Consort In Blood

"Yes, Mother, it is kind of Percival to accompany me. Do not concern yourself. I will be fine"

Leaving her mother to her embroidery Romy preceded her cousin from the room. In the hallway she stopped abruptly.

"Percival, I realise that you need to arrive with someone on your arm and, I am happy to do so but, once there we will go our separate ways!"

"Of course, dear, I would not have it any other way. Shall we go?" he presented his arm for her to take. She took his proffered arm and they left the house.

On the carriage ride they remained silent until she realised that they had left the city behind and were heading towards the countryside.

"Where in heavens name are we going?" she asked Percival.

"I found out that we are heading to a grand estate just outside the city. I have never been there before so, I cannot tell you anything else I am afraid dear cousin!"

"Well, I suppose that we will find out soon enough" And with that she fell silent for the rest of the journey.

Chapter 25

Eventually the carriage pulled off the main road onto a driveway.

The house rose up before them as the rounded a bend. It was enormous. At least four floors and with a widows walk atop the roof.

"My goodness me!" uttered Percival in a strangled voice.

Romy said not a word. She could not. Her breath had been taken away by the beauty and enormity of the house.

"Whoever owns this must be hugely wealthy!" muttered her cousin.

She could hear the greed well up in her cousin's voice. Another reason she loathed him. He was always looking for his next "benefactor" to appear.

"This could be the most important person either of us has yet to meet. Maybe this is the beginning of a very bright future for me...I mean...us"

She knew what he meant and her skin crawled.

The carriage pulled up in front of the house and a liveried footman opened the door and helped Percival out before turning and helping her also.

Lifting her head to walk up the stairs she saw a man watching from one of the many windows. When he realised she had seen him he moved away.

Following Percival up the stairs she wondered if this was the man who had sent the mysterious invitation and the flowers. Only by going in would she find out. The footman opened the large carved door and bowed as they entered.

As she stepped into the brightly lit main hall she had to catch her breath again. The entire hall was lit by an enormous chandelier holding many, many candles. The light bounced off the ivory walls and the gold filigreed decorations.

"Romy, what in heaven are you doing. I have never seen you so...well, so abandoned, before!"

Percival was fluttering his hands and waving his kerchief like a madman.

Never had she seen anything so beautiful. She spun around trying to see everything. Her pirouette was halted abruptly by the sight of the man standing in a doorway. It was indeed the man from the Kings party.

Chapter 26

She took the time to really look at him. She had not been of a mind to notice anything that one night they had shared such passion. Now she could see that he was tall, over six feet, and broad shouldered. He had a shock of black curls atop a noble head. In the light from the many candles lighting the foyer she saw how very beautiful he was.

His hands were clasped behind him and this gave him a posture that seemed very rigid. It had the effect of showing his rugged and muscular body to perfection.

At this distance she could not tell what colour his eyes were but, she knew they were light. His lips were full and shaped in a cupids bow. She had a feeling they would be soft to kiss.

Feeling somewhat childish, and annoyed, she lowered her eyes to the floor to, surreptitiously, catch her breath. She could not let this man think ill of her. This much she did know.

"Please, do not stop on my account...I was enjoying watching you" his voice was smooth as velvet and deep as dark of night. She could hear an accent but, where of, she did was not tell.

"I am sorry..." she managed to squeeze out.

"Do not be...you looked lovely twirling in the candle-light...like a twinkling star. I have never had anyone make such a spectacular entrance to my home."

She felt even more ridiculous. She had hoped to make a measured and elegant entrance. Instead, she had behaved like a child. How was she ever going to live this down?

He walked towards them and, with Percival bowing low, lower than was necessary; he reached out to take her hand. Bowing over her hand and planting a gentle kiss upon it he introduced himself.

"My name is Alexander Dantes...and you are Romy Devereux. I am pleased beyond measure to make your acquaintance. I am very glad you accepted my invitation"

"I am pleased to meet you, too, sir. I thank you for your kind though somewhat mysterious, invitation!"

She was regaining her equilibrium and, with its return, had found her normal voice.

