The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy) (28 page)

When the plane finally landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, Daniel was in a rush to get off, probably another reason why he chose first class. Going through customs was not easy. While one officer checked their passports, Claire saw Daniel staring at the man’s exposed neck, his veins clearly showing. He pursed his lips, as if he was in pain. She begged silently that he wouldn’t lose control.

Fortunately, the customs portion was done with quickly and the two were able to get their luggage. Daniel was calling someone on his cellphone and trying to control his aggravation during this. That left Claire to gather their suitcases and pull them through the airport while heading for the exit.

The sun was rising in Paris, blocked by a patch of clouds. At least Daniel wouldn’t have to worry about the light affecting him. He didn’t talk much, except for a curt comment that she was walking too slow.
 

Once outside, he quickly spotted a van with blackened windows. He grabbed her wrist and hurried her over to the vehicle, where a rolled down window showed a young man with ash blond hair and green eyes was behind the wheel. He didn’t look any older than Claire, but one glance made it clear that he was much older than he appeared to be. He had to be one of the Brothers.
 

But there wasn’t enough time for a chill to go through her. The back door swung open and another young man jumped out and grabbed the luggage to put in the back. Daniel practically pushed Claire into the van so he could jump through that open door and collapse on the seat. He was panting.
 

Once the back door slammed shut and the man was alongside Daniel, shutting the door behind him, the blond driver pulled away from the curb and headed for the airport’s exit.
 

Claire wanted to spend the ride looking out of the window, absorbing the fact she was in Paris, but she was immediately distracted when the driver and the young man suddenly began speaking loudly to Daniel in Latin.
 

Also distracting her as the young man digging through a backpack was Daniel, who was now writhing in his seat, his fangs completely exposed. Claire swallowed heavily.

Finally, the other man pulled out a canteen from the backpack and handed it to Daniel, who twisted the cap off and devoured it’s contents. He drank so fast, Claire could see drops of blood slide out from between his mouth and the canteen. She looked away.

The half gallon of blood must have been enough for Daniel because he soon relaxed in his seat and the concern from the two young men passed. The one who gave Daniel the canteen was patting and rubbing his back in consolation. He looked about Claire’s age with hair and eyes as dark as Casames’. She figured he was another Brother. So she was stuck in a van with two of the world’s leading vampires. A chill finally went through her.

The ride from the airport to the wealthy suburb of Chatou took over an hour, mainly because of snow falling at the last half of the trip. Claire felt sidelined as Daniel talked to the Brothers in Latin. Except for holding her hand briefly, he barely acknowledged her nor introduced her to the other two. They barely seemed to notice her. She tried to focus on the sights of the city, but she certainly was not seeing the Champs-Elysees or the Eiffel Tower along the route to Chatou. The ride went longer than it seemed.

It was after 8 AM when the van at last pulled up at a bourgeois mansion on a cul-de-sac, though the nearest homes were several yards away and were blocked by high, beige colored walls. Claire took in the mansion, noticing it dated from the late 1800s by the look of its architecture. She tried to think about how she would be spending the next week in a lovely house in an exclusive neighborhood, but she also knew this was where her transformation would take place.

The blond driver drove the van into one of the three garages, where two boys, who looked to be about eighteen years old, were waiting. They didn’t look like vampires since their flesh was a healthy tone, but anything was possible. The driver closed the garage door before exiting the van. When he got out, he turned to Claire’s side of the vehicle and opened the door, finally acknowledging her presence.

“Hello, Claire. Welcome to my home,” he said as he offered his hand. When she hesitated, his face lit up and he said, “Forgive me and my brother for our rudeness. We obviously have not been introduced.” He offered his hand again, and she took it and stepped out. Daniel was busy exiting the van with the blond man’s brother, chatting in Latin.

“Claire, I am Vorternon, the eldest brother and head of all vampires,” said the one before her. “You must bow before me as I am, and will always be, your leader.”

He folded his arms and waited with a near sneer on his face. She then lowered her head and shoulders, feeling awkward about having to act inferior to anyone.
 

