Aris Returns (37 page)

I watched as Sebastian re-entered the room. He spoke quietly with the executioner.
I watched as the black clad man left the chamber. Sebastian stood, looking at the
dead remains before him. He whispered, “Remember your promise. You must never break
it.”

He lifted the dead carcass in his powerful arms, carrying it from the room. I paused
only a moment then left the chamber, the Catacombs and the palace. I left the world
that I had come to know as mine. I floated, an essence in search of a host, a home
for my spirit. I vowed then that my formless eternity would be spent in aiding mankind
in whatever way possible as small restitution for the blameless life I took without
true reason.

“And so Sarah, here we are at the end of yet another tale. It seems all of my stories
are sad and of death. For that I am sorry. My deepest hope is you can forgive me for
taking an unblemished life. I am not evil. I do not rejoice in death. I was manipulated
by a vile malevolent woman. She used my grief and despair to her own ends. All horror
is now placed behind me. I seek a fresh existence. Your pardon will give me hope I
can be at the beginning of a new story filled with joy and life.”

“Of course, I forgive you. You were used as a tool of execution. I understand your
feelings of retribution for the death of your loved one. Anyway, all of that happened
in the very distant past. But, Aris, how did you get here, in the twenty first century?”
She hoped to draw him on; she was not ready to end their conversation.

“That is for another time, Sarah. If I answer all of your curiosity, you will have
no further need of me. And so, I bid you farewell for today.”

She sighed knowing that once he said goodbye, the session was closed. Emptiness pervaded
the space without him, an unexplainable void. She sat in silence for a moment as she
always did when Aris left, then began to count Carlos into real time.

B
ob saw his wife and her friend as he walked in the door to the theatre. He joined
the two women in line as they stood to buy tickets for the movie.

“Hey ladies, would you like an escort for the evening?” He hugged his wife and kissed
Sarah on the cheek. “It sure is hot tonight. I hoped the temperature might cool down
when the sun set but it looks like it’s a no go on that.”

Colleen snuggled under his arm and grinned. “It’s not too bad besides, we’ll be inside
in a minute where it’s nice and cool.”

Bob wrapped his free arm around Sarah, looking over her head at the line. “Is this
line moving at all? I knew we should have gotten tickets ahead of time.”

“Relax husband. It’s slow but it’s moving.”

“Sarah, I was going to call you today, but when Colleen said we were all going to
the movie tonight, I decided to wait to talk to you.”

Sarah knew it must be something related to the Carlos/Manu saga so she just nodded.

“I think Manu must know we’re tailing him. There’s been no activity between him and
the rest of his gang in a few weeks. The group hasn’t been together or at least not
in a way that my people
have seen. I can keep on it for another week or so but if there’s no action, I have
to back off. I won’t pull everybody off it, but I’ve got a limit as to what I can
do. I’m trying to keep this whole thing quiet so Carlos isn’t implicated but without
anything else to go on, I can’t justify the men on the punk’s tail.”

“I don’t get it.” Colleen nudged him to move forward as the line began to snake closer
to the door.

“There’s nothing to get. There’s no activity. Maybe he figured he was being tracked
so he’s laying low or maybe he’s given up on the Carlos thing. I don’t know, but it’s
quiet with that bunch right now.”

“I’m glad.” Sarah spoke with more conviction than she felt. “I hope it all just disappears
and everybody can get on with their lives.”

Bob turned to walk down the hall to their movie but Colleen grabbed him by the back
of his shirt. “Oh no you don’t, dude. I want popcorn.”

He groaned as he turned to look at the refreshment stand. “Not another line.”

She took his hand and maneuvered her way to stand at the end of the shortest queue
of people. “What’s a movie without popcorn?”

“How about a better seat in the theatre.”

“You knew I was a popcorn kind of girl when you married me.”

He ruffled her spiked hair with one hand while he rested his other arm on her shoulder
as he settled in for the wait.

Sarah enjoyed the Colleen and Bob show every time the three of them were together.
This time was no different. Their relationship was so comfortable and caring, best
friends and lovers, husband and wife.

#

Her bed linen felt cool to the touch after the warm ride home from the theatre. She
slid her arm beneath the pillow and cradled
her head in the crook of her elbow. Sarah smiled as she thought of her two friends
and the easy way they loved one other. As she wondered if she would ever find that
kind of complete relationship, her thoughts drifted to Aris and Carlos. Soon she floated
into a sweet sleep.

Her dream began where the movie ended except it was she and not the female lead that
walked down the forest path with the tall, well-built man. He carried a picnic basket
in one hand and a rolled blanket under his free arm. And, this time the man who walked
beside her was clearly Carlos. He wore jeans and a light tee shirt. She was dressed
in denim shorts and a loose tank top. It was a perfect day as the sun filtered down
through the trees and a gentle breeze ruffled their hair.

They stepped from the path, crossing over a felled tree. Before long the dense forest
opened into a perfectly circular clearing. Tall meadow grass and the remnants of late
blooming spring flowers covered the ground inviting them to share their lunch in the
sweet smelling glade.

Carlos spread the blanket and beckoned her to sit next to him. She took off her shoes
and socks then settled in for lunch. The picnic basket was full of wonderful things;
hard cheese and crisp French bread, sweet purple grapes and a bottle of rich, red
wine. There were napkins and crystal glasses nestled in the bottom of the basket along
with a corkscrew and a small tablecloth.

He spread the cloth then popped a grape into his mouth. He grinned as he plucked another
one from the bunch and touched it against Sarah’s lips. She drew it in and smiled
as she bit into it, anticipating the sweet flavor of warm juice teasing her tongue.
But the taste was bland as if it had been picked too soon.