"I had not intended it to be mysterious!" he said as he turned to her cousin who was hovering around like an annoying insect.

"You must be the cousin, Percival?"

"Yes, yes, that's me Percival de Villiers. I am so pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord"

She could see the repugnance in their host's eyes.

"Yes...I have heard of you Mr. de Villiers. Welcome to my home!"

He had turned to her before uttering the welcome. It was plain to see that he had indeed heard of her cousin. Thankfully, it did not seem to change his perception of her.

Chapter 27

Still holding her hand he led her towards the door he had appeared at earlier. Opening it for her he ushered her into the grandest ballroom she had ever seen.

He noticed her slight falter and turned to look into her eyes, and, with a laugh he said,

"Rather grand is it not? Too grand for my taste really but, this is my family's home so...bear it I must"

She looked up into his eyes and, without intending to, laughed with him.

"Yes, it is grand...more than I was expecting I must say, my lord"

"Please, Romy, do not call me Lord...just call me Alexander or, as my mother calls me, Alexander...."

"Very well, I will call you Alexander!"

"That will be fine with me...Romy!" he said with a wry smile of amusement and, with that he led her into the room.

There were a great many people dancing and talking but, as they made their way further into the room people became quiet and dancers ceased to move.

"Please, honoured guests, continue on with the party. Dance and enjoy yourselves!"

And they did. It was at once strange and powerful. It seemed as though they waited on his every word. People moved without word from him although some had their backs to him. It was as if they felt him. She shook her head at such a foolish notion.

He saw this and asked,

"Are you well...is there something wrong?" his voice was full of concern.

"I am well...it must be the excitement of the evening. Please, can we sit for a little while?"

"Of course, we can, please...sit here"

He ushered her to a divan near a window.

"Is this comfortable?"

"Yes, this is certainly comfortable", her head had cleared somewhat.

"Are you sure you are well?"

"Yes, I am just not used to such...well, grandeur. It possible was a little too much but, I am certainly feeling much better now. Please do not concern yourself"

"Very well then I will fetch you a drink to settle your nerves" and with that he went left her to await his return.

Whilst he was gone she decided to really take in what was going on around her. She really looked at the grand room and the people occupying it.

The ladies were all beautiful. Their gowns were of the finest materials and their jewels the most glittering of stones. Faces made up in the latest fashion as were the hairstyles.The men were all handsome to a fault. They were clothed in the best of garb with their heads bewigged as was fitting of such ilk and gentlemanly in the courtliest manner. She had never seen such as them. Their skin was of the lightest pallor and yet, did not seem to be of the powdered kind. It seemed as though each of them were...well...too light. It seemed as though they were as mannequins but, this could not be for they moved and danced as one alive.

This place was becoming stranger and stranger as she looked deeper and longer. Who were these people? Not a face seemed familiar save for her cousin and, come to think of it, she could not see him amongst the crowd.

Whilst scanning the room in an effort to locate Percival she spied Alexander on his way back to her. Again, she had the notion that people were parting to let him pass even though they could not have seen him as their backs were turned to him. Yet, move they did as though by some sort of, well, telepathy. It was strange but in a way exiting also. To know a man who seemed to hold such power over others was intoxicating. Combined with his great beauty it made her feel light-headed without benefit of drink.

Chapter 28

He sat down beside her and handed her the refreshment.

"I hope this is sufficient to make you feel refreshed. It is champagne...I hope this is a wine you enjoy"

She lifted the wine to her lips and tasted it. It was the best she had ever drunk.

"It is delicious, thank you. May I ask you a question? If it would not be too presumptuous of me"

"Certainly, you may. Ask me anything you may wish to know. I will do my utmost to answer", again he seemed to be amused.

"Who are all these people? I do not recognise any of them!"

"These are friends of mine. They are visiting from many places. It being the Yuletide season they are here to enjoy what the city has to offer at this time."

She looked him in the eyes to gauge his truthfulness and noticed, for the first time, that they were blue like the sea during a storm except for a slice of brown in the upper part of his left eye. She didn't realise she had been staring until his voice sounded in her ear,

"And, I am hoping you will agree to join us in some of our traditional celebrations!"

