5 - Real as ever

The night of their arrival Vlad checked them in then led her to their room. It was larger than she expected and from the looks of the place expensive but her attention was drawn to the window. Looking down at the pool, the people sitting at the little tables and to one side was a garden that was full of exotic plants and flowers their scent hung in the air “Can I go down” she asked Vlad excitedly. “Not yet, I have to meet someone downstairs in about ten minutes, you’ll have to stay here till I get back, then we’ll go down” Maddy hung her head, stuck her alone “But what if you don’t come back for ages, the sun might……” Vlad threw up his hands “I’ll be back”

Vlad was only away five minutes when he returned “Someone wants to meet you” he growled. Maddy looked at him surprised but got  no other explanation, following him downstairs they entered the bar which was dark but tastefully decorated, the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke assaulted her nose.  Her eyes scanned the lounge as she tried to work out which person they were to join, her gaze fell on a tall slim man, his liquid eyes and pale skin a sign of what he was. Approaching the man he stood “So, you must be Maddy, may I call you Maddy Madison sounds so formal?” Maddy nodded and took a seat. “So my child how are you settling, getting used to be a Vampire” Maddy nodded again. Aaron laughed “There’s no need to be so shy, I’m not going to bite you”

“Vlad tells me that me that we can’t read your mind, I have to admit I have been trying since you arrived and I am unable to get through” Maddy turned and glared at Vlad. “Oh it’s not his fault, I would have got it one way or another” his voice lowered “Tell me can you read mine?”  She looked at Aaron briefly then turned away “Yes” she whispered. “What can you read?” Quickly scanning his mind she gave him his age and that he was from England. “Anybody could have told you that, tell me something else” Again she searched “You are really a Roman soldier who chose to stay after you married a English woman who you loved very much” Aaron was stunned, nobody knew his history and he had certainly never spoken of Demelza and her speed and ease of which she gained the knowledge was astounding. 

“Vlad will you leave us for a while” Rising Vlad looked at Maddy who had panic written all over her face. “I won’t be far” Maddy instinctively got to her feet. Taking her arm Aaron assured her he would be in the Lobby.  Taking her seat she answered his questions, her family, school what she liked to do in her spare time. “Maddy I may be a Vampire but I’m no demon, trust me besides I’m sure you read my mind thoroughly, if I was up too something you’d know” It was true, here brief look into his head had although quick was thorough, she knew all his life. “Why do you stay a Vampire?” Aaron laughed “What else is there, death, no I enjoy my life as such, Vampire isn’t a disease or Illness it’s a life state, a rebirth if you will”

“Put it this way, I have lived in more eras than historians can only dream of, I have loved more than I care to remember, read the great books, my dear I have met the authors” She wasn’t convinced “But to live in hiding, to feed on blood?” Aaron saw her point “The downside to our condition, yes we must drink only blood but we have never been mindless killers, sure there was a few but most of us preserve life, and we no longer live in the shadows we are now part of society, ignorance and superstition gave us reason to hide can still be a problem but both sides learn from the other”  Aaron took her hand a squeezed it “Give it a chance, the only other choice is death but who knows, in time they may find a cure” Although if he had the choice he would stay Vampire.

Vlad returned and the two men chatted, Maddy instinctively moved closer to him, deep in her own thoughts she paid no attention to the strong arm that circled her. Back at their room Vlad called room service and together they sat and drank. “Aaron is your friend?” Vlad nodded. “He is very old, older than you” Vlad nodded again “He taught me all I know, I was his student for centuries” Maddy was surprised “You have students” Vlad chuckled “Of course, we are not turned and left to it, the one that turns must teach” It made sense, to leave them to fend for themselves would be foolish and dangerous, remembering her own Anger. “Am I your student?” Vlad nodded as he refreshed his glass. “But you were not the one that turned me” He smiled “But you needed someone”

With their drinks finished they took a walk. Maddy watched in awe at the elegant woman dressed in their finery, the ones draped round the pool or a man. They may have the perfect life, money and anything they wanted but very few of them were truly happy. Passing the pool they headed for the garden, Maddy gasped at the colourful array, huge trees nestled together surrounded by bright exotic plants and there scent was intoxicating, she could only guess where the plants came from. “That’s a Cyprus rose and over there is a Spider Lilly or Hell flower” Maddy listened as he gave some of the names. “Have you been to these places?” Taking a seat he told her of his visits to these and other countries.

The following night they worked on Maddy’s control and although slow it was coming along. “I would show you how to read minds but as you seem to be a brick wall it’s not possible” Vlad informed her. “That’s ok, I can do that” Vlad looked at her shocked “You can!” Maddy turned away embarrassed by her revelation “I’ve been able to read minds since I was little but Mum and Dad promised me to keep it secret” Could that explain why they couldn’t read her. “Its special to have such a rare gift as that” Maddy laughed “A gift, more like a curse” Slowly she told him of her dislike of it “You read things you don’t want to know” Like hearing the kids thoughts at school, of what they thought of her or her dads affair which he had convinced her would do no good telling mum. Afraid of tears she changed the subject “I felt a heart beating, is that normal?”

“No, we can feel emotions if their close enough” he didn’t add except hers “We can read minds but the heart beating has never been heard of before” His voice lowered as he asked “Can you feel mine” Maddy closed her eyes and concentrated “Not as such, yours doesn’t exactly beat but I can feel it” Vlad was shocked, she did it so easily “Come on, let’s get out of here” pulling her to her feet. They spent the next few hours wandering the late night stalls and exploring the area. Vlad felt several Vampires close by in fact quite a few and all of them looked at Maddy with curiosity as the found they couldn’t enter her head. Maddy seemed oblivious to this and Vlad kept a closer eye on her and their surroundings, they should have stayed at the hotel.

Back at the hotel they had a drink; Maddy was her usual quiet self. “You don’t talk much?” Maddy looked at him “Sorry, should I” Vlad smiled “No, not unless you want too” Maddy shook her head, why, she wasn’t into idle chit chat. Giving a weak smile back she turned away. “You are still afraid of me, why” Maddy looked at him unsure, yes she feared him, scared of what he was capable of, scared of what he thought of her and that bothered her most of all, she was relying on him to keep her safe, sane. Taking the glass from her he put it to one side then taking her hand led her to the bedroom “Time to sleep”

On their last night they sat in the garden, most of the guests didn’t bother with the place their interests lay in where the best club or who was having the biggest party. Maddy watched a bee as it flew from plant to plant, its life was simple, organised a complete contrast to her own unstable mind and body. The bee flew closer then landed on Maddy’s hair; Vlad watched in awe, he reached out to it only to have it fly away. Maddy turned to him “What’s wrong?” Vlad looked her “A bee……” she looked like one of the flowers here, vibrant but so delicate as if a simple breeze would be her final undoing, his hand reached up to her face his long fingers traced along her jaw, she had changed her hair style which made it look longer. Maddy stared into his eyes wishing she could read what he was thinking, just once.

His lips pressed gently onto hers…….

Part 4                                                                   Part 6