Clash of Legends Read online

  “In her quest for vengeance Lilith did the same as I had done—an eye for an eye, a husband for a husband. She gave my brother drink and laid with him. When his wits returned, he crawled home to his wife, confessed and begged her forgiveness, never knowing that the child she carried was mine. She kept her secret and gave him his absolution. In my foolishness I suffered guilt for what had happened, for the evidence that daily grew within my brother’s wife, and so I thought nothing of Lilith’s transgressions and sought only to appease her.”

  Katelina tried to wrap her head around his story. “Didn’t Lilith tell your brother that his wife’s baby was really yours?”

  “If she did, she was not believed. Enough talk of the past. The night wanes and morning light comes soon. Though the sun does not burn me, you must be tired after this ordeal.”

  He was right. She was tired. More than tired. Exhausted. Somehow she found the strength to stand and follow him. Outside, the sky was the navy blue of early morning, and she wondered where the night had gone.

  “To the ritual,” he replied. “Even compressed, a thousand lifetimes take time to live through. Do not worry, the purification of the spirit will be less taxing.”

  Katelina was barely in her room before the two women from earlier reappeared. In a flurry they turned down her bed, changed her clothes, and practically stuffed her under the blankets before they left.

  She shook off the whirlwind of their urgency and closed her eyes. For a moment the lost knowledge hovered just at the edge of her consciousness. Then sleep took her. She drifted on tides that were more memory than imagination, back to a happier time, and found Jorick in the shadows. She lay in the safe circle of his arms. The ocean surf lapped the sand in time to Jorick’s heartbeat. Palm trees framed the edge of her vision, obscuring the group of vampires who lounged farther down the beach. Above them hung the moon, crowned in a silver halo and holding court over the stars. It was perfect.

  She brushed strands of Jorick’s dark hair from his face. His eyes twinkled, and his smile left a pool of warmth in her stomach.

  “You look happy.”

  He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Of course I am, little one. I’m with you.”

  The school girl giggle escaped before she could stop it, and she blushed. “You say that, but…”

  “But what?” Some of the amusement slipped from his eyes.

  “I don’t understand how you can prefer me. The vampire women are more appealing than I am.”

  He laughed softly and stroked her hair. “Only to you, because their immortality dazzles the minds of mortals. I’m immune to that. But if you’re worried about their vampiric charms when compared to your humanity, we can remedy the situation. What better place for the change than so-called paradise?”

  “I’m not ready yet, thanks anyway.”

  “I know.” He pulled her close and settled her head against his chest. “I know all about your commitment issues. But someday you’ll have to. I won’t watch you grow old and die before my eyes.”

  “I’m only twenty-five. I have a long time before that happens.”

  “It may seem long to you, but to me fifty years is nothing.” His mood lightened. “There are more important things to worry about in the company of a beautiful woman.”

  His searing kiss silenced her reply. His hands moved down her, molding her against his hard body. She snaked her arms around his neck and parted her lips to let his tongue slide inside. He teased her tongue with his. They twisted and twined together, while he slipped the straps of her bathing suit over her shoulders. She started to pull away, started to say that someone might see them, but he deepened his kiss and drowned her worries in a tidal wave of longing.

  She shifted on his lap and pulled his shirt over his head. His naked chest gleamed in the moonlight. She traced the flat planes and hard angles of his muscles. A soft moan sounded in his throat and he peeled the swimsuit down to her waist. The cool, tropical air caressed her naked breasts, quickly followed by the warmth of his hands. She groaned into their kiss and ground her hips against him and the swollen evidence of his desire. Her heart pounded in her ears until she couldn’t hear anything but the persistent drumming, driving her on and on.

  Jorick’s lips left hers and moved to the pink cup of her ear, then down her neck in a slow, hot trail that left her whimpering for more. At last he hovered over the mark of his previous bites, the proof that she belonged to him. He traced the scar with the tip of his tongue. A soft whimper of anticipation slipped from her lips and urged him to bite her. That was where the real pleasure came from for a vampire; from the connection and the blood, and he could make it just as pleasurable for her.

  She felt the expectant intake of his breath. When his teeth brushed her skin, goosebumps chased up her spine and she clutched him tighter, tensed and ready. He bit. There was pain for a moment, as his teeth cut into her, then it faded away into the familiar crimson colored world of pleasure. She was half conscious of moaning and digging her nails into his back as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. It dragged her under, deeper and deeper, until she lost track of everything except him and the growing sensations. She could hear voices whispering, see ghost like images behind her eyes, moments crashing into one another, that she couldn’t catch or understand. And she wanted to. Wanted to know. Wanted to feel. Wanted to taste.

  Without thought she bit into his shoulder. His hot, spicy blood filled her mouth. She swallowed again and again. The images grew clearer, the voices got louder, the feelings sharper. She was almost there, almost to the secret, almost to the center. Almost…

  Then the world exploded and she cried out. The connection severed when she released him. She collapsed in his arms, panting, dimly aware of the night pulsing around them and the sound of the surf.

