My Vampire and I Vol 3: Blood Resurrection (13 page)

 

“Many of us are in disagreement with his worldly philosophy but are powerless to have change his ways. The man fancies himself a celebrity as if this was Hollywood and he the leading star.” He shook his head sadly. “We are losing the sanctity of this most holy place.

Such vulgarity and self-aggrandisement have no place in God’s house.”
“I am sure that God will rectify things in His own way,” I said, trying to placate the old man.

He nodded, then raised his hand to bless us both. “Go with God, both of you,” he murmured. “I pray that your new positions are happy ones.” And with that, he passed on his way. Pietro and I beat a hasty retreat out into the darkness and on to our appointment with Constantine and his mortal lover.

“Just as well holy blessings don’t have the effect on us as many people think they do,” Pietro said with some irony as we hurried through the darkened streets. “But it did give me a shiver or two,” he added with a chuckle.

 

But what the Cardinal had said made me wonder just how many in the Vatican felt the same way. Not in hundreds of years had a Pope ever been dethroned from the most powerful position on earth. Could it really come about now?

 

* * * *

 

Gustav was every bit as charming as an amorous Constantine had told us he was. I began to wonder just how much of the demon remained in Constantine. Was it his love for Blood Resurrection

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Gustav that had made him change his mind about his Father’s claims to be the Antichrist? It was obvious to both Pietro and me that Constantine was deeply in love with his mortal lover—and Gustav…well, his eyes shone with joy each time he looked at our demon ally.

Of course, we did not forget the element of danger that now surrounded all of us. When Pope Pius discovered that his son had let us escape his death sentence, he would no doubt seek to hunt us down and finish the job. What his punishment would be for Constantine, I shuddered to think. But for the moment at least, all this had to be hidden from Gustav. If we were to be his protectors, it had to be done without his knowledge of the reasons for it.

However, it seemed Constantine had other ideas.

“Gustav,” he said quietly, taking his hand after he had introduced us to him. “There are certain things that now I feel you should know…” Pietro and I exchanged worried glances. “Constantine,” I said. “Is this wise? If you are about to reveal the truth of yourself, and perhaps Pietro and I, should we not go somewhere less public?”

Gustav looked at him sharply and gave out a nervous laugh. “The truth of yourself?
What are you going to spring on me this time?”
Constantine gazed at me for a moment or two, then he said, “You are right, of course.
Can we go to your apartment, Gustav? It’s only a short walk from here.”
“Sure…” Gustav gave Pietro and me a worried smile. “Don’t keep me in suspense too long, though. You’ve got me on edge.”

I knew that whatever possibilities Gustav was thinking of at that moment, what he was about to hear would stretch the boundaries of his imaginings for all time.

Once we were seated in his small but comfortable apartment, and he had politely offered us some wine which we gladly accepted, I could not but feel that this was not a good idea. I found myself reaching out to Marcus, bringing his mind to the awareness of what was happening. To my surprise, he did not seem agitated about what Constantine was about to divulge.

Perhaps it is for the best,
his voice whispered in my mind.
The mortal boy is stronger than you think. Probe his mind gently. Although he loves Constantine, he is already aware of the fact that there are problems in knowing him.

“Gustav…” Constantine’s voice was low and husky with emotion.
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“Wait.” Gustav looked at Pietro and me. “This is going to sound rude, but it might be easier if Constantine and I were alone. I mean, I really don’t know you, and—”

“No, Gustav,” Constantine said, more clearly now. “They must hear this in order to protect you when I am gone.”
“Protect me? From what? Where are you going?” Gustav now looked at us for explanations.

“Listen to him,” I said quietly. “Try to open your mind to the impossible.” Gustav looked at us all, from one to the other, as if he could see the answers to his many questions in our serious expressions. Then he shrugged, and said, “Go on, then.” Constantine drew a deep breath, and I felt sympathy for him as he prepared to disclose his secret life to the man he loved and could now lose in the glimmer of an eye. Just how many mortals are willing to overlook the fact that their boyfriend is a demon? Not many.

“Gustav,” he began again. “You know that I am close to His Holiness, Pope Pius. What you do not know is that I am, in fact, his son.” To say Gustav looked surprised by this revelation is putting it mildly, to say the least.

