brutal

revenge. I invited him to accompany me to another party—one, I told him, much more suited to his taste. The fool agreed, and I led him into the most notorious vampire lair in the city—and left him there, alone and defenceless."