USUAL DISCLAIMER STUFF HERE—Yippee!!!!! Just purchased the Forever Knight DVD set. Except for First Knight Parts 1 and 2, it the uncut Canadian versions. Cool!!.
Yes, finally an update. This was a hard chapter to write, which is why it took so long. I wanted to get the emotions and feeling right. I'll know I did by reviews--hint, hint.
Thanks to my pal Douglas for reviewing the chapter and making suggestions. Thank you to the reviewers. And a big thank you to the publishers of my Roget's Thesaurus—over 1000 pages of synonyms.
Rating is very firm PG-13. Warnings for bloody doings ahead. Remember folks, these are VAMPIRES . .
CHAPTER 9
Though normal hearing would not have picked up on it, Nick's sensitive ears picked up the nearly silent football as it came down the back stairs. He looked up from the divan where he was sitting to see Cary enter the room. He looked rather tired, even though it was late in the evening.
"Took an extra long nap, I see," teased Nick, guessing at why the younger vampire was so late in arising.
"Would have been refreshing, too, if I had been sleeping," this said rather deadpan as Cary shuffled into his immaculate kitchen.
Suddenly he stopped and sniffed—such an alien smell, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He shook his head as if to clear it and reached into the dishwasher for his mug—this was a large ceramic thing that had his name imprinted on it—and a glass decanter. He walked across to the refrigerator, opened the door—and felt his mouth drop to the floor. There was FOOD in there—milk, eggs, soda—in his icebox! He blinked one or twice, as if to clear his vision (futile, really, since it was perfect) and reached behind one of Nick's horrid bottles to a bag of fresh blood. This he opened by the slicing of one end with a sharp eyetooth and poured some into the mug and the rest carefully into the decanter. He then placed his breakfast into the microwave and set the timer. It had taken a lot of trial and error to get the temperature correct—right at 99 degrees. Cold blood was good when mixed properly, but it had a tendency to taste clotty when taken alone.
The timer rang and Cary took his mug and blew on it a little as if to cool it, a totally unnecessary gesture, but habit. He took a long sip, held it in his mouth a moment, and then swallowed. A tingling spread over him as the liquid hit his body. There was no feeling, thought the dark haired vampire, as that taste of warm blood upon first arising. The only thing that even came close (and in all honesty, possibly surpassed it) was the rush of taking living, pumping hemoglobin from a human.
Another sip, using the same ritual and everything in the house seemed insignificant as the blood started to hit his extremities. Cary was still young enough to almost go into a state of ecstasy at the taste of this sustenance.
After a minute, he passed though the pantry, the library, across the main hall, and into the front parlor. This was his usual routine when he awoke, just making sure everything was secure and in its place. He took the tape out of the machine, pushed a Hummel figuring on the sideboard in the hall back into place and stopped short just before the downstairs sitting room. Once more he blinked as if seeing a mirage and bent down to pick up the item that caught his attention—a candy wrapper, human scent still on it. His greenish eyes yellowed some and he took a very big sniff at the bottom of the stairs that led to the second floor.
He caught just the faintest whiff of something and felt his veins tighten as something akin to hunger arose. He absently put his cup on a coaster that stood upon a serpentine console table near the foot of the staircase and looked up to the top of the stairs.
Nick, keeping a rather watchful eye on him, noticed this immediately. He took in Cary's form—straight but trembling slightly as he stared up to where Judy and her daughter slept. The ex-detective saw the eyes of the other turn an almost saffron color and notice him unconsciously lick his lips, fang teeth clearly visible. Nick quickly put down the magazine he had been reading and, with some haste, stood in front of Cary on a higher riser—a hand held out to stop him from proceeding further.
"What is going on?" asked the younger creature in the monotone that some vampires took when around living food. Nick could almost hear the bloodlust in his voice.
Hurriedly the blonde vampire explained about the CASA visit. Cary's anger was palpable. Older and stronger, Nick knew he could hold the other back, but it would be a struggle as the thirst was taking Cary over.
Nick swallowed. Fighting a hungry vampire as almost as deadly as waking one up. He knew this from experience. After all, how many times had he fought and won against the much older LaCroix? Rage made them stronger, and hunger more so.
"I did ask," began Nick, lamely.
"While I slept? I would agree to a stake through the heart and a necklace of garlic while I sleep!" Cary growled.
"Look, all things considered I had thought that in this instance you would be a little more understanding."
For the third time that evening, Cary was left open-mouthed.
"Land sakes! Why would I be so understanding?"
