A Vampire's Kiss: Part 3

A Vampire's Kiss: Part 3

Charles took a breath for a moment and met Ishlan's gaze. "So now that you've turned her, what are your intentions towards my goddaughter?" he asked seriously.

"Charles!" she said with stunned surprise.

"I see that you like him, Lizzie . . . I just don't want to see you hurt . . ." he replied honestly. "You've been through enough . .."

"I want to marry her." He said calm. "The moment I saw her, I wanted that."

Lizzie didn't know what to say. Everything was happening so fast . . . but it wasn't as if it wasn't an appealing idea . . . It seemed they've have forever to make things work . . .

Charles smiled and was a bit confused. "Can you go into churches?" he asked curiously. "You'll have to forgive me, but most of what I know of your kind is from the entertainment industry."

"As long as it is not in broad daylight, we can go anywhere we want. Crucifixes and all that nonsense... fables."

"Well, a candlelit ceremony can be arranged . . . if that's what you'd like, Lizzie . . . I mean, we haven't exactly heard from you . . ."

"I don't know," she said suddenly. "It's all just so fast . . . I mean . . ." she smiled. "I like the idea . . . I just still have so many questions . . ."

"We don't have to straight away." Ishlan said. "We have all the time in the world."

She smiled softly and took his hand in her own.

"So . . ." Charles replied. "What should I tell our business associates?"

"That . . . I have been called away on some other important matters, but that I can always be reached by the computer. And you know, if anything pressing comes up, I'll deal with it. There will just have to be adjustments . . ."

"As we spoke about," he said. "I just worry for you . . ." He sighed. "I suppose I should also ask if your kind have any enemies . . . or are vampire hunters also made up?"

"They aren't. But they only hunt who is stepping in their way, I am not, my kills entail people who deserve to die, thus I am safe for them."

"So Elizabeth should be safe then?"

"Yes she will be."

"Lizzie, how about you hunt around the kitchen and see if you can't find some of those chocolate chip cookies we like so much . . . I believe there's an unopened bag of them in one of the cupboards . . . Anna can show you where if she's still puttering around."

She gave him an exasperated look, knowing he wanted to speak with Ishlan alone. Reluctantly she left.

Charles looked at Ishlan. "Did she tell you how she contracted the aids virus?" he asked. "Since you knew she had it . . . did she tell you?"

"No, she hasn't. But a vampire can smell that from a mile away.."

"Well, she was raped . . ." he said with a sigh and walked to a window. They never did catch the man . . . He disappeared into the shadows . . . Emotionally, I wasn't sure she'd recovered. It's only been a year . . . It wasn't the first time either. Though the others were long ago . . . She didn't tell me until only a handful of years ago after her father died."

"Maybe that serves a good dinner if I lay my hands on him.."

"One can only hope," he replied with a wry smile. "I didn't think she'd tell you the whole story . . . She isn't an open book. Perhaps you did your research on her. Perhaps not . . . There isn't a lot in the company profile except what one would expect . . . Qualifications . . . accomplishments . . . Nothing personal. I think the only reason I know is that she trusts me . . . I would never turn my back on her when others have . . . I promised her father, right before he died that I'd watch over her like my own . . . It's not like I wouldn't anyway. I was there the day she was born. She IS like my own . . ."

"There is no reason to not be there for her, love doesn't change, she won't see you as a prey."

"I wouldn't think so . . ." he replied. "But I just want you to know what she means to me . . . that I would do anything to protect her . . . and if there is anything she needs to keep her safe, I need to know."

"She needs a place like this, with special windows, she needs me to teach her how to be a vampire, and if she loves me still after that, she can choose to marry her and if not, she knows what she needs to get for an own house."

"I'll see about having the windows done immediately," he said. "In case she should ever need another place to stay . . . What about travel? How do you do it? Where do you stay? It's not as if you can go on holiday easily . . . There are just things I'm curious about."

"I mostly travel by car, I have adjusted those windows."

"And hotels?" he asked.

"Cottages and hotel rooms can be adjusted."

"All right . . ." he said. "And what would happen if she did become exposed to the light?" This was a real, genuine concern for her. It was reflected in his eyes,

"She will burn to a crisp and die." He said.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "But you'll keep her safe? She isn't prone to being reckless usually . . . but she's had her moments . . ."

