Secret Life Of A Vampire (23 page)

They straightened, still kneeling on the cushions. Lara tried to hunch over and look unattractive, while the others were thrusting their chests out and flipping their hair behind their shoulders.

“First row, stand up,” Apollo ordered.

The first three girls rose to their feet.

Apollo eyed them carefully, then stopped in front of the middle girl. “Bare yourself.”

“Yes, My Lord Apollo,” the girl whispered, and unhooked the bronze pin on her shoulder. Her white shift fell down to where the linen straps circled her rib cage, leaving her breasts exposed.

Lara fought to keep her disgust from showing on her face. Pervert. Lying bastard. Promising to turn these girls into goddesses when he only intended to bite them.

Or maybe he did give them eternal life. Her gaze wandered to Athena. She looked like a redheaded college student. Could she have been one before she became a vampire?

Apollo stepped back, his blue eyes starting to gleam. “Behold, the new Chosen One. She will be known as Aquila.”

The guard marched forward with the robe in his arms. The two maidens in her row helped Aquila put it on. They looked bummed out, but Aquila was beaming with happiness.

Lara swallowed hard. The poor girl had been chosen for dinner. Apollo took her hand and led her around the thrones to the rooms in back. Damn. There was nothing Lara could do about it.

Athena followed with two guards. Lara wondered if they were her supper. Two more guards assisted the Chosen One Calliope from the dais and led her around the thrones.

The gong sounded.

“That's it.” Vanessa stood. “We go to our room now.”

As Lara rose to her feet, she eyed the nine red cushions. Only eight maidens now. She followed them toward the double door.

One of the rejected ones burst into tears. “Why doesn't he ever pick me? I've been serving the gods for months.”

“You must be patient,” another maiden said. “The gods know when the time is right for each of us.”

They crossed the foyer and exited through another pair of double doors. Cool, fresh air swept around Lara, and she breathed deeply. There was a scent of pine in the air. It was too dark to see well, but the sky was so clear, she had to assume they were in the country.

The girls walked toward a smaller, square-shaped building. Behind that, Lara spied a still smaller building. She glanced back at the temple. It was the largest building on the compound. As far as she could tell, it was closed off only by a low stone wall. Easy enough to get over. A few torches illuminated the wall, but there were plenty of dark spaces where she could slip over unnoticed.

She could probably escape, but where to? She had no idea which direction to go, and the compound appeared to be surrounded on all sides by a thick, dark forest. She could end up wandering for days.

The maidens led her into the square building, which reminded her of a Roman villa. Four sides enclosed an inner courtyard. In the courtyard, she spotted a pool.

The girls turned right, and they entered a long dorm room with five beds lined up on each side.

“This is where we sleep,” Vanessa told her. “The guards sleep on the other side of the courtyard.”

“But stay away from them,” Kristy warned her. “We have to stay pure for Apollo.”

“Right.” Vanessa lowered her voice. “The guards are serving Athena. Shell be furious if you even look at them.”

“I understand.” Lara took a shower in the large bathroom the maidens all shared, then she put on the plain white nightgown Kristy gave her. She was told which bed to sleep in.

She pretended to sleep while she waited for the other girls to doze off. She hoped to do some late-night snooping around to gather information. Or maybe she should try checking on the Chosen Ones to see if they were all right. Unfortunately, she didn't know exactly where they were, and she couldn't risk walking in on a vampire. She sure couldn't risk letting the vampires see that she wasn't under their control. They might kill her on the spot.

She hated what was happening to these girls, but the best way for her to help them was to stay alive and be very careful. She sighed. One of the rejected girls was still awake, crying softly in her bed. Lara slowly succumbed to sleep.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Vanessa shook her. “It's daytime.”

Lara sat up abruptly, hoping she had dreamed about Elysian Fields and Chosen Ones and vampires masquerading as gods. But no, she was there in the dorm room for maidens.

“Come on,” Vanessa urged her. “Get dressed. We have chores to do.”

After thirty minutes of helping Vanessa and Kristy clean the bathroom and dorm room, Lara was feeling more like a maid than a maiden.

“Where are the other maidens?” she asked.

