Under A Velvet Cloak (15 page)

“I want to look at you with my magic. That may reveal more than you care for.”

Vanja shrugged. “I am concealing nothing.”

Kerena stood before her, placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders, and gazed into her eyes. She extended her awareness.

And was amazed. “Oh,” she gasped, falling back.

Gordon leaped to support her. “What did she do?” he demanded angrily.

“Nothing,” Kerena said. “I merely saw a path I never expected. I don’t understand it, but can’t doubt it.”

“What path?” Vanja asked. “I felt a jolt, but it wasn’t an attack. You have strange power.”

Kerena laughed weakly. “So I am coming to appreciate. Here is the way of part of it: you will marry Morely, and I will be his mistress.”

“This is humor?”

“This is my Seeing. The proper course to follow. I said I didn’t understand it.”

“But you have the superior hand. Why should you sacrifice that to give me better status?”

“Because you will convert me.”

“Convert you! That’s for Vorely to do.”

Kerena shook her head, bemused. “It seems not. That is the other part of my Seeing. You must do it.”

“But then you and I would be bound to each other. It wouldn’t affect Vorely, just us. It wouldn’t even change our feelings for him. It would just make us like sisters.”

“And lovers, perhaps.”

“And lovers,” Vanja agreed. “But not strongly, because it does not change sexual orientation, just commitment.”

“He would still love me and crave you,” Kerena said, working it out. “But we would not betray each other’s interests. We could trust each other, and share him.”

“We could. This is a much better situation for me. But it makes no sense for you.”

“It surely makes sense. I have but to understand it.”

“Vorely would say not only not to handicap yourself by converting, but not to give me such an advantage. You are the one he wants to marry.”

“It seems that is not to be. I am not gratified.”

“You have shaken me with your Seeing. You need to think about it further.”

“I shall.”

Morely, too, was amazed. “How can you consider such a thing?”

“My Seeing shows it best. What of yours?”

He focused. His jaw went slack. “It agrees. I could not have fathomed this on my own, but guided by your suggestion, I confirm it. It is a proper course. Yet I would prefer to marry you.”

Jolie was similarly amazed. She had thought the alignment required Kerena to avoid becoming a vampire. Now it seemed otherwise. What a devious course this was turning out to be!

“One question remains for me,” Kerena said. “What of my baby? I
do
not want it raised among the vampires, but if I convert now, will it also convert?”

“I do not know. I doubt the question has ever arisen before. It may be best to wait until after the birthing.”

“Yes. That is sensible.”

The frames blurred.

Jolie stepped back, blocking that response.

“Does that make sense?”

“Try your Seeing,” he suggested.

Kerena tried it. “I should not wait.”

The timelines aligned. Jolie wondered about that, knowing that there was a complication. But it was her job to keep the timelines aligned, regardless of complications. The lines were no longer blurred.

“Still, this is such a significant decision, you must not hurry.”

“It is time. I will do it tonight, with Vanja.”

“It is of course your decision,” he said with deep regret. “I shall be glad to have you with me in whatever capacity you choose. But I think I will never understand why we can’t marry.”

“I hate that aspect,” she agreed. “But I trust my Seeing.”

He kissed her and departed.

“What should I
do w
hen you convert?” Gordon asked. “You will join them in the warren.”

“Let me see.” She put her hands on his shoulders and focused. “You must wait in the nearby village until I come for you. So I can take my baby to its father.”

“Of course,” he agreed.

That evening Vanja came. “Do I have to bite your tongue?” Kerena asked distastefully.

“No. Merely sip a drop of my blood. I will scratch my arm.” She paused. “Are you sure? Once done, this can not be undone.”

“My vision says I must. Otherwise I would never do it.”

“As I never would have done it,” Vanja said. “Had I known.” She scratched her forearm with a sharp fingernail. Blood welled out. “Quickly, before it heals.”

Kerena put her mouth to the scratch and licked up the blood. It had a pungent quality. She swallowed the drop.

