Forbidden Days (The Firsts) (21 page)

“Bernie, I don’t know what your problem with me is, but you will get over it.  I’m much older than you and this is something you need to learn…older vamps are much, much stronger than new ones.  So, no matter how pissed you are, you could never take me.”  He leaned closer, his lips touching her cheek in an air kiss.  “Unless I want you to.”

She started twisting now like she was possessed, trying to buck him off of her.  Vaz sat back and then released her arms and got up.  Bernie surged up and stomped off, back to the house.  Vaz looked at Park.

She shrugged.  “I have no idea.   What happened during her transition that might make her so pissed at you?”

“Nothing.  I took really good care of her.  I didn’t even take advantage of her when she wanted me to fuck her.”

Park looked up suddenly at him.  “Oh, that’s it.  When I first came down there you said she would be embarrassed if I saw her like that.  She was kind of out of control.  But you were there to see her.  You saw it all.  She’s humiliated you saw her acting like that.”

“That’s ridiculous.  I told her this was common…normal.  Sex is a lot of what we are.  Her body was in overdrive…it needed the release.  It’s normal.”

“It isn’t for her.  Ah, Vaz.  I think she can’t face you.”

“That’s just shit.  Should I talk to her?”

“I don’t know.  Let me feel her out about this and we’ll come back to lessons tomorrow, hopefully with a better temper.  Does Bas still want us out here?  I thought we weren’t supposed to be out here because of the threat.”

“No threat now.  Bas has all these hills covered with electronic surveillance as well as armed soldiers.  That will not happen again.  You really are safe here now, Park.  Unless they breach the perimeter and then we may all be fucked.”  He grinned.

Park though he had an incredible smile.  He was as handsome as Bas, and while no one could touch her heart like Bas, she thought he would have been amazing to be with.  Bernie had a hell of a ride ahead of her if she’d let it happen.  Park suddenly wanted to give Vaz a hug and she did.  He was surprised, but responded back with a light hug.  He frowned suddenly.

“Park, what do I smell?  There’s something…I’m not sure what…something I didn’t notice before.”

This had to stop.  What the hell?  She decided to be honest with him.  “Vaz, I don’t know.  Everyone seems to think I have a weird scent.  I can’t explain it.”

“It’s not weird, it’s…attractive…like catnip to a cat…it makes me want to…  Bas would rip my throat out, but it makes me want to taste you.”

“Resist it.”

“Of course.  But Park, you need to have Bas find out what makes a vampire drawn to you.  It can’t be good for you.”

“He is.  Well, let me go check on our girl.”

“Alright.  See you tomorrow night.”  They each turned to go their different directions.  Vaz’s cell buzzed.  When he pulled it out there was a request to meet in the study in three hours.  He began to gather the weapons to store them before he attended Bas’s little get-together.

There was nothing in her personal items.  Old cheap makeup, cheaper jewelry, clothes that no respectable thrift shop would take, and wads of money that looked like it had been somewhere no one wanted to know about.  Some dirty papers, but they looked like they might be used to roll something that you smoked.  The only thing he found interesting was a medallion on a chain.   That wasn’t cheap.  It looked old…very, very old.  There was a script on it that he didn’t recognized and an animal that looked like a mythological hybrid of a polar bear and large cat.  He assumed she might have stolen it.  Otherwise, her stuff was another dead end.

He sighed in frustration.  His best chance was to learn from the source what Park was.  If he couldn’t get her to talk, and couldn’t compel her, he was back to his original plan…he had to call Eillia.  She was the oldest known vampire, and if anyone in the vampire world would know what Park might be, it was her.  He pulled out his mobile and texted her second.   Eillia‘s second was a tall man of middle eastern descent who’d been her lover for as long as Bas had been vampire.  They were the most devoted couple he’d ever seen.  Bas could not imagine the attachment they must have after that many years together.  He felt a strong kinship and brotherly love for several of his male companions, but Eillia and Hamid, their love was legend.

Everyone was already there, spread out in different chairs and lounges around the room by the time Park and Bernie arrived.  They moved in quickly and took seats near the front of the gathering.  Park murmured a quick “sorry” and smiled at Bas, who tried to look stern, and failed.

