The Dark Proposal Part 20

Two hours later, she was heading back to the apartment. She had bought a dress, two tops, and some jewelry from one of the boutiques she always dreamed of shopping in. It felt weird to be going to a place where the rich and stylish frequented at first, but then she decided to have fun. It was clear that Daniel wanted to spoil her so she wouldn't object to becoming a vampire. He knew the high life enticed her, and now he was giving it to her, in exchange for her soul.

Perhaps that was what made her love him. He was clearly rich given the neighborhood where he lived, and he had studied in England and France. When he showed interest in her, it was arousing to see that a good looking, well-educated man with money to his name could like her and not judge her for her average background. If only she hadn't got caught up in the fantasy of living the high life or she probably wouldn't have developed feelings for Daniel.

Did she love him? Did he love her? If he did, she would have to play along or else something terrible could happen. But she no longer loved him. There was no way to feel affection for someone like Daniel.

Once she was back inside the apartment building, he buzzed her in and again, he was waiting in the doorway when the elevator doors opened. He looked amused at the sight of the two shopping bags.

"You had fun, I see," he laughed.

Claire laughed too. "I went someplace reasonable. Pricey, but reasonable."

"Well, let's see what you got!"

She took out the jewelry first: a wide, beaded bracelet and vintage earrings. She then showed off a royal blue silk V-neck top and a cashmere ivory turtleneck. The final item was the dress she intended to wear for her transformation. Her hands shook as she lifted the strapless black velvet c.o.c.ktail dress out of its garment bag and held it up, her breath struggling to come out.

"It's beautiful," Daniel hushed. "It's going to look lovely with that necklace."

Claire forced a nod. When she had picked out the dress, she was busy imagining all the parties she could attend while wearing it, forgetting that her blood would come pouring out on to it. She had deliberately forgotten that because of the elation of shopping at the SoHo boutique.

Daniel's blue-green eyes were intent on her, a soothing expression in them. He knew what was on her mind.

"Claire," he reached over and put his hands over hers. "Everything is going to be alright. There is nothing to get upset over."

She fought against a choke and lost. "I'm not saying you're not going to stop missing everyone you care about," he continued. "But you're going to meet new friends who will become like family, and I will always be here. Time heals wounds. One thing I can definitely say I learned is that such pain does not last forever." He pressed his forehead against hers and whispered a few soft words until she calmed down. He then kissed her forehead gently and squeezed her shoulders.

"You might as well put it back in the garment bag," he nodded at the dress. "Wouldn't want to get it damaged."

She agreed and did so. She took the clothes and put them away in the bedroom.

For the remainder of the day, Claire curled up on the couch with the TV on, while Daniel emailed his students their final grades. He told her about how disappointed he was in some, but proud that many had learned from him. She did some talking as well, asking about what they would do in Paris, besides the obvious. This led to a discussion on what kind of future they would have together. They talked about being writers forever, using pseudonyms if they had to, and traveling the world together. Claire had to admit to herself that it felt exciting knowing she could go anywhere in the world, though she would have to be careful at what time of day she would travel.

The dreamy look on her face as she talked about visiting places she had never been to might have prompted Daniel to begin telling her about his life - the one after he made a vampire. She couldn't help but listen. Maybe it was the intoxicating way he spoke or the words he used to describe life in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America through the centuries. Either way, it reminded her of the days before all this madness, when she and Daniel would just sit and talk for hours because they knew how to keep each other listening.

As he told his story some more, she admitted to herself that he did have a nice streak. He was easy to hold a conversation with and easy to be around. During that afternoon into early evening, Claire felt she could learn to enjoy his presence again.

But when he went out to hunt late that night, she wanted to pinch herself back to reality, but she couldn't. It was useless. In a few days she would be like him, hunting and killing innocent people. There was no stopping that; she had given her word to end the deaths of people she cared about, and to prevent whatever torture would have come to her. Any reasonable person would have agreed to join the vampires, so she did nothing wrong or selfish. It was only natural.

