Love Listens

X looked up from studying the marks on Vicki's forearms, "Henry, go find yourself some dinner, and take Sonny and Junior with you."

Henry, not used to taking commands, stared at her in surprise, then asked, "Why?"

"Crap and damn. I'm not used to explaining myself. If you must know, I want some girl talk without flop eared men listening and the boys need to see some T and A. Find a bar with a good floor show and let them watch the girls while you feed. That should be simple enough for you to understand."

Vicki turned her head so that Henry couldn't see her smile but the snorting noise she made gave her away.

Henry scowled and gestured to the old men as he spoke to Vicki's back, "Very funny. Come on fellas, we'll find some women that appreciate our attributes." He opened the door and indicated that Sonny and Junior should go first then passed through himself.

Vicki called out, "Wait up."

Henry paused and Vicki joined him in the hallway, "I'll tell you what we talk about and I won't share any of our bedroom secrets."

Henry gave her one of his heart stopping smiles, "I don't think we've done anything in the bedroom that she hasn't done a hundred thousand times over."

Vicki gave him a hot kiss, then on impulse gave each of the old men an equally hot kiss, winked at Henry and said, "X's not the only girl vamp in town. Have fun boys, and don't come home with any diseases."

As the elevator chimed and the doors glided open, Henry said, "Don't get any ideas boys, she's all mine." Laughing, the three men got in and as the doors closed they blew her kisses in unison.

When Vicki came back in, X was sitting with four cats on her lap and said, "It's good for them to get away from us for a while."

Vicki settled back in her chair as Littlebit and Polly moved in to make themselves comfortable. She waited a few minutes before saying, "Okay, they're gone, now what?"

X sat stroking first one cat then the other thinking out loud, "Men make such nice pets, every woman should have at least one." She nodded approval at her own statement then added, "You and Henry have something special."

Vicki waited for several more minutes savoring the quiet comfort of the kittens then asked, "What about the marks?"

Xenethia took a deep breath and exhaled, "They're poorly done. Drawn by a hack that had no clue what he was doing. Did you have sex with the one that drew them?"

"Not that I know of. I was unconscious most of the time, but Coreen, my assistant, was there and she would've told me if Norman had tried."

"Have you ever promised yourself to the service of a demon for power?"

"I accepted enough power to heal Coreen, but nothing for myself."

X continued by asking, "Do you know how vampires came into being?"

Vicki answered, "I'm not sure. I know the legends and Hollywood versions."

"Vampires have been around since the time of chaos, but now we're dying out along with the others from the time of chaos, but I'll tell you more about that some other time. What do you want from Henry and from me?"

Vicki looked at Polly curled in her lap with Littlebit licking her ear and said, "Everything he has to give and to know where I stand as vampire."

"Are you afraid his love will fade in time?"

Vicki moved her head from side to side, "No. Inside I know that what we have is real and lasting. Oh, I'm sure we'll fight and make up, we'll get tired of the day to day routine, but at the core we are one and can't be divided."

"I can understand that. I have my own soul mate."

Vicki opened her mouth to ask where her mate was, but X waved her off saying, "Don't bother asking. What I have and for how long is my own business. I'll say this much, we always know when we're thinking of each other."

X cocked her head to the side then pulled a hot pink cell phone from her pocket, pushed a key and said, "I'm fine and yes I'm talking about you." She listened for a moment then said, "In a few days. Me too." She closed the phone and put it back in her pocket and said, "The marks aren't the only things stopping you from a total change but they're part of it. If you look closely, the lines are blurred and incomplete. It's hard to believe Norman was able to pull up a demon."

Vicki's eyes silvered, ready to tell Xenethia that what was seen and done over the first year of her and Henry's acquaintance was very real.

Xenethia laughed, "Crap girl, don't waste your vampire anger, I know it all happened. It's the how that has me baffled. It shouldn't have happened the way it did."

X closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch as all the cats started purring loudly. Vicki watched her and felt the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rise. The young vampire that was developing within her body also rose in response to the purr.

Xenethia spoke in the language Arcane calling on the Old Ones that had lived before time. She stopped speaking and bowed her head listening to their words.

Vicki closed her eyes and felt her vampire humble itself before such power and listen.