  She leaned up and wiped her mouth with a trembling hand. She was left with a crimson smear; Jorick’s blood. She’d bitten him, again. Her first impulse was to be embarrassed, but he soothed her with a smile and a salty kiss.

  She licked her lips and tried not to think about the flavor. It was her blood.

  “It’s only fair,” he teased. “You bit me.”

  Though he laughed, she flushed. Jorick had told her before that it was nothing to be ashamed of and yet…

  He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “And yet what?”

  “I don’t know. I guess having a vampire for a boyfriend isn’t really normal, either.”

  “Boyfriend? Don’t you mean devoted lover?”

  “Devoted lover sounds more…”

  “Old-fashioned?” he suggested. “That’s because the modern language has taken all the poetry out of words.”

  “No, I meant more permanent. Like a declaration of forever.”

  His smile shrank a little. “And what if it is?”

  How could she swear forever when she knew what forever meant? Forever was a prison, at first gilded in gold, then damp with tears while you hunched over your husband’s grave, year after year.

  Jorick gave a sigh of surrender and pulled her close. She buried her face in his warm chest.

  “It isn’t that way,” he said softly. “Even your mother told you that.”

  She pictured her mom in front of her father’s tombstone, holding the customary wreath and telling the same tear-filled stories year after year. That was devotion. That was commitment.

  Her mother’s words came back to her, “I wanted you to remember him. You were so young when he died. You don’t have any real memories of him, so I tried to give you some. Maybe I went about it the wrong way, but I never meant to give you the impression that I was emotionally crippled.”

  Jorick brushed hair back from her face and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “It’s doesn’t matter right now. As you said, there’s plenty of time.”

  Plenty of time.

  Jorick seemed to melt. In his place was Samael with his shining eyes, so beautiful she couldn’t focus on him. His voice was warm like the sun. “
Do not be afraid. You have loosed my bonds and so I shall free you. You will stand above the world, a queen of darkness, who will never know suffering again, destiny fulfilled.”

  As he faded away she screamed after him, “Whose destiny?”

  Katelina woke the next afternoon to sunlight. Her chest ached, as if something important was missing, but she couldn’t remember what it was.

  The sound of a door drew her attention. Footsteps hurried through the rooms. The two women from the day before appeared. They carried a fresh robe and a box stuffed with hairbrushes and other items.

  They bowed quickly and the taller woman started to remove Katelina’s clothing. She jerked away. “I can dress myself.”

  Fear lit the women’s eyes. Katelina wondered if they’d get in trouble. Would Samael torture them?

  “It’s fine,” Katelina tried to sound comforting. “I’ll tell him it was my choice.”

  The taller woman wrung her hands, but stepped back. “As the mistress wishes.” She bobbed a few more times, then politely looked at the floor.

  Katelina shimmied out of her nightclothes and into the robe. It was bright yellow and intricately embroidered. As she fastened it, she wished for a pair of jeans and a sweater, or better yet a bath.

  The women insisted on brushing her hair. It felt strange sitting in silence, so she asked, “What are your names?”

  They looked at one another and finally the taller one said, “I am Chen Zhilan, and this is my sister Chen Lin.”

  “You’re both named Chen?”

  “I apologize. In English you would say it the other way. Chen is our family name.”

  “Oh. How did you end up here?” Samael had said that they were “there already”, but what did that mean?

  Zhilan hesitated. “We…We were staying at the hotel. It was Lin’s birthday. And then – “ She turned her attention back to brushing. “He is our master now.”

  “He kept the tourists who were here?”

  “Those who were in the hotels, yes. The park was closed when he took over. I…I don’t remember it well.” She brushed with renewed vigor and Katelina fell silent. She didn’t think her scalp could take another question.

  She wasn’t sure when she’d last had someone else do her hair. A memory hid beneath the shadowy surface of the present. She tried to force it into the light.

  “Why can’t I concentrate?” she demanded.

  Zhilan stopped brushing. Katelina could feel her look to Lin before she whispered, “It’s him. Since he came I can’t – we had a life before this but I can’t remember it except in bits and pieces. It’s the same for all of us. It is as if he overpowers everything. It grows worse with time.”

  Katelina started to ask who “he” was, but she knew. It was Samael.

  Lin gave a terrified squeal. Zhilan quickly apologized and fell back to her brushing. Katelina wasn’t sure if they were reacting to her, or to something only they could hear. Had Samael chastised them?

  When Katelina was groomed, the women bowed their way out to get her dinner. Katelina’s bladder was ready to burst, so she dashed to the public restroom. When she finished, she took her time returning. The afternoon sky was lit with streaks of orange near the horizon, and she veered from the familiar path and drew closer to the wall that enclosed the grounds. She could hear traffic on the other side, and she wished she could see over it.

  “If you wish the view I will show you.”

  The words sounded in her head and she jumped at the mental invasion.

  “Stay and I will join you.”

