Chapter 6: Chapter 6

There was one word that perfectly described Marcel. Flamboyant. And his parties reflected his personality. Tonight’s soiree was no exception. Marcel’s sprawling property sat in one of the most expensive and exclusive communities in the suburbs, giving him complete privacy. Glittering lights and lustrous silk drapes swathed the meticulously manicured gardens. A huge, white tent stood in the middle, dominating the perfectly trimmed grounds. Inside it were clusters of colorful velvet chairs set around a raised dais, where a quartet dressed in gold and white brocade was playing some lively classical music.

The theme of the party, French Royalty, was Marcel’s favorite, mostly, because he couldn’t resist reliving his opulent life in the courts of Louis XIV. Of course, Marcel’s rendition had its own added twists, like endless rounds of wasteful food orgies and risqué entertainment bordering on outright lewd. I could tolerate all of it, except for the inevitable sexual bacchanalia toward the end. Those who came only to remain in Marcel’s good graces, and possibly out of boredom, left before this distasteful finale. I usually stayed up to the very end to ensure everyone returned home, alive and whole, if not entirely well. The humans were often drunk beyond reason and had to be escorted home by a security team composed entirely of their own kind. Marcel paid each one of them a ridiculous amount of gold to ensure their silence.

The party was already in full swing when I arrived. Vampires with human guests were in various states of revelry. Some sat inside the tent, listening in rapt attention to the quartet as they silently fondled their companions. Others were at the buffet tables, daintily picking items from the sumptuous feast. Despite what most legends espoused, vampires could still eat regular food. We just didn’t need it to survive. And there were a lot of things we had to avoid, like garlic, onions, basically all spices, which made eating cooked food quite a chore. Hence, most vampires would rather eat raw meat and non-citrus fruits. We’re also allergic to anything citrusy.

I sat as far away from everyone, my eyes lazily scanning the scene. Marcel promised this would be a tame affair and so far, he was keeping to his word. Our host was resplendent in a pastel blue and gold ensemble. Every bit the aristocrat he was. He had tried to pry me out of my seat, tempting me with a decanter of Type A- he was hoarding for himself, and became chagrined when I declined. He seemed to have forgotten that I drank nothing in public. It was too easy to slip something lethal in a drink. Not that I didn’t trust Marcel. He was too careless about such things.

When I saw him striding towards me with the twin brunettes, the ones he promised to introduce me to, I sighed. I wouldn’t be able to turn them away so easily. They looked striking, models most probably. Still, they couldn’t hold a candle to the dark-haired, lovely girl sleeping in my bed, whose scent was enough to send my senses soaring. Being a gentleman, however, I had to rise to my feet in the presence of two lovely ladies. Never mind that I doubted if they were ‘ladies’ in the strict sense of the word.

“There you are, mon ami. Hiding in the shadows again, are we?” Marcel said, laughing.

“Perhaps I have reason to remain in the shadows,” I said, lifting a brow at him. He got my drift. I wasn’t here merely as his friend, but also as an Enforcer.

“Oh, pish, posh. Lighten up once in a while, Nick,” he said, smirking. “I come bearing gifts, my friend. This is Tanya,” he said, nodding at the girl to his left. “And this is her twin, Tatiana,” he said, kissing the cheek of the girl clinging to his right arm.

I took Tanya’s hand and planted a soft kiss on her white knuckles, doing the same to her twin. The latter barely glanced at me, obviously more interested in Marcel. Tanya, however, was looking at me with more than passing fancy. Desire bloomed in her eyes the moment my lips touched her hand. I almost flinched at the silent invitation. In another time, I would’ve welcomed it. She was human and willing, exactly my type. Yet, I couldn’t drum up enough enthusiasm to spend even a minute with her.

Marcel caught on quickly and, to avoid embarrassing Tanya, blurted out, “Oh, I almost forgot! Tanya, dear, didn’t you say you wanted to meet the artist behind the paintings in my bed...uhm...study?”

My friend’s near slip almost made me laugh. He’d sampled both girls’ charms, naturally, but thankfully had the decency to keep it to himself. Tanya seemed oblivious to it, though.

“Yes! Is he here?” she said, her eyes shining with renewed passion. “Oh, please, Marcel, I’d like to meet him. Do you think he will paint me, too?”

“He will be delighted, I’m sure. Come, my lovely ladies, let’s go see what Giorgio is up to,” he said, steering the girls away. He glanced back at me and mouthed, “You owe me.”