She was watching TV when he returned close to midnight. His skin was flushed with a healthy glow thanks to the night's blood. She flinched when she saw him, but not out of fright. He noticed, extended his hand and led her to bedroom. "It has been a long while," he purred into her ear.

"You're right," she whispered back. "It has been."

With the lights on, Claire and Daniel made love through the night. The conversation they'd had earlier brought them closer together, and this was the final connection that sealed their newfound relations.h.i.+p. Even he had to say her transition was going well.

"You seemed more at ease today," he said, lying beside her, propped up by his elbow. He slowly ran his hand down the side of her body. "I'm glad to see that. I was afraid things would be tense between us."

She squirmed a little and gently placed her hand on top of his. "I guess I figured this is for the best for us. There was no way we could have gone on if I knew what you were. Especially with the secrecy of the vampires."

He nodded emphatically. "I know it was not easy to make this choice. It's like being a star-crossed pair in a way." He stopped tracing her body and looked into her eyes. "But, you will adjust, and what upsets you now, won't in the long run."

"Out of curiosity, what if it won't?"

Slight darkness appeared in his eyes and he frowned, "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, it is big change for me. Perhaps too big for me to handle?"

"Oh come on, Claire!" He laughed. "Once you see the world differently - and you will, you'll be amazed by it - you won't want to go back to being human. I have never heard of any one of us wanting to return to being human once the dark blood entered us, and I've been around for a long time."

"Okay, okay." She sat up. "I'm just nervous, that's all. It's the fear of the unknown that I'm going through."

"You've got nothing to fear," he whispered softly. "I'm here to guide you, to help you and to be with you. And soon, you'll be as excited as I was when I first became like this. You'll embrace your life more than ever before. I'm telling you, the world will be at your feet because you have and do anything you want! There are no rules, nothing to fear, no limits. You're going to love it, ma chere, I promise you."

She looked at Daniel as he traced the side of her face. He was elated to be a vampire. Certainly being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d in medieval Europe made his mortal life miserable, and vampirism was his salvation. He clearly believed in it so much that he wanted to give that salvation to her.

Her thoughts froze when Daniel leaned down to begin devouring her lips, getting her ready for another session. She decided to set aside her thinking for some more s.e.x, since it was exhilarating, and just maybe because he enjoyed being with her. The way his masculine hands glided over her body, the way he concentrated on her enjoyment, how he looked at her in the eyes when she absorbed him instead of caring for only his pleasure made the experience worth the time.

Perhaps he did have feelings for her. Maybe that was the reason why he wanted her to be like him. Sure, he had a rather mad, frightening way of displaying that want, but perhaps things would change once she was transformed, and all the abuse and threats would end.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Claire sighed impatiently at the counter at Newark Liberty Airport. The computer was taking too long.

Daniel was trying to get the agent to understand what happened before the checkout froze without losing his cool. It was a typical experience for anyone trying at an airport, trying to catch their flight on time.

She glanced at their luggage, making sure again that everything was zipped shut. She then noticed the suns.h.i.+ne, gleaming through the windows behind her. Although it was mid-December and almost winter, the sun's light was bright and wide. It reminded her of the summer suns.h.i.+ne, but it probably seemed like that to her because this was the last time she would see the sun in the New York City area. Even from the check-in at a busy airport, the sun looked beautiful as it illuminated everything in its path.

Grief was sinking in. When she came back home before New Year's, she would be a nocturnal creature, unable to go out into the light without burning into ash. Daniel told her it took him nearly three hundred years to even put his hand out into the sunlight, making sure he could survive even a few minutes. That thought was repeating itself in Claire's head, as though to stab her with reality.

"Claire." His voice broke through her thoughts. Turning around, she saw Daniel give their luggage to the baggage carrier. Their tickets had finally gone through.

