sanguineangels (43 page)

“I rushed down the hall toward the sounds. This time, I savored the kill. First, I tackled my father. After a couple of bites I got the technique right and sliced open his jugular. Blood squirted from his artery like a fountain. It hit me in the face and went up my nose, but I didn’t care. I opened my mouth, covering the wound, while blood ran down my face and dried in my hair. I pulled hard, drawing in the substance my newborn body craved. The more I took, the more I wanted. Each drop warmed my body, burning my insides. All I remembered was being frozen, and that something inside me knew that by taking more I would be alive again and the chill of death could no longer touch me.

“After draining him, I moved on to my mother.

“Lodging my fangs into her jugular, I drank until I was full and warm. When I looked up, Devon stood at the foot of the bed. Blood covered his body. I listened and heard no more heartbeats. Devon had massacred the servants.

“Entranced by his slick, red body, I circled him, sniffing him like a dog. I smelled myself on him and that was good enough. I walked around him a few more times, never taking my eyes from the red liquid coating his body. I wrapped my hands around his torso, crushing my breasts against his back. One hand moved along his chest, feeling the marble smoothness of it, while the other embraced his shaft. He hardened under my touch as I slid my hand up and down his dick. All the muscles of his back clenched when he was ready to come. It was then that I sunk my fangs into his throat. He released, moaning and writhing against me at the same time. It’s funny, but that was the only time he let me be in control. And it was only for a split second.

“The acrid smell of cum split the air and settled with the blood-scent. I took his blood only for a few moments, still feeling how hard he was in my hand. I worked him again, but this time he squirmed out of my grasp and tackled me. Both of us landed hard, rattling the room. Bits of plaster fell from the ceiling, turning into red paste from the blood on our bodies. He dug his nails and teeth into me, licking and biting until I didn’t know where he began and I ended. It continued like that until dawn, when, finally the lethargy of sleep sucked me down as the orb rose in the sky.

“When I woke up the next night, I truly understood the nature of what I had become: I was a monster; a demon, pure and simple.

“My kind can’t see the beauty in the humanity they originated from. Once my kin open their eyes to vampirism, they cast off their humanity like an old skin and become what the blood makes them into. There are only a few of us who betrayed our origins, realizing humans were more than things to fuck with. Many vampires consider this way of thinking weak, hunting those like me because we are the black sheep of the species. Devon hated that he had created one of these. That was one reason he loved to torture me. However, my other half was satisfied with killing, especially my family, and wanted more. That night I swore I would never be what Devon wanted. That’s when my beast and I started warring.”

I turned from Brenna, my tale told. I had just divulged my history, something I never thought I could do. Now it was up to her to stay or leave. If she left I’d protect her from Devon, watching out for her until she died, even if she never knew it.

Silence descended on the room like the eye of a storm. She thought about all I had told her. I dared not peek into her mind in case I let out a maelstrom of emotion. So I stood, motionless, listening to the echoing footsteps of people passing in the night, of other guests dozing in their rooms, they’re breathing slowing. Dozens of heartbeats filled my head, each one a different song, adding to the chorus. They all tantalized me, igniting my hunger. I swallowed it down. Soon I would have to feed, or I would lose control. Brenna’s presence was a horrible distraction. It made me remember everything I was. I salivated just having her so close; my other half wanted out again to taste and ravage her, but I pushed her away. Brenna’s arms crisscrossed over my breasts as she rested her chin on my shoulder. She took in a few breaths, tickling my ear, thinking about what to say. Then, to my surprise, she kissed my neck, tracing the delicate line of my throat with her soft lips. My gums tingled as my teeth ached to descend.

“You do a dangerous thing.” My voice was shaky, as was my control.

“I trust you.”

“I’m glad someone does.”

“So what happens now?”

I shrugged, unsure of how to answer. It seemed fate had thrown a wrench in my path. I didn’t understand how this human could be my salvation.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

My name is Brenna.

My reflection showed the tiny lines around my eyes, little tick marks showing my age. They were almost invisible, but I knew they were there.

Tears sprang to my eyes when I thought of Veronica—alive for over two hundred years, an ancient woman wearing the guise of a twenty-five-year old. All because she fell in love with the wrong man. As she told her story, I sensed how much she yearned to be with humanity. I could bring her back to life and show her the light once again. I laughed while scrubbing off my makeup, thinking of what I had said about unmasking.

My true likeness stared back at me. My skin was now a subtle shade of pink from rubbing off so many layers of cover up and eye shadow. Underneath it all it was a pale white complexion. I strove to keep out of the sun. The sun didn’t bother me; I just didn’t like it. Its garish light hurt my eyes and browned my milk-white skin. I’d always been drawn to the night. To me, the midnight blue sky was endless and kept my secrets when no one else could.

I wrapped my tongue around my fangs, wiggling them loose before I pulled my lips back in a sneer to see their sharp points suspended among my other teeth, and then I plucked them off, throwing them into an empty contact case. Then I took out my evergreen contacts. Underneath the imitation eyes, my irises were a dark dull brown that saw the world with a human blurriness. Without my props I was a mere mortal, as Veronica would say. It’s funny how humans have a way of deluding themselves.

