Seer: Thrall (24 page)

"Do you want me to be a bitch back?"

"No. Are you hoping I'll feel guilty and forgive you out of guilt?"

"No. I care about you and I am trying to make this easier. I haven't done this with anyone before, Sidney. I don't have the answers."

I nodded then reached for her hand and led the way upstairs. At my door, I said, "Will you come in?"

"Of course."

I climbed into pajamas, not even caring that she was watching. Then I turned to her. "I want a taste."

"Are you asking my opinion?"

"Yes."

"Would a very small taste help?"

"Yes. Just a little."

She nodded. "You told me to make you ask."

"Solange, will you please let me have a tiny, tiny taste? And is it asking too much for help sleeping?"

She took my hand and pulled me to the bed. She peeled the covers back and said, "Sit." We sat down together, and a moment later she opened her wrist for me and gave it to me.

I took it immediately, shoving it hungrily to my mouth, but my need filled me with shame. I sucked twice, then just held it before pushing it away. It was enough to fill me with warmth, and I sighed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sidney," she said. "Better?"

I nodded. "I don't know how to take less than that."

"I can make a smaller wound."

I nodded again.

"If you want a bare back backrub, take your top off and lie down. I'm going to clean up. I'll only be a moment."

I was feeling pretty good again, not high, at least not too high, but enough to obey. I pulled off the pajama top and lay down, waiting for her. A moment later, she was there, sitting on the bed next to me.

"If you wake and need help, you can use your phone," she said. "I'll have mine with me." Then her hands were on my back, and they were magic.

I slept, and I slept well.

* * * *

It took a week, only one short week, before I went to bed with a back rub, but no blood. As I was on the edge of sleep, Solange leaned over me and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, Sidney."

I didn't win the booby prize at cards, although it was a close thing. I didn't play particularly well, but I didn't play as horribly as I had. But Dolores and Aubree came over for cards several nights the following week, and by the next weekend, I was winning my share again.

After I totaled the scores, Dolores grinned at me. She glanced at Solange, who nodded, and then Dolores asked, "So. Ten AM on Monday? I'll show you the programming project I have, and Devon is coming at eleven."

I looked at Solange, and I realized I was asking permission, or at least her opinion. She answered for me. "She'll be there."

A half hour later, we walked Dolores to her car. I expected Aubree to walk home, but she came back inside with us, leading us to the library. We all sat, and I asked, "What's going on?"

"It's time to get serious," Solange said. "When it's time to put you to bed, I'm going to ask to bite. And then I'm going to help you dream."

I'd been feeling pretty good from cards and an evening with friends, along with the pleasure of knowing I was ready to return to work. The serious conversation sobered me quickly. I thought about it and nodded. "Of course," I replied.

Solange gestured, and Aubree left the room.

"Serious conversation?" I asked.

"She's retrieving something," Solange said. "Sidney, I need you to repeat your promise. No sneaking around about any of this."

"I promise, Solange."

Aubree returned carrying a manila folder and took a seat on the sofa next to Solange, handing the folder to her. Solange opened it then turned to me again. "In the dream you relayed to me, you described one of the vampires fairly vividly."

I closed my eyes and nodded. I was sure the last vampire's face would be forever etched into my brain.

"Is this she?"

I opened my eyes, and Solange had a photograph of a severe-looking woman with blond hair and dark eyes. She was standing in the doorway of a shop of some sort, and the photograph was clearly taken from a distance with a telephoto lens. She was talking to someone off-screen. I stared.

Solange slipped it onto the coffee table in front of me. She had four more, and she spread them before me. A few were zoomed in tightly; others were somewhat wider angle. All appeared to have been taken without the woman's knowledge.

"That's her," I said in a hollow voice.

"Are you absolutely sure, Sidney?"

"I'm sure." I looked up. "She has an accent. Will you speak English in your French accent?"

"I do not believe she sounds like this, Sidney," Solange said. She spoke several more sentences. I shook my head.

"No, you're right. It's not French."

"Does she sound like Elsa?" Aubree said.

"No. Maybe Russian, but I don't think that's quite it, either."

Aubree looked at Solange, who nodded. Aubree pulled out her phone and began to make a call.

"You're not calling her!" I said.

"No," said Solange. "Someone else. Do not make a sound, Sidney. Not a sound."

"Good evening, Sasha," Aubree said. "I hope you do not mind this call." Pause. "Solange wished to speak with you for a moment. May I place you on speaker?"

A moment later, Aubree set the phone on the coffee table between us. "Good evening, Sasha," Solange said. "I hope it is not too late."

"Of course not, Solange," came the woman's voice, and I clasped my hand over my mouth to avoid making noise. "How have you been?"

"Quite well, thank you. How is the weather in Boston?"

"I do not believe you called to talk about the weather, Solange."

"No, you're right. I didn't call to talk about the weather. It's actually almost nothing. I called for a recommendation. A member of my household is fond of crab cakes. As you can imagine, they are difficult to obtain here. It's such a small thing, perhaps beneath your notice, but I thought I'd ask if you knew of local shops that can ship to me."

"Crab cakes is it?" the woman said. She laughed. "A local shop that can ship? Please. You are asking me to ship you my world famous crab cakes." The woman spent the next minute or two talking about how her restaurant was doing. At the end, she said, "But you know, if she is a true connoisseur, the only choice is to come visit and get them fresh."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Of course, Solange. Only for you." They talked for another minute before Solange thanked her, and Aubree ended the call.

Both of them looked at me.

"That was it," I said. "Almost exactly. Where is she from?"

"Bulgaria," Solange said. "Sasha is originally from Bulgaria." She leaned forward and tapped one of the pictures. "This woman is not from Bulgaria."