She examined him. It was the middle of the afternoon, an unusual time for him to be out. He said he would survive, but the sun would make him drowsy and irritable, so she had to be cautious around him.

When their suitcases were all taken, they walked away hand in hand. They went through security and found their plane's gate without any problem. They found some magazines to read and sat in the waiting room, away from any sunlight. Within a half hour, they stood to board their plane.

"You got first cla.s.s?" Claire raised her eyebrows as they got in line.

"Of course," he cracked a smile. "You really thought I would take you to Paris on economy? Don't underestimate yourself."

So she was getting a chance to stretch her legs out as far as she wanted and enjoy some fine wine for the next several hours. She meditated on this, trying to remind herself of the exciting life she was having. She was making big sacrifices for a life of luxury and few rules. Might as well concentrate on that.

The flight was not unlike any other she had made, just that she had more leg room, a more comfortable, wider seat and her choice of food and drinks. She sat next to the window and made sure the shade was down so the faint sun wouldn't affect Daniel. Once the plane was over the Atlantic, she was able to lift the shade and stare out into nothingness, save for the stars that were like tiny diamonds against black velvet.

Unimpressed, she concentrated on reading, eating her dinner and chatting with Daniel. He didn't eat or drink anything, and instead put on a show of being sleepy around the flight attendants. He had told Claire that the longer he was awake, the more thirsty he became. He would have to immediately feed as soon as the plane landed.

As the flight continued, she noticed his thirst rising. When they talked to each other, he was noticeably distracted. His eyes changed color from time to time. He squeezed his mouth shut as if preventing his eye teeth from growing. He eyed the flight attendants like they were delicious food. He also got irritable, snapping at her and others from time to time, displaying his discomfort. Claire was too nervous to sleep. What if his thirst overcame him and he attacked her or someone else?

When the plane finally landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, Daniel was in a rush to get off, probably another reason why he chose first cla.s.s. Going through customs was not easy. While one officer checked their pa.s.sports, Claire saw Daniel staring at the man's exposed neck, his veins clearly showing. He pursed his lips, as if he was in pain. She begged silently that he wouldn't lose control.

Fortunately, the customs portion was done with quickly and the two were able to get their luggage. Daniel was calling someone on his cellphone and trying to control his aggravation during this. That left Claire to gather their suitcases and pull them through the airport while heading for the exit.

The sun was rising in Paris, blocked by a patch of clouds. At least Daniel wouldn't have to worry about the light affecting him. He didn't talk much, except for a curt comment that she was walking too slow.

Once outside, he quickly spotted a van with blackened windows. He grabbed her wrist and hurried her over to the vehicle, where a rolled down window showed a young man with ash blond hair and green eyes was behind the wheel. He didn't look any older than Claire, but one glance made it clear that he was much older than he appeared to be. He had to be one of the Brothers.

But there wasn't enough time for a chill to go through her. The back door swung open and another young man jumped out and grabbed the luggage to put in the back. Daniel practically pushed Claire into the van so he could jump through that open door and collapse on the seat. He was panting.

Once the back door slammed shut and the man was alongside Daniel, shutting the door behind him, the blond driver pulled away from the curb and headed for the airport's exit.

Claire wanted to spend the ride looking out of the window, absorbing the fact she was in Paris, but she was immediately distracted when the driver and the young man suddenly began speaking loudly to Daniel in Latin.

Also distracting her as the young man digging through a backpack was Daniel, who was now writhing in his seat, his fangs completely exposed. Claire swallowed heavily.

Finally, the other man pulled out a canteen from the backpack and handed it to Daniel, who twisted the cap off and devoured it's contents. He drank so fast, Claire could see drops of blood slide out from between his mouth and the canteen. She looked away.

The half gallon of blood must have been enough for Daniel because he soon relaxed in his seat and the concern from the two young men pa.s.sed. The one who gave Daniel the canteen was patting and rubbing his back in consolation. He looked about Claire's age with hair and eyes as dark as Casames'. She figured he was another Brother. So she was stuck in a van with two of the world's leading vampires. A chill finally went through her.

