For the millionth time in my life, I pull on jeans, then grab a blousy, red t-shirt. While pulling my hair into a ponytail, I slip my feet into black ballet flats. Nervousness and shock, are not things I’ve experienced much as a vampire. Vampires are pretty much invulnerable, so there isn’t a whole lot to be scared of.
There are only three ways a vampire can meet their end. The first and probably the most obvious danger, is the sun. It isn’t instantaneous, but will do the job, given enough exposure. Then comes beheading and, lastly, immolation. The stake through the heart myth is just that, a myth. Our hearts don’t beat, so what would be the point? I shouldn’t be worried one bit, but that’s a lie. What scares me now isn’t my own end. I’m worried for Jack, and I’m worried about the course of our relationship.
Kathryn’s death hits a little too close to home, putting us, especially Alexandre in the spotlight. He will likely be on the list of suspects, having just been involved with her. I can’t imagine the list to be a long one. She was a nice person.
Annie left me, almost immediately, disappearing into her room. Her plan is to leave the house as soon as the sun sets, as she wants nothing to do with this. She may be my best friend, but we all have our limits. Sitting rigidly on the edge of my bed, I wait. The sound of Jack outside, pacing the length of the porch, increases my anxiety. Obviously, he is not all about sitting or smelling the flowers. He is tense, and I can feel it like a heaviness hanging in the air.
I look at the clock. It’s time. Soundlessly, I glide through the house, out the back door. The courtyard is beautiful at dusk. Bathed in shadows it is otherworldly. As always, the scent of magnolia mixed with gardenias permeates the air. I take a moment, allowing the sound of the fountain, the soft rustling of leaves and tree branches to sooth my senses.
I launch myself quietly onto the roof of the house behind us and look out onto the street. It’s quiet. A giant magnolia tree hides me as I touch down on the sidewalk. I’m not too worried about being seen, though. Mortals tend to see what they want and avoid thinking too much on anything incongruous with their version of reality. Or maybe, I just don’t care tonight.
As I walk around the block, I practice deep breathing to steady my nerves. Of course, breathing exercises don’t help in the least. My lungs don’t actually absorb oxygen. If only there was such a thing as vampire yoga. What would that look like I wonder? I picture Alexandre contorting his body to get a better look at the ladies in downward facing dog.
A few minutes later, I’m approaching the front of my house. Jack is still pacing and hasn’t seen me yet. Taking advantage, I pause to watch him a moment. I love this man. Not the man he reminds me of, but this man. I love his shyness, his tenderness. I love the way he looks at me, making me feel I am the only person in the world.
My feet start moving. Once I start up the front walkway, Jack stops pacing, moving to the middle of the porch to face me. His face is grim, he reaches out his hand for mine, and when I offer it, he pulls me into his arms. Not a lover’s hug, this is a hug from someone who needs to share his burden with another.
“I knew you were fine, but once I found out, I couldn’t get here fast enough.”
“How long have you known?”
“James informed the crew about an hour ago. Kathryn was found early this afternoon, but she had to be identified and her family notified before anyone else was told about the incident.”
We move to sit on the wicker chairs. The porch is usually a happy place for me to sit, people watch, and reflect. Not tonight. Tonight, it feels sinister and dark.
“My God, I can’t believe it. You’re sure she was murdered?”
“The police say she was strangled. I don’t really know many details. I feel so sad for her, she was a sweet person.”
“Strangled…that’s awful. Poor Kathryn.” Something occurs to me, but I keep it to myself. Maybe she did find Alexandre last night. I think of what Annie told me about a drunk Kathryn, banging on the door, looking for him. I know Alexandre would never do something this sloppy. Never would he leave a body out in the open, and he would never kill an innocent soul. Especially an innocent with such a high profile.
“Strangled. That’s all you know? Do you know if she was exsanguinated?” It’s risky, but I have to ask.
Jack looks at me like I just escaped from Bedlam.
“What? Do you mean drained of blood? That’s a strange, oddly specific question.”
“It is strange, for sure. Savannah is a beautiful, but dangerous place, and odd things happen here. A body of a woman who had been exsanguinated was found, a while ago. At least, I think that’s what happened. I could be thinking of something else.” I could not sound any more stupid if I tried.
“I don’t know. If she was, we weren’t told.”
It’s not outside the realm of possibility that this is another senseless, random act of violence. One of many in a city with a very high crime rate. If Kathryn was as drunk as Annie made out and wandering the streets of Savannah alone at night, nothing good could have come of it. The odds are high she merely crossed paths with a psychopath. She was a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is much more to fear from one’s fellow man than from any monster, real or imaginary. The depravity of human beings is staggering, and they’re afraid of us.
I can tell there is something Jack wants to ask. He is squirming in his seat, running his palms down his thighs, as if they are sweaty. His foot once again, tapping. I figure he wants to ask me about Alexandre. I’m wondering if the cops will show up here looking for him. Wonderful.
“I have to ask you something,” he begins, “I don’t want to upset you, Millicent, but was Alexandre here last night?”
The easy answer is always the truth, but I can’t offer the easy answer right now. Not when this unwanted light is going to shine on all of us. So, I lie.
“I believe so. I thought I heard him in his room last night, but I didn’t speak to him. I went straight to bed.” I try to tell myself it’s only a partial lie. It’s all a coincidence, anyway. I feel terribly for Kathryn, but I can’t let this expose us.
