Eighteen Summers (10 page)

“
I will stay with you for a while longer,” Nico announces suddenly.

“
It's okay, I won't bolt again. Where the hell am I going to go anyway?” I admit.

“
I want to make sure you remain calm and I sense you need my company. I shall sit and keep you entertained. Perhaps I could tell you how your real parents met? Would you like to learn about that?”

“
I would. Tell me everything Nico,” I lie down on my side and rest on my pillow facing him as he sits on my chair beside my bed and begins the tale. I still love looking at him, despite our horrible row, and his dedication to me makes me glow inside. Maybe we can't be together in the way I would like, but I want and need his friendship and his company more than anything in the world.

“
It was twenty three years ago, I think...  Yes, we were still in Oxford then, Your mother was a visitor to our household. She was a paid donor. My Lord Aule, your father, enjoyed feeding naturally, out in the wilds of the city, but he became enchanted with Melissa on a personal level and she soon began to visit for reasons other than supplying us with blood. They grew close and she moved into his chambers and became his mate. But she did not want to turn vampire immediately. She wanted a child, and after four years together, you were conceived. But before this was known, she had decided it was unlikely she would have her wish granted, and she finally requested to be turned. The pregnancy was discovered less than two weeks after that. Your mother was a midwife. She was fair in appearance and most beautiful, as you are. A very kind and generous woman. Your parents were overjoyed to have you Calista. We all were. As I mentioned before, you were a miracle of conception and birth. A child is conceived of a vampire father and a human mother less than once every hundred or so years. And a bloodline is so easily broken, as it is with you, being female. Only a male child can continue it, you see. Your father had only one such male child, but he was lost at a fairly young age in the 15
th
century Italian wars, and Lord Larth did not produce any offspring himself. Lord Aule later had another female child, Vesia, but she and her mother were dispatched in the continuing struggles with the Ristoria. He was devastated for a long, long time after that. It was a very dark time in his life. He vowed not to have any more children, unless the Ristoria were wiped from the face of the earth. That was, until he met Melissa. He had no reason to believe there was any undue cause for concern for his safety at that time. Nothing had been heard of the Ristoria for centuries. He felt the feud was finally at an end, but it seemed they were biding their time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike again. Perhaps when he was distracted and under a false sense of security. It seems they are always watching and waiting. We must take great care with your safety and that of your adopted parents Cali. Do you understand this now?”

“
I understand, but it's not easy to accept. None of this is. Thanks for telling me though Nico, about my parents, I mean. It makes them seem more real to me, and that helps.”

“
You are most welcome. I will tell you more over time, about the feud and your father's history. He was an inspirational Lord and master. I owe my life to him.”

“
In what way?”

“
He saved me from starvation in the times of a great plague sweeping through our lands.”

“
Who were you, before?”

“
A vineyard owner. I had sizeable assets. I also had a beautiful wife, Selena, and a son, Arimna. They were taken by the sickness.”

“
Oh Nico, I'm so sorry.”

“
It was a great sadness in my life, but a past and long distant one. I can now think about them without any hurt, only good memories. Time heals, so they say, and it was a very, very long time ago. Five hundred years. I am different now in any case. I have my partners to enjoy when the need arises.”

“
I wish I had one.”

“
My Lady is so very young. You will have many in your life, I am sure.”

“
One will do for starters. I've never had one single boyfriend, Nico. I felt so strange and different from everyone else. I couldn't get close enough to anyone for anything to begin. Especially once the blood craving started. It was all I could do to sit in a room with another human.”

“
I could arrange for male company, if you wish it.”

“
No! I don't want any old male turning up in my bedroom. I want a proper relationship with someone.”

“
Then you may have to wait, for a suitable candidate.” He looks at me intensely for a moment. “Vampires have physical pairings with many others. There is no shame in indulging in your basic needs. You must be feeling the urge strongly, are you not?”

“
I have for some time, to be honest. But maybe I'm still thinking like a human. And it seems like a quick shag is not my thing, not yet anyway. Let's see how desperate I get!” He laughs raucously at my terminology. I smile at myself. I'm a modern girl in my language, but not in practice, it seems.

“
Cali, my apologies for the events of today. I shall lock my door if I entertain in the future.”

“
No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that. What you do in your room is your business. It won't happen again.” I can't help the jealous streak that burns a hole in my heart when I say this.

