Hungry is the Night - Page Five
|
|
Catlin returned the the bedroom, and opened the jewellery boxes that sat on top of her clothes. Her own jewellery looked out of place on the plush velvet cushions, so she sat by the dressing table and replaced the glittering emeralds with her jet. The dressing table was almost exactly like the one her mother had when she was a girl - the surface was clear, though, and her mother's had never been. A knock on the door interrupted her exploration of her hair, and she called an invitation to enter, before remembering that she was sitting around in her underwear. In the mirror, she saw the door open to reveal Alex. He closed the door behind him, then turned to face it.
"I do not wish to embarrass you," he said. "If you wish to dress, without an audience, please do so."
Catlin crossed to the bed, and quickly wriggled into her jeans, and slipped her top over her head.
"Thank you."
Alex turned to face her again.
"May I offer my assistance with your hair?"
"Again, thank you."
"Sit," Alex gestured to the dressing table, and Catlin returned to her seat.
"I came to reassure you about your questioning," Alex began, as his fingers gently worked their way through her hair.
"Mmm hmm?"
Alex smiled, and gently rubbed her scalp.
"Oh, that's good."
He chuckled, and removed some more of the glittering pins, placing them in their cases.
"I could tell that Jade had not warned you that it was a mental test, and I wanted to reassure you that the others did not hear or have access to your past. However your thoughts about each of us were audible to all. So all know that you find us beautiful, and wish to not become involved with Damien. Be aware that he will likely consider this to be a challenge - he was also aware that you found him attractive. But you will have allies in the others - if need be, they will likely assist you in avoiding him."
"Why would they do that?"
"You have been accepted into the inner circle. You are as their sister now. That's not to say that there can't be physical relations between you, just that they will look out for you, teach you what you need to know, as they will expect you to look out for them, once you know a bit more."
"Oh," Catlin replied, becoming aware of a faint blush creeping up her neck. "So why does Jade not use her original name? It has such a lovely sound to it."
"Indeed, and it suited her. However, as we are no longer in Japan, her original name would be very distinctive, and we do try to blend in. She is unusual in that she told me that she wished to have an anglicised name when we left Japan. Most new vampires wish to keep their original name, and through it the ties that link them to their previous life, for at least 200 years."
"So she picked Jade?"
"No," Alex corrected, gently. "I picked Jade. Your speculation as to the origin of her name was correct, but it was also because of the qualities of the stone - it is hard, as she can be, putting up a hardened exterior to not become hurt. But jade is also brittle - put too much pressure upon her, and she may shatter. It is a very fitting name for her. I don't know that I will be able to come up with a better one when the time comes to change it again. But perhaps her own properties will have changed by then. Certainly when I first met her the hardened exterior needed some work. The time may come when I will need to rename Gabriel, or yourself, but as you both have fairly popular and classic names, I feel that time is likely far from now."
"And Damien? That's derived from a Greek name isn't it? I take it that isn't his original name either."
"Quite correct. Again, his original name would stand out far too much amongst human society, and when he came to us, he needed to cut the ties to his old existence."
"Is that why Jade changed her name? To cut the ties to her old life?"
"You would need to discuss her reasons with Jade herself. I am not privy to them."
Catlin's instincts whispered that she was right, and she wondered what could have driven the beautiful woman to leave her old life behind.
"Why Damien?"
"It was the modern version of Damianos."
"So why Damianos?"
"It was fitting."
Catlin gathered that was all he was going to say on the subject, and resolved to look up the origins of "Damianos" when she had a spare minute. Alex finished brushing out her hair, and opened a drawer on the left.
"This is your brush, comb, and mirror," he told her, placing the brush within the drawer. "Here is some make-up," he closed the top drawer and opened the second, "and here," he opened the final drawer, "are your hair accessories. Your jewellery is stored in this cabinet."
Alex picked up the jewellery cases with the glittering emeralds, and the one case that held the ruby pins and opened a drawer in a tall cabinet with many small drawers, which seemed to be specially made for this purpose. He closed the drawer and locked it with a small golden key.
"Your room key locks and unlocks all the drawers in the room."