Nick briefly wondered about the can of worms he had just opened. After all, Cary had not been exactly forthcoming about his past.
"Just everything you went through as a human, I did think that given the circumstances you wouldn't mind giving them shelter."
The look that passed over Cary's handsome features at this statement gave Nick serious pause.
"What in tarnation is that supposed to mean?" asked Cary, in a very dead voice, staring Nick straight in the eyes.
"I mean while you were mortal, all you went through as a child—" the older vampire stopped then, as Cary was physically shaking with anger.
"What did I go through as a child?" came the question back with emphasis.
Throwing caution to the winds, Nick related some of what he had been told, without mentioning who had told him. It seemed wise to err on the side of caution in this respect. Cary, however, did not react as Nick figured he would. Instead of getting irate, he got so cold that Nick actually involuntarily shivered.
"Helena," began the other, his voice packed with ice, "is not some hell- spawned demon. And yes, Nick. My mortal life was not the best, but that's why I made the decision to become a vampire. And tell me why, by the horn spoons, I would care about some mortals and what happens to them, for god's sake."
"But..."
"What? Should I spare any human who hasn't had a good life?" Cary sniffed. "I'd probably starve, and animals are not an option."
"Look," Nick placated, "it's only one more day. On Monday they go to the shelter. If my place had been ready, I'd put them up there. Think back on the past, my friend. If someone had been there to save your sister, wouldn't of you have been happy?"
The blond vampire noticed some color come back into the other's irises. Just then, however, they heard a soft sound, someone muttering in their slumber. The hunger came back to Cary and he was up the stairs in a thrice. The sudden move had taken Nick by surprise, and he followed with some alacrity. Jill was already blocking the door when Nick arrived on the top riser.
"No," she stated, in a quiet voice, causing both male vampires to stare at her. "Wait."
With that, she disappeared into the main bedroom. Nick took this distraction as the opportunity to stand in from to the entrance to the guestroom.
By this time, with his prey so close, Cary had become a predator. Nick had not seen such ire from one of his kind in quite a while. It reminded him of LaCroix, in its way. It then struck him that Judy and Jessica would think the dog was in front of their door, such was the low growling.
In the back of his mind, Nick thought what this might do to his friendship with the younger vampire. Nick never really had ever had friends whom he could be himself with. Schanke had been fun, but Nick was always on alert around him. Vachon had been too young. Forget about Tracy. Nat had been a friend, but he even had to keep a watch on himself around her. But with Cary and crew he could relax in the company of others of his kind. Nick surprised himself with how much he missed that, needed that. Eternity could be a lonely thing, as he well knew.
It was strange though; he mused, watching his friend try to figure out a way past him, that he would become chummy with such a pure bloodsucker. The younger vampire harbored no doubts about his existence. Cary's face was now one of perfect fury and frustration. He knew what he wanted, but could not get to it.
Nick suddenly wished Esme was there, instead of having to run off early on an emergency call from the office. Between the two of them, they could subdue him. Without warning though, Jill was back, a small smile on her face. She took Cary by the hand and led him into his bedroom. Nick followed, curious, then stopped.
On the floor, propped against a chair, was a human—a very large human. The man had to weigh a good 250 pounds or more and has rather tall. This, Nick reflected, was a true feast. He took a look at Cary, who had a glazed look in his eyes. Jill gestured at the man, inviting her lover forward.
It had been quite an interval since Nick had witnessed a feeding. Every night creature had his or her own way of doing this. Some toyed with their victims, some seduced. Some bit hard; some took their time. Some approached from behind (Nick's preferred method), some from the front. It was different techniques for the same purpose.
Cary combined some of these. He slowly walked up to the mortal, looked down at him, and then looked over at Jill. The man stopped groaning and stared up at Cary, part in wonder and part in fear. Nick could now see the bruise on his temple where Jill had struck him.
The dark vampire knelt by the confused man and for a second, Cary was very tender indeed. He smiled softly, never taking his eyes off his victim and never showing his fangs. He gently touched the welt on the man's head and then smoothed back his mussed blonde hair, running a forefinger down his cheek.
Under Cary's steady gaze, the man turned eerily calm as if mesmerized. The human, oblivious to the danger shuddered as the vampire pulled his head to the right and licked his neck at the carotid artery. The victim shut his eyes and moaned at this, as if in pleasure. Then came a small snarl as Cary leaned into his neck and bit down—hard.