“
Let us put this episode aside. I understand you are suffering from stress and the current changes in your life must be deeply troubling. I shall find you some distraction. The password for the computer will be available to you soon, so you may indulge in your modern addiction with the internet. But of course, you must promise me you will not send any message to your parents or any other people from your past life. That is imperative.”

“
I won't. I understand why I mustn't now.”

“
And you may use the garden and the pool outside for recreation. There is a spa which I am sure you will enjoy. Sofia can accompany you. She may also escort you to the square opposite. We will privately prepare for our journey in the meantime. Do try to keep positive in your thoughts and take things slowly. You have no need to rush things, do you?”

“
Okay. Thanks.”

“
And always remember, I am your friend, as a well as your guardian. Feel free to talk to me when, and if things become burdensome.”

“
Yeah, I know.” I rise and hold out my arms to him for a hug. We slip our arms around each other and I press my ear to his chest. I love his slow heartbeat, and his scent. I breathe it deeply into my lungs. I feel so content when I hold him tight. My eyes close and I smile to myself. After a while he drops a kiss on my forehead and breaks us apart.

“
Come now, we can't stand around hugging all day, can we?”

“
Can't we? I rather like it.”

“
Mistress, behave....” He chuckles in a deep sexy fashion and moves towards the door. He turns. “I shall be back in a few hours with your next feed and a gift you may enjoy.” And then he leaves me to my thoughts.

I am suddenly tired and fall asleep instantly. Later, I am awakened by Sofia and Nico and my next meal is led in. I am finding my feeding to be so gratifying. I feel alive and full of instant energy. It's a shame I have nothing and no one to use my energy up on.

Nico produces my gift, placing a bag in my hands. I peer inside. My heart flips over. It's an iPad.

“
Oh my God! Thanks so much. This is just the biz! I've wanted one of these for an age.” I throw myself at him in joy and kiss him on the cheek. I rip open the box and get out my 21
st
century toy and lifeline.

“
Normally we do not have such things in the bedchamber, but as you are of a young modern era, and My Lord has his own personal media suite, we thought it would only be fitting for you to have something similar,” Sofia says and I hug her with enthusiasm.

I look at the iPad with love and adoration and clutch it tightly against my chest. Sofia and Nico are watching me with great amusement. I don't think they understand me at all. We all laugh at my silliness. But I don't care. Suddenly I'm as happy as pie.

The next day passes quietly and uneventfully. I master my iPad after a few technical glitches and get it up and running. I am now quite at home lazing on my bed and surfing the net, reading about the world, and listening to some new music I have downloaded on it. I keep out of Facebook, not that I was into anything socially, and I don't look at my emails either. I don't want to see anything upsetting from my parents.

My feeding is calming a little, and I am going longer periods between them. Apparently, I can expect to feed every other day normally. I am starting to feel more hopeful and happier in my new life. If it wasn't for My Lord, I could be quite content.

It is late in the evening on the third day after my change when I have a surprise unannounced visit from my intended.

There is a knock at my door, and without waiting for my reply, he opens the door and strides in.

“
Lady, I am missing your company. Please come along to my rooms.” He holds his hand out to me. I am not sure if I can or should refuse, so I don't.

“
Okay, but just for a while. I am still tired and adjusting after my change.” I hope a vampire can't detect lies. I cannot abide his presence, especially now that I know more about his sick ways.

“
Of course. We shall not indulge in anything too taxing. Some light entertainment perhaps?”

I take his hand with my usual degree of revulsion. I speak loudly in the corridor as I pass Nico's and Sofia's rooms. I announce who I am with, if they don't know already.

“How has My Lord been keeping?”

“
Fine My Lady. I have been working on my book, doing some essential and overdue research.”

“
I didn't know you wrote books.”

“
I don't. Not yet in any case. I am working on my family history. That is all.”

“
Your history interests me. Maybe you can tell me about it sometime, your parents and your previous life.”

“
My Lady, you will know all about it soon. When we mate and have our legal union, we can fill in all the blanks, can't we?”

We arrive at his level and he opens the door, ushering me in. A bottle of wine and two glasses sit on a polished silver tray on the round table by the door. Behind that is a large vase full of pure white Calla lilies amongst a swirl of artistic greenery. My Lord has beautiful taste in flowers, if nothing else. He pours us each a glass of wine and puts it in my hand, then clinks his glass against mine.