The ride from the airport to the wealthy suburb of Chatou took over an hour, mainly because of snow falling at the last half of the trip. Claire felt sidelined as Daniel talked to the Brothers in Latin. Except for holding her hand briefly, he barely acknowledged her nor introduced her to the other two. They barely seemed to notice her. She tried to focus on the sights of the city, but she certainly was not seeing the Champs-Elysees or the Eiffel Tower along the route to Chatou. The ride went longer than it seemed.

It was after 8 AM when the van at last pulled up at a bourgeois mansion on a cul-de-sac, though the nearest homes were several yards away and were blocked by high, beige colored walls. Claire took in the mansion, noticing it dated from the late 1800s by the look of its architecture. She tried to think about how she would be spending the next week in a lovely house in an exclusive neighborhood, but she also knew this was where her transformation would take place.

The blond driver drove the van into one of the three garages, where two boys, who looked to be about eighteen years old, were waiting. They didn't look like vampires since their flesh was a healthy tone, but anything was possible. The driver closed the garage door before exiting the van. When he got out, he turned to Claire's side of the vehicle and opened the door, finally acknowledging her presence.

"h.e.l.lo, Claire. Welcome to my home," he said as he offered his hand. When she hesitated, his face lit up and he said, "Forgive me and my brother for our rudeness. We obviously have not been introduced." He offered his hand again, and she took it and stepped out. Daniel was busy exiting the van with the blond man's brother, chatting in Latin.

"Claire, I am Vorternon, the eldest brother and head of all vampires," said the one before her. "You must bow before me as I am, and will always be, your leader."

He folded his arms and waited with a near sneer on his face. She then lowered her head and shoulders, feeling awkward about having to act inferior to anyone.

Vorternon put his finger under her chin and lifted her head. "You'll need to get used to your position as it is not going to change, ever."

She forced a quick nod, and waited until Vorternon turned to the two boys to tell them to unload the van. She looked towards Daniel, who was following the other vampire around the van, still speaking in Latin. It sounded like a formal conversation, with the subordinate speaking to his superior. There was no friendliness going on. Claire wondered about the exact relations.h.i.+p between Daniel and the Brothers. When she met Casames that night, Daniel acted as if he was great friends with him, but here he kept his distance.

She shrugged to herself and turned to enter the mansion. She barely took a step, when she felt a steel strong hand on her shoulder. Before she could guess who it was, a cold voice whispered into her ear.

"You do not walk ahead of me or any of us," the vampire said.

"Claire." Daniel said sternly. "You let Elleso go first. We always walk behind the Brothers."

Sighing nervously, she softly apologized and tiptoed aside. Elleso nodded at her and walked past her, giving Daniel a disapproving glance. Showing his annoyance, Daniel grabbed her upper arm and pulled her inside.

The mansion was literally cloaked in darkness because of the thick curtains over the windows. But it still looked appealing, with dazzling chandeliers, furniture and authentic artwork from decades earlier, and state-of-the-art media decorating the inside. Claire felt fascinated by her surroundings and wondered how exactly vampires acc.u.mulated enough wealth to live so lavishly - especially when they lived secret lives with pseudonyms?

She wasn't expecting an answer, but it did come. In a sitting room where they first set foot in the mansion, Elleso told them to sit on the beige velvet couches arranged in a square before saying something to Daniel in Latin. When he was out of sight, Claire whispered to Daniel, who was sitting diagonally from her. "Why can't he speak in English?"

"Because he's a head vampire; he can do as he pleases." Daniel sounded irritated. She noticed he was wincing again and his fangs were appearing. That canteen of blood had not been enough.