“Some are cleaning the temple, and some are guarding Apollo,” Kristy explained as she tossed dirty towels and nightgowns into a wicker basket. “We take turns guarding him during the day.”

Lara sighed as she made up another bed. “If he's an all-powerful god, why does he need guarding?”

“It's only his body we're guarding,” Kristy said. “He leaves his body during the day.”

“Right.” Because a vampire was dead during the day. Lara wondered if she could get her hands on a knife or stake. She could stake Apollo during the day while he was in his death-sleep. “Do I get to guard him?”

“Of course,” Vanessa said as she swept the floor. “We do it two at a time and sit outside his room.”

“You don't get to go in?” Lara asked.

“Oh no, the room is locked.” Vanessa swept a small pile of dust into a dustbin. “We're just there to honor him. He has to leave his body before dawn, so he can become the sun.”

“And when the sun sets, he returns to his body,” Kristy continued. “He's very tired and hungry then. The Chosen One helps him to recover his strength.”

“I bet she does,” Lara said wryly.

“I believe we're done.” Kristy looked about the room approvingly. “Let's go eat breakfast.”

Lara accompanied them to the smaller building in the back. There, one of the maidens was busy cooking.

Kristy wrinkled her nose at the food on the table. “You burned the toast again.”

“So?” The cook glared at her. “You try cooking three meals a day for fifteen people. I'm sick of this job.”

Vanessa gasped and glanced toward the open door. “You mustn't complain. One of the guards might hear you.”

“And it's a pleasure to serve the gods,” Kristy added.

“I hardly ever get to see the gods,” the cook grumbled. “I'm always slaving away in here.”

Lara grinned. This was the perfect place to not get noticed. “I'll help you.”

“Shhh.” Vanessa tugged at her gown and whispered, “You don't want to work here.”

“But I want to serve the gods,” Lara insisted. “And I love to cook.”

“Seriously?” the cook stared at her. “You—you would help me?”

“Of course.” Lara strode into the kitchen and looked around. Hallelujah, there were knives here! She could serve Apollo stake for supper.

The cook grabbed her hand. “Bless you. I can't tell you how many times I've rushed late into the Selecting Ceremony with food stains on my gown. Apollo never picks me. He says I stink like mortal food, and it offends his immortality.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Maybe now I'll have a chance.”

“Don't mention it.” Lara felt a twinge of guilt. Was she saving herself at this girl's expense? No, she had to save herself in order to save the rest of them.

She opened the pantry and studied the boxes, cans, and bottles. She spotted a bottle of maple syrup from Vermont. It looked like it had been bottled locally. Maybe they were in Vermont. “Where does this food come from?”

The cook shrugged as she scraped a heap of scrambled eggs onto a platter. “It arrives every week. The gods have provided a way for it to come from the mortal plane.”

“Right.” Lara needed to be on hand when the supplies arrived. If she could get a message to the delivery man, then she might be able to save all them.

She set the bottle of maple syrup on the counter. “Who wants pancakes?”

“I do, I do!” Kristy and Vanessa waved their hands.

Another maiden rushed through the kitchen door with a tray of eggs, bacon, and toast. “Oh my gods.” She set the tray down and pressed a shaking hand to her chest. “I think it's happened.”

“What?” Vanessa asked.

The maiden motioned to the tray of food. “I was taking Calliope her breakfast in the temple, and her room was empty. She wasn't there.”

Kristy, Vanessa, and the cook all gasped.

“Are you sure?” Kristy whispered. “She wasn't with one of the gods?”

“No.” The maiden shook her head. “I asked the guards, and they said she ascended last night.”

There was another gasp.

Lara walked toward the maiden. “What do you mean by 'ascended'?”

The maiden's eyes filled with tears. “She ascended to a higher plane. Calliope has become a goddess.”

“May tine gods be praised,” Kristy whispered.

“Really,” Vanessa added. “That is so cool. I hope I can be a goddess someday.”

Lara shuddered as a chill skittered down her spine. She recalled how weak Brittney Beckford had looked the night before. She covered her mouth as bile rose in her throat. She had an awful feeling that Brittney Beckford was dead.