"What celebrations? I am not sure. I do not know you yet and, well, I need to...." her voice trailed off.

"I understand. Let me tell you about myself so that we can begin to know each other. You may ask me questions after I have finished and I will answer to the best of my ability. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Yes...that is acceptable"...she at once longed to know more about him yet feared to know also.

"My name is Alexander Dantes and I am from a place far away from here both in time and distance. I was born into a poor farming family. My days were filled with the drudgery of survival. When I was sixteen years of age I left our family farm to live in the city in hopes of finding my fortune. This, in itself, is not an unusual tale but, what happened to me there may be seen as so. "...he paused, and looked at her.

"Please, go on!" she urged him. She was eager now, to know his story.

Chapter 29

He paused and taking a breath continued his story.

"Very well, I will continue. I found work with an apothecary and lived a quiet life. I had no desire to be neither noted nor notable. My only desired was to fulfil my need to learn. I haunted the libraries and museums of the city in search of more and yet more knowledge. The years passed until my beloved employer, who had taught me all he knew, passed away. I was astounded to find that he had left the apothecary shop and all his other worldly goods to me "...his deep sigh spoke of great sadness at the man's passing.

She sensed that deep sadness well up as he described the death of the man he considered his friend. Unconsciously, her hand had come to rest on his thigh. She saw him look down and withdrew her hand as though burned.

"I appreciate your concern, my lady, but, it was a long time ago...much longer than you can imagine!"

"That is as maybe, my lord, but, it is still a painful memory to you. For this, I feel certain compassion. I would not be human were I not to feel so!"

"I thank you for such....humanity. It has been many years since I last spoke of my past. It has brought back a great many memories not all of which are happy, I must admit. However, that is of no import at this time. The telling of the story is."

His voice steadied and he proceeded on with the tale.

"I worked diligently at my profession sometimes long into the night. This left little, or no, time for socialising. Indeed I was not possessed of great social skills. These had not been skills necessary to develop on the farm and, as an apothecary, I needed only to be polite to the paying customers ", he paused,

"Please. Go on!" she urged,

"Late one night after the last customer had left and I was closing the shop...a woman appeared at the door. She was so very, very beautiful that I lost my ability to speak coherently. I stumbled over a greeting and managed to enquire as to what she wished to purchase"

Again he paused, as though looking for the right words,

"She said she wished to purchase a sleeping draught and, shaking with embarrassment, I gathered up the medicine and handed it to her. She enquired as to why I was so nervous but, I could not answer her. She placed some coins in my outstretched hand. Her fingers grazed my palm and I felt a shock, like electricity, surge through me ".

Chapter 30

Romy felt him shudder as though feeling the effect of her touch once more.

"I looked up and looked into her eyes. It was as if I were falling into blackness. Yet, I felt drawn into those eyes. Just as I thought I would drown in those eyes her voice brought me back to reality. She asked if I was alone and, when I answered in the affirmative, she reached out and placed her hand on my face. I do not remember what happened over the next few days. All memory had been wiped away"

Romy could not imagine what that would be like.

"All I knew was that when I finally became aware of my surroundings. I was not in my room above the shop nor was I in the shop itself"

"Where were you?" Romy asked.

"I awoke in what appeared to be a basement. I could see light through a grimy window. Making my way to the stairs I climbed up to the door. Opening it I found myself in a vacant building.

Feeling dizzy and disorientated I staggered out through the open door and into the street...as the sunlight hit my flesh I felt a searing pain. I staggered back into the shade for respite."

She could feel him trembling,

"You do not need to go on!" she told him.

"Yes, I do. I need you to hear it all. Without the entire story you will never understand what and who made me all that I am today", he paused," I did not recognise where I was so had to ask a passer-by. It seemed that I had awoken many miles away from my shop and home. Shocked and disoriented I asked the way to the main thoroughfare and following the stranger's directions I made my way there and hailed a cab.

Staying in the shaded areas as much as possible, for the pain was making me feel extremely nauseated; I waited for the cab to stop in front of me and then I practically jumped in through the door and closed the blinds.

