When Dusk Comes, page 20
Erin couldn’t speak. She couldn’t breathe. She had never imagined that anything could be as good as this. There was little room for teasing left, and Lucía set an increasingly frantic pace. She gripped the oak bedpost behind her to steady herself and push harder into Erin.
Erin forced her eyes open. She loved to watch Lucía like this. So primal and out of control. She loved her messy hair and flushed cheeks, her running mascara and skin glistening with hard earned perspiration.
Obsidian eyes returned Erin’s gaze, her pointed canines gleaming in the candlelight. Lucía dragged the tip of her tongue over the deadly instruments in a way she knew drove Erin insane. The moans and curses that tumbled from Erin’s lips proved her right.
Erin propped herself up on one elbow and wrapped her free hand around Lucía’s waist. She needed Lucía’s thrusts to come more quickly and with significantly more force. Lucía responded to her guiding hand and pushed harder and faster. The centuries old wood of Lucía’s bedpost split under her palm, but she didn’t ease up for a second.
“Lucía,” Erin’s voice was little more than a strangled groan, but Lucía knew what she was trying to tell her. She could feel Erin’s release against her own. The muscles in her lower back and thighs pulled painfully in warning that she couldn’t continue like this indefinitely.
Erin’s throat was raw from screaming. Her body shook as she lost any sense of control. Lucía knew Erin couldn’t take much more of this, and as her thirst grew, neither could she. She let the growing heat claim her and lurched forward. Erin’s leg fell to the side and hooked onto Lucía’s thigh as she brought her in closer.
“Do it,” Erin whispered as she exposed her long smooth neck to her.
Lucía hesitated for a moment. The lustful haze and imposing thirst made it hard to reason. She hadn’t wanted to mark Erin in any visible way, but she could see the veins throbbing under her soft, pale skin and the temptation was impossible to resist.
“Please,” Erin moaned, eviscerating any resolve Lucía could ever hope to muster.
When her mouth filled with life, Lucía’s body succumbed. The candles burned away, leaving them in the still darkness of their oasis.
* * *
“Who was the first of you?” Erin asked as she ran her fingers lazily through Lucía’s soft, silky hair, the base of which was still humid from sweat.
“There, my dearest, is a question that has been asked for ages,” Lucía responded with a laugh.
“Why? Don’t you know?” she asked with evident surprise.
“Do your people not squabble endlessly over creation versus evolution?
And even within those schools of thought, there are scores of theories that purport to have the answer,” she reminded her, still amused by the notion that any being could account for its existence.
“All right. I get it. Don’t be a pain in the ass,” Erin answered, playfully poking the top of Lucía’s head. “What theory do you subscribe to then?”
“I don’t know,” Lucía confessed as she ran her fingertips down Erin’s exposed abdomen and around her navel. “I suppose I believe the same hand that brought everything into being contemporaneously created my kind,”
she finished thoughtfully. It had been many years since Lucía contemplated the genesis of life on the planet.
“So you’re a creationist?” Erin asked with a giggle. “I kind of thought you were the original vampire based on what Samael told me and all.”
“Oh, some believe that.” Lucía’s tone gave away her position on the matter. “I’m the oldest known vampire in this modern age, but even I was created by someone else.” Lucía shifted to lay her head on Erin’s chest. She didn’t like recalling the night she turned. Of the darkness that steeled itself to her side. Of how the thirst claimed her. She had taken to this form so
effortlessly that it occasionally caused her to question her nature as compared to others of her kind.
“There is a legend,” Lucía explained in a faraway voice. “More of a myth, I suppose, that the first of us still live in a mountain somewhere. All powerful and reclusive.” She rolled her eyes reflexively.
“Why do you all stay hidden from the rest of the world? Why not come out?” Erin asked as she ran her fingers through Lucía’s hair.
“I lived openly at first, when I was young and foolish.” Lucía explained with a laugh as she recalled her own naivety.
Erin traced the shell of her ear with her fingertip. “What happened?”