A keening sound came from the man, like a cross between a sigh and a moan. With a sudden realization, the man futilely tried to struggle out of Cary's grip. This was stopped soon enough though as his tormenter languidly drank. Nick managed a small swallow, forcing down his own nature at the smell of fresh blood. He could see the human slowly stop struggling as he slipped into death. He felt a tug at his arm and came out of his near trance. Jill pulled him out of the room and shut the door partway.
"I know how you feel, Nick, but it was the only way," she sighed. "If it makes it all Jake, though, that was not a nice mortal in there."
"No. No, it was probably for the best," the older vampire admitted.
"Cary can get murderous in his bloodlust," she explained. "Truly horrific. He'll be more rational after this."
Nick forced a nonchalant laugh. "That certainly was a big fellow."
The red haired vampire laughed at that then got serious.
"As you know, detective, he would do better that some waifish model. Take me as an example. I'm 5'9" and weigh about 115 pounds. That means I only have maybe 7 pints of blood in me. Now that giant in there," she indicated with her head, "has about 12 or 13 pints in him. A much better meal, don't you think? I mean, golly, don't we want our beloved Cary completely satiated?"
"You're right, of course. However, I just cannot get past the fact that this would be considered murder one."
Jill shrugged as Nick thought that if not for this person, Cary would probably now be snacking on mother and daughter. In fact, he still might, Nick thought morosely.
It was a good half-hour before Nick decided to look in on his friend. Cary sat against the chair with the mortal lying beside him—dead. Nick could see the blue lips and the first stages of rigor mortis on the corpse. But it was the brunette vampire that caught his eye, for Cary was in a full on blood trance.
There really weren't words for what Cary was feeling at the moment. Nick smiled to himself as he remembered the only good thing about feeding on people. What Cary was experiencing was beyond expression and was, in most vampires' opinions, better than any human emotion or desire. It was everything—warmth you felt down to your toenails and through every nerve and fiber of your being. Cary shivered some in his bliss and drew himself into a ball, closing his eyes with a contented sigh. At the moment, Nick could set fire to the room and his fellow creature would not notice. The blood had him—as potent as any opiate on the street.
Jill walked in and gave her beau a very sensuous look. Cary's moment was sort of private; watching him was very voyeuristic, almost like being a peeping Tom. Nick knew Cary had to assimilate his victim's memories, and most vampires took a distinct pleasure in this.
The russet haired vampire smiled at him and ran a hand through Cary's raven hair.
"Better?" she inquired, gently.
Cary could just nod. Jill kissed his cheek and left the room. After a moment, Nick left as well.
Yes, finally an update. This was a hard chapter to write, which is why it took so long. I wanted to get the emotions and feeling right. I'll know I did by reviews--hint, hint.
Thanks to my pal Douglas for reviewing the chapter and making suggestions. Thank you to the reviewers. And a big thank you to the publishers of my Roget's Thesaurus—over 1000 pages of synonyms.
Rating is very firm PG-13. Warnings for bloody doings ahead. Remember folks, these are VAMPIRES . .
CHAPTER 9
Though normal hearing would not have picked up on it, Nick's sensitive ears picked up the nearly silent football as it came down the back stairs. He looked up from the divan where he was sitting to see Cary enter the room. He looked rather tired, even though it was late in the evening.
"Took an extra long nap, I see," teased Nick, guessing at why the younger vampire was so late in arising.
"Would have been refreshing, too, if I had been sleeping," this said rather deadpan as Cary shuffled into his immaculate kitchen.
Suddenly he stopped and sniffed—such an alien smell, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He shook his head as if to clear it and reached into the dishwasher for his mug—this was a large ceramic thing that had his name imprinted on it—and a glass decanter. He walked across to the refrigerator, opened the door—and felt his mouth drop to the floor. There was FOOD in there—milk, eggs, soda—in his icebox! He blinked one or twice, as if to clear his vision (futile, really, since it was perfect) and reached behind one of Nick's horrid bottles to a bag of fresh blood. This he opened by the slicing of one end with a sharp eyetooth and poured some into the mug and the rest carefully into the decanter. He then placed his breakfast into the microwave and set the timer. It had taken a lot of trial and error to get the temperature correct—right at 99 degrees. Cold blood was good when mixed properly, but it had a tendency to taste clotty when taken alone.
The timer rang and Cary took his mug and blew on it a little as if to cool it, a totally unnecessary gesture, but habit. He took a long sip, held it in his mouth a moment, and then swallowed. A tingling spread over him as the liquid hit his body. There was no feeling, thought the dark haired vampire, as that taste of warm blood upon first arising. The only thing that even came close (and in all honesty, possibly surpassed it) was the rush of taking living, pumping hemoglobin from a human.
