Children Of The Night
By: Veronica Leigh Marquette
CHAPTER 14
"That man of yours, he has marked you as his. Almost as if you were his
Childe." Ramaine kissed Kris's shoulder lightly.
Kris turned to look up at Ramaine. "And I marked him as mine. He is my
husband." She touched his face and she returned his kiss.
"That you have girl. Bright of you to do that, he is a superb Childe. He
does his mother proud. Anise and Asha have boasted of her good luck with her
youngest. And you have done him proud. I see a good deal of him in you, and
you have only been with him a year. Must be the fact that you were so young
when Janis entrusted you to him. He has been able to play parent to you from
almost the beginning of your life."
"I would have much rather it been Jessy. But it wasn't." She looked up at
the slender elder vampire. He wasn't a large man in the least, and though his
complexion was as pale as all that she had met of what was now her people, he
had a Mediterranean look to him. "Just where exactly are you from?"
"Originally? Or where do I prefer to live?"
"Originally."
"Greece." He frowned at her as she laughed. "Pray tell, Childe what is so
funny?"
"I don't know, maybe it's that you're Greek, have two boys, and have been
chasing pet and puck around for the last hour."
"Well if my younger cousin can toy with my two, then he must be willing to
share."
"So, with as obviously gender biased as you are, why are you here with me?"
He just laughed softly. "I see what he means about your continual
questioning. I only wanted to take a moment to get to know you Childe, nothing
more, and to find out just how much you were tied to him. Now that I see that
the two of you could not live separate, I won't farther my aim in trying to
snatch him away from you.
"Best you believe it. I'll share my men, but no one is taking any of them
away from me, from us."
"Wouldn't dream of it Childe, I might try to lure your cousin from you, but
I am no poacher. Your herd is safe. I assure you, I don't know any of your
people that would try to take a bonded mortal from another of the blood."
Kris pulled up to sit by him. "Could you do me a favor Ramaine? I wouldn't
dream of telling you how to relate to the two you have, but please, for now,
humor me and try not to call our pets a herd."
"Yes, I wished I could deal with the man that made you. I don't dare fuss
at Jessy for your brashness, for it I did it would end up with Anise having
words with me. But Marcus, his actions placed him past any protection his
mother could have offered him. Marcus I would have taken apart, for not only
what he did in his making of you, but for the problems you and that man of yours
are going to cause our people. One idealistic fool is bad enough, but two
linked as the two of you are, that, is a problem waiting to happen."
"Don't get me wrong, elder, it's not his making of me that still has me
waking in the middle of the day trembling. But what he did to me after he took
my will. I have had to watch over four of ours while their minds were napping.
Three of them were those I loved, and one of those, I had to watch Jessy walk
through it twice. So I have some idea what kind of a bastard he was when he did
what he did to me. When they're like that, words hurt more than fists."
"Well, Childe, I can thing of several other more pleasant things to do than
hit you." He leaned over her, sinking his fangs into her throat. *Share blood
with me, dear. Shall we lose ourselves in each other for a while? *
* * *
The house looked so small, just one story, two bedrooms and a bath and a
half, kitchen, den, living-room-dining-room combo, in the daylight. But there
were three other floors underneath the house proper. On the first level were
things like the kitchen, bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The second was just one
single huge living space, and two other bedrooms, for times that they needed a
little more privacy, and a bath/Jacuzzi, same reason. And the third level that
Kris had taken so much care into seeing done correctly. Not only was it where
she and Jessy slept, but the much-talked about playroom as well. Along with
three more bedrooms so that she and Jessy, would be able to, every now and then,
send the rest to sleep in another bed, come light. And yet a, fourth, bathroom.
"And you have them, sleeping anywhere in the house, your chambers, the lock
does not seem that strong. Aren't you just a little worried that one of them
will get a fool notion to set you on fire?"
Mitch who was, as always, standing by Kris gestured almost shyly for notice.