“No matter how well my interactions with people may have started, regardless of how I helped them or protected them, once they saw how I nourished myself, they feared me. Suddenly I was a monster, or worse, a demon sent from hell itself. As if I hadn’t already seen enough of it the day I lost thousands of my people, as a vampire I was forced to recognize the sadistic cruelty of man. The intolerance. The hatred. I have seen your people inflict wholesale slaughter on their own kind. On their brothers and sisters. Atrocities you could never imagine.” Lucía took a long pause as the memories flashed in her mind. “What do you suppose they would do to us?
No” she said, shaking her head. “I learned all too quickly that going underground was our only option if we wanted to survive. To thrive.” The pain in Lucía’s voice spoke of dark days and unspeakable horrors.
“But not everyone is bad,” Erin said, her voice cracking. “I accept you, and I’m sure most people would too.”
The innocence in Erin’s words put a smile on Lucía’s darkened countenance. “A person is not bad,” Lucía corrected. “People en mass are
prone to hysteria and blind indiscriminate rage,” she explained, leaving them both to ponder the weight of Lucía’s words.
The silence stretched as dawn approached, but the heavy black curtains kept out any trace of sunlight. Lucía concentrated on the soft rise and fall of Erin’s chest, the marred, twisted ghosts of her past trying to break through to the forefront of her mind.
“So how do vampires make baby vampires?” Erin asked to bring Lucía out of the heavy gloom that had settled over them. Lucía’s laughter in response to the silly phrasing of Erin’s question was unexpected but welcomed.
“Not entirely unlike how you were brought into this world, actually.”
Lucía turned onto her stomach so she could look at her as they speak. “Only the females can create new life,” she explained to a very confused Erin. “I have always considered this was Mother Nature’s way of keeping our numbers in check just like most other animals.” She smirked and added, “A woman is more judicious in her procreation habits.”
“How does it work though?” She turned onto her side to hold her head in her hand as she listened to Lucía explain vampire reproduction.
“It’s just as painful for us as it is for a female of your kind,” Lucía explained. “We must first drain the blood from our prospective progeny, bringing them to the brink of death. Sometimes they cross over and can’t be brought back. Not everyone survives the transition. There are those who just can’t change or it will kill them.” Lucía paused and glanced down at the bed for a moment, a flash of pain in her eyes. “The mother, so to speak, then replaces the spilled blood with her own, leaving just enough to stave off her own death. It takes at least a full day for the mother to recover.
Sometimes longer. During that time, both are weak, and the child is virtually helpless,” she finished matter-of-factly.
“Oh my God, that’s crazy.”
Lucía smiled despite the exhaustion of memory lane. “You can see why we aren’t in a rush to start the next baby boom.”
“So if only females can make more vampires, then why turn any males at all?” Erin asked after a few moments of processing the new information.
“You sound like one of the Amazons. They attempted an all-female society,” Lucía added with a grin. “There are some who share that viewpoint, but I’m not among them. Everything needs a balance. Ying and Yang. Life would be rather boring if we were all the same. Plus some are nice to look at.” Lucía’s eyebrow rose suggestively as she considered some of her male lovers.
“Oh, is that so?” Erin asked, lunging toward her and climbing on top of her.
“Get off me,” Lucía demanded as Erin’s hands found the most ticklish place under her arms and wiggled her fingers. “I am a queen!” she protested between fits of laughter.
“Yes, your majesty,” Erin responded in reverence, removing her hands from Lucía’s sides.
“I didn’t tell you to leave.” She pulled Erin back on top of her and kissed her until the sadness was excised from her heart.
* * *
“I didn’t expect you to bring him with you.” Lucía glanced toward the large wire cage as they approached the jet.
“Oh, come on Lucía. I couldn’t leave poor Steven by himself. Who knows when I’ll be back. I don’t want him to get lonely,” she explained as the toucan chattered happily in his cage.
“The house remains fully staffed in my absence.” Lucía reminded her for the third time.