He broke off a piece of the golden cheese and fed it to her. It smelled wonderful
but again, as she chewed, it tasted like sawdust in her mouth. She sighed and lay
down with her head in his lap. He
stroked her hair softly. His demeanor was a bit odd, off somehow. Just not quite Carlos
but the look in his eye as he bent to kiss her was of pure love. His breath was warm
and its fragrance burned into her senses. She tasted the sweet flavor of his lips
as the tip of her tongue gently pressed them open. Her hand trembled just slightly
as it rested against his cool smooth cheek. She caught her breath as he kissed her
throat, nuzzled her ear.

Without knowing quite how, she found herself lying nude wrapped in his arms. He stroked
her soft back then he turned her to rain gentle restrained kisses along her spine.
His lips came to rest just below her waist and traced small circles in the shallow
hollows on either side of her lower back. As desire awakened in her, she longed to
feel his weight on her, to feel the power of his manhood. She rolled to face him.

He stroked her neck, her bosom. His kisses grew more demanding, more intimate. Gasping
for breath and drunk with lust, she yearned for more of him. His skin was smooth as
carved marble and her hands traced his perfect muscles as she pressed him into her.
He entered her, velvet into silk. They moved together as in a wild dance until her
raging passion made her labor for breath. A deep shudder convulsed her and she floated
on waves of what seemed endless bliss. He moaned deeply as he found his release then
gently wrapped his arms around her, drawing her tight against him. They lay like that
for minutes or hours; dreamtime is without watches or clocks.

When, at last, he moved, he kissed her neck then nuzzled her ear. She smiled as he
sat up to open the wine. He poured two glasses and the ruby liquid glistened in the
late afternoon sun. It had a strange fragrance for wine. The scent of salt and rust
filled her nostrils. As she lifted her glass to drink, she understood why. It wasn’t
wine in the glass. It was blood. Without a second thought, she tipped the rim to her
lips and drank deeply.

Sarah was startled awake by a sharp pain on the corner of her lower lip. She had bitten
it hard as she slept and the warm taste of her own blood flooded her tongue. She hurried
to the bathroom to rinse her mouth and when she spit the water into her white sink,
it swirled in red spirals down the drain. She wondered if she should talk to Bonnie
about her nighttime adventures then decided against it. They were too intimate and
carried too much meaning to share.

#

“Carlos was my only appointment for today and he just called. They asked him to work
so he won’t be coming in. How about we close up shop?” Sarah stood in the door of
her office as she spoke to Maggie.

“Sounds great to me. Want to go to lunch?” Her assistant turned off her computer.
Happily, she began gathering her belongings.

“Thanks Maggie, I think I’ll stay here and just go over a few case histories. I really
need to catch up on a couple of clients before next week. We’re super busy on Tuesday
after not working on Labor Day.”

“It gets that way after any holiday. It’s like people look for any excuse to get stressed
out, don’t they?” She turned off her desk lamp. “Glad I’m not like that.” Her smile
was smug as she lifted her hand to wave goodbye. “See you on Tuesday boss.”

Sarah laughed as she crossed the office, locking the door behind her friend.

The light outside the window was soft and golden. Sarah settled down in the recliner
with the Havarro file on her lap. She began to read from the first page. So much and
so little had happened. Nothing and everything. Her life was changed. Carlos was intertwined
with her and so was his alter-ego. As she read page after page, story after story,
she wondered where the tale would end.

The last few months, she was torn between fear and intrigue.
The possibility that there really might be such a thing as vampires terrified her.
She methodically ignored the thought because, somehow, Aris had managed to captivate
her. She had no fear of him. There was substance and honor in his words. He was more
than a man, more than any man she had ever known. And, real or not, when he spoke
through Carlos, he spoke with a deep desire for her. Could she be falling in love
with him, with someone who was either a figment of Carlos’ vivid imagination who didn’t
truly exist or a real being who was the lead in some bizarrely real horror story?
She had no answers to any of the questions that plagued her and the questions just
wouldn’t go away. The only thing she knew for sure was when she considered never again
being in his presence, she felt interminably sad, empty, and alone — somehow more
vulnerable than she had ever felt before. Was this what it felt like to slowly lose
one’s mind, or was it the first time she truly understood how love and passion defy
all logic?

#

A sudden gentle breeze broke the intense heat as they approached the front porch of
her mother’s house. The smells of bar-b-que coming from the backyard were wonderful.
Sarah was sorry Bob and Colleen couldn’t make the traditional Labor Day picnic the
Hagan’s hosted every year but she was glad Carlos agreed to still be her guest. The
half-way house was no place for anyone to spend a holiday.

The late afternoon sun reflected off the few white clouds, turning them intensely
pink and mauve. She always looked forward to twilight. It was sad and beautiful all
at the same time. Standing on the porch, she turned to watch the sunset behind the
trees. It was such a bittersweet time of day, that place that was neither light nor
dark. She opened the door.

They heard laughter coming from the back yard. Sarah took Carlos’ hand, leading him
through the house, following the good
smells.

“Mom? Gran? We’re here.”

“In the kitchen honey.”

She felt Carlos stiffen at the sound of her mother’s voice. “What’s the matter?”

He stopped, “I don’t know Sarah. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

She grabbed his elbow with her free hand and pushed him forward. “Come on. It’s free
food and my family is looking forward to meeting you.”

“That isn’t the question. The question is why I am here in the first place?”

#

“So how did it go?”

“What do you mean, go?” Sarah held the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she
buttered her toast placing it on a blue and white saucer.

“You know, your mother and Carlos.”

“Good grief, Colleen. It’s not like I took a boyfriend home with me. It was Carlos.”
Her frustration was plain in her voice.

“I’m sorry hon. It’s just he’s not the normal guy you would bring home for dinner.
Hang on a minute, I have to order.”