Ramaine just turned his ancient eyes on him. "No sir, my master isn't. I'm the
one that found out the hard way what happens when one of us goes too long with
out his blood. None of us have any desire to die that way. I can speak from
personal experience, I felt like my gut was on fire. It wasn't until my master
fed me from him again, that the pain stopped." Jessy had taken a moment to
explain how they needed to behave when in the presence of another vampire that
wasn't his immediate family. That, with the, exception of Kris, not, even his
cousins counted. They all had agreed, that if they weren't alone, or it wasn't
in the act of love, that they would just, not, call Jessy and Kris anything but,
master, or, mistress. Then Bobby had suggested both the sir and M'Lord as well
as the ma'am and M'lady, explaining that many submissives in the lifestyle used
those words for master and mistress. And both Jessy and Kris much preferred sir
and ma'am.
"You know Sir," Randy leaned against Jessy. "Ma'am does appear to have
wrapped, 'him', around her little finger."
"You know what, Pet, I do believe you are right. I have never known of
Ramaine ever looking at a woman other than his mother. If she is this
impressive as a infant/Childe, I dread seeing her as an adult."
*You really like sir better than master? *
*Yes, and, no Pet. For day to day, it, is, not near as grinding, but Pet, I
am your master. And you would be wise to remember that, always. * He kissed
the top of Randy's head, squeezing him. "So, love, does it look up to your
standards?"
"There is no way we can pull off moving in by tomorrow. Oh well, I guess I
should celebrate my first birthday in the home that has brought me so much,
before moving into another to start building up, new, memories in."
"Why, Ma'am?" Mitch smiled at her. "We've all been with you long enough
that we can skip a day or two, most of the stuff is packed anyway. Any, one, of
us would be willing to miss the party for you, if asked. You can afford to fly
it in, so why don't you just let a couple of us go back to our old house and get
everything, and fly back down here?"
She just shook her head. "There is no way we can just up and move the whole
house, furniture and all in one day. Tomorrow is the first, and I won't have
any of you missing my birthday. We're taking the red eye home tonight, which
means we will barely make it in by dawn. And I want to celebrate my birthday,
really celebrate it, which means we can't do it in the midst of trying to get
things settled. No, we will move later in the week, but for this year, I
already know where I want to be, and with who I want to be with."
* * *
"I hate flying." She was dead, and the thought of crashing still scared
her. "That's how my parents died."
"It's okay, love, you can hide you head in my neck during liftoff, like you
did on the flight down. With as late as this flight is, I don't think anyone
would notice if you hid for a few minutes. I promise not to moan." Jessy
rubbed her arm.
"I'm going to have to. After my parents were killed, I only got on a plane
twice, and both times, I had to sedated before I could even get on the damned
thing." She hated flying more than she feared the sun. Supposedly, now that
she was a vampire, nothing short of facing one of her own kind, who was
stronger, fire and sun, could kill her. But she still hated the thought of
being that far up in what amounted to a flying metal coffin.
* * *
Other than, their, thirteen, there were only six others on that late night
flight. There were, three businessmen, a couple, and an old man, who, kept
staring at them with a look of, disapproval, on his face.
"Looks like we have a attracted a little attention." Jessy growled.
"Don't worry about it Master." Jake whispered, leaning against Mike. "I am
sure he'll be more bent out of shape with what we're going to be doing than
anything you are doing with Mistress."
"You know something, Boy, ever since you made it back, your evil streak has
greatly changed. Not gotten any better, just ever so, much, more amusing. By
all means, you and toy try to give each other tonsillectomies during lift off.
You might upset the man enough that he will demand another seat, somewhere that
isn't right beside us." Jessy just shook his head, smirking at the shocked look
on the old man's face as his two began to do just that.
"Disgraceful," the man snapped at them. "You both should be ashamed of
yourself."
Mike and Jake looked over at him. "Mind your own business, old man." *Run
with me guys, let's see just how busy we can keep this old man. *
"In my day, things like the two of you, went to jail, your, kind wasn't
allowed to publicly parade your perversions."
Jake just laughed, kissing Mike again. "You don't say. Well lucky for us
that neither of us were born in your day."
The young woman, who sat with her friend, smiled. "I think they look sweet.
At least, they don't have to wonder how the other feels."
The man just sputtered at her. "Sweet, my god woman, they are men, or at
least that is what they are supposed to be."
*Sounds like a very repressed soul. * Jessy thought to his bunch, with
sympathy. *Take a little pity of the man, we are in the air, and Kris is
settled. *
"You two are just lucky that now, your people can hide behind the same law
that used to keep you in line, or I would treat you like we used to treat things
like you." The man just rambled on.