***

Henry and the two old men finally entered a night club after much discussion of what they wanted wanted to do. Junior and Sonny looked around, exchanged glances and then Sonny said, "We'll sit at the bar and watch the floor show. You go do what needs to be done then come get us when you're ready to leave."

Henry, sightly taken aback by the way they acknowledged vampire needs, nodded and moved to the back wall of the club to study the crowd. Watching for a meal, he thought about the odd turn of events that had him, a royal prince, taking more orders than giving them. With a mental shrug he concentrated on the crowd.

Junior kept his eyes on Henry until he blended into the surroundings and said, "He'll feed quickly. He doesn't like taking orders and he doesn't like leaving his woman alone with X. If we want see some of the show and have a drink we'd better find a seat."

Sonny moving toward two bar stools that had been recently vacated saying, "I can't say blame him. I wouldn't want X around my woman too long either."

Henry watched as the band finished their set and heard the announcer talk about the exotic dancers that were about to take center stage. The couples that had been sitting at the front tables listening to the band moved off, allowing the seats to be taken over by singles looking for some action. Henry had found from experience he could usually get a quick bite from someone heading for the restrooms anxious to relieve sexual 'tension' . He caught the eye of one such flushed person, led them to the darkest part of the hallway and with well practiced hands and lips gave the pleasure they sought. As the orgasm climaxed, Henry took his payment for their release in the form of hot blood. When finished, he ducked into the restroom to wash his hands and straighten his clothes. As he looked into the mirror he felt the rumble of ancient magic. He went into a stall and closed the door, leaning against it as he tried to focus on what was happening.

He heard voices talking to the vampire within him. It was a sound he had heard a very long time ago. Xenethia's power was legendary, but she hadn't used it to contact the old ones in recent centuries. Vampires around the world would feel her use of power this night and wonder what was happening.

He tried to hear the words spoken to his vampire, but couldn't make them out and then his concentration was broken by an angry man pounding on the stall door yelling, "Hurry up."

Henry reached behind, flushed, and opened the door mumbling, "Sorry." He moved quickly along the wall until he caught Sonny's eye and headed out the door.

He was standing outside breathing deeply as Sonny and Junior joined him. Junior put a hand on Henry's arm and said, "She did something. I may not be vampire, but I know when she's done something to rattle the cages. She's rattled yours."

***

X's eyes flew open and she stood, startling the cats as she started swearing, "Crap and damn. Piss and hell." She looked at the equally startled Vicki, "You've got a bit of a mess on your hands, but nothing we can't work around." She passed back and forth muttering and waving her hands, "Nope! Not going to work. Yep! That can be done. Crap and damn. That's it, then. Well, so be it."

She stopped, turned to Vicki and said, "You'll have to take what you get and like it. The Old Ones were very clear on that. I've some leeway but not much."

Vicki said, "Don't say any more until Henry gets here."

"Damn you're a smart one. Got it right in one." Xenethia's eyes became glowing red embers as she pulled back her lips from the overly long fangs and with a voice heavy with vampire power said, "I'll need a taste of you, but I won't take it without permission."

Vicki thought of Henry and what she experienced as he fed and hoped that she won't feel the same when X took her blood as she held out her wrist.

X took Vicki's wrist and pulled her to her feet saying, "Not there, above the marks is best. Don't worry, it's not nourishment or emotion I need from you. For deep magic, a bit of the recipient makes the casting stronger. What I'm doing for you and Henry is intended to last both your lifetimes." X's fingers pulled down the neck line of Vicki's top until X's found a vein near the surface. The bite was painful but over before Vicki could flinch. X took a small amount of blood, watched the wound seal and said, "I'll need a taste of Henry too."

***

As the three men neared the apartment door they could hear the laughter of two women as they told each other stories about the men they've encountered.

Henry raised his eyebrow and said, "Well, I'm glad to see they're getting along. I'll bet the laughter is at our expense."

Sonny said, "No takers on that bet. Men are always the butt of X's jokes. What ever happened earlier has left X in a hopeful mood if she's laughing."

As the door knob turned, X placed a hand on Vicki's knee, "Let me ask for Henry's blood. I'll get the boys to bed first."

Henry, always a gentleman stood back and allowed the old men go through the door first.

Xenethia stood smiling and said in a voice of power, "Sonny, Junior, you will go to bed now, and sleep for the remainder of the night." They yawned, said good night and went into the bedroom.

"Henry, you know who I talked with. I've got answers for the both of you, but first I need to take some of your blood."