Vorternon put his finger under her chin and lifted her head. “You’ll need to get used to your position as it is not going to change, ever.”
 

She forced a quick nod, and waited until Vorternon turned to the two boys to tell them to unload the van. She looked towards Daniel, who was following the other vampire around the van, still speaking in Latin. It sounded like a formal conversation, with the subordinate speaking to his superior. There was no friendliness going on. Claire wondered about the exact relationship between Daniel and the Brothers. When she met Casames that night, Daniel acted as if he was great friends with him, but here he kept his distance.
 

She shrugged to herself and turned to enter the mansion. She barely took a step, when she felt a steel strong hand on her shoulder. Before she could guess who it was, a cold voice whispered into her ear.

“You do not walk ahead of me or any of us,” the vampire said.

“Claire.” Daniel said sternly. “You let Elleso go first. We always walk behind the Brothers.”

Sighing nervously, she softly apologized and tiptoed aside. Elleso nodded at her and walked past her, giving Daniel a disapproving glance. Showing his annoyance, Daniel grabbed her upper arm and pulled her inside.
 

The mansion was literally cloaked in darkness because of the thick curtains over the windows. But it still looked appealing, with dazzling chandeliers, furniture and authentic artwork from decades earlier, and state-of-the-art media decorating the inside. Claire felt fascinated by her surroundings and wondered how exactly vampires accumulated enough wealth to live so lavishly - especially when they lived secret lives with pseudonyms?

She wasn’t expecting an answer, but it did come. In a sitting room where they first set foot in the mansion, Elleso told them to sit on the beige velvet couches arranged in a square before saying something to Daniel in Latin. When he was out of sight, Claire whispered to Daniel, who was sitting diagonally from her. “Why can’t he speak in English?”

“Because he’s a head vampire; he can do as he pleases.” Daniel sounded irritated. She noticed he was wincing again and his fangs were appearing. That canteen of blood had not been enough.

A couple of minutes later, there was muffled scream coming from the room behind them. Claire turned to see Elleso and Vorternon dragging in a young girl, no more than sixteen, by the elbows, her wrists and ankles bound, her mouth gagged. Her eyes were wide with panic and she was trying to speak around red velvet sash wrapped around her face. Behind them were the same two boys from before, dutifully following the Brothers.

Claire stopped breathing. This girl was a slave, a person to feed off until she eventually died. Claire was seeing what she could have been had she not said yes. She lowered her head, trying not to faint.

The two vampires dragged the girl over to Daniel, who’s blue-green eyes turned fluorescent with delight. He sat forward, getting ready to consume the frightened girl. She stopped screaming and stared at his fangs, her eyes growing wider. She was placed on her knees before him.

“Daniel Poncher, or Bertrand as you are now known as,” Vorternon announced authoritatively. “We got this young one straight from Ukraine and figured she would be a perfect congratulatory gift for you once you arrived here. Your taste for young beauties is well known, so when we saw her, we knew she was best for you.”

“And as you can see,” Elleso added. “She is very fresh, not a single bite on her.”

“She is perfect,” Daniel’s mouth twisted in thirst. “I’ll do my best to control myself.”

Claire sat straight up, but practically bit her lower lip to prevent from begging him to stop, knowing she had a role to play. But the two Brothers noticed her horror and glanced at each other.
 

Daniel ran his hands through the girl’s pale blond hair slowly. When he got to the end, he grabbed the hair and pulled it down, exposing her throat. The girl was shaking, her breath coming through her nose at a pace Claire never thought possible. Daniel traced the side of her face down to her neck, where he stopped. His lustful expression then turned into one of menace as he threw his head back and stabbed the girl’s neck with his two pointed teeth.
 

There were two yelps. One from the girl, out of fright and pain, the other from Claire, also out of fright.

The two Brothers watched as Daniel slurped away at the girl’s wound, but it was obvious they heard Claire and were not pleased.

The world seemed to stop spinning as Daniel drank from the girl. Claire was not sure if she was breathing or her heart was beating, but she knew she was watching, and even praying that the sight would go away.
 