'Forget pity, that man is threatening what is mine'. Jessy looked up at
him. "And you are even more in luck, that your age protects you, because if you
touched either of them, I would feel inclined to break your arm. But as weak
and feeble as you are, anything you tried, would only serve to embarrass you."
"You threatening me boy?"
"No threats, touch either of mine, and I will see to it that you are taught
a lesson of your own. Your prejudices are far sicker than anything that they
could ever think up. You would have us return to an age of ignorance and
stupidity. Where those who were gender biased, had no reason to practice
monogamy. To, pull together in love and a desire to live together, freely.
Without constant worries that either the next partner might be the one that put
you at risk for death, or if they actually did wed, and their partner did indeed
become sick or die, that they would not be protected as all wedded couples are.
Fortunately, in ninety-one, the laws were changed to extend to all citizens the
same equal rights."
"Give it a rest, love." Kris looked up, trying to forget for just one
moment where she was, and the knot in the pit of her stomach. "He's old,
fortunately for the world, he and his old out dated mentalities, are a thing of
the past, and he'll die off soon enough. Don't, get upset Jess. Do you really
think any of us care what one old, hateful, man thinks?"
"He threatened them."
Kris just took one look at Mike and Jake, then to the old, angry man, and
laughed. *Please, baby, what is he going to do to them? Forget Jake, Mike
could knock him down by sneezing too hard. * "Then, it is he who is lucky that
there are laws now protecting the civil liberties of every American, and not
just those that his kind approve of. Because if he did take it into his head to
start swinging, the flight attendants would have to take him into hand, and no
one would run the risk of getting hurt. Because trust me. I don't approve of
hitting anyone that much older than me, but if he did, and one of them defended
themselves, it wouldn't be a pretty sight."
The rest of the flight was quiet. The old man, kept looking at Mike and
Jake with hate filled eyes, but refrained from making any more comments. And as
for Mike and Jake, they just continued on as they had started. The younger
couple had moved into the seats between him and the rest of their crew. The
woman was near protective. Her traveling partner that was later introduced as
her newly wed husband, sat, smiling tolerantly at her. The three other
strangers in the compartment, just kept to themselves and their opinions the
same. It was very obvious to all that Jessy wasn't going to tolerate any
nonsense from anyone.
* * *
They made it home, laughing as they invaded their house at the ignorance and
stupidity that still, even after more than a decade, lived in the world. "It
could have been worse, our collars could have been visible, and then gods only
know how he would have carried on." Danny threw himself on the couch. "I'm
glad to be home. I'm going to miss this place."
"Well, maybe you can visit it when we move. That nice woman, who went to
boy and toy's defense, Catharine, I think her name was. I have her card, and
if she and I can set up some sort of rental arrangement, I am sure Janis would
rather rent this place than sell it." Jessy was starving. Dawn was only an
hour or so away, and he hadn't fed, not even the first time so far. "Well,
kids, I'm heading to my chambers, I have still got to feed, and then I'm wiped.
Tomorrow we will have a proper Beltane slash anniversary, belated, birthday
party for Kris. The rest we can have after we move. But she is right, we need
to celebrate her first year with us, here."
Ryan touched his arm. "Master, do you think, it would be okay if Randy took
me out during the day tomorrow for a few hours?"
He looked down at the boy. "I'm not the one you need to ask, Puck, you and
all the rest, pretty much can come and go as you want during the day. But maybe
you might want to talk to pet, why?"
He just blushed. "It's a surprise."
"Does it have anything to do with the oils and canvas you bought a few weeks
ago?"
Ryan looked at Kris who was in the midst of feeding. "Please, 'Jessy'," he
stressed his name. "It's a present for 'her'."
He just chuckled. "I know that. Pet has been filling me in on the picture
you are making for her. But I promise you, I haven't looked, curiosity is
killing me, but I haven't looked.
"Do you think, he will be willing to take me, I need to get a frame for it.
It's the first piece I have ever done, that I think actually deserves to be put
in a frame."
