I woke at dusk to find Alex fast asleep beside me. She was lying on her back, sprawled over the pile of pillows, her black hair spread around her head like a dark halo. She looked pale, but not dangerously so... I had not taken too much from her I thought with relief. After carefully examining the bite wound on her throat I decided I should leave it and speak to her when she woke. I lay on my side watching her sleep, watching the rise and fall of her chest, listening to the strong steady beat of her heart, and breathing in her familiar scent. Was I being foolish to love her as I did, I wondered. After what had happened with Sookie I had resolved never to get involved with a mortal woman again. Lorena had warned me against this and now Lilith was doing the same. But somehow I knew that what we had was different. I shifted a little closer, feeling the heat of her warming my cold flesh just as the sight of her warmed my cold heart. Suddenly I realised that the sight of her was doing something else to me as well! I reached out for her instinctively and then stopped myself. This was selfish of me, I should let her sleep. I wondered idly if she was so tired that she had slept all day, or if she had returned to me after getting up for a while. With a feeling of guilt I acknowledged that I had no idea what she had been doing over the last few days...weeks even. I had been so involved with Ulrich and his team of negotiators. I resolved to make more time to spend with her. She deserved better than this.
Why do you think that you owe her anything? She is merely a mortal, she is of no consequence to us surely? The voice insinuated itself into my head so smoothly that for a moment I was shocked that I could think such a thing. Oh! It's you, I thought with a sigh. You are a highly intelligent vampire William. You are of great use to me, but I cannot understand this excessive concern for a human. I will always be concerned for her, so you had better get used to it! Besides, we have to deal with humans so perhaps you should try to understand them a little better. You've been there during all the Authority's negotiations after all. Do you have no contribution to make?There was a pause. I would not lower myself to negotiate with humans. They are beneath contempt. Oh Lilith...why can you not see the good in them. Those who killed you probably only did so out of fear, and they are long gone, can you not forgive them? A stony silence filled my mind. Oh well, perhaps in time you will change, I thought. How dare you! The voice was cold and hard. I was brought into existence by the word of the Almighty and you would have the arrogance to think that you can change me! I do not change, I will never change! You have not changed because you have not really existed before, I pointed out mildly. You have not had physical form for many thousands of years. But now that you have, maybe things will be different. Why would you think this? Because everything changes Lilith, whether it wants to or not. Existing in this world changes you, interacting with others changes you. You grow, you learn new things. I was created with all the knowledge in existence. All the knowledge that was in existence then perhaps, but a lot has changed since. Do you not want to learn new things? I asked curiously.
There was silence for a while. Perhaps you are right, on consideration I have just learned something new. There was a lazy sensuality to the voice which should probably have warned me what was coming. I have learned that your little pet can give us the most exquisite pleasure. With a shock I realised that she had felt everything that I had felt during our lovemaking. Oh no...please! But she is merely mortal William. You are so much stronger than her, especially now. Are you not concerned that you will damage her, perhaps irreparably? Yes! That is why I am very careful not to do so. If you were to have sex with another vampire you would not have to worry about this. You have done so in the past haven't you? I buried my face in the pillow. That won't help William, you are not hearing me with your ears! I know that! I snapped out loud. Alex shifted slightly in her sleep and murmured something, but did not wake. Lorena now, your maker. Sex with her was...fiery, rough...you enjoyed that didn't you? Will you please go away? And stop rummaging through my memories! I felt her laughter rather than heard it. Then there was Claudia and Anastasia...she taught you much my friend and...what's this, Berenice? My Berenice? She sounded quite offended for a moment. You had my Guardian? She gave a wicked little laugh. Oh you bad, bad boy! To distract her from her sacred duty! And such a distraction too, No wonder she waited for your arrival before performing the ceremony. Stop this right now! I sat up and slipped quietly out of the bed so as not to wake Alex. We have a meeting this evening with Charles Montague and the Secretary of State and you will take notice of what is said, give me the benefit of your thoughts on the matter and not leave everything to me. Is that understood? You do not give me orders William! The voice was little more than a hiss. Then what will you do? I snapped back. Spend the rest of eternity hiding out in my head, unable to affect anything? I thought you wished to lead our kind. Don't you think it's time you started? There was an awkward silence. I will consider your request she said haughtily and faded away. I heaved another sigh and stepped into the shower.
When I woke Bill had already got up and gone upstairs to the study. I stretched and realised that I was really hungry. Then I remembered why. I hopped out of bed and examined myself in the bathroom mirror. Sure enough, there on my throat were the tell tale marks of Bill's bite. I hadn't dreamt it. I smiled to myself with relief and began to inventory the contents of the freezer in my head as I cleaned my teeth. I was sure I had a couple of steaks somewhere...
The large dining room at the Mill House had never been used since we had moved in as neither Bill nor Azaria needed it and I preferred to eat in the kitchen. It contained a huge antique English Burr Elm dining table which I would have found quite intimidating, but it was perfect to be converted into a conference room. Ulrich and his colleagues from the Authority had found it ideal for meetings both amongst themselves and with representatives of the Government, the Police and the Army. I tried to keep well out of the way as I usually did when I saw convoys of cars arriving but I knew that my presence in the house gave Bill a measure of comfort and normality amongst all the chaos.