Catlin glanced around, noting that desks, chests, and wardrobe also had the lock on them.
"Thank you, Alex," Catlin said, sincerely.
Alex smiled.
"You are welcome. Now I will leave you to find your way to the kitchen."
Catlin was curled up in a wicker armchair in the sitting room, thinking. She cradled a cup of tea in her hands, and watched the steam drift from the cup into the air. It had been three weeks since she had been accepted by Alex, and in that time she'd learned a lot.
To start with, simply learning the layout of the house had been complicated enough. The house faced east, and on the ground floor, there was the large sitting room and the dining room, which was used as a conference room, as most of the inhabitants of the house didn't eat. These were the two rooms she'd walked through on her escape from the house. In the middle of the house was the staircase, with a hall on either side, running towards the back of the house. On the other side of the staircase was the ballroom, and beyond that, another hall. The inner porch, at the front of the house, ran almost the entire length of the house. A two-way mirror allowed an observer in the porch to see into the sitting room, and allowed space for large double-door grand entrances to the dining-cum-conference room and into the ballroom. There was a small bathroom at the north end of the porch, accessible from both the porch and the ballroom. Behind the ballroom was the kitchen, which was enormous, and attached to the outside of the north side of the house was the kitchen greenhouse - where herbs and vegetables were grown. Behind the sitting room and dining room was a hall, and then the staff area. Catlin had discovered that the three housekeepers and their husbands lived in three houses built on the land next door. All other workers arrived for their shifts, put their belongings in the locker room, did their work, had food and break in the staff sitting area, then went home, and none of the staff were aware of the alternative nature of the people they worked for. Alex had a very strict "no-biting-the-staff" policy, and anyone caught violating that - and with regular random "drug test" inspections of the staff they would be caught - was severely punished. In the back corner, between the staff sitting room, and the greenhouse, which was attached to the south side of the house, there was a staircase leading down to the basement.
The basement, however, had been converted into a day-time sitting room for older vampires - those who could stay awake, as long as they didn't see the sun. In addition to the sitting room, there were four huge cavernous rooms, each of which held 25 narrow beds. The upstairs level was reserved for the "family" and honoured or human guests. At the top of the stairwell were two guest bedrooms with attached bathrooms at the rear of the house. Turning to the left on the staircase brought you to a corridor running from the front of the house to the back. Almost directly in front was the entrance to Jade's bedroom. At the front of the house was Catlin's room, and at the back was a staircase leading into the attic. Turning to the right, one was presented with a long corridor, with Alex's bedroom on the left. A further corridor running towards the front of the house allowed entrance to Gabriel's room, and at the front of the house, to Damien's bedroom. A further corridor ran along the front of the house, between Damien and Catlin's rooms, and off this hall, above the staircase, was a "family room". The family room held large, comfortable chairs and a table, and was, apparently, where the family met to discuss things amongst themselves. Catlin had been astonished to discover that she was considered to be family, simply because it had been Gabriel who had turned her. She had been even more astonished to discover that she would be included in any decisions made about the family, despite her relative youth.
The final floor, the attic, held more guest bedrooms. There were 10 bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sitting room, but the main feature of the attic was the library, which took up a third of the floor, and off that, the training room of equal size. Within the training room, Jade had tested Catlin's self-defence skills, and after a few embarrassing misjudgments, Catlin felt confident that she could defend herself without throwing someone through a brick wall, or accidentally killing them by punching too hard. In the training room they had also given her lessons on drinking blood. Catlin had been astonished to hear that the small sub-group of goths known as the fang-bangers - those who believed that vampires existed and regularly claimed to be sleeping with a vampire - were actually utilised by the vampire community, both for blood and other recreational activities. Every two days since she had been turned, either Gabriel, Damien, or Jade had brought someone home for her to bite. It was a bit demeaning, having to bite someone who was kneeling blindfolded on the floor, but she had to eat, and they always seemed to enjoy it. On the days she didn't have blood, Gabriel provided her with a milkshake. Investigation revealed that it was a Slim-Fast milkshake - designed to provide protein and micronutrients plus essential fatty acids and fibre. She supposed it was preferable to a blood milkshake. After three weeks of training, Catlin had no trouble restraining her strength to human levels, and the biting had become far easier, but she worried about what would happen when her victim - she called them that, and made the others wince - wasn't willing and blindfolded.
