Aris Rising: The Court of Vampires: AN INFINITY DIARIES NOVEL (21 page)

T
he lights in the restaurant were soft and romantic. As the waiter cleared the plates from the table, DeMarco asked for a brandy while Sarah sipped the last of her second glass of wine. Their conversation had been light, friendly. They spoke of his travel, the lovely weather, their mutual work, all things mundane and none of any great importance. However, she could tell from the look in his eyes that was about to change.

Reaching across the table, he took her hands in his as was his habit. “Sarah, I told you I would not put demands upon you or our relationship and I hold true to my promise. I would not even bring this up if the limbo of not knowing your feelings for me were not driving me to distraction. I have trouble concentrating on my work; thoughts of you intrude in my every moment. You told me there was another man in your life yet I hope there is the possibility one day to have an exclusive relationship with you.”

She looked at his handsome face, his eyes glowing in the candlelight. How could she walk away from this exquisite man?

“Please. I am willing to accept any decision you make, but I must know. Is it possible for there to be a deeper relationship between us in the future?”

She knew she owed him an answer. He was a kind, generous and gentle man. She could no longer leave him in torment while she wrestled with her fear of letting go and falling in love. Her respect for him forced her to face the reality of her relationships with Aris and DeMarco. Regardless of the answer to the life or death enigma she faced if she chose Aris, she knew she had feelings for both of them.

She stared into the candlelight for a long moment before she met his eyes. “I can’t lie to you, DeMarco. I don’t know what I feel.”

“Very well, Sarah. I will give you time.” Placing his napkin on the table, he reached into his pocket to withdraw his wallet. His voice was cool, collected, without passion. “Take all of it that you need. Just know that I am in love with you and have been since I first saw you, which seems to me an eternity ago. I will not push you or tempt you. Your decision is your own.”

She sat in silence. “
What did you expect?”
The small voice of reason spoke to her shock.
“This man just offered you his heart and you refused it. Did you think he was the type of man to beg?”
At least this was one question that had an immediate answer. No, of course not. In spite of his declaration, he was a man with great pride. He didn’t need her, he wanted her. He was a man obviously accustomed to getting exactly what he wanted. Without her he was precisely the same as he was before he met her. Complete.

“I will return to Italy tomorrow. I will return to my family until you decide what you want. When you know, phone me. I will be waiting to hear from you, however, I believe I already know the answer even though you do not.” He signed the check, then stood.

She placed her napkin in the vacant space on the table in front of her. He was distant as he helped her from her chair and guided her to the door of the restaurant.

T
hey sat on Sarah’s living room floor, piles of canvas of every size surrounding them. One by one Aris revealed to her the work that had been consuming him for the last few weeks. One miracle after another was presented to her. Colors and shapes exploded from each canvas, each painting more powerful than the one before. She expected his work to be exceptional, but now realized he was a master of his art.

“These are all unbelievable. Each brush stroke has a voice.”

He laughed out loud as he leaned toward her to kiss her lightly on the lips. She ached for more. “I am so happy you like them. I thought of the light coming from your eyes, your face, as I painted. You are my muse and inspiration.”

“Yes, well that and your small, insignificant teacher, Monsieur Monet.” She wondered at all his past life experiences as well as all he observed silently during the centuries he was without a body.

“My many teachers to be correct. When one is only consciousness, there is no limit to eavesdropping.” He chuckled as he stacked the canvasses by size and shape. “I have watched many of the great masters at work in very close quarters. I have learned well.”

“I’m so excited. Your show might be all it takes to launch your
career and afford you the material security you so need.”

“Yes, from the palaces of kings to my small apartment has been quite an adjustment, even for such as I am. It has been my destiny to move in the company of renowned men and women, some notorious and some truly great. It appears from all I have seen and learned that small day-to-day obstacles are so much more difficult to overcome than issues of state. Working people are so tied to just creating a life for themselves and their families they have little time for true introspection. Their lives are dictated by their basic human needs; finding food and shelter has been paramount since those first humans who lived in caves.

“Yet while many of those of great power have those basic needs met quite easily, they so often have no desire for self-reflection, believing their power gives them all that is necessary in their world. And so we have two sides to the same coin; different reasons yet the same outcome, life and death without depth of knowledge of oneself. One of your famous authors believed that the purpose of human life is joy, yet it is truly a rare commodity in the human world.”

“Is there great joy in the Catacombs?”

“In the Catacombs? Often.” He fought his intense desire to hold her in his arms and instead spoke from his heart. “For me, wherever you are, Sarah, there will always be joy.”

S
arah sat in the lobby of her apartment building curled into a ball, her cell phone pressed to her ear. Aris answered on the second ring, but it seemed to her to be forever before she heard his voice.

“Aris, it’s happened again-only worse.” He heard fright and something that sounded like anger in her voice.

“Sarah, calm down. I’m here.” His soothing voice and assuring words relaxed her and she uncurled, sitting upright. “Now, what is it?”

“Someone or something has been in my apartment again.”

“Slow down. Take a moment. Now take a deep breath.” She complied. “Now, another one.” He waited without speaking while she took a moment to breathe. “Where are you now?”

“I’m in the lobby of the building. Tom is here with me.”

“Stay right there. I’m on my way. I’ll get in touch with Richard and Gabriela to meet me there as soon as possible. Are you feeling a bit more settled?”

“Yes.”

“Make sure Tom doesn’t leave your sight and I’ll be right there. If you need me, call my cell phone. You will be able to reach me any time you need to.”

“Okay.”

“Sarah, we will not let anything happen to you. You are safe.”