 

His eyebrows shot up almost into his hairline, his jaw dropped— then he let out a great shout of laughter.

“Oh, Constantine – that’s it? Do you know how many young men and women are going about Rome declaring just that? It’s no secret that the handsomest Pope ever has had a string of mistresses over the years—some of them were bound to produce offspring!” He ignored our looks of surprise at his outburst and leaned closer to Constantine. “Now when I think about it,” he murmured. “There is a resemblance.” Constantine shook his head. “I am his only son, Gustav. The Pope is sterile and cannot impregnate a woman without…help.”

“What kind of help?”
“In vitro fertilisation, during which a spell was cast over the eggs and sperm.”
“A spell?”

“Yes. This is the most difficult part of what I have to tell you, Gustav. You see, I should not really exist. I am an aberration. A monster conceived in a Petri dish by a master of the black arts.”

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Gustav seemed to recoil at those words. He sat back in his chair, his face pale, the corner of his mouth twitching nervously. He looked quickly at Pietro and me—perhaps to see if we were in on what had to be a joke of some kind. When he saw that we were staring back at him with no hint of humour in our expressions, he grew even paler.

Bernard…
I heard Marcus murmur in my mind.
Perhaps nowwould be a good time to soothe his mind. Use your powers to make him feel he is not in imminent danger.

I reached out to Gustav, probing his mind, and found a maelstrom of confusion and fear racing through his brain. Gently, I used my vampire power of seduction, normally used to dispel a mortal’s fear of being confronted by one of us, but this time to calm him in the face of what Constantine was now telling him. The moment when he discovered Pietro and my true identities would certainly require another dose, but right then I concentrated on the matter at hand. I relaxed a little as I saw the colour return to his cheeks and his composure ease a little.

“How can you call yourself a monster, Constantine?” he asked, his voice steady and firm again. “Surely, you don’t believe what some evil person told you?”

“Unfortunately, it is true, my love. I know that the subjects of black magic, wizardry and demons are thought to belong in fantasy stories, but there is another world out there, Gustav, not so far away from what you perceive as the only reality. Believe me, if I could change any of this, I would. My existence was brought about for one purpose only—to aid our present Pope achieve his ultimate goal.”

“Which is?”
“To rule the world…as the Antichrist.”

“Oh, come on!” Gustav again looked incredulous. “That old fairy story? There is no such person as the Antichrist, Constantine. It’s a fable dreamed up by some dried up old kill-joys to scare us into walking the straight and narrow. I stopped believing in all that years ago.”

“You may be right about that, at least,” Constantine said, glancing for a moment at Pietro and me. “All my life I believed that the man I called Father and Master was what he proclaimed himself to be, but recently, my mind has been filled with doubt. He might actually have convinced himself of it, or perhaps when he was a child, his head was filled Blood Resurrection

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with the delusion. But the fact remains, that I am what I told you. I am not fully human, and our two friends here…”

Here it comes,
I thought. Quickly, I reached out once more, this time seducing Gustav into the belief that although what he was about to hear should terrify him beyond all reason, he would accept this latest revelation with a calm acceptance.

“Our two friends here are vampires.”
Gustav’s head swivelled in our direction. For a long moment, he stared at us, his eyes wide not with fear, but with seeming interest.
Your powers have grown strong, Bernard.
Thanks to you, Marcus,
I replied.
Constantine looked the more surprised by Gustav’s reaction or non-reaction, as it turned out to be.

“Vampires?” Gustav looked at each one of us with the beginning of a wry smile playing on his lips. “I’m alone in a room with a demon and two vampires. Why am I not running screaming into the night?”

“You have him in your thrall,” Constantine murmured.
I nodded. “It seemed like a good idea.”
“You are not in any danger,” Pietro hurried to tell him. “It is Constantine’s wish that we protect you should his plan go awry.” “His plan? Your plan?” he added, staring at Constantine.

“Not so much a plan, more a betrayal. At least, that is how my Father will see it.” Constantine stood and picked up the wine bottle from the kitchen counter. While he filled our glasses, he continued, “Bernard and Pietro informed Marcus Verano of their suspicions regarding my part in all of this.” “Who’s he…this Marcus?”