A couple of minutes later, there was m.u.f.fled scream coming from the room behind them. Claire turned to see Elleso and Vorternon dragging in a young girl, no more than sixteen, by the elbows, her wrists and ankles bound, her mouth gagged. Her eyes were wide with panic and she was trying to speak around red velvet sash wrapped around her face. Behind them were the same two boys from before, dutifully following the Brothers.

Claire stopped breathing. This girl was a slave, a person to feed off until she eventually died. Claire was seeing what she could have been had she not said yes. She lowered her head, trying not to faint.

The two vampires dragged the girl over to Daniel, who's blue-green eyes turned fluorescent with delight. He sat forward, getting ready to consume the frightened girl. She stopped screaming and stared at his fangs, her eyes growing wider. She was placed on her knees before him.

"Daniel Poncher, or Bertrand as you are now known as," Vorternon announced authoritatively. "We got this young one straight from Ukraine and figured she would be a perfect congratulatory gift for you once you arrived here. Your taste for young beauties is well known, so when we saw her, we knew she was best for you."

"And as you can see," Elleso added. "She is very fresh, not a single bite on her."

"She is perfect," Daniel's mouth twisted in thirst. "I'll do my best to control myself."

Claire sat straight up, but practically bit her lower lip to prevent from begging him to stop, knowing she had a role to play. But the two Brothers noticed her horror and glanced at each other.

Daniel ran his hands through the girl's pale blond hair slowly. When he got to the end, he grabbed the hair and pulled it down, exposing her throat. The girl was shaking, her breath coming through her nose at a pace Claire never thought possible. Daniel traced the side of her face down to her neck, where he stopped. His l.u.s.tful expression then turned into one of menace as he threw his head back and stabbed the girl's neck with his two pointed teeth.

There were two yelps. One from the girl, out of fright and pain, the other from Claire, also out of fright.

The two Brothers watched as Daniel slurped away at the girl's wound, but it was obvious they heard Claire and were not pleased.

The world seemed to stop spinning as Daniel drank from the girl. Claire was not sure if she was breathing or her heart was beating, but she knew she was watching, and even praying that the sight would go away.

Finally, Vorternon bent down and nudged Daniel. "That's enough." When Daniel did not stop, the vampire repeated more forcefully and he pulled back reluctantly. The girl's neck was s.h.i.+ning from the red blood and her eyes, once large and terrified, were half closed. Elleso caught her and called over the two boys. He said something to them in French and they both nodded as they carried her away.

"You get carried away too much," Vorternon said, wiping away drops of blood from Daniel's mouth.

He laughed nervously, another unusual sound for Claire. He retracted his teeth and leaned back on the couch, sighing contently. "I am sorry, Masters, but I did go for a long time."

"We know," Vorternon sat on the couch across from him. "But we would like to keep her. Who wouldn't want a lovely Ukrainian in a French maid outfit?"

There was mutual laughter among the three vampires, but Claire just started to breathe again. She swallowed whatever moisture was in her mouth to dampen her parched throat.

Elleso was eyeing her and said, "I thought this one was ready. Instead, she is scared as our Ukrainian friend."

Daniel glanced over and said, "It's all new to her, so she's going through the motions. One moment she is fine, the next she is in denial. But I am certain once I pa.s.s our blood to her, she'll adjust better."

"Oh, she must adjust better," Vorternon said. "I cannot emphasize it enough: you cannot fail with this! This is your first time and choice, Poncher. If you've chosen poorly, you will suffer the consequences."

Daniel's head lowered in submission. "I understand, Master Vorternon."

"I hope so," Elleso narrowed his eyes. "With Hilde as your maker and close friend, I have my doubts. But," he said as he threw her hands up. "I was in the minority, so who am I to complain? The transformation will come tonight and perhaps I'll be proven wrong."

"Tonight?" Claire croaked. The three looked at her as if they just realized she had been in the room all along. "I - I thought..."

"Thought what?" Vorternon arched an eyebrow and looked at Daniel. "What did you tell her, Poncher?"