“I know, but it’s not the same. He loves me,” she said, gesturing toward the bird. “Who else will cuddle with him, hm?” Erin asked, positive she had stumped Lucía this time. Lucía waved dismissively signaling her surrender, and she smiled at Steven triumphantly. Wait ’til she finds out you have to stay in the penthouse. There were technically no pets allowed in her building and he was far too loud to hide.
Angel Eyes greeted them as they stepped into the jet. The Doublemint Twins didn’t greet Erin nearly as warmly.
“So why do they hate me?” Erin asked once they’re alone.
“Who, my love?” Lucía inquired as she typed on her smart phone.
“Your twin assassins over there,” Erin whispered now that the dynamic duo had returned to the plane.
“Why do you assume they hate you?” Lucía chuckled without looking up from her phone.
“Um…” Erin side-eyed Lucía like she was crazy. “How could you think anything else?” she asked, genuinely surprised at the question. “They never speak to me. Like ever. And they always look at me like they’re waiting for me to steal the silverware.”
“Just like people are different, so are we.” Lucía laughed. “I admit not everyone is open minded, and well, would you talk to something you
consider a meal?” she asked while trying to suppress her amusement at Erin’s horrified expression. “There’s nothing to worry about,” she added after Erin had paled to a ghost white color. “They would never harm you,”
she promised much more seriously.
“How do you know?” Erin whispered, her eyes trained on the back of matching shiny bald heads.
“Because any injury caused to you is an injury to me.” Lucía sounded genuine, but Erin’s expression showed she wasn’t buying it.
“Yeah right. I probably look like some kind of juicy cheeseburger for vampires.” A hint of panic crept into her hushed tone.
“I promised you that no harm would ever come to you while you’re with me. Adrian and Nicholas are my most loyal sons. They’ll protect your life as they protect mine,” Lucía promised, leaning over to give a stunned Erin a kiss on the cheek.
“Sons?” Erin whispered, her eyes wide.
“I believe we’re waiting for Samael,” Lucía said as she placed her hand over Angel Eyes’ arm when he passed them while preparing for takeoff.
“Not to worry, Ms. Guerra. He informed us he has made alternate travel plans while in Paris,” the young man explained.
Lucía nodded in agreement, but her expression was evidence of her surprise.
“What’s wrong?” Erin asked when the flight attendant leaves.
“Nothing, my love,” Lucía smiled and sat back in her chair, the calm air of confidence surrounding her like an expensive perfume.
Erin and Steven both dozed off within minutes of reaching the cruising altitude, but Lucía’s mind could not find rest. Lucía always had to pry Samael off her back. She reached into the pocket of her royal blue blazer
for her phone. Lucía’s text message was immediately met with an alert showing that the message failed to send.
* * *
Charlie squeezed into the crowded lower Manhattan bar. Each glancing contact with a stranger’s body sent pain shooting from her sore chest and ribs and reverberating through her body. She held her arms out in front of her to minimize the contact as she pushed through the crowd. Her boots stuck the floor, the layers of old beer spilled on it like a tacky varnish, but Charlie didn’t mind.
“Hey Tucker,” Charlie called to the bartender over the loud music. A tall, grizzly man with a severe face and unkempt beard turned towards the call. His stoic expression broke into a smile when he saw Charlie waiving at him.
“Charlie,” he exclaimed happily. “I didn’t know you were in town.” He pulled up the waistband of his jeans over his belly and flattened out his leather vest.
“I’m not really,” she said as she winked.
Tucker nodded in understanding and motioned to the back room with his eyes. Charlie hurried around to where Tucker was signaling. Once in the back room, she sighed with relief that the 80’s hair metal was muffled by the egg crates stapled to the walls. She stood in the tiny room for a moment before Tucker joined her.
“How are you, champ?” Tucker asked, his dark eyes scanning Charlie from top to bottom. “I heard you got jacked up pretty good. That a group of
pointers nearly killed you,” he said in a heavy southern drawl.