I sighed. "I'm sure it's her, Solange. Or she has a double."

Solange smiled. "This is Bistra Miladinova."

"That sounds Russian."

"She is from Macedonia."

I stared at Solange. "That's right next door to Bulgaria." I looked at the photo. "Is blonde hair common in Macedonia?" I stared at the photo. "Her features are perhaps a little Slavic, but blonde hair?"

"Are you sure her hair was blonde?"

"This is she, Solange. I'm sure of it."

"She dyes her hair. The natural color is black."

"Her eyes are black. You can't tell from these photos."

"She is very old," Solange said. "Macedonia is an ancient land, and she lived there for a very long time."

"Where is she now?"

"In her dream, did her victim speak?"

I shook my head. "I didn't get a chance. The vampire took us from behind." I looked away. "It was late. We were walking down the street alone, heading home from somewhere." I paused. "I think we were young. College."

"Tell us the dream," Solange said. It was said gently.

I took a breath and nodded. "I was walking home. It was dark. Night. I was alone." I closed my eyes, remembering. "Ahead, standing under a street light, I saw someone. It made me nervous, but then I saw it was a woman, and I relaxed. It looked like she was waiting for someone, but she watched me approach." I opened my eyes, leaned forward, and picked up one of the photos. "This woman. I know it."

"Keep going," Solange said.

"I got a good look at her but didn't stop. She said something, though."

"Do you remember what?"

I looked off into space. "She said... Um... 'It's a poor night to be out alone so late.' It didn't make sense at the time."

I stood up, then reached forward and took Aubree's hands, pulling her to her feet. I pulled her away from the sofas and coffee table, then turned my back on her.

"She took me from behind," I said. "Right under the street light." I backed into Aubree, then reached down and grabbed her right hand, pulling it over my shoulder and placing it over my mouth. Then I pulled her hand away. "She put her hand over my mouth and pinched my nose. And on the other side, our cheeks were touching."

"Like this?" Aubree asked. She pressed herself more firmly against my back, but she couldn't lean forward as far. She placed her hand over my mouth but didn't pinch my nose.

"Not quite," I said. "Um. She pulled me backwards, and I stumbled. That's when our faces were beside each other. Her other hand was around my stomach, just under my rib cage. It knocked the wind out of me when she pulled."

Aubree wrapped her left arm around me, and then she pulled me backwards, pulling me off my feet. I would have fallen if she hadn't supported me. She wrapped her hand around my mouth again.

My heart began pounding in my chest with the familiar memory. I began struggling with her. Aubree held me like that for a moment before helping me stand. I scrambled away from her as soon as she released me, then spun to face her, panting madly.

Aubree's hands were up. "You're safe, Sidney. I wouldn't hurt you."

"She..." I looked around wildly for a moment, trying to calm down. "She held me like that, like Aubree was just holding me. I struggled, and I tried to scream, but she held me easily." I paused. "Could you have held me if you wanted to?"

"Yes."

"She was laughing in my ear. I couldn't breath. I couldn't get away. She kept pulling me backwards, and I couldn't get my feet underneath myself. And then I saw spots, and then my vision began to fade, first from around the edges." I indicated with my hands, then brought them together and squeezed them shut.

I turned away and walked over to the window, staring out into the night for a while. After a minute, Solange moved to stand next to me. I leaned against her, and when her arm went around my waist, I accepted the comfort.

"The dream sort of, I don't know. Stuttered, I guess. She was holding me like that, and I passed out, but then I woke. My arms were tied behind me, and my legs, too." I paused. "I've been tied like that for fun. It's a hog tie." I took a breath and held it. "There was some sort of harness around my head, and something in my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but I couldn't."

I pulled away from Solange and returned to the sofa, pulling my knees up and wrapping my arms around them. Solange moved to stand behind me, setting a hand on my shoulder. Aubree moved over and sat down on the coffee table. She leaned forward and took my hands.

"There was light. I was in the trunk of a car, but there was light. It was really bright, actually." I looked up at Solange. "Why would she do that?"

"To ruin your night vision," Solange replied.

"Like she would need a handicap?"

"Maybe she was letting you see your prison. Maybe she thought it would make you more afraid. Or perhaps if you couldn't see later, you would be more frightened."

"I wasn't afraid enough?"

"I'm sorry, Sidney."

I nodded. "I was on my side with my back to the back of the car, and I think I was secured to something. I tried struggling, but I couldn't move anywhere. Then the dream stuttered again, and we were bouncing over rough roads. Then we came to a stop, and everything was quiet. But I heard her climb from the car and, faintly, I heard footsteps on gravel."

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply and squeezing Aubree's hands.

"The trunk opened. I looked over my shoulder, and I could see her there. She leaned over me, smiling, and that's when I saw the fangs. I tried to scream into the gag. She just laughed at me with my feeble struggles. I was still screaming when she released my legs and dragged me from the car. But she didn't release my arms or remove the gag."

I stilled. "She hit me then and told me to shut up. I continued to scream, so she hit me again and told me she would really hurt me if I didn't shut up." That got through. I whimpered and tried to beg her, so she hit me once more, this time hard enough to knock me to the ground."

I pulled a hand from Aubree and wiped a tear away.

"She knelt down and grabbed me by the hair, turning me to face her. 'Are you going to be quiet, or do I need to beat you for a while?' I don't remember how I reacted, but I tried to be as quiet as I could. 'Good girl,' she said. And a moment later, she lifted me back to my feet. I cried out from that, but she didn't hit me for it. She set me on my feet in front of her and said, 'We are going to play a game. You may call it the I am going to die if I don't run away game'. She flashed her fangs at me and said, 'If I catch you, I get to bite you.' She paused, then said, 'Safety lies that way.' She turned me then ordered, 'Run!' "