I grinned and gave Marcel a courtesan’s bow. He shook his head and smirked before turning his full attention to the girls in his arms. Left to my own devices, I sat back down and was about to return to brooding silence when someone pulled up a chair next to mine. It was Boris Volkov, my efficient ‘cleaner’ and right-hand man. Boris was not too fond of parties, and his presence here surprised me.

“Boss,” he said with his signature grunt. He was a bear of a man, with the matching temperament. Only a fool would cross him.

“I didn’t think I would ever live to see you rubbing elbows with Marcel’s crowd,” I said, turning a critical eye on him, a bit annoyed by his sudden appearance. Work didn’t interest me one bit. I would rather go back to thinking about the girl in my bed, imagining what she was dreaming about.

“Sorry to bother you, boss,” Boris said, noting my displeasure. He might be a fierce black bear to others, but he was a docile teddy bear to me.

“What is it?” I said, recognizing Boris’ troubled look. It sent me on high alert in an instant.

“Torres sent me another message, boss. They had found three more bodies this morning. Same MO. He wants to meet, says his superiors are breathing down his neck on this. He thinks they’re going to revive the old task force.”

If I were still human, I would’ve felt a chill slithering down my spine. Frank Torres was our human contact at the local Police Department. I’d never met the man, having always sent Boris in my stead. But I knew of his reputation. He was level-headed, smart, and not one to play office politics. All he cared about was protecting his fellow humans. When he learned about our world’s existence seven years ago, it shocked him. But he was also accepting. Not wanting to create undue panic amongst his kind, he agreed to keep our secret, with the only caveat being that we control our own. It was why the Count sent me here.

“Go meet with him in the morning and round up the Knights. We need to focus everything we have on this. Where were the bodies found?”

“In an old warehouse. This time in what locals call old Makati, part of our territory,” Boris said with chagrin.

I understood Boris’ sentiment. It was bad enough that some of our deranged members were perpetrating these depraved acts, but to have their victims found in our area of responsibility was too much of an insult. They were rubbing their crimes in our faces, taunting us with their ability to stay beneath our radar.

“Tell me more about their victims,” I said, not really wanting to know. I’d always tried to keep the casualties faceless and nameless. It helped me stay objective and detached.

“The victims had pinprick marks on their bodies, drained of blood, and left hanging naked, placed on display. Torres said someone grabbed and killed them elsewhere.

The places where Torres’ men discovered them were nothing but staging areas. All were women in their early twenties.”

Early twenties, just like Mira. Suddenly, a desire to go home and check up on her threatened to overwhelm me. I wanted nothing more than to make sure that she was safe.

Of course, she was, I chided myself. My house was the safest place she could be in the city. But what about tomorrow? I promised to take her home in the morning.

What then? How could I ensure her safety once she’s outside the haven of my protection?

And short of revealing our world to her and the dangers it posed on her kind, I didn’t have any valid reason to make her stay.

I could lock her up just to prevent her from leaving. I owned the entire building; it wouldn’t be difficult to keep her there. But would that be wise? Wouldn’t it turn me into nothing more than a hated prison warden? No, that wouldn't do. I could watch over her, trail her on her way to and from work. I could easily do it without alarming her to my presence. Or, I could keep guards posted in her home and place of work. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t give my paranoid mind any peace. I couldn’t entrust her life to anyone else. It was something I must do myself. This party, however, I could leave in Boris’ capable hands.

“Stay here, Boris. Keep your ears and eyes open. Not everyone here is Marcel’s friend. A lot are just hangers on or plus ones. Observe them all. Did you bring anyone with you?”

“Stefan and Marcus. I left them in the van.”

“Bring them in. Marcel knows them both, he wouldn’t mind. If he asks, tell him I instructed you to provide added security. Make sure the humans return home breathing and in one piece.”

Boris nodded and left his seat to do as told. He was the best in my team of Enforcers; he would do everything to the letter. I should say goodbye to Marcel, but I feared he would try his best to keep me from leaving. He was very good at persuasion, as it was one of his many vampiric special powers. I didn’t want to be subjected to its effect tonight. I needed to think, to plan a way to keep Mira protected from these unknown villains.

But most of all, I needed to gaze at her sleeping form one last time. Despite the excruciating torment and unquenchable thirst her presence would surely bring me, I still wanted to be near her. I was like the proverbial moth getting drawn to the flame.

And I feared that just like the moth, I, too, would burn.