We Shall Rise (8 page)

Julian nodded while Kaden looked at her skeptically. “Maddie never wanted to talk about her parents. It was a very sore subject for her. All she ever mentioned was her father, who was a serious disappointment. She barely saw him and never saw her mother. Not once did she mention Diamonde. It’s hard for me to believe this woman is mourning her loss when I got the distinct impression she abandoned her daughter years ago.”

“It’s complicated and you’ll see why in a moment.”

They arrived at a house in a private suburb outside Dallas. Kaden could not hide his disgust. This house was everything that Reysa’s was not. It was gaudy, ostentatious and downright tacky. Everything about it was over the top, including the pungent odor that burned everyone’s vampire sensitized nostrils.

“Do I smell….,” what sounded like hundreds of puppies in a chorus yipping pervaded their senses, “dogs?” Kaden continued. As they approached the gate, a hoard of six to eight inch long black and brown Chihuahuas appeared at the fire engine red gate that surrounded the sky blue manor. This house was hideously decorated and the swarm of rat-faced dogs didn’t help.

The security monitor beeped and what looked like a tiny leprechaun appeared on the screen. “Who goes there?” the being demanded.

“It’s me Reysa, with a couple of friends!” she shouted over the dogs that had yet to cease their annoying barks. A bell sounded at the dogs parted clearing a path for them to walk toward the house.

“I tried, Reysa, but you’re asking too much of me.” Kaden paused and faced her. “I could look past the garish house that was the colors of the US flag. This is the South so a little fanatical patriotism is to be expected. I could even try to comprehend the Chihuahua security dogs. Now I have to deal with a leprechaun? You expect me not to make jokes about this?”

“He’s not a leprechaun. He’s an elf.”

“Elf?” The front door opened and the tiny many from the security screen appeared. He was no taller than three feet. He had a long white frizzy beard that reached the top of his pants. All his hair ended up on his face as he had a huge bald spot on the top of his head with very little gray hair on the sides. He carried a tiny axe that looked like a tool Kaden could use as a toothpick for his fangs. “Clearly not the Orlando Bloom
Lord of the Rings
type of elf. More like the Keebler kind.”

“Did you just call me a cracker?” The elf sprang forward with his tiny axe in hand. One of the Chihuahuas hovered next to the elf baring rather sharp teeth at an amused Kaden.

“I don’t use racial insults,” Kaden retorted, “when there are so many other reasons to mock, such as…”

“Shut up, Kaden,” Reysa elbowed him sharply in the side as she turned to the seething elf. If he had been human, she would have fractured a rib. “Grotaon, please forgive my friend here. We usually keep him away from others, but sometimes we have to let him out the cage.”

“Grotaon is his name?” Kaden mused as he whispered to Reysa. “This is too good to be true. I bet women yell ‘Gro’ often during sex. He thinks they’re screaming his name when they’re actually just hoping for a miracle.”

Reysa elbowed him again harder this time as she tried to hide her grin. Kaden was exasperating. Thankfully, Grotaon did not hear that joke.

“G-Grotaon,” Reysa barely muttered the name without laughing, courtesy of Kaden’s tactless jokes. “Diamonde summoned us to come. I’m assuming she has news about Yasmine.”

Grotaon’s harsh features softened. “Aye Miss Reysa. Diamonde has been beside herself with worry over the young Yasmine. First Madeira and now her baby girl. This is too much, I’m afraid. Please come inside and your friends can come as well as long as they are housebroken.” Grotaon pointed to Kaden, who couldn’t wipe the smile off his devastatingly handsome face.

They followed Grotaon to a sitting room decorated in fuchsia. Grotaon left to make sure Diamonde was ready for visitors.

“Don’t say a word about this room Kaden.” Reysa’s stern looked reminded him of his mother when he was about to get in trouble for another misdeed. “Diamonde likes colors—bright colors especially—when her mood is dark. Don’t mock this house and especially don't mock her. I can’t protect you from what she’ll do. You’re already in enough trouble for your stupid comments about Grotaon.”

“I don’t need your protection, darling, but I’m touched that you want to rescue me,” Kaden winked flashing those irresistible dimples.