"Yes I promise you."

He relaxed a moment and met that man's eyes. "I will hold you to that . . ."

"Hold him to what?" Elizabeth asked as she entered the room with a plate of cookies and went to pour herself a cup of coffee. She then brought the tray over and set it on the table near them.

"Well?" she asked again, as she dunked her cookie in the hot liquid for a moment and took a bite.

"He made me promise to take good care of you, which I shall."

"Charles . . ." she said as she blushed.

"I have a right," he grinned.

"He does."

Charles grabbed a cookie and dunked it in a cup of coffee as well.

"So . . . what do you two do now?" he asked. "I mean, are you going to go out and prowl the night?" He grinned.

"Yes we will when she feels like it."

She smiled. "Well, I don't know about that, but I wouldn't mind walking around a bit . . . You wouldn't believe all I can see and hear now . . . and smell . . . It's incredible, really . . ."

"I'm sure it is," he replied.

They stayed a bit longer before they decided it was time to leave.

Ishlan looked at him. "I shall protect her, vampires are a rather tight pack, you would be surprised how many of us there are.."

"I'm sure I would be," he said. "Always feel free to stop by for a visit . . ."

"As long as it is after sundown." He says. "We shall."

"Good . . ."

They didn't stay much longer as she knew Charles needed to sleep with his new found responsibilities. Not that he minded, she knew. He had wanted her to out for awhile . . . just not exactly in this way.

As they walked the city, she marveled at the sounds and sights. The lights twinkled and the colors were so vibrant. It was like seeing it all for the first time. And smelling the restaurants . . . and flowers . . . and garbage . . . It had rained earlier in the day and she could even smell the wetness of a dog . . . somewhere . . . and she heard heartbeats of the people that passed them. It was disconcerting and she looked at Ishlan.

"Am I supposed to be able to hear their heartbeats?" she asked quietly.

"Oh yes.. you are and you shall." He said. "You need to feed." He went to the fridge and poured a glass of blood again, then he warmed it in the microwave.

She took it and drank it. Though it still seemed strange to her, it was less disturbing now. "What kind of blood is this anyway?" she asked curiously.

"The blood of a cow, I get it from the slaughterhouses."

"Ah . . ." she said as she finished it. She stood up and went to the window, looking out across the sky. Part of her felt lost and part of her felt found . . . It was a strange contradiction for her.

"Human blood is better." He said.

She turned to him. "I don't know if I can do it . . ." she said seriously. "How will I know?"

"You will be able to I promise, but you should know why you kill, besides to stay alive." he said.

"Why then?" she asked curiously.

"You have a purpose, to rid the world of vermin, rapists, murderers.."

"And how do we know who they are?" she asked seriously. She only knew two of her rapists. Maybe she would go after them one day . . . but the man that had given her aids she didn't know . . .

"I hear that from Peter Harden."

"The man whose number you left on the side table for me . . ." she said softly.

He nods.

She was still unsure. "What does he do?" she asked. "Does he just give you information and you hunt these people down? Is there training?"

"There is training, he shall tell you that. He works for secret services."

"I just . . ." There was so much uncertainty in her green eyes. Could she actually take a life. Would a new instinct kick in? Would she feel guilty afterwards?

"You will do fine, especially after your first kill."

She sighed. "Did you ever feel guilt?" she asked curiously.

"At first I did, when I didn't know what I needed to kill, I am now 500 years old, and have always worked for people I can trust fully; besides running my various companies."

"So . . . I call Peter Harden . . . I am guessing you'd be my teacher though . . ."

"If he wishes that I shall."

"So . . . he could accept me or reject me . . ."

"Yes."

"And what if he rejects me?" she asked curiously.

"He won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he knows my knowledge of people.'

She was silent for a moment. "When do you suggest I call? Do I wait until morning?"

"You can call now."

She met his eyes once more for assurance and then went into the other room to the phone; taking the number and calling it.

A man answered the phone.

"Is this Peter Harden?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Is this Elizabeth Bennet?"

"Yes," she said softly. "I guess you know why I'm calling . . ."

"I believe I do," he said.

