The Vampire (THE VAMPIRE Book 1) (86 page)

When he had showered and dressed he came out to the hotel courtyard by late morning with a cup of strong coffee in hand and found Augere sitting outside enjoying the quiet and peaceful setting and the gently refreshing breeze. Augere’s pose was casual, his legs crossed, his expression serene as he greeted Jason with a single nod. Jason returned the same. He marveled that Augere did not appear to look at all tired. He should be.

“I think I am going to need more coffee,” Jason announced. “In fact I’m certain of it.”

“Do you want to walk? To the usual place?” Augere asked. Jason hadn’t thought of that, but yes, sure, why not. But then suddenly he had another idea. It came to him spontaneously—he wanted to go to the Maspero, and he wanted Augere to go with him.

He had already been able to reclaim the joy of the city, having put the misery of that painful week behind him for the most part. But now he had a chance to take it further; to replace any negative with positive. Whatever might happen in the future, he could look back on this and remind himself how good it had once been. He knew it was a little crazy; and probably unnecessary. It would make sense, and have any real meaning or significance, only to him. But he wanted this. He suddenly saw it as a weird kind of closure he still needed.

He made no mention of the plan to Augere. They could take a different route and just happen to walk past there. And then he would just appear to spontaneously change his mind, and want to go in.

As they were approaching the Maspero, Augere, who had said nothing about the circuitous route so far, now seemed to catch on.

“Why?” he asked, as they slowed down at the entrance.

“Just got hungry, suddenly. They have good food here.” Jason shrugged. “Or, maybe just coffee.”

Jason received another of Augere’s inscrutable looks so he quickly entered the Maspero with Augere reluctantly following. Jason glanced around the room. Damn. No staff he recognized were present. Probably because of the holiday most of the regular staff were off work. Except, he realized now, the bartender, who gave Jason a blank look at first, and then a wary one, as he now seemed to recognize him.

Jason selected the seat he had been sitting in that day, the first time he had met Augere. Augere took the seat opposite, the same one he had on that day also.

“Now what.” Augere seemed amused.

Jason gave him a small smile. When the waitress arrived he ordered a muffaletta. This amused Augere even more. Augere ordered a root beer float, which wasn’t on the menu, but the girl said she would make him one.

“Are you actually going to drink that?” Jason asked, surprised, after the waitress had left.

“Absolutely not.” Augere’s serious tone of voice matched his expression.

It was all coming back to him now, all the little details. He had already gone over all of it in his mind before. Now he looked at Augere and began speaking out loud the words he was thinking to himself.

“I remember…I wanted something in particular…one of the local specialties…” He watched the server bring the food to the table. “This sandwich…” He nodded, as that meal was now placed in front of him. “But I ordered something else instead…a salad. It was very strange.” He frowned, shaking his head.

He turned a suspicious look at Augere. “How did you happen to be here that day?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Waiting…? How could you know I would be here?”

Augere shrugged. “Your…habit.”

“But it was only my second time coming here.”

Augere shrugged again.

“I still don’t know…it puzzles me…I
like
salad; but I hadn’t thought to have any just then…” He looked squarely at Augere then, as if the entire mystery rested with him.

“You were coming to work for me.” Augere paused then and glanced away. “It was important for you to be healthy.”

Jason was stunned. He nearly laughed out loud, and had to quickly swallow the bite of food in his mouth. “Can you make me…do things? You can control me?”

He gazed intently into Augere’s eyes. Eyes that could make the rest of the world disappear. And he was a little fearful of him suddenly.

“No, of course not.” Augere’s words had a hard edge to them. Then his tone grew softer. “It does not work that way. I cannot make you do anything.” He sighed heavily then, shaking his head. “How much easier everything in my existence would be if that were only so. Regarding all of you.” He paused then, his gaze directed squarely at Jason. “Is that why you came here? To become upset over this?”

“No…I…I’m just very surprised.”
But he HAD been able to influence me, somehow. And just how did that occur?

Augere’s gaze turned toward the window and passersby.

