Aris Returns (32 page)

The festival in the winter of 1532 was for Sebastian and Emily. They met in the gardens
of the palace. After a court banquet, Emily ventured away from the party of strolling
courtiers. She heard soft splashes of water from a fountain hidden within the tall
hedges of a lover’s maze. She found it, the water sparkling like diamonds in the warm
summer moonlight. Standing next to the fountain was Sebastian. It was there they met.

They continued to meet quietly, out of the sight of others. He loved her. He won her
love. He was honest and she was brave. She desired to be with him always, desired
to become just as he was. Over and over, he petitioned the counsel never being fully
refused, yet never receiving permission. He persevered until, at long last, he received
their agreement to create a new member in the coven.

It is quite an ordeal for the changeling as well as the ultimate temptation for the
vampire. The blood drinker takes a little blood and replaces it with venom. The exchange
must be exact and there is no way to measure other than with the vampire senses. It
is a time of trial for the changeling. There is immeasurable pain and also ecstasy
hidden somewhere deep inside the torment. The overwrought senses beg that it stop
yet plead that it go on forever. The changing ritual is performed in seclusion with
no witnesses. The vampire must use all skill and discipline not to kill their chosen
one. It is the most intimate of times for our kind. Do you wish to hear more?”

She nodded her head and mumbled, “Yes, oh yes.”

On the day of the rite, Akira nodded to me as I entered the sanctuary. As my Queen,
she was privy to the many rumors of my unusual choice of human companionship yet she
held no judgement against me. I thought her simply benevolent; I know now she favored
and indulged me much as a mother would her child.

The light from the candles cast moving shadows on the tapestried walls
as Sebastian stood at the foot of the dais. The lovely young woman at his side looked
frightened yet ecstatic as she stared into the face of her beloved. His gaze held
hers for a very long time then drifted to the beating pulse on the side of her warm
throat. I saw a shiver of fear run through her body yet she steeled herself against
it. She stood to meet her chosen fate, a brave smile lifting the corners of her lips.

The low bodice of her dress enhanced her long slender neck; her shinning auburn hair
was piled high on her head. She was beautiful. The singing beat of her heart called
to him. The hunger lit his eyes. He swallowed as his mouth filled with desire.

Akira rose from her throne to face the two supplicants. The royal attendance chamber
was large, beautifully appointed and the arena surrounding the central dais was filled
with one hundred of our kind fortunate enough to be invited. All were silent as Akira
stood before Emily and Sebastian, the small weak female, the strong fierce male. The
young mortal was afraid yet she found great courage from somewhere. She stepped forward.

Akira had never been human. She wondered at many of the emotions of our species, questioning
her courtiers at length and over millennia . She sought to understand what it meant
to feel sentiment be it sorrow or joy, anger or forgiveness. She found the changelings
incapable of remembering or unable to explain exactly what an emotion was. Yet on
this day, as the ritual began, a palpable sense of peace surrounded us all. Akira
hesitated for just a moment before continuing.

She turned to face a young vampire climbing onto the dais. He was carrying a golden
chalice resting on a gilded tray. Holding the tray above his head, he knelt on a soft
blue velvet cushion as he bowed. Akira relieved him of his burden. He rose then slowly
backed from her sight, disappearing into the crowd as she turned to face Sebastian
and Emily.

Emily knelt at Akira’s feet, lowering her head in a bow. Tilting the vessel, the Queen
slowly poured a soft stream of warm oil onto the bare shoulders of the kneeling girl.
As she began to massage the oil into her
soft white skin, she chanted softly.

“I relieve you of the burden of the sorrow of killing to live, a life for a life.”

Emily slowly lifted her head. Akira poured a drop of oil onto her forehead, whispering
softly, “To open your mind to the knowledge of the millennia held in the mind of your
chosen one.”

Emily stood, raising the hem of her skirt to her knees. Akira stooped to drop oil
on her feet then massaged the warm liquid in circular motions. “That you may walk
with the pride of an immortal though all eternity.”

I stepped closer to the dais to see the couple more clearly. This was the first I
saw a human make the choice to be a vampire. Only once have I hated myself for being
what I am, only when I wanted to take Elizabeth for my wife. My changing was not my
decision, not of my doing. This young woman had a choice. Her adoration for Sebastian
showed in her eyes as she looked at him. When her gaze caught his, I could see something
alive between them that one could almost touch, the very reason for her being here.
Love. On occasion Gabriella and Richard had that mystical air about them. In those
moments, I longed for my lost maid, my Bess.

Akira stood quite still. Khansu rose from his throne. He moved to her side, reaching
to touch first Emily on her brow, then Sebastian. Akira did the same. The couple bowed
then backed slowly from the chamber. The royal couple returned to their thrones. The
attendees broke into scattered groups, the ceremony complete.

Sebastian and Emily were led to the privacy of their rooms. There they performed the
secret rite; he exchanged her blood for his vampire venom a little at a time. Slowly
he brought her to be his mate, his child, his only family. When they emerged from
the chamber, they would be of the same kind, of the same lineage, pledged to one another
as immortals.

As I made my way back to the castle, I pondered. Would any human woman ever do such
a thing for me? What do you think, Sarah? Do you know of a human woman who would do
such a thing for me? Hum?”

She stammered, “I don’t know. I don’t really know.”

“You think about that Sarah. Keep it in your mind always. Would you do such a thing
for love?”

She could tell right away that Aris had left the building. The atmosphere in the room
changed immediately when his essence disappeared. She sat quietly for a moment questioning
herself Would she do such a thing for love?