I kept myself busy, cleaning up the upstairs rooms and cooking for myself and Susie when, just as we were tidying up in the kitchen, a convoy of vans arrived from the BBC and a horde of technicians poured out and started laying cables everywhere. I put my head around the door of Bill's study to see him sitting at his desk, reading a report on his laptop.
"Bill!" I hissed. "What's going on?"
He turned around and frowned, looking a little surprised to see me there. "Alex? Oh yes...I forgot to mention it to you." He held out his hands to me and I went over to him. He turned his chair around and pulled me down onto his lap, his arms around my waist. "The BBC have got hold of some information about a nest of vampires which the Authority discovered a few weeks ago. Sanguinistas I'm afraid. They had a set-up very similar to that at Darius's house, you know, holding humans as prisoners for food." I saw a flash of frustration cross his handsome face for a moment. "We still don't know quite how they found out about it, but they want to do an interview with me and Ulrich."
I shivered at the thought of what had happened to me in that house. "Do you think there are many nests like that still around?" I asked.
Bill shrugged. "Who knows?" he said. "We do our best to put out the message of mainstreaming and we've made it very clear that Lilith approves of our cause. The penalty for being caught feeding on an unwilling human is the true death but...what can I say? There are those vampires who like to live that way." He reached up and began to brush my hair carefully back from my face with his long fingers. "I'm hoping that you'll agree to join us?" he asked hopefully.
I cringed in his arms at the thought. "Oh Bill, must I?" I asked plaintively.
"Well, no. Not if you really don't want to, but it would help. You know I would never try to force you to do anything..." he leaned forward to give me a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Actually, since you are known to live with me, you might not be the best person. I gave Gerry the number you gave me for Lucy. I want to see if she would be prepared to be interviewed. Do you think she would?" he asked.
I thought for a moment. "Well, she might" I answered. "She did say that she wanted to help and Gerry can be very persuasive with the ladies!" I grinned at his slight frown. "Or so I've heard!" I returned his kiss. "Do you think that because Lucy isn't associated with you she'll make a more believable witness? more unbiased?"
"Yes, that was the idea" he said. "There's a certain type of human who tend to think that any human who associates with vampires is intrinsically evil and must, by definition, have been glamoured into submission!"
I smiled and leaned forward, slipping my arms around his neck and kissing him hungrily. I felt his tongue caress my lips gently and pulled back slightly. "Oh they're so right! I'm such a wicked girl!"
Bill's lips brushed against mine again. "Oh, I sincerely hope so!" he whispered.
I pushed my fingers up through his hair, examining his face carefully. "You look better" I said. "Not so pale and hungry."
He smiled. "I feel much better thank you. You were right, I needed to feed, I was just afraid..."
"Shh...I know, I understand.
Just then I heard footsteps in the hallway and got down off Bill's lap just as Gerry knocked briefly at the door and came in without pausing. "Well Bill, you'll be proud of me...oh. Hi Alex, sorry, was I interrupting?" He looked extremely embarrassed for a moment and Bill laughed at the expression on his face.
"It's okay" he said. "We were just talking! Why will I be proud of you? You convinced Lucy to be interviewed?"
"I certainly did!" said Gerry proudly. "Better than that, she's in the kitchen now waiting to see you."
Bill smiled. It was his old genuine smile, the smile I hadn't seen for a while. "Well done!" he said, getting up from the leather chair. "Let's go and talk to her shall we?" We moved to the door, Bill holding my hand and Gerry stood back to let us out with a little smile of his own.
Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Susie. "...yes, that's right" she broke off as Bill and I walked in and smiled shyly up at him. I looked from Bill to Gerry and wondered, not for the first time, why it was that vampires were always so damned attractive. I guessed that if you were going to create an immortal companion you'd probably want to pick someone attractive... Gerry had wavy black hair, dark grey eyes and the sort of rakish charm that would make the fathers of teenage girls want to shoot him on sight! Lucy certainly seemed to have been bowled over by the two of them.
"Lucy!" Bill walked over to the table and took her hands in his. "How are you? I didn't get the chance to see you after what happened with Darius. Alex tells me that one of the soldiers took care of you?"
"Yes. He took me home. I...I never got the chance to thank you. You saved my life...for the second time."
"Please, you have nothing to thank me for, you know that." Bill kissed her hands gently. "Has Gerry explained what's happening?"
"He said that there's a crew here from the BBC who want to interview you and you'd like me to be there too?"
Before Bill could answer there was a knock at the front door. Gerry jumped up at once. "That'll be Ulrich" he said. "I'll go and let him in."
Bill smiled down at Lucy. "They want to talk to us here, they're setting up now. Would you mind joining us? Ulrich and I will do most of the talking."
"I said I'd like to help...but I'm not sure how much use I'll be." she answered.
"You'll be fine" said Bill, just as a head appeared around the door and said "we're nearly ready for you, if you wouldn't mind..."