Another sip, using the same ritual and everything in the house seemed insignificant as the blood started to hit his extremities. Cary was still young enough to almost go into a state of ecstasy at the taste of this sustenance.
After a minute, he passed though the pantry, the library, across the main hall, and into the front parlor. This was his usual routine when he awoke, just making sure everything was secure and in its place. He took the tape out of the machine, pushed a Hummel figuring on the sideboard in the hall back into place and stopped short just before the downstairs sitting room. Once more he blinked as if seeing a mirage and bent down to pick up the item that caught his attention—a candy wrapper, human scent still on it. His greenish eyes yellowed some and he took a very big sniff at the bottom of the stairs that led to the second floor.
He caught just the faintest whiff of something and felt his veins tighten as something akin to hunger arose. He absently put his cup on a coaster that stood upon a serpentine console table near the foot of the staircase and looked up to the top of the stairs.
Nick, keeping a rather watchful eye on him, noticed this immediately. He took in Cary's form—straight but trembling slightly as he stared up to where Judy and her daughter slept. The ex-detective saw the eyes of the other turn an almost saffron color and notice him unconsciously lick his lips, fang teeth clearly visible. Nick quickly put down the magazine he had been reading and, with some haste, stood in front of Cary on a higher riser—a hand held out to stop him from proceeding further.
"What is going on?" asked the younger creature in the monotone that some vampires took when around living food. Nick could almost hear the bloodlust in his voice.
Hurriedly the blonde vampire explained about the CASA visit. Cary's anger was palpable. Older and stronger, Nick knew he could hold the other back, but it would be a struggle as the thirst was taking Cary over.
Nick swallowed. Fighting a hungry vampire as almost as deadly as waking one up. He knew this from experience. After all, how many times had he fought and won against the much older LaCroix? Rage made them stronger, and hunger more so.
"I did ask," began Nick, lamely.
"While I slept? I would agree to a stake through the heart and a necklace of garlic while I sleep!" Cary growled.
"Look, all things considered I had thought that in this instance you would be a little more understanding."
For the third time that evening, Cary was left open-mouthed.
"Land sakes! Why would I be so understanding?"
Nick briefly wondered about the can of worms he had just opened. After all, Cary had not been exactly forthcoming about his past.
"Just everything you went through as a human, I did think that given the circumstances you wouldn't mind giving them shelter."
The look that passed over Cary's handsome features at this statement gave Nick serious pause.
"What in tarnation is that supposed to mean?" asked Cary, in a very dead voice, staring Nick straight in the eyes.
"I mean while you were mortal, all you went through as a child—" the older vampire stopped then, as Cary was physically shaking with anger.
"What did I go through as a child?" came the question back with emphasis.
Throwing caution to the winds, Nick related some of what he had been told, without mentioning who had told him. It seemed wise to err on the side of caution in this respect. Cary, however, did not react as Nick figured he would. Instead of getting irate, he got so cold that Nick actually involuntarily shivered.
"Helena," began the other, his voice packed with ice, "is not some hell- spawned demon. And yes, Nick. My mortal life was not the best, but that's why I made the decision to become a vampire. And tell me why, by the horn spoons, I would care about some mortals and what happens to them, for god's sake."
"But..."
"What? Should I spare any human who hasn't had a good life?" Cary sniffed. "I'd probably starve, and animals are not an option."
"Look," Nick placated, "it's only one more day. On Monday they go to the shelter. If my place had been ready, I'd put them up there. Think back on the past, my friend. If someone had been there to save your sister, wouldn't of you have been happy?"
The blond vampire noticed some color come back into the other's irises. Just then, however, they heard a soft sound, someone muttering in their slumber. The hunger came back to Cary and he was up the stairs in a thrice. The sudden move had taken Nick by surprise, and he followed with some alacrity. Jill was already blocking the door when Nick arrived on the top riser.
"No," she stated, in a quiet voice, causing both male vampires to stare at her. "Wait."
With that, she disappeared into the main bedroom. Nick took this distraction as the opportunity to stand in from to the entrance to the guestroom.
By this time, with his prey so close, Cary had become a predator. Nick had not seen such ire from one of his kind in quite a while. It reminded him of LaCroix, in its way. It then struck him that Judy and Jessica would think the dog was in front of their door, such was the low growling.
In the back of his mind, Nick thought what this might do to his friendship with the younger vampire. Nick never really had ever had friends whom he could be himself with. Schanke had been fun, but Nick was always on alert around him. Vachon had been too young. Forget about Tracy. Nat had been a friend, but he even had to keep a watch on himself around her. But with Cary and crew he could relax in the company of others of his kind. Nick surprised himself with how much he missed that, needed that. Eternity could be a lonely thing, as he well knew.