T
he thought of seeking out Manu wouldn’t leave her alone. Every time the situation
came into her mind, and that was plenty, she thought of going to talk to him but it
scared her to death. She remembered the evil look on his face as he stalked her when
she left the subway. But she knew if she brought Colleen and Bob into it Carlos would
find out what had been going on and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want him in another
confrontation with Manu. Even though the idea of meeting with the gang leader frightened
her, the episode with the tires really was the last straw. She had no proof it was
his gang that flattened the tires, another car had been vandalized too, but it didn’t
matter. The phone calls to Mrs. Havarro. The possibility that Maggie really had been
followed. She had to know. The harassment had to stop. She was the only one, it seemed,
who might convince him to lay off Carlos. “Am I nuts? No, I can do this.”

She carried her coffee mug to the sink in one hand, the telephone in the other. She
had Isabella Havarro on speed dial. She hit the buttons to connect a call. The phone
rang a hollow note for two rings. A soft woman’s voice answered.

“Hello.”

“Isabella?”

“Yes?”

“This is Sarah Hagan.” She poured another cup of coffee, then made her way back to
the comfort of her sofa. She sat in a sunbeam coming through the patio door. She waited
for the other woman to respond.

There was a silence that lasted for such a long time, Sarah thought she lost the signal.
She opened her mouth to ask if they were still connected when Carlos’ mother spoke.

“Yes Sarah, what can I do for you?” Her voice sounded tight, unfriendly.

“Isabella, I need your help.”

“I’m sorry but you will have to find help some other place. I cannot help you.” It
was a statement that left no room for negotiation, but Sarah refused to take no for
an answer.

“What has happened, Isabella? What’s wrong?” She placed her coffee cup on the table
next to the sofa. She stood, pacing back and forth in front of the patio door as she
continued the conversation.

“Nothing has happened. I just don’t want to get involved in this anymore, that’s all.”

“But Isabella?”

“No Miss Hagan.” She was firm. “No.”

Sarah sighed. The illusive Manu had gotten hold of Isabella again. She was sure of
it. Her irritation with his scare tactics began to outweigh her fear. She was even
more determined to contact him to tell him to back off.

“Alright, I understand. I just need to know where Manu hangs out. I’m going to talk
to him.”

There was panic in the voice of the older woman. “No, you must not go to him. He will
hurt you.”

“Someone has to put a halt to all this and I’m going to talk to him. Now, you can
make it easy by telling me where to find him or hard by not telling me but you’re
not going to stop me. I’ve had
enough of Manu.”

Silence surrounded her. When Isabella spoke, it was with resignation. She told Sarah
where Carlos’ old gang hung out. She said a quick goodbye. Sarah placed the phone
on the table. She sat on the couch, wondering what happened to make Isabella so frightened
she wouldn’t even talk on the phone. She was attacked by momentary panic at the thought
of what she planned to do but she took control.

“I’m going to see him. I’m not afraid.” Even she didn’t believe the whispered words
that came from her lips.

#

The neighborhood was run down. Abandoned cars seemed to be on every block. Tattered
curtains and blinds with missing slats were in apartment windows on both sides of
the streets. She even saw a line of laundry hanging on a fire escape. The street looked
like a scene from a fifties police movie.

She wondered why the street was so empty in the middle of a beautiful fall day. The
only pedestrian was an elderly man in torn jeans and a tee shirt with a peace sign
logo on the back. He hobbled along with the use of a cane, stopping every few feet
to take a rest. A car pulled up to the curb. The old man watched as a teenaged boy
jumped out of the back seat. He waved goodbye to his friends, turning to go up the
steps into one of the apartment buildings. Sarah saw that the boy was dressed similar
to the old man, torn jeans and a tee shirt with a peace sign logo on the back. She
thought it ironic that the man dressed that way out of necessity, the boy because
he chose it.

She knew the coffee shop should be in the next couple of blocks so she slowed the
car. Isabella didn’t know the address or the name, just the general location. It was
the only coffee shop in the neighborhood. Her hands felt ice cold on the steering
wheel, her mouth dry, as she saw it on the next corner.

Suddenly, a car horn blasted long and loud right behind her. She jumped, looking into
the rear view mirror. Carlos stopped his car in the middle of the street. He jumped
out of the door, bearing down on her, obviously furious.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He jerked her door open, leaning into the car.
His face was inches from hers. His eyes flashed with anger.

“I came to talk to Manu.” She didn’t flinch. Her eyes held his when she spoke.

He spluttered, unable to believe his ears. His words were loud, harsh. “You what?”
He stood, turning his back on her. He was silent for a moment, while he willed control
of his anger. He looked at her, speaking very softly to keep from shouting. He continued,
“You were going to talk to Manu? Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m just tired of all this intrigue. I don’t want you hurt again.” “Sarah, I’m a
big boy. I can handle myself.” He closed the door, stepping away from the car. “Go
back to the office. I’ll meet you there. We have to talk. You can’t go running around
getting involved with people who could hurt you.”

He turned to walk to his car, then stopped, looking at her once more. “But I’m kind
a glad you care enough to put yourself on a limb for me.” He smiled at her, waiting
for her to make a u-turn to head back to her side of town.

#

It was two hours before Carlos walked into her office. He sat in a chair opposite
her and took a long drink from the can of soda he brought with him.

“Why won’t you believe me, there’s nothing to tell. You know it all.” He met her eyes
when he spoke but Sarah didn’t believe Carlos.

“Why is this guy so determined to get you back on the street? Why doesn’t he just
leave you alone?”

“I honestly don’t know, Sarah. I was his second in command. I know about all the robberies
and the drive by. Maybe he’s afraid I’ll turn on him. That’s the only thing I can
think of.”

“Would you turn on him?” She leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her
desk.