“I’m fine, Tuck.” Charlie gave the huge man a hug. “And it wasn’t vampires,” she corrected after stepping out of the embrace. “It happened in the middle of the day and I didn’t see any fangs.”
“It couldn’t have been no regular ass dudes to get the best of you,” he said confidently.
“It was a group,” Charlie said, her arms wrapping around her chest as if to protect herself from the memory. “It’s why I’m here. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. I was almost attacked in Paris too.”
Tucker’s hand disappeared into his thick, light brown beard as he scratched it. Charlie wondered if it helped him activate a memory with the way he’d scrunched up his face. “You don’t think it was wolves, do you?”
he asked, and Charlie could hear the trace of defensiveness in his tone.
“No way,” Charlie said, shaking her head. “I know you run this pack like a tight ship,” she added to diffuse any possibility of an accusation. “But I thought you might be able to help me figure out who has it out for me.”
“I’ve heard about them weird goings on among the vamps,” he admitted after relaxing his posture and sinking into his office chair, offering Charlie a seat on top of a stack of beer cases. “You know I mind my own business and encourage my kin to do the same.”
“I thought maybe you’d heard something,” Charlie explained. “All kinds of people come in here. There aren’t very many true sanctuaries left in the world.”
Tucker nodded before opening a drawer in his old creaky desk. Charlie was sure he was going to pull out some paper with helpful information, but instead he pulled out a dusty bottle of bourbon and two glasses. Charlie
knew the cleanliness of the glasses was questionable, but she took one partially filled with the dark alcohol without complaint.
“Cheers,” Tucker said before raising his glass and draining it in a single gulp. Charlie raised her glass but opted for a sip of the fiery liquid instead.
“So, you think what happened to me is related to what’s going on with the vampires,” Charlie asked for clarification.
Tucker poured himself another drink before responding. “You know, I’ve known you since you were in diapers.” He sucked his drink down. The hairs on the back of Charlie’s neck stood on end. Tucker wasn’t one to beat around the bush usually.
“Tuck, what the hell is going on,” Charlie demanded as she got to her feet. “If you know something—”
“Calm down, champ,” he said quietly. “There ain’t no need to get riled.”
He took a deep breath. “Listen, I wasn’t gonna tell you nothin’ because I just don’t think it’s my place to be getting involved in vamp business. I sure as shit wouldn’t want them sticking their pointy noses in ours.”
Charlie’s mind raced. “Tuck, please,” she said softly. “Tell me what you know.”
Tucker’s dark eyes looked up at Charlie from under bushy eyebrows.
“You never heard this from me, you hear? If you tell someone I told you anything, I’ll put my hand on a stack of bibles and denounce you as a liar.”
Charlie swallowed hard as if that might get her heart out of her throat.
She nodded.
“There is some faction. They call themselves the insurgents or the illuminated. I don’t know, some pretentious ass name. They want out with the vampire queen and in with whoever the hell is in charge of them. I found out they were using my bar to find new recruits and tossed them out
on their asses. I told them to stay the hell out of here with their weird cult shit, and they have.”
Charlie sat back down on the beer case slowly. She had hoped for information, but her pounding heart led to the realization that she wasn’t expecting any. “Why didn’t you—”
“Tell anybody?” he finished her question. “Your boss’ people have come in here a few times sniffing around,” he acknowledged. “I told them I hadn’t seen or heard squat. And I’d tell them the same again if they asked me,” he confirmed. “I’m only telling you because I feel real bad that you got hurt. I can’t stand the thought that your association with their queen could kill you. So, since you come here and ask me, I think it’s only right I tell you to take your grandma and get the hell out of there. Let the vampires settle their shit. It ain’t got nothing to do with you and it sure as hell isn’t worth your life.”
The information dripped into Charlie’s brain slowly. “Do you know where they’re based out of?”
“Do you have cotton in your ears, kid?” Tucker asked. “I just told you they mean to overthrow their queen and would be happy to kidnap you or kill you for political gain, and you’re asking me if know where their HQ is?
