Aris Reigns (8 page)

“That sounds wonderful.”

“I will contact you later. If there is an opportunity, it is my wish we spend some leisure time together before your audience. I know you must be full of questions. Now, I must rush off or I will keep the troops waiting.”

“Alright, talk to you soon.”

“Goodbye, sweet Sarah. I am glad you slept well.”

Sarah turned to speak to Gabriela only to find she had stepped from the room. Then, as if it were a normal morning, the mortal woman made her bed, dressing for the day in a dark gray business suit and heels.

“Your breakfast has been ordered and it will be here soon.” Gaby had just finished calling Jane when Sarah entered the room. “If you do not mind, I will leave you to her care while I go to Richard. He meets with the other commanders and wishes for me to join them.”

“No, I'm fine.” Sarah was amazed that her words matched her
emotions. She was below the ground surrounded by the undead and had no idea how to get out if she wanted to. She was dependent on the Immortals for her every need. There was no natural light or ventilation. No one knew where she was or would believe it if she told them. She was set to go before the lawmakers and rulers of a society that could extinguish her at a moment's notice, yet she was hungry and looking forward to her breakfast. She wondered at her sanity. Perhaps it had finally given way. Everything that was happening to her seemed perfectly natural and normal. Yes, she was quite sure she was mad. And she didn't mind. That was the only thing that truly frightened her. That she wasn't the least bit frightened.

“We will be with you when you meet with the Council. Richard, Aris and I, all of us, will be there if you need us. There is nothing to fear.”

“I'm not frightened anymore. It's so strange. I feel I belong here, although I can't say how I'd feel if I didn't have the three of you.”

“Well, you have us.” A soft knock on the entrance door brought their conversation to a close. Gabriela opened it and Jane stepped into the room. She carried a covered tray, which she placed on the coffee table.

“Did you sleep well, Dr. Hagan?”

“Please call me Sarah.”

“Sarah then, would you like me to light the fireplace?”

“Gaby, how in the world can a fire burn here? How is the air down here so clean and fresh?”

“Jane will answer all your questions. I will leave the two of you to become acquainted.” Gabriela brushed her lips against the human's cheek. “Richard and I will join you and Aris later today. We three will accompany you to your meeting.”

“Bye Gaby, thank you.” The door closed silently as Gabriela left Sarah's rooms.

“Here Jane, sit down. The fire can wait.” Sarah patted the sofa,
indicating a spot for the young woman to sit next to her. “Where is your wolf this morning?”

“He waits for me outside the door. I could see he frightened you last night and I most certainly do not wish to add to your discomfort.”

“I'm not uncomfortable. Please, bring him inside.” As she spoke, she lifted the cover from the tray. A perfect breakfast waited there for her. Jane brought the wolf into the chamber and motioned for him to sit near the door. He waited so patiently, so quietly.

“You may bring him closer.”

The vampire motioned to the huge animal to come. He rose gracefully from his haunches moving slowly to sit near his mistress.

Sarah reached her hand tentatively toward his broad white muzzle. “He is so beautiful. Do you think I might touch him?”

“Hawke, be very still.” The wolf responded instantly to the soft command issued by Jane Howard. “There Sarah, you may stroke his nose. He will not move until I grant it.”

Surprised at the texture of his coat, Sarah spoke quietly as if she thought she might frighten him. “He's so soft. I don't know when I've ever felt such soft, thick fur. Wherever did you find him?”

“I did not find him. He found me. It was he that brought me here to the Catacombs.”

“May I ask why you wanted to come underground?”

“It was not my wish. I know not why he brought me here. I was tattered and torn and close to death when I opened my eyes surrounded by Immortals and guarded by Hawke.” Jane scratched his ears and the great animal made a resonant rumbling sound deep in his throat. “He has not left my side since that day.”

“Jane, I don't mean to pry, but how long have you been an Immortal?”

“You do not pry. Please feel free to ask anything. I will be more than happy to answer all of your questions that I am able to answer. I was brought here in the sixteenth century from the court of
Queen Elizabeth I.”

“Are there many Immortals from the Tudor reign?”

“A few. There are few humans who have changed. Through all of the millennia of our history there are only a few thousand of us.”

“Do you all live in the Catacombs?”

“Oh no, many live human lives above ground. It is mainly the royal court and the scientists who live below.”

Sarah ate slowly, yet the food stayed as warm as it was when it was brought to her. “Why doesn't my breakfast get cold?”

“The tray keeps it warm. There are some of those who live here who still enjoy human food so we have developed ways to keep things fresh until cooked and warm until eaten. It all must seem so strange to you.”

“Strange, yes, but so very intriguing.” She poured more coffee from the silver pot sitting on the tray. “Will you tell me more about your way of life?” Sarah settled back into the cushions of the sofa as she spoke. “The air? It's so pure down here. How do you manage that?”