I can’t help thinking, a little selfishly, this throws a big wrench into my plans. If you can call my random thoughts and ideas, plans. What does this mean for Jack? Will production cease, or will they recast? If production of the film halts, Jack will leave, and soon. It’s probably not a good time to ask him about it, though. My love life is not as important as a woman’s senseless murder.
Jack startles me out of my reverie. “Is he here now? I guess not since no one came to the door.”
“No, I’m not sure where he is.”
More and more, I’m coming to the realization that this would be a lot simpler if Jack knew about us. I just don’t know how to make the transition from, “sorry your friend was murdered,” to, “guess what? I’m a vampire.” And truthfully, Jack isn’t the only one wondering where Alexandre is.
I suggest we go inside, so I can call him. After being intimate with Kathryn, he at least deserves to know. Although, I’m sure he already does, being sensitive to my thoughts and feelings.
I leave Jack in the kitchen with a glass of scotch and run upstairs to get my phone. There’s no need to call Alexandre, he has called me, probably when Jack and I were on the porch, and left a voicemail. He informs me that he knows about Ms. Hart, and is as shocked as I am. He decided not to go out of town, has found a new friend, and was visiting with her last night. Insert eye roll. Alexandre has already received a call from the police and is heading there now to get this over with. He adds that I am not to worry, and the sooner these movie people are gone, the better. I get his point. He still expects me to break it off with Jack.
It is also glaringly obvious I need to do a better job of shielding my thoughts from him. It won’t be easy, as I’m unpracticed, but it is necessary. At least, until we figure all this out.
I return to Jack, telling him about Alexandre’s message.
He makes a face, then looks into his glass, “So, he is already with someone else? Ok.” Jack pauses, downing his drink in one gulp, “I think I’ll go back to the hotel. I need to think and lie down.”
“Sure, I understand. I can go with you, so you’re not alone.”
“That’s ok, I want to be alone for a while. I’ll call you.”
I know he is grieving, but I can’t help but feel hurt. He now doesn’t want to be with me, when earlier he couldn’t get to me fast enough. It seems a quick change of heart. I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking. Something to do with Alexandre, I’m sure.
***
Fall 1779, Burgundy Region, France
It felt as if I’d fallen asleep. My limbs are heavy, my eyelids won’t open. But, something was happening. I was no longer lying in bed.
“Open your eyes, my dear.”
At first, I thought it was Charles. I stubbornly keep my eyes shut tight. I couldn’t get them open anyway.
“Millicent, open your eyes. You have the power, make it happen.”
It isn’t Charles, it’s him. The savior from my dreams. My own Roman God, Jupiter. I will my eyelids to lift, and my eyes flicker open. I take a step back in surprise, almost losing my balance.
“Oh, I thought I was in my room. How did I come to be outside?” I ask him.
Jupiter laughs, deep and loud. “You are lying down, fast asleep in your room, right at this moment. Shouldn’t you know by now how these walks and talks of ours are only dreams?”
“Yes, of course. It’s just this dream, feels like less of a dream than the others. I feel more like myself.”
“This is because you are nearing the end of your life with Charles, and the beginning of your life with me.”
My heart flutters inside my chest. The thought of walking away from my dreary, unhappy life is almost more than I can bear. I was starting to feel as if the time Jupiter had promised, would never come.
“I’m so glad, but why now?”
“As I’ve told you before, you have to be ready for your new existence, emotionally, as well as physically. If you are not, the majick can go wrong.”
Jupiter never explained what he meant by majick. My mind seemed in a daze whenever I was with him, so I never thought to ask why I would be so different once I left Charles. He takes my hand and we walk. Jupiter pulling me gently behind him, down the familiar, comfortable path.
The path is small, barely visible. Thick, dense trees and brush, surround us on both sides. The moon is bright and full overhead, making the path easily visible. The only sound is the soft wind rustling the leaves.
“How can the majick go wrong?”
I am slightly afraid to question him but feel something is dangerous about this man. Even though the question was asked, I did not expect him to answer.
“In many ways. It can change you from a lovely woman, into a fierce, wild beast. It can ruin your mind, leaving you without any mental faculties for an eternity.”
I stop walking and pull back, “You never told me this, before. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“It never came up, before now.”
Jupiter turns around, placing his hands lightly on my shoulders. I look up into his crystal eyes.
“Don’t concern yourself, right now. I have been planning for this, Millicent. Planning for you. I won’t let harm come to you. You can always trust me.”
I do trust him. I trust him as I have never trusted any man before. One more question lingers in my mind, another question I had yet to ask.
“What will you want of me once you have used your majick?”
He kisses me sweetly on the forehead and steps back.
“Nothing more than for you to be my companion through the ages. You and only you, will set any other terms. We will make quite the pair.”
His eyes twinkle in the moonlight, making it impossible not to smile. I feel safe. My protector, my watcher, the man who will change everything. We continue down the path, until we reach the stone cottage.
“This is where you leave me, my sweet. It’s important for you to remember the way, you should have it memorized by now.” Jupiter kisses my hand.
I try to protest, beg him to let me stay. Instead, I wake in my luxurious room, the place I hate the most. Lying still, I look around at all the finery, just visible with the light of the moon shining outside. Silks, brocades, crystal, and fine furniture surround me. I should have been a happy woman. One day, I thought to myself, one day.