A Midflight Vampire's Tale, page 20
Pei Ling smiled at me. Heavens, she was strikingly beautiful, chosen precisely because of it.
Me, I was chosen for different reasons. Sometimes, when I’m feeling narcissistic, I like to tell myself it was my beauty. And sometimes...
I just don’t want to think about it at all.
Her face softened. “You still hate them, don’t you?”
She reached out to touch my cold hand. Cold, because it simply was. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was a vampire. Even with the non-human blood that flowed through my veins, I (like all other Hybrids) remained as warm-blooded as the day I was born.
I stifled the urge to snatch my hand away. “I can’t say for sure. The feeling’s been with me so long, I can’t let it go. But you know, after so many centuries, holding a grudge can be tiresome.”
I didn’t want to mention the dream I had two years ago. I couldn’t forget it. Nor could I forget the dagger I had found when I regained consciousness after the SynGen explosions.
No regrets.
The mere thought of him, my maker, brought back feelings of nostalgia and shame, fear and love, sorrow and hate, all rolled into one. No, Pei Ling would never understand. Besides, she never knew the details. Not in their entirety, anyway.
“I know you well enough,” Pei Ling said. “You’d fight them any time of day. Even now.”
I looked at her. “Why do you say so?”
“I lived with you for fifty years. I know you better than you know yourself. And vice versa.” She smiled at me. “I know what you dream of at night. You still miss Li—”
My fingers curled around her arm. “Don’t say it.”
She wrenched it away. “You wanted to know why I’m here. And what I meant earlier. When I said that they, the True Bloods, don’t know what’s coming.”
“And?”
“There's someone who wants to meet you. He’s in India now, with a few others. He wouldn’t come until you agreed to meet him.”
“Who?”
“His name is Mel.”
“Never heard of him.”
Pei Ling’s eyes gleamed as she whispered, “He’s the first one, Cheng.”
“The first one…what?”
“The first Chimera.”
I looked at her strangely. “That’s impossible. That was thousands of years ago.”
She laughed. “Speak for yourself, Jiejie, you’re —”
“An old maid, I get it,” I interrupted. “So. Mel. How do you know he’s who you say he is? And what does he want with me? The world’s big enough for elderly folk like him and me. I believe New Zealand’s unclaimed.”
She shook her head. “It’s not territory he wants. Will you meet him or not?”
“Not interested.”
Her annoyed huff was followed by a massive eye roll. Then, her face brightened. “Ben’s with him. You remember Ben, don’t you?”
Of course I did. Ben was an Englishman whom I’d lived with in London. Well, he wasn’t an Englishman per se. He was an English vampire. But...that’s just a minor detail.
I narrowed my eyes. “Ben’s with him?”
“How do you think we managed to find you, Jiejie? It wasn’t all just me.”
“And…you’ve met…Ben?” I asked.
She smirked at me. “You didn’t give me a chance to tell you.”
Ben. I missed him. So much. I regretted the way I’d left. I wondered if he’d forgiven me. In fact, there was so much to regret about the way I’d treated both him and Pei Ling.
“You want to see Ben. Don’t you?” Pei Ling tilted her head, lifting a brow. She knew she’d hooked me.
“All right. Fine.” I did a few mental calculations. Hybrids couldn’t travel by day, but since night flights were readily available, I assumed Mel could arrive in a couple of days or less. “Do you have a cell phone? I’ll tell you where to meet me. Just you, Ben, and this guy, Mel. No one else, okay?”
She nodded eagerly. We spent a moment exchanging numbers. Then, I looked at her expectantly. I was waiting for her to bring it up. To talk about Kai. To tell me right to my face that he was dead. To rant about how angry she still was at me. I wanted to rage right back at her. I could not forget her hurtful words. How she felt I’d abandoned her. And I had abandoned her, just like her horrible maker had.
I wanted her forgiveness. Or perhaps she wanted mine.