“Our entire atmosphere is controlled by Immortal alchemical energy. When our Queen came to earth, she brought great knowledge as a scientist but she had no idea how to adapt earthly elements for Immortal use. Then the day came when the Master Keeper of Records joined the Catacombs. He had lived a mortal life as a scientist before he joined us. With his help, she was able to adapt the formulas from her home planet to the earth's atmosphere and components. The two fashioned the ancient science of alchemy.”

“But no one practices alchemy any more, Jane.”

“It is true. Only a few of the ancients were taught by the Queen. There are no humans who have the formulas in your present time. Only Queen Akira and the Master Keeper. And only our society today uses an energy that is in harmony with this planet. Our life leaves no scars on the earth or its inhabitants.”

“But what of your vampire nature? You drink human blood. You
take human life. Isn't that leaving a scar on humanity?”

“May I ask you whether a lioness leaves a scar on nature when she eats a zebra? Does a man leave a scar on nature when he eats a fish? We do what we must to survive. Immortals can live as humans and subsist on human food most of the time if they wish, but there are instances in the existence of an Immortal when they are driven by the desire for human blood. In the past, nothing less than taking human life could satisfy a fire that seared our veins without ceasing.

“In long ago centuries before written human history, Immortals were forced by the demand of their physical nature to drink until a living body was empty. Humans were sacrificed for our survival, but even then we were taught to be discerning in our feeding; only evil humans were to be taken. The blood lust is rare for a mature Immortal, perhaps once in a century or two. In more modern times your blood banks acted as our feeding grounds. Now we have synthetic blood created through alchemy and no more is human life, good or evil, spent for our survival. We now are able to drink not just for survival, but for pleasure without any harm to your race.”

Sarah didn't speak. She sat staring into space, processing all she had just heard. After a few moments Jane broke the silence. “What else would you like to know?”

“Do you have places where you gather with your friends besides your home?” Jane looked bewildered. “Shops? Restaurants? I know it may sound silly to you, but I have no idea of what life below ground would be like.”

“There are places where we congregate, public houses you might call them. Our world is much like the royal world of early England although, as you can see, we have made quite a few improvements.” She laughed. “Of course, those who live above ground live a very modern human life, but when they enter the Catacombs, they leave that world behind.

“For those of our kind who enjoy human food there are restaurants
where they may eat. There are Sanguinarias where those who wish to drink the alchemical drink at any time may do so. As I told you, even those Immortals who choose to live human lives and eat human food must drink blood at intervals. If you wish, I will take you on a tour of the main district.”

“I would like it very much. I want to learn everything about how you live.”

“I am pleased to help you. I have not seen or spoken to a human since I was brought here. I wish to learn about you as well.”

“It looks as if we're well suited to one another.” Sarah's hand still rested on the animal sitting next to her. She stroked his head as she spoke. “Hawke is such a strange name for a wolf. How did you find that name?”

“When I was changed, he never left my side. Bartholomew as head if the Council was the one who changed me and he told me the wolf watched me throughout the metamorphosis with the eye of a hawk. I wanted a name to call my savior, so Hawke it became.”

“Will you tell me that story?”

The communication device began its beeping to announce a call. Sarah looked at it dumbly then smiled. “How do I activate this?”

Jane slid her fingers over a bar that had gone unnoticed by her new friend. “Here, just like this. To shut it down, reverse the pattern.”

“Sarah? Have you eaten yet?” Aris' voice always made her heart smile and her flesh tingle.

“Yes, Jane is here now.”

“Good, I will be with you shortly.”

“I'm looking forward to that.” Her eyes lit with excitement.

“Soon my love. Farewell until then.”

Sarah closed the circuit as Jane gathered the empty dishes and tray. “Jane, when will I get to see you again? I have enjoyed talking with you so much. I look forward to more conversation.”

“I have been assigned to you for your stay. Just use the buzzer to
summon me or use the device. Turn it on and speak my name, Jane Howard. I, too, look forward to seeing you.” Her voice grew very soft. “I have been quite alone in the Catacombs except for Hawke. I have few friends. As you know, I did not choose this life. At times, I resent it. I would rather have died. To this very day, I miss my humanity. I hope you understand what it means to me to come to know you, to remember my life as it was.”

“Thank you, Jane. You will always be welcome here.”

“Good day, Sarah.” As Jane moved toward the door, the great white animal rose, stretched and trotted along at her side.

When Aris stepped through Sarah's door he was surprised to see Richard and Gabriela already sitting comfortably on her sofa. He had hoped for some private time with her before her interview with the Council. He hadn't had a moment truly alone with her since her rescue. He longed to simply hold her in his arms, to kiss her.