Finally, Vorternon bent down and nudged Daniel. “That’s enough.” When Daniel did not stop, the vampire repeated more forcefully and he pulled back reluctantly. The girl’s neck was shining from the red blood and her eyes, once large and terrified, were half closed. Elleso caught her and called over the two boys. He said something to them in French and they both nodded as they carried her away.
 

“You get carried away too much,” Vorternon said, wiping away drops of blood from Daniel’s mouth.

He laughed nervously, another unusual sound for Claire. He retracted his teeth and leaned back on the couch, sighing contently. “I am sorry, Masters, but I did go for a long time.”

“We know,” Vorternon sat on the couch across from him. “But we would like to keep her. Who wouldn’t want a lovely Ukrainian in a French maid outfit?”

There was mutual laughter among the three vampires, but Claire just started to breathe again. She swallowed whatever moisture was in her mouth to dampen her parched throat.

Elleso was eyeing her and said, “I thought this one was ready. Instead, she is scared as our Ukrainian friend.”

Daniel glanced over and said, “It’s all new to her, so she’s going through the motions. One moment she is fine, the next she is in denial. But I am certain once I pass our blood to her, she’ll adjust better.”

“Oh, she must adjust better,” Vorternon said. “I cannot emphasize it enough: you cannot fail with this! This is your first time and choice, Poncher. If you’ve chosen poorly, you will suffer the consequences.”

Daniel’s head lowered in submission. “I understand, Master Vorternon.”

“I hope so,” Elleso narrowed his eyes. “With Hilde as your maker and close friend, I have my doubts. But,” he said as he threw her hands up. “I was in the minority, so who am I to complain? The transformation will come tonight and perhaps I’ll be proven wrong.”

“Tonight?” Claire croaked. The three looked at her as if they just realized she had been in the room all along. “I - I thought…”

“Thought what?” Vorternon arched an eyebrow and looked at Daniel. “What did you tell her, Poncher?”

Daniel sighed. “I told her it would happen over the weekend and that she will have time to enjoy Paris in the daylight. I told her that to relax her, so she wouldn’t be too reluctant.”

 
Elleso rolled his eyes while Vorternon nearly stood up. “That was weak and lame of you, Poncher! If this is your way of proving your new status among us all, you were most unwise!” He puffed some air out of him while Daniel struggled not to give Claire a sidelong angry look.
 

Vorternon said to his brother, “Perhaps Azuelo and Gosheven were right when they thought tricking mortals into becoming vampires was over. Times have changed. Humans are now all peace and love; they can’t be convinced to be like us!”

Elleso was about to agree when Claire suddenly spoke up. She surprised herself doing that, and even more surprised when she said. “I wasn’t tricked into agreeing to join you.”

The three again looked at her as if she suddenly came into existence. There was confusion in Daniel’s eyes, mixed with anger.
 

She took a deep breath and continued, “Daniel told me everything in one night. Yes, I was shocked and scared, but I came to realize it would be best for us…if I became like you.”

The two Brothers studied her, maybe even searched her mind for a moment. Daniel’s anger subsided and was replaced with more confusion.
 

Finally, Elleso said, “Well then. I guess we do have a willing player here. Wouldn’t you agree, Brother?”

Vorternon slowly nodded. “Yes, I believe there is something to hope and to trust that Poncher did his duty in being honest with our latest member. Anyone who joins us has to be a rare mortal, and I believe Miss McCormick is that rare one.”

The storm faded, but the clouds remained. If the two Brothers had any real doubt about her, they were hiding it well. Daniel’s confusion also stayed, but was now mixed with pensiveness.
 

Vorternon then escorted the two up to their bedroom. As Claire walked alongside Daniel behind the leaders, he didn’t meet her quick glances.

The bedroom was large, with a king-sized bed, a fireplace, and a glittering chandelier hanging from the middle of the room. While looking around, Claire saw that there was a sliding glass door leading out to a small balcony looking over a yard that went on for two or three acres.
 

Vorternon was saying that they should rest from their long flight, and Claire could have coffee from the maker on a dresser next to the flat screen TV. She knew she should have something, but her body was not in the mood.