Chapter 14

Mark was alone — a relatively rare occurrence in recent weeks. Lilith had said she needed to take care of something for a few days but would be back as soon as she could.

Over a month had passed since their conversion and there still was no word of Julia. Mark had to acknowledge a stark reality. Julia either had sex with an Elysian or Dacian ... or she was dead.

Mark pondered the first possibility and felt jealousy slightly distorting his thoughts. It was ridiculous, of course. She had no choice. Also, he was having sex with Lilith. It was, as Lilith had said “what we do.” And, oddly, he hadn’t minded much if at all when Julia had had sex with Charles. It was the thought of Julia having sex with a stranger that set him off. He was keenly aware of the hypocrisy.

He thought about the Elysians. They had a completely different view of romantic love and sex – fluid and dynamic, in which monogamy just didn’t seem to play a part. This was partly by necessity, of course: sex with other people was mandatory for conversion and, for females, sometimes necessary for survival. But aside from that, their view seemed to be that love and intimacy should flow freely among Elysians, unburdened by the confines of traditional monogamy – anything seemed to go as long as it was consensual. He remembered Vivian that morning in their bedroom. None of that had been necessary for conversion: it was just for fun – and not just with him! He wondered if Elysians were hypersexual; whether this was some direct or indirect effect of conversion. He thought about his own sex drive, which didn’t seem materially different. Of course, it was still early. On the other hand, he hadn’t put up any resistance at all that first night with Lilith, much less since...

His phone buzzed.

“Mark?”

“Yes.”

“I have some very bad news. Charles is dead.”

“Dead?!”

“Yes. Shot. They got him and the three guys who rescued you.”

“Jesus Christ! Who did it?”

“This isn’t something we should talk about on the phone. Can you leave right away?”

“Yes,” Mark said.

Robert gave him instructions on where to go and what to do.

An hour later, they met on a bench in a small neighborhood park.

“We don’t know for sure who it was, but it’s not hard to guess,” Robert said.

“It is for me,” Mark replied.

“The same Elysians who snatched you. But we also have a video from the CCTV across the street of one of them going into the building. I want you to take a look at it.”

He pulled out his phone and scrolled. Then he turned the screen to Mark.

The video was grainy — it was night. It was also brief, lasting only a few seconds.

“Can you play it again?” Mark asked.

He watched it three times.

“Anything?” said Robert.

Mark nodded, his eyes dark.

“I recognize the way he moves.”

It was Miles.

Mark relayed to Robert the little information he had on Miles. He described him as well as he could and everything he could recall about what Miles had done and the very few things he had said.

“Not much to go on, but every little bit helps.”

“How is Vivian doing?”

“She’s okay. Deeply sad, of course, and deeply angry.”

The following morning, after much thought, Mark called Robert. He asked again about Vivian. Then he asked: “Can I see her?”

Robert hesitated. “I don’t think that would be a good idea right now.”

“Please, it’s important. I need to talk to her. There’s something I need to tell her.”

“That you can’t tell me?”

“I’d prefer to tell her directly. It’s something I also need to talk to her about.”

There was a long pause. “I’ll see what I can do,” Robert said. “I’m not promising anything, but I’ll get back to you.”

He called later that morning. He told Mark where to go and what to do.

_____________________________________________________________ It was an apartment building in the downtown area, above retail space. Mark pulled his car into the underground garage, and there, in the dimly lit space, met Robert. They rode up the elevator together. Vivian opened the door. She was wearing a simple frock and no makeup; she looked much younger. She rushed into Mark’s arms, clinging tightly to him as he stroked her hair.

“I’ll, uh, be downstairs,” Robert said. Then he looked at Vivian and tapped his watch.

Vivian nodded, her eyes lingering on Robert as he left, before turning her attention back to Mark.

“What was that about?” Mark asked.

“He didn’t like the idea of us meeting. He said we had to keep it short. I think he’s worrying unnecessarily but that’s what he does.”

They sat together on the couch.

“I’m terribly sorry about Charles,” Mark said, taking her hand in both of his. “How are you faring?”

“I’m all right. This is...” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “That bloody fool Victor. I knew something like this was next.”

“Victor?”

“The one who killed that man while rescuing you.”

“Oh,” Mark said, briefly reliving the scene of John on the ground, blood pouring from his eye.

“I knew it would be bad,” Vivian said, “That she’d take revenge on him. But this?! She killed them all, all of them! And Charles, too. Just massacred them!”

“She?”

“Lilith!”

Mark’s head spun. He found it impossible to reconcile the woman he had been with the past few days with the assassin Vivian was describing.

“Are you certain it was her?” Mark asked.

“I’m certain. Robert said you recognized one of her men. They’re part of a unit. They don’t work alone. And she’s their leader. It was her.”

Oh, God, Mark thought. This isn’t going to be easy.

“Vivian,” he said, putting his hand on her arm. “I have to tell you something.”

She nodded, looking at him expectantly.

“Lilith contacted me.”

Vivian’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh my God. What did she say?”

“She...” He shook his head. “She said she wanted to make up.”

“To make up? Did you respond?”

“I ... well, she was there, with me.”

“There? In your apartment?”

“Yes.”

“Oh God, Mark! What happened?”

“A lot. I don’t know where to start.”

“Did she hurt you or do anything to you?”

“No, no, nothing like that.”

Vivian glanced at the door. “We can’t talk about this here.”

Mark wondered why not, but said nothing.

Vivian thought for a moment. “Do you know the Regent Hotel?”

“No.”

“It’s on Virginia and 4th. Can you meet me there at...” She looked at her watch. “Four o’clock?”

“Yes.”

“Same cell number?”

Mark nodded. He’d given her his cell number despite Robert’s ban on direct communication.