When the guards arrived for breakfast, the cook informed them that Lara had volunteered to work in the kitchen. The tall guard with the squeaky sandal appeared to be in charge. He carried a clipboard with him and gave out assignments. He told Lara that she would be on guard, duty that afternoon from one to four. After that, she could return to the kitchen to help prepare supper.

“Yes, master.” Lara set a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon in front of him and noticed the puncture wounds on his neck.

As she served the other guards, she noted more wounds. Apparently, Athena didn't like to limit herself to a single Chosen One. She preferred the five-man buffet.

Lara stayed in the kitchen to help prepare and serve lunch, then shortly before one in the afternoon, she accompanied one of the maidens to the temple to do guard duty. It was the maiden who had stayed up late the night before, crying.

As they crossed the compound, Lara surveyed the surroundings, now more visible in daylight. There was the temple, the villa-style dormitory, and the kitchen, all enclosed by a stone wall. A thick forest loomed on the other side of the stone wall.

“What a pretty forest,” Lara said. “Maybe I'll take a walk there later.”

The maiden halted with a gasp. “You can't leave the Elysian Fields! It is forbidden.”

Somehow that wasn't too surprising. “There might be some berries I could pick to make us all a nice cobbler.”

The maiden shook her head. “You can't go into the forest. Apollo says there are ferocious beasts there with great gnashing teeth!”

Lara stifled a snort. She was a lot more worried about Apollo's gnashing teeth.

The maiden shuddered. “Apollo says that if one of those beasts captures you, it will drag you to Hades.”

“Well, we wouldn't want that to happen.” Lara sighed. These girls were so brainwashed, they couldn't even detect sarcasm. She followed the maiden into the temple.

The maiden led Lara around the thrones to a hallway in the back. There were three doors on each side of the hallway. Two doors were painted red. Rooms for the Chosen Ones, the maiden explained.

Lara noticed one of the male guards standing in front of a purple door. That had to be Athena's room. Kristy and Vanessa were sitting on red cushions in front of a golden door. They stood when Lara and the maiden approached.

“I hope you left us some lunch,” Vanessa said. “We're starving.” She and Kristy headed off to the kitchen.

Lara sat beside the other maiden. She pushed her cushion against the wall so she could lean back and stretch her legs in front. Her new position earned her a frown from the other maiden.

She tried not to think about Apollo's dead carcass on the other side of the door. At least they were safe from him during the day.

Where was Jack? In his death-sleep at the townhouse on the Upper East Side? She recalled how he'd told LaToya there were usually dead bodies in the basement, and she'd thought he was kidding. That rascal. He was so different from the vampires here.

Athena and Apollo considered humans nothing more than walking meals, foolish and easily controlled. Jack had always treated her with respect and kindness. He truly cared about her feelings and her safety. Had he spent the night desperately searching for her?

She thought back to how he'd been with Mario and Gianetta in Venice. They were mortals, but he considered them family. He'd showed respect and affection for Father Giuseppe. And he'd tried so hard to please her that night with the ice cream, the gondola ride, and the serenade.

He was such a good man. And she missed him so. He could make her laugh. He could make her hot. He made her feel beautiful and smart and cherished. He was the perfect man, except for the little Undead problem.

Was it crazy to fall in love with a vampire? Or was it even crazier to refuse him because he was a vampire? It wasn't Jack's fault that he'd been transformed. He had been attacked. Hadn't he suffered enough? It would be too cruel to reject him and make him suffer more.

Apollo rejected girls simply based on their hair color. But wouldn't the real God judge people according to their hearts find not their looks? Would Love reject anyone for being different?

A sensation of peace settled on Lara like a warm blanket. She knew what she had to do. She couldn't reject Jack. She couldn't bear to hurt him. Even if it meant the total upheaval of her own life, she would rather take the pain upon herself than cause him to suffer anymore.

It was the way of love. And she loved him with all her heart.

She closed her eyes and remembered how he'd made love to her in the bell tower. What a sexy man he was, her vampire Casanova. She couldn't wait to see him again, to let him know that her mind was made up. She belonged with him forever. Please, Jack, find me soon. She imagined how happy he would be, how he would make mad, passionate love to her.

The other maiden poked her in the shoulder. “Don't fall asleep. It is forbidden.”