But she stayed silent, gazing at me with those Sailor Moon eyes of hers. So I dropped my gaze. If she didn’t want to talk about it. That was fine with me.
She leaned in, peering at the jam-packed quay around us. “Hunt with me. Let’s forget about the past and find a tasty man or two. One for me, one for you.”
My mouth curved up into a wry grin. “How many times have you used that little rhyme?”
“Too many. I need to come up with something new. But I can’t think on an empty stomach. My snacking was cut short by those pesky Seekers.” She licked her lips playfully, nudging me in the direction of two massively-built men walking along the bridge that linked both banks of the river. I could hear them conversing in French. Tourists.
“The big one’s mine,” I said, staking my claim.
She clapped her hands in girlish delight, grinning as we made our way toward our victims.
30
Less than forty-eight hours later, I met Pei Ling again in a crowded jazz club. We parted ways after our hunt by the river. It was probably for the best, because we might have started fighting again.
It was downright silly. One could argue it was our vampire tendency to nurse grudges for centuries. But in truth, we were being avoidant about the one thing hurting us both.
Now, we sat in a private booth with soundproof windows which opened up to the club itself, pretending to sip at our Long Islands. Up front, a small crowd gathered before a stage, nursing their drinks, watching a live performance. Even with the soundproof windows, my vampire ears could pick up the beat and tunes belted out by the lead singer in his white suit.
Then, just above the pounding bass, I heard something else. It was faint, almost drowned out by the noise.
A click.
Hybrids don’t really see or smell each other from afar. But after centuries of observing the way vampires move, I could recognize them from a distance. I could also pick out that strange extra click in their heartbeats, which was different from the warm and wet pulses of humans, and more like the sound coming from the chest of a patient with a metallic valve replacement. Not an unpleasant sound. Just…unnatural.
And these human-like people entering the club as a group were definitely not cardiac patients. Not with their pale faces, their fluid movements and lethal stares.
I bared my teeth at Pei Ling. “There are six of them. You said only Mel and Ben would be coming here.”
“Oh, don’t throw another one of your hissy fits,” Pei Ling answered casually, bobbing her head to the faint music from outside our private room.
Her large, teardrop-shaped earrings swayed with the movement of her head. Her hair was neatly tied into a bun. Tonight, her nails were a dark green, the same shade as her silk dress and eyeshadow. The only thing about her that wasn’t green were her black six-inch heels and her ruby-red lips.
Damn, she’s always better looking than me. Here I was beside her in my plain black clothes, my face as pale and understated as ever, and my hair in a bit of a mess bundled behind my head.
I shook the thoughts of envy from my head and crossed my arms in irritation. “You lied to me.”
“Hey, I didn't know he wouldn’t come alone. I told him ‘alone’,” she replied with a shrug. “Guess he didn't care.”
That was concerning. If he didn’t care about what I thought, then I had to be extremely careful.
The doors to our private booth opened, accompanied by a burst of noise, before swinging shut. Six Hybrids crowded in, led by Ben.
In 1910, I left my homeland for the umpteenth time. The reign of the Manchus was ending, and I didn’t want to be around to experience the ensuing chaos and upheaval. Little did I know that four years into my emigration, a certain Archduke of Austria would be assassinated, triggering a massive war which would throw all of Europe into the very chaos I was trying to avoid. Nonetheless, the ship I boarded sailed onward to merry England, where I continued my existence as the mysterious foreign wife of a very wealthy Victorian man—that would be Ben.
Benjamin Ashley was what he called himself. I’ve only known him by that name. His true name is not for me to divulge. A thief by trade, soldier by conscription, then a pirate, he had amassed a great fortune over two centuries doing exactly what the British Empire was doing to acquire her wealth—plundering colonies.
Ben was the one who taught me English. Oh, he wasn’t the only Hybrid I encountered in London. He was simply the one I could get along best with. Heck, more than that. We lived wonderfully for a long time—husband and wife in name—before I left England in the seventies and came to Singapore.