A vampire rage clouded Henry for a moment before he he found his control and said, "For the sake of Vicki." And held out his arm.

Faster than a snake could strike, Xenethia had his blood. She licked her lips and said, "You two share the same vampire."

Henry frowned, "Of course, I'm the one that's turning her."

"No. I mean that hers has not separated from yours. The vampire within her is still part of yours. It's not her own. That's what I needed to know. Now I can give you answers and cast a spell approved by the Old Ones."

Xenethia sat in the chair as Henry and Vicki sat side by side on the couch. She started speaking, "I've been around so long, I can't remember my own beginning. I've turned several that in turn have sired others. Most are gone now. Henry, you've not been paying attention to our kind. If you had, you'll have realized that you're from an ancient line that can be linked back to the beginning. As such, you are well thought of by the Old Ones. Making you and not killing you after a year was one of the few times Christina got it right."

Vicki asked during a pause, "Do vampires kill each other off because of territorialism?"

"Partly. Territorialism was an excuse Christina and others used to kill their young. Greed is the better answer. Also, protecting the food source from other vampires and careless behavior that called attention to our kind are other causes. We can get along together if we choose to."

Henry had had enough, "Get to the point. What's going on and what's to be done?"

"For a story writer Henry, you don't have patience to allow a tale to unfold slowly. Okay, here it is.

Vicki will never be completely vampire. She's as far along as she will ever be."

Xenethia continued talking rapidly, not allowing Henry or Vicki to get a word in, "Vicki's marks, as crappy as they are, have her linked to a demon. She accepted help from that same demon, again linking her to it. You, Henry, drank the blood she offered when you were seriously hurt, forming a strong link to her, then she drank your blood with an oath, calling for power to kill your enemy and that made the link between you two even stronger. The power of vampire and demon are pulling on her, and she's caught in the middle. The good news is that she chose you and the vampire life. The demon's blocked but won't let her go. She hasn't died by your hand. The human dies and the vampire is born, but in this case that hasn't happened. Why didn't you kill her, Henry?"

Henry sat there with his mouth hanging open in shock. That was the one thing neither one of them had considered when they had started the turning.

X shook her head, "Don't try it now. Things have moved beyond that. In fact, I'm positive if she had died at your hand, she would have been dead good and proper. Crap Henry, you've saved her life. So get over it."

Xenethia stood and said, "Here it is, the end of your beginning. Vicki, you're going to live a half life in both worlds. You'll always be dependent on Henry's blood. What you're doing now will continue to work, feeding from him on a regular basis and feeding from prey he holds in thrall for you. The Old Ones won't interfere with the demon's work, so find your balance and live with it. Henry, Vicki's life is in your hands, its been there since the night you first touched her. As for the demon, Astaroth, he's gone from this world. You chose well when you asked Raymond to help you that night. I was told by the Old Ones that Raymond isolated himself, fought the demon's temptations and kept him trapped there until his body died. With no one else to inhabit, the demon went back to the nether regions. It had its three tries to get to stay in this world and lost. There are no more chances for it, but what it did accomplish here can't be undone."

Vicki said, "Well that's it then."

X laughed, "Not quite. The Old Ones said I could give you and Henry a gift. It'll be hanging around from now on." Xenethia sat back down, closed her eyes and folded her hands. The cats that had been hiding under the couch and crawled out to line up in a row at her feet. Xenethia opened her eyes and unfolded her hands to reveal a small spark of light, "This is Elemental. It will be with you from now on. It's linked to the Old Ones. I'm not sure what it can do, but I'm told you will find it useful. Now get out of here. These bones want to join her boys in sleep."

Elemental flew from her open hands buzzed around Henry and Vicki's heads then winked out.

Henry nodded to X, stood, and held out his hand to Vicki. Together they left their apartment without saying anything else.

As they rode the elevator to their room, Vicki looked at Henry and said, "So mister, how long are you willing to put up with me?"

Henry put his lips together in a smirk, "That remains to be seen. You'll have to learn to play nice or you'll be going to bed without any supper."

Elemental let out a squeal of delight. This was going to be fun, watching over pet vampires.

This is the end of the "Love" series of stories. My plan is to continue with a series of stories about Xenethia, her mate, and of course Henry, Vicki and Elemental. Oh, yes, the cats too.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Real Tears.