“And when I went to the other—Maspero—it was totally by chance I was there that day. But—then you just happened to walk in.” Jason recalled Terrance’s comments, how he had given Augere a different perspective to consider. An action that had had huge consequences. He truly believed Terrance had set things in motion that had led Augere to seek him out.
But how could he have found me so easily?

“Could it not have been by chance? Coincidence.” Augere stated, looking at him again.

Too farfetched. No way
.

Jason shook his head. “I have a hard time believing my fate was wholly dependent on just chance.”

“As much could be said for anyone,” Augere replied with a shrug, as he glanced away again.

“Did I have a choice? In coming to work for you?” Jason suddenly had to know now. Had he simply been manipulated, all along? Truly led, against his will?

“Your will has always been your own. Perhaps some slight manipulation occurred, notwithstanding.”

Jason took a small bite of the huge sandwich again, chewing thoughtfully. Augere’s reply seemed contradictory. But it
had
been his own choice, hadn’t it? On a gut level he felt certain this was true. Some slight external manipulation—notwithstanding.

They were about to leave when an unexpected surprise occurred as they exited: one of the waitresses, who had been especially kind to Jason, had come in for the next shift. They looked each other in the eyes. Jason beamed a wide smile at her, indicating Augere with a discreet nod of his head. She looked Augere over and got wide eyed and then she looked at Jason again, with a questioning look. He nodded and then she gave him a wide grin, nodding back. In total non-verbal communication, she had understood—the object of his quest: found. Somehow that she, that someone else, knew this now was immensely gratifying to him in a bizarrely amusing way and being able to acknowledge and validate the fact made Jason very happy.

Jason left half of the large sandwich and drank down half of Augere’s untouched root beer float before they left.

The two walked along Decatur toward Jackson Square, with no particular plan. They sat on benches near the levee and took in the activities around them: tourists mingling, horse drawn carriages parked or passing by, artists and street musicians engaged in their own various activities.

Several booths were set up along St. Ann Street, offering a variety of handmade things to buy. Among these were several tables where one could get a tarot card reading.

Augere appeared to be focused on one table in particular. He nodded toward one woman, eyes fixed on her at a distance. “I think we should make inquiries.”

Something about that idea disturbed Jason. He couldn’t say why for sure. It was not something he was personally opposed to, having had an amazing reading himself not that long ago. He just suddenly felt uneasy with the thought of it.

“Well—you go ahead then,” Jason replied.

“Fate; coincidence; destiny; chance. Or choice. Have you no desire to know?”

Suddenly, he didn’t. No. The idea was inexplicably frightening to him just now; uncharacteristically so.
Let nothing ruin this wonderful time. Let’s both of us enjoy this peace and contentment, together, for as long as we can. The past is past and the unknown future can wait
.

“No. Really. You go, if you really must.”

“You must come also.” That authoritative tone again.

Once again I yield to the vampire
. Jason sighed and reluctantly got to his feet. They paused in front of the table that had held Augere’s focus.

The round table had a small canopy over it, formed by two large purple cloths with Celtic symbols on them tied over two plastic standing poles. A black tablecloth with a silver square centered on it had white candles positioned at either end. There were several folding chairs, and one upturned milk crate held a cushion, for seating. Three different decks of tarot cards rested on the table, along with a few small esoteric objects; some talismans were in evidence and Jason thought the latter were possibly intended for protection as well as lending ambience. He had the impression the reader might not be quite the real thing; perhaps even someone just catering to the tourist trade. His discomfort with the idea of this remained.

The fortyish woman had a colorful scarf tied like a hairband across her head, with the long loose ends draping her shoulders. She asked Augere if he wanted the tarot cards, a palm reading, or both.

“What do you suggest?”

“Well, let me see your palms.”

He leaned back slightly and raised both of his palms for her to see.

She shook her head. “I really need to take hold of your hands.”

He shook his head. He would not.

“Okay. Well…I will just have a look then. But it is not as accurate, you understand?” He nodded hesitantly. “We shall see what we shall see.” She spoke with a slight foreign accent, one Jason couldn’t quite place.

She leaned forward and gazed intently at Augere’s raised palms.