We weren’t actually husband and wife, of course. But we knew each other well, that much I can say.
And I hadn’t seen him since I left.
“Benjamin,” I whispered. My heart began to do a girlish flutter when I saw him.
You still have feelings for him, a small part of me said.
Shut up, go away. Now’s not the time.
“It’s been a deplorably long time, hasn’t it, darling?” he asked as he approached me with a familiar, easy smile. The goatee was there as always, clipped to perfection. His murky green eyes gazed at me with warmth as I allowed him to kiss my cheeks, European style. His scent brought back memories of cold rainy days, raging fireplaces, and the English countryside.
I brushed my knuckles over his face with a teasing pout. “Only because you never bothered to call or write.” So many were watching us, I didn’t want to reveal the heartache within me.
He chuckled, though the sound seemed forced. “I’ll forgive you for that. After all, you were the one who left me stranded in London all by myself. Not even a farewell note.”
“Ben, I…”
I’m sorry, let bygones be bygones. I was afraid…I ran away when I started to realize…
He tore his gaze from me and gestured to the others with him, rattling off names one by one.
“Lily, Amanda…” He gestured to two women wearing black dresses who were no more than girls when they’d been Changed. But by their stillness, I could tell that they were each two or three centuries old.
“Clay, Parker,” Ben introduced. At Parker’s name, Ben gave a heavy sigh.
The final newcomer stepped forward. He was shorter than everyone else. Despite his less-than-average height, he exuded presence. It wasn’t his clothes; they were ordinary. A drab beige shirt and gray khakis. Perhaps it was his dazzling rich blond hair that was slicked back.
No, it’s his eyes.
They were glacial blue, reminding me of an unbroken, crystal clear lake on a hot summer’s day. Those eyes stared at me with cold fearlessness, a warning not to underestimate him.
“This is Mel,” Ben introduced. He retreated, speaking no further. This was a conversation for Mel and myself. The rest were bystanders.
“Have a seat,” I said, gesturing to the empty settees around.
Mel took the chair at the table directly across from me. The rest settled themselves near Pei Ling, with Ben standing by the door, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
“You were supposed to come only with Ben, Mel.”
Mel’s lips curved up a little. “Let’s all try to get along, shall we?” he rasped, his voice reminding me of a desert. His accent was American. But I knew that didn’t say anything about his origins, or who he was.
“You know my name,” he continued. “What’s yours?”
I gave him the name that I used for the current times, “Mariko.”
“Is that your real name?”
“As real as yours.”
His smile widened. “Oh, but it is my true name, though an adaptation to this modern age. Unlike you, I have nothing to hide. I merely want to introduce myself to you, Mariko.”
He stretched his arm out toward me. I stared at it with suspicion. But he waited with infinite patience, hand still outstretched while the others observed in stony silence.
I relented, bringing my right hand toward his to shake it. But instead of taking my hand as I had expected, he held my fingers gently, then brushed his lips against my knuckles in a kiss.
I blinked in surprise, and began pulling away.
That was when he twisted my wrist, squeezing. His other hand came up toward my watch. I resisted, but then I discovered that he was faster and stronger than I was.
He undid my clasp, while I remained unmoving. Because if his grip on my hand tightened, my bones would crack. I bit my lip at the discomfort.
He didn’t remove my watch, no. I knew what he was after. He pushed the loosened timepiece away from my wrist, exposing the Mark for all to see. From the corner of my eye, the others leaned in, eager to have a look.
I didn’t mind my Mark being seen. Hybrids, Seekers and True Bloods alike all knew its meaning. The Mark was an ancient symbol, an eye surrounded by leafy patterns. What I did mind was Mel forcing a peek without my permission.
A second later, he put my watch back on for me and released my hand. I suppressed the urge to immediately retract my arm and rub the pain in my fingers. I was not going to behave like a cowed animal.