It was strange though; he mused, watching his friend try to figure out a way past him, that he would become chummy with such a pure bloodsucker. The younger vampire harbored no doubts about his existence. Cary's face was now one of perfect fury and frustration. He knew what he wanted, but could not get to it.
Nick suddenly wished Esme was there, instead of having to run off early on an emergency call from the office. Between the two of them, they could subdue him. Without warning though, Jill was back, a small smile on her face. She took Cary by the hand and led him into his bedroom. Nick followed, curious, then stopped.
On the floor, propped against a chair, was a human—a very large human. The man had to weigh a good 250 pounds or more and has rather tall. This, Nick reflected, was a true feast. He took a look at Cary, who had a glazed look in his eyes. Jill gestured at the man, inviting her lover forward.
It had been quite an interval since Nick had witnessed a feeding. Every night creature had his or her own way of doing this. Some toyed with their victims, some seduced. Some bit hard; some took their time. Some approached from behind (Nick's preferred method), some from the front. It was different techniques for the same purpose.
Cary combined some of these. He slowly walked up to the mortal, looked down at him, and then looked over at Jill. The man stopped groaning and stared up at Cary, part in wonder and part in fear. Nick could now see the bruise on his temple where Jill had struck him.
The dark vampire knelt by the confused man and for a second, Cary was very tender indeed. He smiled softly, never taking his eyes off his victim and never showing his fangs. He gently touched the welt on the man's head and then smoothed back his mussed blonde hair, running a forefinger down his cheek.
Under Cary's steady gaze, the man turned eerily calm as if mesmerized. The human, oblivious to the danger shuddered as the vampire pulled his head to the right and licked his neck at the carotid artery. The victim shut his eyes and moaned at this, as if in pleasure. Then came a small snarl as Cary leaned into his neck and bit down—hard.
A keening sound came from the man, like a cross between a sigh and a moan. With a sudden realization, the man futilely tried to struggle out of Cary's grip. This was stopped soon enough though as his tormenter languidly drank. Nick managed a small swallow, forcing down his own nature at the smell of fresh blood. He could see the human slowly stop struggling as he slipped into death. He felt a tug at his arm and came out of his near trance. Jill pulled him out of the room and shut the door partway.
"I know how you feel, Nick, but it was the only way," she sighed. "If it makes it all Jake, though, that was not a nice mortal in there."
"No. No, it was probably for the best," the older vampire admitted.
"Cary can get murderous in his bloodlust," she explained. "Truly horrific. He'll be more rational after this."
Nick forced a nonchalant laugh. "That certainly was a big fellow."
The red haired vampire laughed at that then got serious.
"As you know, detective, he would do better that some waifish model. Take me as an example. I'm 5'9" and weigh about 115 pounds. That means I only have maybe 7 pints of blood in me. Now that giant in there," she indicated with her head, "has about 12 or 13 pints in him. A much better meal, don't you think? I mean, golly, don't we want our beloved Cary completely satiated?"
"You're right, of course. However, I just cannot get past the fact that this would be considered murder one."
Jill shrugged as Nick thought that if not for this person, Cary would probably now be snacking on mother and daughter. In fact, he still might, Nick thought morosely.
It was a good half-hour before Nick decided to look in on his friend. Cary sat against the chair with the mortal lying beside him—dead. Nick could see the blue lips and the first stages of rigor mortis on the corpse. But it was the brunette vampire that caught his eye, for Cary was in a full on blood trance.
There really weren't words for what Cary was feeling at the moment. Nick smiled to himself as he remembered the only good thing about feeding on people. What Cary was experiencing was beyond expression and was, in most vampires' opinions, better than any human emotion or desire. It was everything—warmth you felt down to your toenails and through every nerve and fiber of your being. Cary shivered some in his bliss and drew himself into a ball, closing his eyes with a contented sigh. At the moment, Nick could set fire to the room and his fellow creature would not notice. The blood had him—as potent as any opiate on the street.
Jill walked in and gave her beau a very sensuous look. Cary's moment was sort of private; watching him was very voyeuristic, almost like being a peeping Tom. Nick knew Cary had to assimilate his victim's memories, and most vampires took a distinct pleasure in this.
The russet haired vampire smiled at him and ran a hand through Cary's raven hair.
"Better?" she inquired, gently.
Cary could just nod. Jill kissed his cheek and left the room. After a moment, Nick left as well.