He stepped in front of the group, addressing everyone.

“Eugene has called us all together, which, as you know, is highly unusual, so I, for one, am very curious.   Eugene?”

The tall dark man stepped to the front and sort of bowed.  His presence filled the room, both physically and metaphorically.

“Mr. Bas, I actually called you all together for Cherise.”  Cherise hung behind him, twisting her hands.  Bas was getting very concerned now.  Cherise was
not
a nervous person.

“I…I…this is
difficile
.   It is not what I would wish, but, Mr. Bas, you have all been so good to me and I feel I owe you…
fidelite
…loyalty.”   She took a deep breath and released it suddenly.  Then pointed to Park.

“That woman is very bad for you.  For this place.  You must send her away.”

There wasn’t much that she could have said that would have shocked Bas more.  Or inflamed his ire.  But he forced himself to calm down.  “Explain yourself,” he said quietly.

Cherise hesitated.  Her eyes connected with all those who waited, drew another deep breath and prayed this would go well.   She looked one more time at Park, who was thunderstruck.

“She is Shoazan, child of the Father.  I knew this when I see her.  I feel it across the room.  I am seer, you would not know this…I do not do this anymore.  But she, the woman you know of as Park, she sparks the visions
.  C’est mauvais…faucheux
…   Unwelcome.   But I cannot change it.  She… is the progeny of the first one.  He has looked for her in the past.  He…
deprave
…abandoned the search.   Could not find her.  Now, I cannot believe she is here
.  Sacre Dieu
.  I do not know how you find her, but she will be…pardon…searched out…targeted, yes, that is it.  She will be found.  You do not want to be in the path when
he
comes.  If she is exhibiting her powers, he will come.”

The room sat in stone silence.  No one had a response to this incredible discovery.  Park was the child of the first vampire?  The one who brought the virus to humans?  The…father.  The legend that no one had ever confirmed.  This small shattered human was the direct descendant of the creator.  It seemed impossible.  Bas thought it had to be true.

“And what are
you
, Cherise, that you know this?  That you knew her when you saw her?  You’re not vampire.  Now what the hell are you?”  Bas waited impatiently as Cherise hesitated in answering.  It was apparent she had trouble putting it into words.

“I am…
le rattacher
…a connector…I can bridge all forms of human life.  I know you all…vampire, demon, hybrids, half breeds, monitors, all the power holders.  I left the life because there are so few anymore.   It is a hard life.  Mr. Bas, I only wish to live simply.  That is why when Eugene came here I asked to follow.  I have done good work for you, yes?”

Bas nodded.  She had.  She’d been completely reliable and exceptionally efficient.  And pleasant to have around. He could not think of one moment he had not been pleased with her since she came.

“
Tres bon
.  So, you must trust me when I say that if he comes, give her to him without question and perhaps he will take her and go.  He is known for the temper and you do not want to see it.  He can kill many vampires quickly…you would not even know it happened.  You would just be gone.”

Bas felt his blood cool.  No.  That would not happen.  He would not give Park to anyone, even the father of his race.  Especially if he was a homicidal psycho.  That girl deserved a decent life and she would have it.  And it would be with him.

Cherise dropped her head again.  “Mr. Bas, may I go?  I have laundry to supervise, and I have said what I came to say.”

It seemed incongruous, given what she was, what she could apparently do, to send her to wash underwear, but he nodded and lifted his hand in a gesture of good faith.  She left quickly without looking back.

Park was shell shocked, but not as much as Bas, it seemed.  She tried to calm him down.  But couldn’t do it.

“The bitch is going to speak.  She is going to tell me every fucking thing she knows about him, about you!”  He yelled and headed to the elevator to take him down to the lower level to the cells.  He told Park to stay with Bernie.

“No, I’m going with you.  You’re angry, I don’t trust you won’t do something bad to her.”

“Oh, I promise, she doesn’t comply this time, something bad
will
happen to her!”

“No, Bas…”

“Bernie, keep her here.”

In spite of her own sense of control, somewhere deep inside, Bernie knew Bas was her sire and she was predisposed to please him.  She hoped like hell it wasn’t an inability to disobey him, but nonetheless, right now, she grabbed Parks shoulders and pulled her away from the elevators.  Park struggled.