He eyed Pei Ling. “Doesn’t say much, does she?”
His attitude irritated me to no end.
“She’s very much the strong and silent type,” Ben chipped in from behind Mel. He spoke with sarcasm, but I saw the concern in his face, which Mel couldn’t see. I shot him a look full of daggers for that comment.
“Are you quite done?” I asked Mel coldly, bringing my arm back to my side with measured slowness. “Was there anything else you wanted to see?”
He smirked. “No, Mariko. I just wanted to confirm who you are.”
“A simple question would have sufficed.”
“But then I would not have made my point. I knew that you would not believe Pei Ling about who I was. I had to show you myself.”
A chill ran down my spine, but I kept a brave face as I leaned back in my seat, lounging casually. “I can believe you’re as old as I am, possibly older.”
“I am the first Chimera,” he declared.
I smirked. “I believe we call ourselves Hybrids nowadays. Wherever you’ve been hiding out all these years, I suggest you make use of the talented vampires you’ve surrounded yourself with and start keeping up with the times.”
He gazed at me with frigid coolness. “Unfortunately, if you had been where I was for the past four thousand years, you would be as out of touch as I. In fact, I have spent the last thirty years trying to update myself, so to speak.”
Four thousand years.
Despite how long I’d lived, the lifespan of Hybrids never ceased to amaze me. True Bloods were astoundingly long-lived compared to humans. But when the mixing of vampiric blood and human flesh produced a Hybrid, that product, for whatever reason, could far outlive any natural creature on this earth.
And yet, I had never heard of any Hybrid living that long.
“That’s not possible,” I stated.
He seemed amused by that. “Says one who has lived since the rise of the Middle Kingdom. Do you dare claim that nothing else is possible?”
“I've experienced every year, every single day for myself.”
No matter how painful, or how lonely, or how much I wanted to kill myself.
I gestured to him. “Whereas you’re sitting before me, expecting me to believe you after a mere show of force? You’re going to have to do better than that, Mel. And then, if you don’t quickly tell me why you’ve waltzed here with so many other vampires, I am going to personally, quite literally, kick you off my island.”
Ben’s face fell as I spoke, his eyes a silent warning for me to stop talking, to reign my temper in. But I was upset, and I didn’t want to stop. So I shrugged, adding, “Besides, you’re supposed to be dead. According to legend, the True Bloods killed you.”
Rage simmered on his face. I’d struck a nerve. Either with my rudeness or by pointing out that he was supposed to be nothing more than a pile of dust.
Mel composed himself with a deep inhale. “What I want is simple. I want your loyalty. And your services.”
I barked out a laugh. “I am loyal to no one. Loyalty implies that there are sides to a story. Considering I don’t even know what I’m getting into, and I don’t know you…I’d say the answer is clear. You’re asking for something that’s earned, not demanded.”
There was a poignant silence as he pondered my words. Then, he smiled, revealing the sharp and oft-hidden edge of his fangs. “Perhaps if I shared a little more about myself, you’d see whether my cause is something worthwhile for you.”
Ice clinked as I stirred my Long Island. “I have all the time in the world.”
“Perhaps less than you think.”
I held my breath at that threat, but I waved my hand, indicating for him to continue.
“My real name is Melas,” he began. “I lived in ancient Ireland, and I was made by a True Blood named Aengus. My Change was both an act of violence, and an act of mercy. In either case, I had no choice in it. I was dying, and he forced it upon me. I survived. Something, I am sure, you are familiar with.”
I kept my face blank, giving nothing away. I was far from dying.
All this talk about the ancient past, all these people resurfacing when I least expected it, people like Pei Ling and Ben…it was giving me a headache, and it was bringing to light memories that were better off in total darkness.
“Then,” he went on. “...to add insult to injury, the True Bloods of that time condemned both of us for my existence. They called me an abomination. They labeled us misfits, and they ostracized one whom I dearly loved. To top it all off, they sought to end my life.”