“For one so young, you have lived the equivalent of many lifetimes. You are born under the sign of Libra. There is a constant struggle with opposing forces and an attempt to balance these. You must learn to trust others and be more open to what they can offer…” She frowned. “You must…a long and unbroken line…unwavering…extraordinary.” She fairly whispered these last words and then there was a long pause. She was staring intently at his hands. When she spoke again, it was in an even softer, more dreamlike voice.

“…no attachment to this world…” She shook her head slowly, and had a faraway look in her eyes now. Jason doubted her sincerity, but maybe she had gotten some things right. Still, she could be putting on an act.

Then she began to mumble a few words in French. Jason was too surprised to catch the meaning of some of them. She began to sway slightly. “No…! Do not praise the child’s beauty…” she whispered, and Jason heard what sounded like a gasp from Augere. “…the envy of angels…! I must protect them… Protect them!” These words were spoken in French and then in English, in a strongly pleading tone. Real or fake, this was just about enough. Fascinating as it was, Jason felt strongly they should just go now. Even Augere had withdrawn from her a little, and then he became quite tense. Jason did not like any of this. It was making him uncomfortable for reasons he couldn’t name.

The woman was silent now; her eyes were half closed.
What a performance!
Jason thought sarcastically. But he felt uneasy; He experienced a taste of fear he could not explain to himself.
Enough of this already
.

She began to sway again slightly. “C’etait la malaise…je suis desolee…je suis desolee… C’etait moi qui l’a fait! … je ne voudrais pas que tu me laisse…” The woman had begun chanting the French words very rapidly and it truly seemed as if she was in a trance. She kept repeating some of the same phrases over and over.

“Who is speaking?” Augere demanded sharply. Then he spoke several rapid sentences to her in French; Jason barely caught the meaning of much that was said.

The woman stopped suddenly in mid phrase and blinked several times. She stared at the two of them now for several long moments in silence. And then she shook herself lightly as if to shake off unwanted thought or feeling, or as if trying to wake from a dream state.

She looked at Augere in surprise, as if uncertain when and why he had appeared there before her.

“Who was speaking!?” he demanded again.

“Please,” she pleaded, “I am feeling ill…I cannot…not feeling well…a little dizzy…” She raised her palm as if to ward him off. She looked pale and shaky suddenly. Her mouth went slack briefly and her eyes were staring wildly now.

“Yeah, we really should go now.” Jason stood abruptly. “What does he owe you?” he asked the woman.

“No. Please—” She made a dismissive gesture. She just wanted them to go.

Augere continued to sit, watching her intently.

Jason took out a $20 bill, and placed it on the table.

He turned and left the woman, hoping Augere would follow him. Several minutes passed before he did so. Augere had stood and appeared to have been speaking to the woman again, from what Jason could see as he stood just outside the canopied area, but he heard none of what was said. Finally, and reluctantly, Augere joined him as Jason was already walking away down St. Ann toward Royal Street.

They were moving in the direction of the hotel now. Jason did not want to intrude on Augere’s thoughts, and his own occupied him at present.

He could translate the expression: “I am sorry,” which had been repeated over and over. And what might have been “I did that.” But did this hold any particular significance for Augere? Here was another mystery. He was curious but he was too emotionally uncomfortable with what he had witnessed to pursue it just now.

They had time to rest a while before the Geniers would arrive to pick them up to attend the bonfire event to be held along the riverbank. Apparently there were enough Geniers they were able to arrange their own private event apart from the city’s.

They were picked up by private car and driven out to the site of an old plantation. People were already camped, sitting in folding chairs, along the shore. The materials had already been gathered and put in place for the bonfires.

The traditional bonfires, Jason had learned, were held on Christmas Eve. But the Geniers chose December 26 as their day to enjoy the tradition. A crowd of approximately 150 of the Genier party boarded a paddlewheel boat at the levee, with the plan to cruise along the river for the best views, while others opted to remain on shore for the spectacle. Elaborate fireworks started off the event. Musical entertainment and a full dinner were available on the boat, as well as an open bar.