Chapter 33: A Penitent Being

March 1999

With her eyes now dry and her composure regained, she continued, “My friend, we have made a lot of progress tonight. I think we should move on to something a lot lighter. You like music, do you not? Art? I have something to show you!”

She put down her cup and stood up. “Come with me Malcolm. I want to have some fun with you.”

“What did you have in mind?” I asked. As wary as I was, she could still read my thoughts.

“I want to have fun, and I want to show you the rest of my house. Bring your coffee with you. You are about to receive a personal tour. Let’s go!”

She whirled about, something of a blur, and before I knew it, she was standing over at the door to the library, holding a candelabrum. She could move at lightning speed. Such powers were phenomenal to the mortal observer. I don’t think I will ever quiet get over watching her do her tricks and “special effects.”

We left the room and proceeded to go into every room in the house. As she was starting to regain her human spirit, Tayla seemed to be much more at ease while she showed me priceless antiques that she had collected over the years, and centuries. She described the history behind all the pieces, and their values on the market. I was amazed at her telling the story behind each piece and work of art, no doubt much of it being firsthand. It was an incredible display of history, and wealth!

She asked, “What would you do if you had this collection of art and antiques? I mean would you sell it off or keep it for your own personal enjoyment?”

I responded after a moment of consideration, saying, “I wouldn’t change a thing. If I owned all this, I would keep it just as it is. This house is more than a home. I don’t think anyone could ever do better with what you have here. Of course, people have different tastes and styles, but in this case, I wouldn’t change a thing. Not from what I have seen so far.” Such prophetic words I had spoken.

“Excellent! You’re a man of good taste, not to mention your other qualities.” She had said this while moving in close to me.

I could smell that pleasant scent on her that drives me crazy. It must be a pheromone. It was not overpowering, in fact, most people probably would not smell it at all. However, I could only assume that I was the target of this scent. When I was with her, it seemed that she was always seducing me with her more than ample charms, which included this scent. Was this the human side of her, or the demon slowly rearing its ugly head? She was very enchanting, so bewitching.

At that moment, it became clear to me why she was so against those who practiced the black arts of sorcery. I asked, “Tayla, can you read my thoughts, right now?” Yet I knew she could.

“Yes, I can,” she said, backing away. She knew I had just come upon another truth to all this mystery. Her blonde hair was catching the candlelight in such a way that it shone as strands of honey, cascading down her brocaded gown.

“You and the witches of the world are enemies to each other because you blame your father’s wife. She was a witch. If I am correct, you said she had used the black arts of magic and sorcery to place a curse on your father for his philandering. She handed this curse down to you and your siblings through your father. This is about sworn enemies, you and the witches, isn’t it?”

She knew I was on to something as her stare was intimidating with the piercing eyes of an eagle. A demurer expression then replaced her fierceness of her hateful stare. “You are quite right, my dear friend! I am not ashamed to say I loathe those that practice and worship the master who owns the demon that resides in me. My children are indifferent to them. It is because of them that I walk the earth as one of the undead. I have no life in my body; only power that comes from the evilest one. Your God knows this and so do you. You have told me that you sense a demon ... a powerful demon in me, and this demon is what holds me to this life, if you want to call it that. I suppose we define our own existences to ourselves. I have told you about mine and I have watched yours, from afar. Yours is a real existence. I know it is because you possess hope ... hope of real immortality, real joy, the ability to love, and to be able to pass on to another life instead of year after year, decade after decade, of blood lust and murder. There is something so evil that drives me that if you were like me, you would have to fight every night within yourself to justify that you tried not to succumb to the hunger that you are cursed with. I can cry, I can scream, and I can fight, but I cannot resist. I would never hurt you, my beloved but my will does not control my nature. Your ... God has seen fit to put you under the protection of angels, as we both have seen them in action tonight.”

She must have choked on the last sentence. As a vampire, she too had a dual nature, though not quite like Christians do. I knew she would not harm me, but I could count on the demon to do otherwise. It would like to tear me apart, limb from limb, and have me for dinner for all the clan to share. Of that, I was certain. My four guardians had prevented that tonight. I was profoundly grateful. “Tayla, I still know truly little of your world. I would have to be here for quite some time to fully understand how all this really works.” Before I could get out my next sentence, she interrupted me.

“We are not afforded that much time! We have just a few months to prepare! I can delay the gathering of the clans for a short time only. At that time, there will be a battle to fight. Many of us will die.” She paused. “Perhaps even you and me. I cannot always protect you. Even now, there are eyes that watch this house, eyes that long to get into my house to kill you. Moreover, they will try to get at your family. I did not intend for them to get involved. Your friend Lou was involved the moment he set foot inside Cordero”s rented house. We made sure you got involved by having you get the call from Lou for a consultation. I did not think Rascha would let the Dragon loose on your family. You have no need to worry as I have my familiars and clansmen alike, standing by to intervene should the Dragon make a move against them.”