“All right,” Lara grumbled as her romantic dream fizzled away. “Do we really have to sit here for three hours? This is so boring.”

“Shh!” The maiden glanced at the guard down the hall. “Don't speak like that. He'll hear you.”

“Okay. My name is Lara. What's yours?”

The maiden gasped. “Stop that!” She glanced again at the guard. “We cannot use names.”

“Let me guess. It's forbidden?”

“Yes,” the maiden hissed. “Behave yourself.”

“Okeydokey.” Lara decided to call this girl No Name. No, Miss Forbidden was better. She couldn't recall seeing her photo in the case file. “What college did you go to?”

Miss Forbidden shot her an angry look. “That life is over. We do not speak of it. I realize you are new, so I won't report you, but you had better learn to curb your tongue, or you'll end up in Hades.”

Lara reluctantly agreed that she needed to behave. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. “I'm terribly sorry. I really do want to serve the gods.” She pointed at the bronze doorway at the end of the hall. “Whose room is that?”

“It is the Most Holy Sanctum,” Miss Forbidden whispered. “When Zeus comes, he stays there.”

“Zeus comes here?” Lara figured he was another vampire. And he stopped by to mooch a free meal off of Apollo. “That is so exciting.”

“I know!” Miss Forbidden's eyes lit up. “He comes by every few weeks to visit his children, Apollo and Athena. But of course, he usually lives on Mount Olympus.”

“Of course. What does he look like?”

“No one knows,” Miss Forbidden whispered. “He never leaves the Most Holy Sanctum. Apollo selects a Chosen One for him. And the next morning, the Chosen One doesn't remember him. He works in mysterious ways.”

“Right. So how many gods drop by?”

“A few.” Miss Forbidden smiled. “One time Hermes came to visit, and he chose me.”

“How… wonderful for you.” Lara couldn't see Miss Forbidden's neck since her long reddish blonde hair was in the way.

Lara spent the rest of the guard duty trying to glean more information from Miss Forbidden. Then she returned to the kitchen to help Cook prepare supper for five guards, eight maidens, and the new Chosen One, Aquila. It couldn't be a coincidence that Aquila was chosen just as Brittney Beckford disappeared. Apollo must have known she was about to die. That bastard. He actually had these girls eager to become his next victim.

She and Cook were cleaning up after supper when the sun set.

Kristy ran into the kitchen. “Hurry! Zeus has arrived. There's going to be another Selecting Ceremony.”

“Oh my gods.” The cook dried her hands on a dish towel. “We need to get cleaned up, fast.” She ran to the dormitory.

Lara followed, and Kristy gave them new white robes to wear. They rushed into the temple just as the first gong sounded.

Lara took her position in the last row of red cushions in the center of the temple. Vanessa and Kristy were next to her. Three maidens stood in front of her. On the first row, only two maidens stood—Cook and Miss Forbidden. The third pillow was unclaimed. It had been Aquila's.

The gong sounded again, and the guard announced the Chosen One. Aquila strode in, dressed in her red robe. Lara was relieved to see her still looking strong, though the red scarf around her neck was creepy.

Athena was announced, and then Apollo. Lara kneeled and bowed with the other maidens.

“We have been honored by a visit from my father, All Mighty Zeus.” Apollo circled the maidens. “First row, stand.”

Cook and Miss Forbidden rose to their feet.

“You will be his Chosen One for tonight.” Apollo motioned to Miss Forbidden. “See that you please him well.”

“Yes, My Lord Apollo,” Miss Forbidden breathed. “Oh, thank you, my lord.”

With a sad face, Cook helped Miss Forbidden put on the red robe.

Lara's stomach churned. She didn't want to think about what was going to happen to Miss Forbidden.

Apollo led Miss Forbidden to the hallway behind the thrones. She was going to the Most Holy Sanctum, Lara thought. She hoped the poor girl would come out alive.

As the ceremony ended, Lara noted there were only seven maidens now. Fear surged inside her, threatening to explode into sheer panic.

They walked to the dormitory. The air was cool and crisp, but she was finding it hard to breathe. Her heart raced. She glanced up at the clear night sky. Jack would be up now. Was he looking for her? Jack, please hurry. I'm starting to freak out.

