Pigalle Palace (9 page)

“Have you ever killed anyone?”

“Of course I have. It's an urge that vampires naturally have. We fight the urge because we don't want anyone to think that we are one of the bad ones.”

The taxi stopped in front of Vaisseau along the strip of the dark, unlit alley. As soon as we stepped out, the smell of the soggy sewer jumped out. The stench was a little more putrid that night, but I ignored it. Essence, on the other hand, covered up her nose. Having sensitive senses was normal for us. She was going to have to get used to it.

She moved her eyes up to the club's vivid flashing red sign above our heads. When her eyes met mine, I smiled at her. She smiled back. We didn't have to walk into the club too far. My parents were over in the lounge area, talking to one another.

“Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I need to take the night off.”

My parents exchanged uncomfortable looks. For a split-second, I could tell that they weren't happy to see Essence in my company.

My father responded, “Legend and Soleil will cover the bar. We'll be fine. Do whatever it is you have to do.”

I tried to read their expressions some more, but they quickly adjusted and blocked their thoughts from me. I shrugged it off. “I'll see you tomorrow night.”

  *  *  *  

Taking my hand in hers while in the back of the cab, she said, “I feel like I love you when I don't even know much about you. Am I under some type of spell?”

“I don't cast spells. So, what you feel are your own feelings.”

“I have something else I need to ask you.”

I was worried that whatever she had to ask might not be what I wanted to answer right away. I swallowed the hard lump that formed in my throat and played with the golden emblem that was around my neck. “Okay.”

“Do you have any children hidden anywhere?”

“No… Vampires can't have children.”

“What happened to your last wife? Colette told me you were married once.”

“She was human and she died from old age.”

“Anything else I need to know?”

“I told you everything about me. There are no secrets.”

Essence got teary-eyed. “I didn't want to become...this…”

“I'm sorry. Again, I am… Listen, how I feel for you, doesn't mean you have to feel that way for me right now. I want you to tell me you love me when you feel ready.”

“What if that never happens? Then, I'll be stuck as a vampire for the rest of my life without you.”

“You'll always have me, Essence. It
doesn't matter what you decide. I know you feel something for me, so I'm not worried about that. In due time you are going to tell me you love me, so I'm not rushing you.”

There was no way I was going to rush her and I wasn't going to let her stray too far or else some other vamp was going to make his move on her.

“Let's get out right here and take a stroll in the park,” she said.

I looked around while the cab came to a red light. There was no way we were going to get out and take a stroll in that park. It was one that a very dark brood had taken over. They were called the Ravens, a rebellious group of vampires who were scavengers, and they murdered humans and terrorized any vampire that wasn't one of them.

“I'll take you to another park.”

“What's wrong with that park?”

“It's not safe for us there. Don't ever go to that park.”

She nodded and placed her head on my shoulder.

I was going to tell her about the Ravens when the time was right. I didn't want to spoil our mood with bad news. Then she would know the difference between them and us.

“There are so many rules to remember.”

“You'll learn them all. It seems overwhelming at first, but you'll be fine. I'm here to guide you, so if you need to know anything, ask me.”

I caressed her hair. She stared up into my eyes. As we stared at one another, I bent down and placed a kiss on her lips. Her hand grabbed the back of my head to kiss me deeper.

I
glanced over at Chantal before I headed out to work for the night. She seemed a little distant and there was something troubling behind those engaging brown eyes. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I refrained. I had concerns of my own.

I noticed she had been making many phone calls to the United States. I casually asked her about it, but she caught an immediate attitude and denied it, so I left it alone.

“Legend?”

“Yes.”

“What time will you be home tonight?” she asked.

“The same time I'm home every night. We close at two a.m..”

Her brain went elsewhere for a second as she played in her hair. “Legend, I've been thinking.”

“About?”

“I have something to tell you, but I don't want you to get upset.”

“Okay...” I was hoping she would finally talk about the phone calls.

“I contacted my family to tell them that I'm okay.”

“You did what?” I scowled.

“You told me that no one could ever know and that I would have to be a missing person until they figure that I'm dead…but, I can't do that to my family.”

“When did you talk to them?”

“I talked to my mommy. I told her that I'm still in Paris and that I'm okay.”

I took a deep breath. If her parents decided to come looking for her, that wouldn't be a good thing.

“When is your best friend Jade coming by?”

“I told her that I wouldn't be going back with her because I fell for someone… But, I really want to avoid her altogether.”

“Look, you can't talk to anyone else in your family. The vampires of Pigalle Palace live by a covenant and it is strict. We can be killed if the Préfet finds out that you are making human contact with your family members… Look, I need you to understand how serious this is.”

“But I can't leave them hanging like this. I want to tell them the truth.”

Anger rose in me. “You can't tell them the truth.”