I gave him directions to my home and lay back on the padded seat. During the journey I had time to reflect on what had happened to me. Where had I been? How had I gotten there? All was unknown to me. Why could I not remember? Why was the light of the sun so painful to me? So many questions were running through my mind to which I had no answers. It would remain a mystery until the woman returned, if she returned.

Chapter 31

Arriving home I made my way up to the apartment and straight to my bed. I lay there exhausted and in pain. What the hell had happened in those lost hours? Where had I been? Who had I been there with? Questions flew around in my mind.

At last the need to sleep overcame me and I lay back and closed my eyes.

When I awoke I could not tell what time it was as the room was dark. I rose slowly and made my way to the window. Gingerly pulling back the curtain, not wanting to feel that pain again, I saw that it was night.

Suddenly, I felt thirsty. Filling a glass from the tap in the kitchenette I drank quickly. Almost as soon as the water hit my stomach it made its way violently back up. I retched painfully into the sink. What on earth was wrong with me?

I thought I must have eaten something rancid so decided that something to settle my innards was in order. I made my way downstairs to the shop and started to search for something. Suddenly a voice startled me,

"You will find nothing here to assuage your thirst"

Turning quickly I saw the woman that had purchased the sleeping draught the day before.

"How did you get in here?" I asked.

"You invited me in... now I may enter at any time." she stated.

Brushing aside her response and returning to the more burning questions that were on my mind, I asked,

"What have you done to me and what do you know of my thirst? For I know it was you that caused me to forget whatever has occurred in the last few days" I asked.

"Yes, Alexander, it was me and I will, in due course, explain everything but, for now you need only know that it is a thirst that water cannot cure. I know because I am the reason you thirst", her voice was low and silky "Do you wish to know what I have done to you to cause this seemingly unquenchable thirst?"

"Of course I do..."

"Then you must come with me and I will show you that you can quench that thirst and how to do it"

And, without thinking and gripped by a sheer desperation to assuage this terrible, burning thirst, I followed her out into the night.

Chapter 32

Not a word was spoken as she led me through the streets. When we eventually halted it was in a part of town unfamiliar to me.

"Where are we?" I asked her.

"We are where all denizens of the dark come to gather. And, you are now one of those creatures!"

"Dark...what do you mean dark?" yet even as I asked this question I wondered if I really wanted to know the answer.

"You are now a creature of the night. You belong in the shadows where the light refuses to shine. You are now a Vampire!"

I backed away from her as she spoke. Knowing what she said was true even as I tried to deny it to myself.

"NO....no...I cannot be...one of them....I am human..." those last words were like a cry to heaven.

"No, Alexander, you are no longer human. You are one of us and must accept that before the new day is upon us"

"Why must I? No, I cannot I will not accept this"

"Then you will die. And, it will not be a merciful death. You will burn as the sun's rays hit your body. The fire will consume you slowly and indescribably painfully"

I heard her voice yet, in my mind, it seemed as a dream. I tried to push it all away but, even as I tried, I realised that she was telling the truth.

"Why...why did you do this to me?"

She leaned forward and, in a low voice stated simply,

"Because you asked me to"

Chapter 33

Back in the present, Romy realised Alexander had begun the part of the story that explained the making of him as a vampire. He looked at Romy with such pain filled eyes that she wanted to cry. He looked so lost and, painfully, alone that she wanted, needed, to take him in her arms.

"Oh, Alexander, I am so sorry. You do not have to go on. I can see this is too painful for you"...her voice held all the concern she felt for him.

"No, I must tell you all of it. You will not truly understand unless I do. There is so much more to the story. I need you to fully understand so I must tell you all of it!"

He paused to gather his thoughts then, slowly began again....

"I do not remember anything....why, in God's name, would I ask you to cause me such pain?"

"Pain...only a few short hours ago you were thanking me for showing you the way to so much pleasure! Dear Alexander, it was you who wanted to be more than you were. I am only the one who answered your question. I did not force you to follow me. You wanted to know and so I showed you!"