With a sigh, Catlin finished her cup of tea and picked up her book. She had read half a page when she heard Damien enter the room. She was getting better at picking their footsteps and getting used to her heightened senses too.
"Hello darling."
"Damien."
"Put that book down and talk to me."
With a smile, Catlin closed the book and tilted her head back over the chair.
"You're all dolled up. Going out?"
"Wondered if you wanted to come hunting with me?"
"Dressed like that?"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Nothing, darling, if you're going to a strip club."
"Well, actually, this look is just for you. I have a shirt that I'll put on before going out," Damien grinned, holding up a white button-down.
"That'll never come clean."
"I'll buy a new one. Coming?"
"Alright, I'll give it a go. Shall I get changed?"
"Yes. You want leather, if you have any."
"I don't."
"That's ok, I bought you some."
The grin on his face could stop hearts.
"You did, did you?"
"I did. A nice short skirt. I reckon it'll just cover your-"
"Forget it."
"Aw, darling."
"I said no, Damien."
"I was only teasing, love. I bought you trousers."
"Trousers."
"Yeah. And you can wear that red top you have."
"Can I."
"Yeah."
Catlin gave in.
"Alright then. Meet you at the front door in 15 minutes."
"So, where are we going?"
Catlin relaxed in the front seat of Damien's Porsche, reveling in the sensation of their swift passage through the night. Damien changed gears, and sped down a deserted street.
"And what's the speed limit on this road?" Catlin added, archly.
"We're immortal, Darling, I wouldn't worry about it. Plus, I have fantastic reflexes."
As if to prove it, he minutely adjusted the steering wheel to avoid a cat standing in the middle of the road, then adjusted back to avoid a parked car by less than a whisper.
"You didn't answer my question."
"We're going to Full Moon."
"Sounds like a werewolf club if I ever heard of one."
"Spot on, darling."
"You're kidding me."
"Do I kid?"
"Yes."
"No I don't. And I'm not now. I'm taking you to a werewolf club."
"Are there vampire clubs?"
"Of course there are. You've never been to Danse Macabre? It's one of the most popular clubs in the country."
"No. Nightclubs weren't really my scene."
"What about The Vampyre Café?"
"That's a vampire club?"
"Well, it's a vampire café. There's a couple of bars, like Holy Water and Bloody Bones and a couple of restaurants, like Dracula's and Stakes and Garlic."
"That's a dreadful name."
"Hey, you know what sort of place it is, don't you?"
He changed gears and turned a corner.
"I guess. But the Vampyre Café is a vampire café?"
"The name sort of gives it away, darling."
"But it's so tacky."
"And exactly what you expected, no?"
"I guess."
Damien changed gears again, then pulled into a car park.
"Here we are."
Catlin looked up at the sign.
"Full Moon. I like the wolf head. It's very authentic."
"It's a sign. You do, of course, occasionally get theme bars and clubs that aren't run by the real McCoy. The wolf howling at the moon is the sign of a real werewolf bar."
"And I suppose the vampire bar's sign is pointy teeth dripping with blood?"
"Nope - it's a bat in flight in front of a moon. You ready?"
"Uh, vampires and werewolves do get on, don't they? Not like in that Underworld movie?"
"Nah, that's purely fiction, darling. We get along fine. C'mon."
Damien opened his door and vaulted over the car to open Catlin's before she could.
"If anyone saw you do that, Damien," Catlin warned, climbing out of the sports car.
"Nobody saw me, darling. By the way, if somebody sniffs you, sniff back. It's polite."
"Right," muttered Catlin, heels clicking on the pavement as she walked towards the door.
Damien's car chirped and he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"No need to rush off, darling."
Catlin allowed herself to be guided through the doorway.
"Damien," the security man greeted him.
"Tony," Damien replied, sounding pleased, and they briefly embraced. "How's business?"
"Booming, as is usual for this time of year. How's life been treating you?"
"Ha-ha," grinned Damien. "It's not so bad. Got a new addition to the family."