 

“A Master Vampire. Very powerful, very old, though to look at him he appears to be not yet thirty. He has many followers, among them, our friends here. Marcus informed the Vampire Council, which in turn sent a message to my Father saying they will thwart any attempt he makes to fulfil his ambitions. He sees them as a very real threat—which they are.

They have already taken down the Wizard Brotherhood, the men who gave my Father his powers.”
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“Wait…wait a minute…” Gustav was shaking his head in disbelief. “This is all for real?
A Vampire Council, Wizards…demons—why does no one know of these things?”
“Some do,” I said quietly. “And some are made to forget. There are those in governments who know. Very few, of course.” “And they don’t go around selling their stories to the highest bidder?” Gustav marvelled. “My God, think what the tabloids could make of this.” “We have safeguards to prevent that from ever happening.” He gave me a hard stare. “I just bet you do.”

Marcus was right. This mortal was stronger than he appeared to be. I had lessened my control over his mind while we talked, and now his rational outlook was taking over. He believed us, but he did not trust us—Constantine perhaps. What he knew of vampires, based, of course, on myth and conjecture, made him wary of Pietro and me. I felt it was time that we took our leave.

“Pietro,” I said, standing up. “Why don’t we let Gustav and Constantine have some time alone now? If you need us…” I handed Gustav a slip of paper. “This is our address and number. For reasons of which you may be aware, we are only available between sunset and dawn.” I smiled thinly. “I do have a cell on which you can leave a message if need be.” He managed a small smile in return. “Vampires with cell phones. Who knew?”

* * * *
Constantine

After the vampires left, a heavy silence fell between Gustav and me. While he poured himself another glass of wine, I cleared my throat, then asked, “Does this change how you feel about me?”

The chuckle that escaped his lips sounded more sardonic than perhaps he intended.
Perhaps…

“Constantine,” he said, after draining his glass and pouring yet another. “Of course, it changes how I feel about you. How could it not? One moment, you’re my sweet and tender lover, now you say you’re a demon. What next, I wonder.” He stared at me for a full moment Blood Resurrection

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before he added, “And why the hell aren’t I scared out of my wits of you? Have you cast a spell on me?”
“I can’t cast spells.”
“Well, that’s something, at least. What can you do?”

“Not much, I’m afraid,” I said, trying to sound humorous. “I can’t fly like a vampire can nor can I disappear in the blink of an eye. I am almost as strong though, and I don’t have to drink blood to stay alive. I can read minds, but I can’t hold you in my thrall like a vampire.”

“Can you read my mind, now?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“And what am I thinking?”
“That you should never have become involved with me. That you should run from here, screaming into the night—”

“Liar…” He walked towards me slowly and stopped when his mouth was only a tantalising inch from mine. “What am I thinking now?” I felt my eyes well with tears. “Gustav…” My voice broke as I read his thoughts. “You must not love me as much. I am a monster—”

“A monster who sheds tears?” He smiled as he wiped my cheek with his thumb. “Not much of a monster, Constantine.” “Gustav, please listen to me—”
His lips silenced me while his body pressed to mine filled me with an overpowering need to possess him.
“Gustav,” I mumbled into his open mouth.

“
Ich liebe dich
,” he said, pulling back slightly to gaze into my eyes. “I love you, and nothing will ever change that. In my eyes, you are no monster. You are the same wonderful man I fell in love with the first time I laid eyes on you.” He pulled open my shirt and bent to kiss my chest, lingering over each nipple, licking and nibbling until I writhed with pleasure against his hard arousal. I picked him up in my arms and carried him to his bed. He clung to me, his warm, moist lips searching every part of my face, my neck and my shoulders. Together, we fell upon the bed, ripping off each other’s clothes in a frenzy of lust and desire. I almost wept as he arched his smooth and supple body to mine. The warmth of his skin, the sweetness of his lips was like an aphrodisiac to my Blood Resurrection

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senses. My need for him overpowered me, making me want to devour him, to taste and feel every part of him. As he reached for a condom, I stayed his hand with mine.