Reysa turned to Julian. “Please control your brother. If he doesn’t listen, then disassociate yourself with him completely so he only incurs Diamonde’s wrath.”

“How bad can she be? She’s Maddie’s mom. She’s a witch. Witches love me.”

Reysa just smiled at him. “You know, Kaden, maybe you need to learn a lesson.”

Grotaon returned. “Diamonde is ready to receive you.” The three of them followed him down a long seemingly endless hall decorated in blue, white and silver. On the wall were pictures of… Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, Tony Romo and other former and current members of the Dallas Cowboys. In the middle of the room was a sculpture of Jimmy Johnson, the former Cowboy coach who led them to three Superbowls in the early 1990’s. He was dressed in a toga with a crown of white and blue diamonds on this head.

“She’s a huge Cowboys fan,” Reysa explained. “She actually prays to Jimmy Johnson.”

“Reysa, I’m trying really hard here,” Kaden whined.

“I’m hanging by a thread as well,” Julian admitted.

“I know, guys. Just keep trying please.”

“My lady comes,” Grotaon motioned towards the front of the room where there were several steps leading towards a huge blue chair not surprisingly decorated with the Cowboys' logo. A flash of light appeared. Crystallizing in front of them was a…woman?

The figured appeared in front of them. The first thing Kaden noticed was the white leather heeled boots that covered every ounce of flesh up until mid-thigh. Those thighs revealed a mocha colored flesh similar to Reysa’s, but not nearly as exotically smooth.

“Welcome to my palacio,” spoke the deep masculine voice.

Kaden looked up and saw the rest of the figure. She wore a long, platinum blonde wig that dramatically contrasted with her dark skin connoting her North African heritage. Her face was heavily adorned with silver and blue make up matching the Dallas Cowboys' Cheerleader outfit she wore. That square jaw, Adam’s apple, and broad shoulders--among other obvious features behind those tight mini-shorts—left no doubt that Diamonde was not a woman. Underneath the costume and cosmetics was a man.

Reysa’s mother-father comment now made sense. Diamonde may have carried herself as a woman, but she was genetically all male. Knowing Maddie, he could understand her fractured relationship with her mother-father. Maddie may have been a stripper, but she was rather conservative at heart. She would never have been able to accept that her father was a transvestite.

Diamonde approached them, focusing on Reysa. She or he affectionately kissed her cheeks. Grabbing Reysa’s hands, she cried, “Ah, my darling Reysa. It is so good of you to come see me. I’m all frenzied with worry and despair. Everything is falling apart around me and I don’t know what to do. I have survived so much in all my 483 years. I have seen empires crumble, monarchs assassinated, human wars ending in the loss of millions of beautiful promising lives, the end of the Cowboys' championship dynasty, and now the self-destruction of all immortals looms and I fear I am powerless to stop it. I always thought that humans would be the death of us, but now I fear we will destroy ourselves. Hate tearing us apart at the seams. Soon, there will be nothing left. I’ve already lost so much. My beguiling Maddie and now my innocent Yasmine may have befallen a similar fate.”

Reysa led a distraught Diamonde to one of her plush silver couches. “Diamonde, please do not give up hope. We’ll find Yasmine. That girl knows how to survive. She’ll use every survival instinct you taught her to fend off harm. We’ll get her. I’m so sorry we could not save Maddie.”

“It was Maddie’s time. I felt it. I knew from the moment I first held her that her life would be too short. I wanted so bad to save her from that fate, but I could not stop it.”

“Diamonde, did you get the same feeling about Yasmine? Did you feel her life would be short?”

“No. But now I don’t what to think. Yasmine would never just disappear. She would always call me. She never hated me the way Maddie did. Yasmine was never distant. My idiosyncrasies never embarrassed her like they did Maddie. Yasmine accepted me. Maddie hated me for not being the parent she wanted. It is so hard being a parent–as you will one day understand Reysa. We can never fully please our children, but we must love them always. Maybe one day, they will love us the same. For me, that will never happen with Maddie, but I still have a chance with Yasmine.” Diamonde quickly brushed away the tears that wanted to fall. Sensing her pain, several of her pets appeared at her feet offering comfort. She bent down and petted them gently. “These children do love me unconditionally. Enough of this crying. I cannot smudge my makeup. It takes too long to fix up this divine face.” Diamonde stood up and turned her attention to the two handsome vampires who watched her closely, as if trying to comprehend the mystery that was Diamonde. She was used to the reaction and loved it.