“Bernie, let me go!  He can’t go down there when he’s this upset!  He’ll kill her!”

“I can’t help myself, Park.   I seem to need to do what he requested.  I’m sorry.”

The elevator doors closed.  Bas, Vaz, Dez, and Jake disappeared behind them.

Well, the smell was much worse.  Little comfort for the enraged vampire storming through the door, slamming its heavy weight, no small feat, against the metallic wall.  She was awake, looking little worse for the wear, but she looked so awful to begin with, that would have been hard.  She grinned maliciously at him until she saw the blood anger in his eyes.  Even his men stayed back near the door.   He came forward vampire-fast and grabbed her throat in his hand.  He squeezed and felt the air leave her windpipe.

“Now, you think Parks father scared you…he was a fucking fluffy kitten compared to what I am right now.  I’d snap your neck in a microsecond if I didn’t need what you know.  I might anyway.  So. Don’t. Piss. Me. Off.”

She believed him this time, and was terrified.  He squeezed a little harder just to make sure she got his point.   He was not playing her game anymore.  This was Park’s life.

Slowly, he released her, and felt nothing as he noticed the burgundy fingerprints and gouges on her shriveled skin.

“Tell me.”

It took her a moment to be able to speak again.  When she could, she glanced up at him.   “You’re not going to like it.”

“I don’t give a fuck.  Talk. Now.”

She hesitated for a few more moments, her head down, not looking at him.  Bas thought he might end up having to torture it out of her.  Then she looked up and spoke.

“You won’t believe this, but I was a real looker when I was
her
age.  He liked me right away.  Said I had the gift.  I just thought he meant I was hot shit.  I didn’t know anything about magic or supernatural crap then.  And he’s the finest looking man on this planet.  I swear to this day I’d probably fuck him again even though I know the deal.   Well, you already know he wasn’t human. I never really found out exactly what he was while he was screwing me, but when I got pregnant with his seed, things changed.  Then I was just the meat sack that carried his spawn. He kept me tied down, fed me the most godawful shit, blood and garbage I don’t know what.  I was fucking sixteen!  I was a kid myself…I didn’t know what was happening.  But I wasn’t stupid, I knew I had to get out of there.  So I seduced one of his flunkeys, some gnat- brained boy who used to clean up after me when I shit, because he wouldn’t let me go to the toilet when I needed to.  He was under the vampires spell, but…I guess I made a spell of my own, cause I got him to let me go.  I got out of there before that cocksucker got me.  I went to the other side of the world. I fucked my way to Australia.  It’s amazing how many guys don’t give a shit how pregnant a girl is as long as they can stick their dick in.  I hoped all the fucking would kill the thing inside me, but it didn’t.   And when the little hellspawn was born, I was gonna drown it.   Look, I didn’t have no trouble with the baby, but I knew what it was.  It was evil and it wasn’t human and I didn’t want anything to do with it.  I was gonna kill it, but I couldn’t.  So I was going to abandon it.  And then I thought, what if he finds me?  That thing is the only thing I’d have to bargain with.  So I stayed there and tried to raise her.

I couldn’t love her, ya know?  She wasn’t human!  And then she started showing those weird special powers.  She knew things she couldn’t know.  And when she was little, she could move things without touching them.  I got a little afraid of her too.  Eventually, when he never showed up, I came back here, to New York for a while, then with some friends in Florida.”

Bas was sick to his core.  What that little girl must have gone through.  Even though he’d seen some of it, he just couldn’t imagine her level of emotional torture..

“In spite of it all, she was still your flesh and blood.”

“She was a demon.  I couldn’t love that.  I was always afraid eventually she was going to eat me.  It was a relief when she was old enough and finally left.  I ain’t had no good life.  He fucked more than my young body…he fucked my whole life.  You think I can forgive her for that?”

“She wasn’t responsible!”

“Tell that to the teenage girl who watched her grow up and remind her daily that there was evil in the world and it bred itself on you.  Tell that to me from your fine house you got cause you’re a demon too.  The only thing I wanted was that she wouldn’t have any more demons, that it would end with her.  I guess you’ll breed with her now and I’ll be a fucking grandma to more hell spawn.”