“To us, dear Calista.”

“
Yes, to us,” I reply with a forced smile.

“
Come, let's sit and drink together.” He leads me over to his enormous black sofa and pats the seat next to him. I sit down stiff backed and uncomfortable being so close to him. “Would you like to play a game today?”

“
I like Monopoly or chess.” I know I'm being stupidly innocent. He obviously doesn't want to play that type of game with me.

“
I like to play chess too. I have spent a lot of time mastering it. But perhaps some other time, I would like to play a different type of game today.” His mouth curls up in a wicked smile.

“
Like what?” I am feeling alarmed but desperately trying to keep any trace of it from my voice.

“
A game of hide and seek. You can hide and I will seek you.”

“
That's a child's game,” I laugh nervously at his suggestion.

“
Not the way I like to play it. I shall be blindfolded and we shall play in the dark. I can hunt you by scent alone.”

“
I don't think my sense of smell is that good yet.”

“
That is why you must hide and I will seek. We will play our game downstairs in my wine cellars. There are some good places for you to hide, and it is more, shall we say, 'atmospheric',” He chuckles demonically and I can't help gulping loudly. “Let us finish our drinks and we can begin.” He downs his wine quickly and turns towards me expectantly. I am more than alarmed right now. I am pretty sure what he wants to get me down there for ultimately, and it's not a game of hide and seek.

“
I don't like the dark, or spiders and cobwebs. Can't we play it in here?” I suggest hopefully, desperately.

“
Calista! You are a vampire. You simply cannot be frightened of such things. It is laughable. Now come along. I am getting most impatient to start our game.” I don't want to defy him. I need to keep on the level, and as normal as I can be. I'll be out of here in a few days. Perhaps I can play along and hope he has a light session of torture in mind. I finish my wine with reluctance, stand and we leave, making our way down the curving stone steps in the corner of his room to his cellars. He stands at the bottom of the steps, barring my escape route. He puts a blindfold on himself, tying it neatly behind his head. “I shall count to thirty. Off you go. And do try to make it challenging for me.”

I walk through the arch and into the cellar. It is a large room, well lit, and there is another room beyond it, which I enter. There are racks and racks of bottles. It appears My Lord's cellar is very well stocked. I look at the ceilings in both. No sign of hooks or ropes. No torture benches in sight. I relax a little in the knowledge that I might not be in immediate danger and look for somewhere to hide. I find a small, tightly angled corner, behind a low rack of wine and crouch in it silently. The lights suddenly switch off and Raffaele announces his seeking has begun. My eyes have adjusted to the pitch dark very quickly.

My heart pounds madly. I can't see him yet but I can hear the swish of his robes as he moves rapidly around the rooms, trying to find my scent. All too soon he arrives at my hiding place.

“
Aha, there you are. Very well hidden Calista. Well done.” I look at him in horror, close up blindfolded, and evil incarnate. He is so close I can feel his breath on my face and his lips brush against mine as he speaks. “This is exciting, is it not?” He kisses me briefly, nibbling at my lower lip.

I pull away from the unwanted intimacy. “If you like this kind of thing.”

Exciting isn't the word I'd use. Unnerving and weird, maybe.

“
I have another room, for a special kind of fun. But now it is your turn to be blindfolded...”

Oh no...

My heart is pounding like mad as he ties the blindfold around my head. I try to sound interested, unaware, innocent, and flirty.

“
Well I like a touch of fun, lead on Raffaele.”

I follow him for a few steps, and listen to him rattle his key in a lock and then he takes my hand and we enter. The smell hits me. The dank dusty smell from my dream.

“How can I have fun in the dark like this? I can't see a damn thing.”

“
I shall have the fun, and you shall suffer it.” He replies far too quickly. My stomach is heaving.

“
What a strange person you are at times. I think I've had enough for now. Take me upstairs,” I say in an unconvincing shaky voice.

“
In a while. Sit Calista.”

“
Where?”

“
On the floor.”

“
I don't think so. God knows what's running around down here,” I laugh in pure fear of what is coming my way.

“
SIT MY LADY!” His voice booms out. I cower and sit obediently. I feel something being placed in my hands. I run my fingers along it. It's a long stick, a cane. I feel initials carved into it. I trace them with my forefinger, an R and a C and something else that I can't work out.

“
What's this for?” I ask, terrified.