"Oh? Yours?"
"I'm working on her, aren't I, darling?"
"You're trying. Very. Hello, I'm Cat."
"Fitting name for a vampire, you're all cats or bats or snakes. C'mere, little one, I'm Anthony."
Catlin held out her hand, and he gripped it and pulled her into a bear hug that very nearly crushed her ribs. Catlin felt his face burrow into her hair, and felt him sniff, and remembered that she was meant to do the same. She tilted her head slightly and breathed in, just behind his ear. His scent hit her like a tonne of bricks, rolling over her like mist, carrying the scent of woods and earth and rain, and the faintest hint of fur. Anthony drew back, and Catlin swayed for a moment.
"You smell wonderful," she said, unaware that her teeth had extended, but aware that his scent was lingering in the air around her.
Anthony chuckled.
"Been a while since I had an effect like that. You ever met a were before?"
Catlin shook her head, aware that Damien had taken her arm.
"I don't think so."
"Well, you're bound to meet plenty inside. I'd be interested to know if any of them smell as good to you."
"I'll be sure to let you know," Catlin flirted, regaining control of her legs.
"Have a good evening then," Anthony opened the door, and Damien nodded to him as he guided Catlin through into the darkness.
Catlin sipped her drink and surveyed the bustling crowd. Damien had introduced her to a couple of other werewolves he knew, and then handed her a drink and guided her to the platform above the dance floor, where she could watch the humans mingling with the creatures of the night. Catlin smiled at the thought. The noise was quickly giving her a headache, and she was about ready to head home. Only problem being that Damien was busily seducing a woman in the corner, and Catlin was unsure what the protocol was about interrupting. They hadn't covered that in her training lessons. She wasn't sure how she should go about picking someone up either - she'd never been the type for picking people up. If she wasn't with someone, she'd be out with the girls, and it was usually the guys who approached them. And then supposing that whoever she picked up struggled? Alex, Jade, Gabriel and Damien had all assured her that they never struggled - but how could she be sure?
"Can I buy you a drink?"
Catlin turned, slowly, and looked at the boy standing behind her. He looked about 16, but Catlin supposed that he must have been at least 18 or he wouldn't have been allowed in. He wasn't really her type, and Catlin was about to open her mouth with her standard declination, but stopped herself. If people approached her, she didn't need to approach them, and she had to feed off someone, right?
"Sure, that would be nice."
"Really? I mean, sure, great, hang on, I'll be right back. Er - what are you drinking?"
"Screwdriver. Vodka and Pure Orange," Catlin elaborated, when he looked confused.
"Right!"
He wandered off, and Catlin sighed. She was pathetic. Picking up 16 year olds...
"Here you are!"
He reappeared, and pressed a drink into her hand, then pressed close against her, obviously assuming that buying her a drink bought him rights to her body.
May as well get it over with, Catlin thought, then leaned forward to whisper in his ear.
"Thanks for the drink."
Catlin straightened, and took a large gulp of her drink.
"Wow, that was amazing," the boy gushed. "Can you do that again?"
"I could, but I don't think I will," Catlin replied, wiping her mouth and removing his hand from her arse. "When was the last time you washed? Your neck tastes disgusting."
The boy looked offended.
"I washed yesterday, thank you very much. It could be my aftershave," he offered.
"It could be," Catlin allowed. "You certainly do have enough of it on."
Catlin searched for Damien, and found him leaning against a wall, watching her, one eyebrow raised. The woman he'd been seducing was nowhere in sight.
"Time to go?" Catlin asked, knowing that he would get her meaning.
Damien nodded, and the boy was grinning.
"Yeah, alright. Your place or mine?"
"Both. You to yours, and me to mine. Thanks for the drinks."
Catlin slipped around him, ignoring his stunned expression and met Damien in the middle of the room. With a glance at the boy watching them, Damien slid his hand up and down Catlin's back, resting his hand possessively on her arse. Catlin looked up at him.
"You know the only reason I'm letting you get away with this is-"
Damien's mouth silenced hers with a breathtaking kiss. The world seemed to tilt for a second, and Catlin curled her fingers into his shirt. Damien lifted his head.
|
|
|