  She felt him before she saw him. When she looked his way her breath disappeared. The late afternoon sunlight sparkled on his ebony hair and gleamed on his perfect skin. He walked with long, smooth strides, his hands folded before him. His deep blue robes matched the sky to the east, and his eyes glittered.

  He stopped before her. It was only when he broke eye contact that she was able to look away from him, her cheeks flaming.

  “You wish a tour?” His voice was soft, like the coming twilight, and left her wrapped in peace.

  “Yes,” she murmured.

  “Then come.” She followed as he led her away from the buildings and through a collection of ponds and pagodas. Ornamental rocks, statues, and other points of interest slipped past. None were as absorbing as her host.

  It was several minutes before he broke the silence. “You may walk here if you like. I imagine you would find confinement wearisome. The landscape is lovely.”

  She nodded as if he’d given her an order. By command she looked to appreciate the surroundings. A few late birds chirped in the trees. The winter grass was still trimmed, but without staff it would soon be a wilderness.

  She thought of the humans he’d “kept” from the museum. They could probably handle it. Thinking of them brought back her uncomfortable morning and she tried to find words. “The women...do they have to help me dress?”

  “You are no longer a peasant. It is their duty to serve you. Have they displeased you?”

  “No.” She pictured the fear in their eyes. “But I can get dressed alone.”

  “And no doubt you could serve yourself dinner, but such things are not your concern anymore.” He motioned her up a rolling hill. “You will find your view here.”

  Though the climb was steep she hardly noticed. When she reached the top she could see over the wall to rolling mountains and a handful of ornate buildings. “Where are the cars?”

  He touched her shoulder and turned her in the other direction. There she could see the hazy sprawl of civilization.

  “I have other things that require my attention, but once they have concluded we will turn our eyes in that direction.”

  Did he mean they’d do something to the city?

  “Subjugate the chosen,” he said to her thoughts. “And drink those less worthy. There will be some time before we will attend to such matters. Let us go. Your meal should be ready soon.”

  She followed him back the way they’d come. His words left her unsettled, though she couldn’t find the will to disagree with him.

  “Tonight will be the purification of the spirit,” he said. “You will find it more enjoyable than last night’s ritual.”

  She nodded. “Did you…when you were turned…”

  “Did I undergo the ritual? Yes, of course. The gods would allow no less.”

  The gods. She had a momentary flash of vampires dressed in silk. “You served them?”

  “Yes. My memory of the beginning is not clear, as I told you last evening. I cannot recall how I came to be in their service, only that I was faithful to them. I did not ask for the favor until Lilith learned I had impregnated my brother’s wife. After that she insisted I gain the gift if I wished to keep her. The Gods refused me. It was Nuwa’s son who took pity on me.” As if he anticipated Katelina’s question, he explained, “Nuwa was the empress of all. The goddess of life. Once I was changed I stupidly begged permission to share the dark favor with the whore of darkness. After ten days of supplication the gods agreed. It made no difference, as they knew it wouldn’t. Lilith went immediately to my brother and offered to share the gift with him. He was wise enough to know that she did not have the gods’ permission. If he had accepted, it would have meant death for all of us, even his wife and the unborn child, so he refused. They packed their belongings and disappeared. I know not where they went, or how they came to mean something in legends. I do not even know if they are the Adam and Eve from your stories. I do know that they were not the first people, nor were Lilith and I the first vampires. Those titles belong so far back in the mists of time, no one breathes who can remember them.”

  Katelina nodded absently. Tiny flashes played behind her eyes as he spoke, like clips in a video. Was he sending them to her, or were they something left over from the ritual?

  He seemed oblivious to her question, lost among the demons of his past. “After that, Lilith stayed, but only because she lacked another destination. When she grew brave
enough, she ventured into the world. I did not see her for over a thousand years. I heard later that she wandered the west, drinking from children and giving immortality at will, spreading the gods’ gift across the lands. Near the end of her furlough she settled in what you would call Mesopotamia with a different set of gods. When she found that she could not claw her way to the top, she grew angry and returned to me. She was not pleased with what she found. Though I had the gods’ favors I still served them. And, with the gods’ permission, I had shared the dark favors with others.”

  “Your three wives. The ones that Lilith murdered.” Somehow Katelina knew they weren’t really wives in a romantic sense.

  “The one you call Naamah might be considered so, but the other two, no. They were only her sisters. I knew Naamah as Ji, or that’s what I remember of her name. She was kind and quiet. I don’t know that I loved her, but I was fond of her.” His voice turned bitter. “That was why she saved Ji’s heart. At first it was in a jar in the chamber where she kept me, a bitter reminder, but later it was taken.”

  Katelina felt bad for feeding it to him, even under duress.

  “It is no fault of yours. The inscription said it must be done that way, and who were you to question? Enough of the past. We are here and your meal waits. When you have finished I will return and escort you to the next ritual.”

  Her dinner was the same as the previous night. The women stood near the wall, hands behind their back and eyes on the floor. Though the food was good, she had to force it down. It felt strange eating while the sentinels stood guard. She wanted to order them out, but Samael had as much as told her to get used to it.