She turned away from me.

I sensed something in her. I felt as if she were hiding something from me.

“What else is going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Don't lie to me. I can tell when you're lying to me.”

“I promise you, nothing.”

“There's something you're not telling me.”

“I have nothing to hide.”

I read her. She was definitely hiding something.

S
oleil and I were on fire for one another. Sex, sex, sex, sex and more sex. She was ready any time and any place. I didn't mind it. If she wasn't at my place, then I was at hers. We even started having sex up in the rooms while at work.

One night, Soleil walked from my bathroom into my kitchen looking a little paler than her normal lifeless look. I raised a shot of vodka at her while standing at the kitchen island. She refused to drink with me by shaking her head no. Usually, she would be right with me shot for shot.

“What's the matter, sexy? You're not drinking with me tonight?”

She shook her head slowly. “Not tonight.”

I took the shot. Then I kissed her, ready to get her in the bedroom. She backed all the way up, away from me as if my liquored-up kisses bothered her.

“What's up?”

“I really need to talk to you, Onyx.”

“I'm all ears.” I leaned my back up against the kitchen island.

She struggled with what she wanted to say next. She shook her golden, curly mane with both of her hands—something she did when she had a lot on her mind. She positioned herself between my legs so she could be closer. She put one hand on my scar and the other one on the other cheek.
“This may sound crazy, but I'm pregnant.”

“What did you say?”

She dropped her head, hands, as sudden tears poured from her beautiful eyes.

I lifted her head with my hands. “Soleil,” I said gently. “Calm down.”

“How is this possible, Onyx?”

“Are you really pregnant?”

“Yes, I can feel it inside of me.”

She took my hand and placed it on her stomach. She was round.

“You're serious… What in the hell is going on?”

She shrugged her shoulders while rubbing the top of my legs with both of her hands. “What are we going to do?”

“I have to take you to Mother and Father. They will know what to do.”

“No,” she replied terrified. “They'll kill me. When was the last time you heard of a vampire getting pregnant?”

It was something that hadn't been done in centuries.

“I know.”

“What's going to happen to us?”

I gently pulled both of her hands around my waist. “I guess we're going to have to find out.”

“Do you really think that would be wise? Your parents will find out we're messing around. I'm going to lose my job. I have bills to pay.”

I didn't know what we were going to tell Mother and Father, but we were going to have to tell the truth.

She placed her head on my chest. “This is all very scary.”

“It is.”

A wave of excitement filled me through the fear. Being a father was something that hadn't ever crossed my mind. The last full-blooded
vampire ruled Pigalle Palace. His name was King Allemand and his body was in a hidden tomb beside that of his wife. They were both Daywalkers, vampires that could walk around in the sun.

Was our child the next to rule? Would our child be a Daywalker? That would mean that Rain may not be the one The Divination spoke of. It would mean our bloodline wasn't waiting for Rain, but for my seed.

“What are people going to say about me? About us?” she asked.

I wiped her tears as they continued to fall. “What we have is between us. Besides, our baby is going to be handsome. Don't you think? I mean, his daddy is handsome.”

She laughed a little through her tears. “You're so full of yourself.”

“I'm not… I think you should have little Onyx.”

“Little Onyx? What if it's a girl?”

“It's a boy,” I declared, going with my gut feeling.

She touched her stomach. I did, too. What we had created was something like a miracle.

“What am I going to do with you, Onyx?”

“Love me forever.”

“I think I can fall in love with you in one day.” She kissed me.

“Are you sure you're not in love already? You kiss me like you love me.”

I rubbed her stomach again and imagined my son growing inside her.

“I am in love with you.”

I hummed, “Mmm-hmm, I knew it. I love you, too.”

“Why are you so sweet to me?”

“Mother raised this knucklehead the best she could.”

“She raised an excellent knucklehead. Thank her for me.”

“You can thank her yourself.”

“So what are you going to tell the family?” A hint of agony replaced her happiness. “I hope it's as easy as you're making it seem.”

“There is a certain way to approach my parents about certain things. Have you ever known love like this?”

“I've only been in love once and it was with my high school sweetheart. We were engaged. I told him that I was half-blooded because I didn't want to hide any secrets from him. One night, I was walking home from bartending and I was attacked and bitten by a vampire. He would've killed me if he hadn't been scared off by the police officer. I transformed in the hospital. The sun coming through the window burned my skin and that's how I knew. I found out later that my fiancé sent the vampire to kill me.”

“One of your parents was a human?”

“Yes, my mother. Maybe that's why this happened?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because we both were born to human women.”

“Could be..I won't hurt you, Soleil. Those days are long gone. I'm going to show you a whole new definition of love.”

She rubbed the scarred side of my face. “You want to tell me how that scar got there now?”