Immediately it reacted in her stomach. A curious warmth spread out, suffusing her belly, then her entire being. In fact, she felt good.

“This is not what I anticipated,” she said. “I thought it would be like dying. It feels more like truly living.”

“It does,” Vanja agreed. “But
do
not be deceived: it does not render you invulnerable to injuries.”

“Invulnerable.” The word reminded her of her other powers. Did she still have them? “I must try something.”

“It will not be complete for an hour or more. It takes time for the body to adjust.”

“I will know if it is changing my powers.” Kerena invoked the spell of permeability. “Touch my hand.”

Vanja did. Their two hands passed through each other. “Oh!” she said, amazed.

“I will test again in an hour. But I think I am retaining my magic.”

“I think so.”

When the hour was done, Kerena verified all her special abilities. Conversion had cost her nothing in that respect. She was ready to join the vampire community.

Gordon departed for the village, making his way by moonlight. He had plenty of gold to pay his way. He agreed to
go
out from the village for a walk through the fringe of the forest every day at dusk, so that she could contact him without being known to the villagers. She expected to make that contact in about five months, after the baby was birthed and she had had time to recover.

Kerena’s existence as a vampire turned out to be rather dull. She was now Verena, accepted because she was indubitably a vampire and Vorely’s beloved. The sipping of the blood of live creatures turned out to range from ten days to a month, and little was needed. The rest of the time she consumed normal food, for which they foraged in the countryside. She ate less than she had before, as the vampire form seemed to be more efficient in processing it, and in conserving energy. This was partly because they rested and slept most of the day, preferring to go out in the cool night. The need for clothing was similarly reduced; they used it only when going out into the cooler nocturnal world. Within the warren all were normally nude.

There was a, good deal of sexual activity, as married and “dating” couples entertained themselves. This was fairly open, as there were only ninety residents in this clan and most of them had known each other for decades or longer. They tended to be tolerant about spot liaisons outside established couples, and many liked to travel to neighboring villages to patronize brothels and lonely men. The mortals, of course, did not know the nature of their partners; there was no physical evidence to mark the vampires. They tended to seem young and healthy and highly sexed; few ever thought to question that. They made excellent sexual companions. Kerena, not participating, studied the matter with an experienced eye. It was actually a good deal for the mortals, who were seldom charged much if anything.

Vorely’s accession to be chief turned out also to be routine. The votes were tallied, and Kerena’s new one, together with Vanja’s change of sides, gave it to him by one. That was it; no one argued. If Vichard was disappointed, he was gracious. There was always next year, or next decade. Vampires, it seemed, took the long view.

Soon after becoming chief, Vorely married Vanja. It was a small ceremony in the warren, mainly a mutual statement that they both wished this association. They kissed, and had ritual public sex. Now Vanja’s inducement for changing sides was clear, it seemed. Why Verena had agreed to it was less clear, but it was her business. Her obvious pregnancy explained her lack of participation in sexual activity with Vorely. Vanja was clearly willing and able to take up the slack.

Then Verena birthed her child. Here, too, her new state seemed to help; she had little difficulty or pain, and produced a healthy baby boy. He was mortal, not vampire. She nursed him, and this did not convert him. She had been concerned, but her Seeing had suggested it was all right. She named him Gawain.

A month after the birthing she was fully recovered and ready to make the long trek to deliver the boy to his father.

Unfortunately there was something her Seeing had not Seen, because it had never occurred to her to look. She had extended regret ahead.

Gordon was in the village, taking evening walks as he had promised. “Renal” he cried gladly when she appeared before him. “Is all well?”

“All is well,” she agreed. “Here is my baby, Gawain the Second.”

“He’s darling. May I hold him?”

She hesitated, remembering the man’s predilection for boys. But her Seeing showed no trouble. She passed the baby over.

“I saw you pause,” Gordon said. “The boys I go for are six to eight years old, not babies. Have no fear.”

She forced a laugh. “I trust the trip will not take that long.”