“I know. I’m just sick to death of all this scary movie crap.” She fought back angry tears.

“Hold on, I will see you very soon. Do not leave the lobby.”

“I won’t. Bye.”

She watched the digital clock on the wall tick the seconds away. In record time, he hurried through the door. “I’m not leaving you alone again. Richard and Gabriela are on their way.” He lifted her chin and it trembled in his hand. “What happened?”

She glanced at Tom who had busied himself with a stack of papers on his desk, ignoring the couple as best he could.

“Well, I came home from work and noticed the light on in my bedroom. I thought I had turned it off when I left for work this morning. I went into the bedroom and there was something on my pillow. I could see from across the room it was a gnarled bramble from some sort of thorn tree. Aris, the thorns were coated in something that looks like dried blood.” Her voice was hoarse and deep as she fought a new wave of tears.

“I am here now. Just let it all go. Cry if you need to, I am here.”

Composing herself, she continued. “No, I’m feeling better. I ran out of the apartment and came to the lobby. Then I remembered. A while ago there was a bramble on my desk at the office. I thought Maggie had left it there as some sort of joke. I got busy and forgot it and never mentioned it to her, but now I know it wasn’t Maggie. She can’t climb the outside of a building.”

The sound of the revolving door caught their attention as Richard and Gabriela entered the lobby.

Aris told them of the re-emergence of the intruder. Gabriela sat with Sarah while he and Richard searched her apartment. There was no sign of anyone having been there except for the bramble. Richard stayed upstairs while Aris returned to the lobby to gather
the women. Richard broke the bramble into small pieces. Taking the liner from the bathroom garbage can, he wrapped the broken branch securely so Sarah didn’t have to look at it again. She was right; the thorns were covered with blood.

When they were all settled in the living room and she was reasonably calm, Aris questioned her about the first appearance on her desk.

“I honestly don’t remember when it happened. It seemed so insignificant at the time, I just forgot it. What can all this mean?”

“I honestly have no idea, Sarah, but I plan to find out. Gabriela, will you stay with Sarah again until this is settled once and for all?”

“Of course I will. She will not leave my sight.”

“Richard, will you telephone Sebastian? We need to know where De Flores is and what is going on in his coven.”

“Yes, I will do that now.” He stepped onto the balcony to speak in private. His concern was for Sarah. Whatever the outcome of his conversation, he wanted to make sure she wasn’t further upset.

“Lie down. I will brew some tea.” Gabriela stood, moving to the kitchen as she spoke.

Sarah began to shake as the shock of the experience began to wear off. She fought an hysterical laugh. Only she would feel safe in a house full of blood drinking vampires, more safe than she ever felt before in her life. She curled against Aris. Closing her eyes and feeling the warmth of him against her, she fell into a healing sleep.

#

She slowly woke to the sounds of soft voices. Her face was pressed against Aris’ chest as he held her, cradled in his arms. Her slight movement caught his attention. He kissed her forehead tenderly. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. Did I sleep very long?”

“A few hours,” Richard spoke from across the room.

“What’s going on?” She sat up, stretching her arms over her head, stiff from sleeping on the couch. “Did you speak with Sebastian?”

“I did. It seems De Flores has just taken his consort as wife and the coven now has a Queen. They traveled in Europe. Some days in France, some in Portugal, a few in Switzerland. It seems they were visiting covens of their own kind, rallying them around the new self-proclaimed royal couple. Queen Mariska returned to Spain, but the spies lost sight of De Flores.”

“The only reason they made contact with the other wild ones could be war.” Aris rose and paced the floor. “These creatures do not socialize even among their own covens. They are isolated, untrusting of each other. To create a kingdom of these primitive killers would be impossible.”

“I am not sure that is so, Aris.” Even with the strain of the evening, Gabriela’s voice was gentle, melodious. “I believe they understand there is strength in numbers despite their savage minds. When there are more than just a few, there must be a leader. None of them has ever attempted to lead until now as far as we know. This De Flores seems powerful. He has proven himself by leaving his own country and traveling across the sea. Perhaps that was his reason for seeking Sarah. She may have just been a random choice, a challenge. That we may never know. However, the fact remains that they now have a King and Queen. They have a community with a leader who is thinking, reasoning. That is very dangerous not only for the Catacombs, but for humanity. These are brutish butchers; their new Queen the most ruthless of them all.”

“Why do you say that?” Sarah reached for Aris’ hand without forethought. He sat beside her.

“The spies say she is evil incarnate.” Richard’s words were matter-of-fact, without emotion. “Sebastian searched the Diaries for both De Flores and Mariska. There was little to be found. It seems they
both traveled from England sometime in the sixteenth century, but separately. De Flores arrived in Spain first. She followed close behind. They were both changed by the same coven that created Gabriela and me. For centuries they lived apart without any acknowledgement of one another. We do not know if they were acquainted in England but it appears not. She seemed to search for something, yet to this day no one knows what that was. Some treasure without price it seems. De Flores lived as a hermit, with the coven yet separately. Then he fled to England. There he joined the Catacombs. From there you know the story.”

“Yes,” Sarah’s tone was muted as she remembered.

“He journeyed to the United States, but returned quickly to Spain. He took Mariska for his consort and recently for his Queen. And now, they look to make an alliance of all the evil vampires in Europe. Whatever their reason, it is for no good.”

“But what can I possibly have to do with it all?”

“We do not know, Sarah. The Diaries have no mention of you being involved with these wretches, but the Diaries are not yet complete. The full story is a mystery to us now but one we will solve.” Richard paced as he spoke.