They talked for the better part of an hour before he hung up with her and called Ishlan.

"Ishlan."

"It's Peter," he said. "Train her. She could be a useful asset, but when she's out to make a kill, you need to make sure she knows how to be invisible . . . there are people that know her name and face."

"I know that Peter thank you, I shall teach her to vanish, I shall teach her all the skills."

"Watch her though," he said. "I am pretty sure she can do this, but I can tell she has a strong emotional streak. Still, I know she didn't get where she was in business without having a level head too . . . but this was a literally life altering event.

"I am aware. Do you know her rapist?"

"Not yet," he said. "But I've requested the DNA . . . We'll run it through our own database and see what comes up."

"Very well, what shall be tonight's kill?"

His name is Kevin Millson," he replied. "Serial rapist but has managed to wiggle out of a conviction three times. He was just released and is probably on the prowl. He frequents the bars near the boardwalk."

"Can you send me a picture?"

"Of course," he replied. "It's already on the computer. This should be a good one to start her off with . . . In fact, she could make the perfect bait."

"I agree." He said. "I shall arrange it."

"Good," he said. With that, he hung up the phone.
Ishlan read the information. "Your first kill is tonight." He said handing her the data. They had spent some time with the shadow-step, vanish and other vampiric abilities.

She read what he was. Would it really be so hard, she thought. "So he likes my type . . ." she replied, gathering the information from the report.

"He does."

She sighed. "I guess we should go . . ."

"Yes, now is the time for it."

They went down to the boardwalk. It wasn't overly busy, but there was a bit of a crowd. It was her third bar she'd entered when she saw him drinking . . . chatting with the bartender. For a moment, her heartbeat literally echoed in her own ears. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the bar.

"Long Island Iced Tea," she said to the bartender just beside the man.

"One long island for the lady," the bartender said as he mixed it up.

"Why don't you let me pay for that," the man smirked.

"Oh . . . no, that's all right," she said. He would be more likely to go after her, if she refused him, she was sure. He seemed the type.

"Come on . . . It's just a drink . . . How can you turn down a free drink?"

She smirked at him with her green eyes. "Like this," she said paying for the drink and taking it, walking over to a table. She chatted with a few other people. Making small talk had never been a problem for her with all the functions she'd had to attend. But she sensed his eyes hardly left her.

As she finished the drink and left the bar she walked slowly and just as she predicted, he was out the door . . . she could hear his feet on the pavement and hear his heartbeat. She could even sense his aggression . . . maybe it came more in the form of a smell.

She let him catch up to her as she reached a dark alley. Suddenly, he grabbed her from behind and pushed her into the darkness clamping his hand over her mouth. For a split second, she was back to that night almost a year ago and purely on instinct, she fought back. With her new-found strength, she sent him flying into the other wall of the alley. He hit with a sickening thud, but wasn't dead. He got back to his feet and growled.

"Bitch!" He went after her.

That moment was more like a blur as she had managed to get him from behind and before she realized it, he was dead . . . she had bitten his neck . . . drank his blood. As his heart stopped beating, she dropped his body to the ground. She looked at it and saw her reflection in a puddle from a street light not too far away.

Pale skin . . . her lips and chin covered in blood.

"Bit wild that can be done better.. but she too had gotten it, the feeling of the heart over her whole body, the feeling of no return to her mind, and the intense victory, the great taste of the fresh blood...

"For a moment . . . I thought . . ." But her voice died away. The flashback had been unexpected and strong.

"That he could rape you? Impossible he is a mortal."

"I know . . ." she said softly. "It was . . . just . . . familiar . . ." She didn't know what else to say. She hadn't voiced to him about her own rape.

"You need to get used to it."

"Yeah," she said, bending down to wash her face with the little bit of water that was down there.

"Come, we go home. It shall be light soon.”

"All right," she said and followed. A mixture of emotions ran through her, but no guilt for having killed the man. He had, after all, tried to rape her.

He brought her to his car and drove off.

Once back at the house he walked her back to the bedroom. She needed to shower . . . but she turned around and held onto him suddenly. It was more for comfort than anything else, but she wanted him to be with her . . . To hold her . . . to kiss her . . .

He did just that, he kissed her, held her close…