Veronica wanted to know why I understood her so well. It was because I snuck inside people’s minds, into places that had been shut up for a long time. Little did I know that while I was living my life, I was also living my dream. When I saw her for what she was—an immortal, a living vampire—everything I pretended to be crashed around me. I could no longer go on seducing men into believing I was one of the undead than Veronica could continue to try and blend in with humanity. We each failed miserably at being something we were not.

It astonished me how each of us had forgotten what we had once been. When I popped my fangs in, I became a creature that couldn’t be touched or understood by mortal minds. I was a vampire. Now my mask had been torn off. My reflection began to show my true age, and with age would come great changes. That was one reason I clung to the idea of the vampire. The thought of an eternity spent in the cool night, being a marbled beauty for all time, just understanding the mysteries of life and death. The vampire knew what it was like to be human, seeing the world from two spotlights, two different points of view.

Being psychic, I tapped into a small part of the vampire’s powers and read others’ emotions. I lured in those I wanted to fuck. I used this ability to my advantage because it heightened the sexual experience. I never used it on my clients though. I even chose a new name—Raven. The name defined who I was. I was a prophecy giver, one of the associations with the name. It also meant being a harbinger of death, and vampires certainly were that. I got so caught up in the vampire lifestyle I had fangs fitted, as well as contacts to make my eyes look deeper, more alluring. The tricks worked, almost too well.

Men at clubs pulled me aside and wanted me to drink from them. I always turned them down, but the more I played out the fantasy, something happened. Not only did others believe I was a vampire, but I believed it, and that belief had changed my aura.

At first I didn’t understand how easy it was to fool people and then one night while dancing at a goth club called the Black Rose, I expanded my senses, mingling with the emotions of the other dancers. From my work as a psychic, I’d learned that the aura could be used to tell and do many things. Each color revealed something about the dancers’ personalities. The subtle shades and how the colors were arranged relayed the emotional state and physical state of a person; auras could also be used as shields or walls around the mind to keep other psychics out, or just keep thoughts in. I knew how to do all of this, and as I danced, I caught the sight and feel of my own aura.

My normal colors of yellow and blue were there, but there was a purple, a deep violet I had never seen. I paid attention to it and felt the slow, steady beat. As I focused on it, it grew deeper and I noticed the eyes of the other dancers, which was rare in the self-absorbed world of goth clubs. Feelings of lust and the thrill of the other world radiated from them as the purple began to blanket the dance floor. I pulled it back. My aura withdrew from the minds of the people, whipping itself back in place to just the normal yellow and blue.

When I first settled in New Orleans, I received strange looks from goths, but that didn’t bother me. Then I became a fixture, like the many ghost tales and the never-changing humidity and sudden rainstorms. I never minded though. I was what I wanted to be: my fantasy.

Now that had disappeared. Everything shattered because the one thing I pretended to be had appeared out of nowhere.

Unlacing my corset, I got up from my vanity and glanced at the blinking number on my answering machine. Six messages waited for me. Most of them were clients, seeking my guidance to steer them on the right path. I sighed, thinking how nice it would be to bow out of the business and watch people fend for themselves, like rats in a maze as they sniffed at the walls trying to decipher where the end was.

Corset off, I punched the play button. The whining voices of five clients reeled out, all wanting to see me by Saturday, three days away. I doubted I’d meet their demands, but I made a mental note to call them back. It was the sixth message I was more surprised and pleased over. It was from Cain. His accent reminded me of the crisp cold Boston winters I’d forced myself through.

“Hey Brenna, was wondering if you wanted to get together early tomorrow night, say like around seven thirty. We could do one of those ghost tours or something. You probably know all about them, but it would be nice to get together. If you’re interested, meet me at the Moonwalk—at least I think that’s what it’s called. If not, I’ll see you at my hotel around ten.”

The message clicked off, ending with a loud beep.

I smiled, realizing how much I’d taken a liking to this new boy. It was strange I had latched onto him so swiftly. When he was here the other night, I had almost forgotten about meeting Veronica. It was as though he had some hold over me. It was sad to think he would not be in the city for very long. The thought of him on a plane, returning to a place thousands of miles away depressed me. Even after he left, I would still have Veronica. She wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. I didn’t question her reasons, but was happy that such an unearthly creature would keep company with an ordinary girl like me, who hoped to be something else.

* * * *

I woke up around six and spent the last hour pondering the events that had taken place in the past twenty-four hours. I still couldn’t believe them. I’d been attacked, met a vampire, spilled my life story, and become entranced by the fact that a creature of myth and legend was real. I wondered what other kinds of monsters she had associated with or seen. Maybe there were werewolves roaming around in the Bayou, or even in the city, pretending to be human while munching on a few mortals at the same time. I would believe it because fantasy had now become reality in my book. Vampires were real, but underneath the fangs and glowing eyes was a sad, intriguing woman who held me captivated.