“
Feel it. This is another game, a guessing game. What is it?”

“
It is a cane. What are you going to do with it?”

“
You will find out if you misbehave,” He laughs to himself in a low maniacal rumble of sound, and then he takes the cane from me and runs it all over my body. Across my head and shoulders, my arms, and my hands. Finally, he pokes me in the chest with its tip. “Mmmm, it seems my cane likes you... Put out your tongue.” I oblige in disgust. He draws the cane sideways over it slowly and then puts the end in my mouth, pushing it in and out, and twisting it side to side in a clear sexual simulation... I take hold of it and remove it, pushing it away. I can imagine what else he does with this cane. I feel sick at the thought of where it might have been. I've had enough of this mental torture in the dark.

“
Look Raffaele, that's enough of your games for today. Let me out of here.” I stand and feel my way around the room, trying to find the point of exit. I find the door and oddly he lets me leave with no further resistance. I lower the blindfold. The door closes behind me with a loud clang and a moment later the lights are turned on. He stands before me grinning broadly as if he had just told me a funny joke. I shudder involuntarily.

“
Was that not a fun, thrilling game Calista? I sense you were scared. But perhaps a little excited too?” His eyes twinkle with mischief.

“
Well I'll tell you something shall I? I was scared. And d'you know what? I'm wondering... why the hell would you want to scare your intended, Sire?”

Disgusting evil bastard...

“It is one of the purest emotions. That of fear... ”

Our conversation is interrupted by someone calling my name. My saviour. My guardian.

“I am so hungry and overdue for a feed, that is Nico calling me, I believe. I would like to try another game, My Lord,” I smile sweetly at him, now knowing I am out of immediate danger. “But next time, one of my choosing.” I pass through the wine cellars and up the stairs to find Nico standing in the doorway.  He looks at me with concern and I stare back with wide warning eyes. I subtly shake my head at him as Raffaele follows me up the stone stairs, in close pursuit.

“
Until tomorrow then, my dearest Lady...” He removes the blindfold from my neck and takes my hand, kissing it over fondly.

“
As you wish. Call for me at your leisure My Lord,
à bientôt...”

I throw in a touch of French spice for a more dramatic exit. I'm getting into this posh vampire talk. Who'd have thought it? I extract my hand from his as quickly as is polite, and leave the room swiftly, Nico following in my wake.

We arrive back in my room and he takes me in his arms and holds me closely.

My heart leaps
.

Has he had a change of mind, about us?

He wraps his hand around my head and nuzzles his face into my hair. This is very affectionate behaviour. After a few moments he releases me from his tight grip.

“
I'm sorry I was not able to come sooner. My agent arrived, delivering our new passports and travel documents. Sofia came to fetch me straight away. Tell me what happened?”

“
Just a taster of the real Raffaele. He played some games in the wine cellars in the dark. But he took me in his torture chamber after that and poked me about with a cane. It wasn't that bad. But I don't understand how I could have dreamed all this before. The smell, the atmosphere in the room, even things about Raffaele himself. How can that be?”

“
Vampires have many gifts. Yours may be that of precognition.”

“
So I am seeing my own future torture?”

“
Perhaps and perhaps not. There are many possible futures for you, all dependent on other actions.”

“
Well I hope you're right.”

“
In any case, I'm not leaving you alone. I will sleep in here from now on, on your sofa, and you must lock and bolt the door if I need to go out. We can leave the day after tomorrow, by train.”

“
That soon?”

“
There is no real reason to delay any longer Your blood lust is manageable.”

“
You must be worried about me.”

“
Obviously so.”

I make a brave decision.

“How much?”

“
I can't measure it.”

“
This much....?” I kiss him briefly on the cheek.

“
Or this much?” Then again, for longer, on the lips.

I stand close, waiting for his answer not daring to breathe.

“Cali...” His eyes blaze into mine. The heat rises between us.

“
Please... Show me, just for a moment?”
I plead.

“
No, I cannot.” I see him hesitate for a second before he walks away across the other side of the room, keeping his back turned to me.

My stomach churns with disappointment yet again. It appears Nico is very dedicated to his duty, way beyond his personal feelings for me. I apologise and try to make a joke of it. I don't want us to be cold with each other again.

“Oh my God, I'm so sorry about that. I felt fuzzy and lightheaded. I didn't know what I was doing! It must be lack of food.”