Jessy lifted his chin. "Do you really think that boy of mine is going to
tell you no? He is the one that had kept me abreast of every brush stroke. If
it doesn't make it into a frame under glass, he will probably explode." He
looked down at the ring on the little finger of his left hand. "I never
realized when Kris and I went out to collect the four of you, that I would be
enriching my home so, with an artist of your skill. You really should try
painting a few drawings, and setting up a booth in the arts festival next time
it comes to town. I am sure that with as gifted as you are, there will be many
who appreciate your talent." *Come on with me Puck, it is late, I am starved,
and I have been neglecting you. * He took Ryan's hand. "See you soon baby, I'm
heading for bed."
Kris looked up from where she was, still feeding from Mike. "I'll be with
you soon enough, Jess, just try not to break our boy." She just laughed at the
naked want in Ryan's eyes, "no matter how much he begs."
* * *
Ryan began to strip, even as Jessy led him down the stairs to his room. It
had been literally weeks since last his master had singled him out. He was so
excited, to finally be called, he trembled with it. "Here, Master," he stepped
into Jessy's arms, head turning, exposing his throat. "Go on, please, I know
you're hungry, I can feel it." He moaned, at the feel of Jessy's fangs, the
pain and then, it never ceased to feel so unbelievable, no matter how often he
has been fed off of. It was always so awesome, so beautifully awesome.
'I have to be careful, or I just might break him. And my girl would never
let me hear the end of it'. It was almost funny. How much his priorities had
changed in the last ninety-seven years, from just a simple hunt and kill, to
what it was now. There was no hunt, there could never be another kill, but all
in all, as Ryan clung to him, lost as mortals always were when fed from. He
liked the feeling of power and love that his new life revolved around much
better than any hunt. Killing always bothered him, a little, so now, the sweet
adoration and surrender that they all gave easily replaced the guilty pleasure
of killing.
* * *
"Do you think she will like it?" Ryan looked down at the painting that he
had just had framed. Trying hard to find some fault in his work. But there was
none, or not any that he could see.
"Damn, son, like it? If I didn't know for fact that you had painted it,
seen you working on it. I would swear it was just a picture that you had
bought." He didn't understand how his friend and fellow slave, could ever doubt
the beauty of his work,
It really wasn't a portrait, or at least not one that he had ever seen. And
his respect for Ryan's skills just increased, as he looked down at the painting.
Which had started out as nothing more than a quick sketch of Kris and Jessy,
resting together on the couch, watching all that was going on around them. But
from that quick sketch, the end was more than he could have ever thought
possible.
"I should have given them clothes, but they just look so natural like that."
Ryan tried to explain.
"Clothes, for them?" He just laughed. "Pray tell, why, and what would you
have come up with? The pose they are in, dressed would have looked like the
cover to one of those stupid bodice rippers that Patty is so in love with. No,
that was how they looked the night you sketched them, so that is how the
painting should look. Come on, I've got to get you home, and this has to be
wrapped up very carefully. Kris and Jessy are going to just die when they see
it."
"He knows I have a picture for her. He won't be near as surprised as you
think he will be." Ryan pointed out as they left the frame shop.
"He knows you have her a painting, honey, not what the painting involves.
He never asked to see it, and I never told him he was in it too. Trust me,
you're going to be very popular with both of them tonight. I almost am jealous
of you. But you did this really great work, so I guess, to the victor goes the
spoils."
*` * *
For the first time in so many years, Jessy woke with his hunger, burning, in
his body. He had been so careful this morning, didn't dare take as much from
his little prodigy as he wanted to. Only enough to end the ache, but it wasn't
enough to stop it from returning, with a vengeance, at his rising.
*Go on, love, I fed well before coming down to join you this morning. If
they see you in this shape, they are going to blame me for starving you. * Kris
pulled his head to her throat, moaning softly as she felt, Jessy, take what she
offered.
*Happy anniversary, baby, * he loved the feel of her against him. Even more
as she was now, feeding him, not only, the lust for blood that he always felt
when he hungered, but her love and support as well. *I know your birthday was
Wednesday, but your life didn't start until you had come to me, and found
yourself again. *
*A year ago Wednesday, I died. A year ago today, I was reborn. I love you.
Love you more than I could have ever loved Marcus. It was you who raised me,
cared for me, it is your nature that I emulate, not his. * And as she felt him
move to take her again, *it is you I have given my life, bound myself, to. He
might have made me, but you, you are my father. * Fangs sinking into warm
flesh, sharing the joy, the bliss that could only be felt like this. Not even
with the elder southern vampire, could the feelings ever touch this.