“Fresh meat,” she purred as she sized up the two very different but equally gorgeous vamps. “May I offer you a drink? We keep plenty of blood around just in case a vampire comes to visit.” Before either could respond, she clapped her hands loudly and Grotaon appeared with three goblets of perfectly chilled O negative blood, a rare and tasty delicacy. “Only the best for Reysa and her friends.”

Diamonde motioned for them to sit while they drank. Kaden was too tempted to say something, but this was Maddie’s mother-father. Out of respect for her alone, he would behave, even though silence might kill him.

“Thanks for your generosity,” Kaden spoke as he raised his cup in appreciation to a beaming Diamonde. Reysa’s puzzled look was priceless. She was just waiting for him to do something stupid. He would surprise her for once.

“You are so welcome. You must be the vampire known as Kaden. Reysa described your physical appearance well.” Diamonde noted as her eyes carefully perused Kaden, “Very well indeed. However, you seem much kinder than she described.” Diamonde turned to Julian. “You are just as Reysa described, Julian. Your kind nature radiates from you. I believe my Yasmine would be quite fond of you.”

“Thank you. I look forward to meeting her. She sounds like a remarkable woman. No doubt much of that attributable to how well she was raised.”

Kaden’s stomach lurched. Julian was a natural charmer. He was the one parents wanted their daughters to date while Kaden was the one they would bribe their daughters to avoid.

“You are too kind. I wish I could take full credit for Yasmine, but she was born with an untainted, uncomplicated heart. She was an easy child. She spent time with me here as well as with her mother in Rabat. Yasmine loved growing up in Morocco. She gravitated toward that spiritual world. I did not quite belong there or in my native land of Egypt. I was a little too much for my country. They were not ready for the likes of me.”

Kaden resented the way Diamonde gushed over Yasmine, but seemed to have very little words for Madeira. “What about Maddie? Where was she from?” he questioned his tone a little harsher than he intended although Diamonde did not seem to notice. Reysa did and shot him a look of reproach.

“You cannot guess. She is named for where she was born, Madeira, Portugal. Her mother was a Turkish belly dancer who moved from Ephesus to Funchal. We met, had a brief torrid affair and Madeira was conceived. Her mother and I did not last as a couple and she moved back to Ephesus. I spent as much time with Maddie as I could, but it was difficult. Her mother was so very angry about our relationship and turned Maddie against me. Maddie and I never really bonded like father and daughter.”

“Maybe that’s because you looked more like her mother than father.” Kaden regretted the words as soon as he said them, but it was too late to take them back. Reysa looked mortified while Diamonde sat there calmly as she urged her pets to heel. They didn’t like their master being insulted as they bore their remarkably sharp teeth preparing to strike. “I shouldn’t have said that,” Kaden admitted. “That was very inconsiderate.” Kaden looked over at Reysa who didn’t seem too impressed with his apology attempt. She knew he would screw up and like always, he put his foot in his mouth.

“No need to apologize when you speak the truth. Maddie much preferred me dressed like a man. She preferred me as Damon. The man I was born as not the woman I chose to become a century ago. Most people prefer Damon I suppose, but I don’t. I spent 380 years being Damon to please everyone around me while a little piece of my soul died each day from living a lie. Finally, I decided to embrace who I was no matter the consequence. I know I am an embarrassment to my children, but I can’t be a good parent to them if I hate myself every day. Most of my children have learned to accept the craziness that is Diamonde. Maddie could not ever. I never blamed her. It’s a lot to ask. I wish I could have given her what she needed rather than disappointing her in so many ways. But you have to be true to yourself no matter the consequence. I want my children to be that way as well and to know whatever they do in life or whoever they become, I will love and accept them completely and without the least reservation.”

Reysa could see Diamonde’s melancholy and wanted to change this subject before Kaden said something unforgivable. “Diamonde, have you heard anything that might help us find Yasmine? All of our leads have turned up empty. Any information you have may help.”