He handed Gawain back. “Let me pay off my landlord and clear out my things, and I will be with you.”

“I will accompany you to the village.”

“Is that wise? A woman and baby suddenly appearing?”

“We could be invisible. But
do
they know your nature?”

“No. As with your kind, I practice my nature elsewhere. Here I am a wealthy widower recovering from bereavement, so not interested in remarriage.” He smiled. “However, it has been five months, and the local women believe that six months suffices for mourning. It is about time for me to move on, lest I be openly courted.”

“Then I will be your daughter and her child, come to take you to my home, now that I have found you.”

“I didn’t want to burden you with my morose presence,” he agreed. “But it seems Family will not be denied.”

“The local women will surely understand.”

“They may be annoyed, but know the way of it.”

She nodded. “It would be a shame to let your wealth go to waste, when you have a grandchild to spoil.”

They both laughed, liking the fiction that served their purposes so well.

She walked with him to the village. They paused to purchase traveling goods, incidentally spreading the story. Then they repaired to his small rented abode.

“How was it with the vampires?” he asked. “You do not seem changed in that manner.”

“I am changed, though. I eat less, tolerate light and heat less, and will live indefinitely, as long as I take a sip of fresh mortal blood within every month. I also have a greater desire for the pleasures of sexual congress.”

“But you had many such pleasures before.”

“No. I gave endless pleasures to men, for pay. That was business, amassing the gold that now is yours. My desire was only for the two men I loved. Now my desire is as strong as theirs. That is quite a different thing.”

Gordon looked alarmed. “I hope you do not look to me for such pleasure.”

“No more than you look to my baby for yours. We understand each other. But if we should need to persuade a man along the way to
do
something, I will enjoy that persuasion as much as he does.”

“So among the vampires-”

“Vanja and I took turns at Vorely, this past month. He became surfeit, even for a vampire.”

“And when you have left the baby-”

“I will return to have at Vorely again, and perhaps other men of the warren.”

“That does not seem like much of a life.”

“Maybe that’s why my Seeing steered me away from marrying him. This leaves me free to wander, at such time as I choose. An eternal life with the same small group surely palls in time.”

“Even mortal life can pall. This past year has been more interesting for me than the prior time.”

“But now you have gold. That should make a difference.”

“It should,” he agreed, sounding not quite certain.

They traveled south. When an innkeeper had no room remaining, Kerena put Gawain in Gordon’s care and took the man aside for remonstrance. She was so persuasive that he made room for them in his own apartment. When his wife objected, she lent her the baby to coddle while she saw to the man again. Gawain was a little charmer, handsome and friendly, making the woman satisfied with the deal.

“You can twist women as well as men around your finger,” Gordon remarked as they trekked next day.

“Persuasion is a useful art. I am always learning.”

Another time they were waylaid by three outlaws who blocked the path ahead and behind. “Invoke your cloak,” Gordon said grimly. “I will try to tackle them singly.”

“That is risky. Let me try persuasion, again.” Of course she knew now that it wasn’t the cloak it was her, but she could imbue the cloak with the same magic properties.

“They mean to rape you anyway.”

“They can’t. Take Gawain and the cloak and stand back.”

Then, alone, she walked boldly toward the two men ahead. “I will make a deal with you,” she said. “I will take you on, all three. When you can no longer fight, you will let us move on without further challenge.”

“Fight?” he asked, surprised by her audacity.

“Not with your club,” she said, opening her clothing to expose her torso from breasts to crotch.

“Oho!” He embraced her, took her to the ground, and quickly completed the act. Then his companion was on her. Then the third man.

Kerena got up and went for the first man again. “Raise your weapon,” she said, stopping into him.

Thus challenged, he did his best, and in due course completed the second act. Then the second man did the same, and the third one.

Kerena went after the first one again. “Where is your weapon?” But this time he was unable to raise it. “Then I am done with you, and shall be moving on.”

At this point, bemused, they did not challenge her. Gordon joined her and they left the outlaws behind.