I yearned to feel her hands on my body, her fangs buried in my flesh. I wanted those soft lips kissing and caressing every part of me. I’d slept with women before, but Veronica intoxicated me. She commented on my ability to hypnotize her—well, she had me mesmerized to the end of my toes. She made me feel strong, like nothing could get in my way. Veronica made me desire a life I’d never have, a life I pretended to live. She had removed my mask, and now I was just me. I didn’t know if I could put on my fangs or contacts again, pretending to be one of her kind. It was all I knew. How could I give it up? And if I did, would that mean Cain would consider me an ordinary plaything, to have, to hold, to fuck? I sighed. I didn’t know the answer, but I didn’t want to give up the chance of seeing my new lover tonight.

The thought of his warm, wet mouth on mine made me tingle inside. He had a power over me Veronica didn’t possess. Perhaps it was pure lust because the sex was amazing. He reached an animalistic part of my psyche, enabling me to give myself over to sheer abandon. He made me aware of every part of my body. Besides, he was only a ten-minute walk from my apartment, hoping I would be scared by the tales of the city so I would need his protection.

Yes.
I giggled. I’d go to him, and I would have the best time of my life.

I jumped up, throwing on a simple skirt and white shirt. I dressed lightly, knowing that the summer, even though it was coming to an end, was still hot and heavy. If it rained, the shower would pass, and I didn’t care if I got soaked.

Racing out of my apartment, I made my way over to the Moonwalk, arriving just as the clock on St. Louis Cathedral struck seven thirty. I crossed the street, glancing around the steps, searching for Cain. He talked to a tour guide who was dressed in a pink crushed velvet shirt. I went up behind my date, waiting for him to notice me. When he did, a huge smile appeared on his face.

“You made it!”

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it. Besides, we might actually see some ghosts,” I said as I pushed a piece of hair out of his eyes. As I met his gaze a sudden sense of calm came over me. Nothing in the world could break the moment.

“Is this your other half?” the tour guide asked, his voice thick with an English accent.

“Yup. She’s all mine.”

“Mine’s up there.” He pointed to the front of the tour group.
 
“We were married about twenty minutes ago.”

“Congratulations,” I said.

“Thanks,” he said before walking off to address the rest of the group.

Cain and I listened as the guide explained the tour. The rising excitement of the crowd washed over me, filling me with anticipation. I didn’t bother to erect the shields around my mind to keep out the emotions. Tonight I wanted nothing more than to be content and warm on the arm of my date. I just wanted to be his.

As we ambled along I took Cain’s hand, just as lightning illuminated the sky. I jumped and huddled into the curve of Cain’s arm. The warmth and smell of him made me feel safe, but even as the tour continued on, I knew we would get very wet. We ventured through a residential area while the guide showed us a few places where movies had been filmed. As he talked I pressed myself closer to Cain, catching the scent of musk and earth.

A few drops of rain fell as we arrived at our next destination. The guide told the story of a man who dared his lover to prove her devotion. In order to do so, she had to stand on the roof naked until dawn. Her lover didn’t think she’d fulfill the challenge, but as the night ebbed, she didn’t come down. He checked on the woman and found her huddled against the chimney, her lips blue with death. It was said people saw the woman on top of the roof gazing down at them, keeping her vigil until dawn so she could prove her loyalty. It was a sad and interesting story.

I glanced up at the chimney just as a roll of thunder exploded above us. I saw nothing, but Cain stood, transfixed, as if he waited for the ghost to appear. His gaze was fixed intently on the chimney. A gust of wind came up, blowing my hair in my face, obscuring my view. In that instant, a shrill scream split the air, and Cain’s hand crushed mine.

“Look, there she is. Did you see her?” a woman’s fear-filled voice exclaimed.

By the time I cleared the hair out of my eyes, there was nothing but an empty roof, and wild rain dropped like bombs from the sky. I glanced over at the woman and then back at my date. His face seemed pointier, but I thought it a trick of the light. I put a hand on his shoulder, sensing the muscles ready to spring underneath his T-shirt.

“Did you see anything?” I asked.

It took Cain a moment before he looked at me, and when he did, his eyes were unfocused, almost hungry. When he saw me, they returned to normal, the tension draining from his body.

“No. It was probably just a trick of the light. People see what they want to see. Right?” He smiled.

I nodded, not sure what to make of his answer. “Come on, we’ll get left behind.” I grabbed his hand, dragging him after the retreating group, which had taken refuge in a local tavern.

“Well, wasn’t that interesting?” the guide said to Cain. “Nothing this exciting has happened since the time a woman thought a cockroach was a flying rat.”

I laughed, knowing how big the roaches got in the city, but my date didn’t get it. The tour guide walked away and my boy looked disgruntled. I wrapped my arm around him and rested my chin on his shoulder, trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t working. He grew quiet and withdrawn, lost in his own thoughts. I kissed the side of his neck, flicking it with my tongue, hoping to get his attention. After a few more nibbles, some of the tension emptied from his tight muscles as he took me in his arms.

He looked into my eyes, and I lost myself in the depths of his sky-blue ones, but the sensation only lasted a second. I glanced around and we were the only ones left in the tavern. Cain caught my chin, gently turning me to him. He leaned over and caressed my lips with his, making me forget about the tour.