She couldn't wait for a rescue. She had to get out of here. Aquila and Miss Forbidden could die. The other maidens were in danger. Hell, she was in danger.

“I think I'll go to the kitchen and check supplies,” she told the other maidens. “I'll be along later.”

She dashed to the kitchen and gathered up supplies for her escape. A knife, a small box of matches, an empty bottle filled with water, some crackers. She emptied potatoes out of a burlap sack and put her supplies inside.

With the sack in hand, she crept out of the kitchen. These damned white sandals were not good for a long trek through the woods, but what choice did she have? And this white gown made her way too visible.

She spotted two guards walking along the stone wall. They were headed away from her. She rounded the kitchen and spotted an overgrown dirt road in the back, leading to an iron gate. Great! This was probably the road the delivery truck used to bring in food supplies. It might lead to a nearby town.

She looked around. The coast was clear. She pulled her long white gown up to her knees and dashed to the gate. She slipped underneath. She was free!

A long howl echoed eerily around her. She scanned the woods and gasped when a pair of golden eyes looked back at her. What had Miss Forbidden told her? There were ferocious beasts in the woods with gnashing teeth? They would drag her to Hades?

She shook her head. No, that was brainwashing. She couldn't believe that.

The golden eyes moved closer. Lara pressed against the gate. Her heart thundered in her chest. Another howl came from the forest. Undergrowth swished and crackled.

She fumbled in the burlap bag for the knife. Just in time, too, for a huge, gray wolf appeared from the forest. She gulped. She'd never seen such a huge wolf. Actually, she'd never seen a wolf before at all. She tightened her grip on the knife.

The wolf's gold eyes gleamed in the dark. He snarled, and two more wolves emerged from the forest.

Oh God, there could be a whole pack of them. Lara eased back underneath the gate. She retreated slowly, keeping her eyes on the three wolves. They stood still, watching her.

She circled the kitchen, then ran inside and slammed the door shut. Dammit! Vampires and wolves. Either way, she was a goner.

Oh, Jack, please find me.

Jack strode into the security office at Romatech. “Give me another place to check out. Hurry.”

Phil looked up from where he sat behind the desk. “No luck with the place in West Texas?”

“No.” It was just past midnight, and already Jack had investigated four isolated compounds across the country. “Wasn't there one in Colorado?”

“Robby's at that one.” Phil referred to the yellow legal pad on the desk in front of him. “And Phineas is in Virginia.”

Jack paced across the office. The three Vamps had split up so more locations could be checked. Phil was manning the phone as more reports were called in from wolf packs across North America. Unfortunately, they were getting a lot of reports from the western states, and Jack still believed Apollo was somewhere in the east, close to his hunting grounds.

Phil tapped his pen on the yellow paper. “I've got one in Minnesota.”

“Call the pack master, and I'll teleport there.” Jack had to stay busy, or he'd go crazy. If he even stopped to think about how Lara could be suffering, he would rip a tree out by its roots.

As Phil reached for the phone, it rang. “MacKay Security and Investigation. Phil speaking.” He paused. “Yes, I'm that Phil.”

Jack's superior hearing could pick up the deep, gruff voice on the line. A pack master from northern Maine. This sounded promising.

Jack leaned over the desk, so he could hear better. A female body had been discovered in the woods.

His heart lurched. No, not Lara.

Phil gave him a worried look. “Can you describe her? You have a photo? I'll give you our fax number.” He recited the number.

A chill stole over Jack. The voice on the phone described the girl as tall, slim, with reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. The fax machine was so damned slow. Jack's stomach roiled, and for the first time in his long vampire life, he thought he might lose his dinner.

Finally, the photo arrived. Jack ripped it from the machine. It wasn't Lara.

He drew in a shaky breath. “It's not her. But this girl looks familiar.” He grabbed the case file and rummaged through the photos he'd collected. He pulled out a photo that closely matched the fax. Brittney Beckford. Apollo had dumped the poor girl's body in the woods.

“Greek-style architecture?” Phil sat up. “Are you sure?”

“Put him on speakerphone,” Jack said. “We'll go there now.”

Phil punched the button and warned the pack master that they were on their way. Jack grabbed Phil's arm and teleported to the sound of the werewolf's voice.