Chapter Nine - Part Two

it’s because of that, that many Vampires don’t make it past fifty years without getting themselves killed.  But your Maker is the one meant to help you distinguish that fine line between controlling your hunger and allowing it to control you. Feeding without killing, learning how to survive on animal blood when you have nothing else, choosing to turn your humanity on or leave it off… these are all things your Maker teaches you. And unfortunately, Cole never got to experience that. His Maker left him in the first six months, and for two centuries Cole gorged himself on women and blood. But forensics at that time were not very well developed, and of course, we Vampires have a few… special talents, so he was able to go undetected, for the most part.”

I studied Tidus for several seconds, realizing that his wisdom ran some deeper than I had imagined. He wasn’t just a handsome, angry face. He was intelligent, and thoughtful, and wise. And I resented him even more for being so. Because it only made him that much harder to resist.

“So what changed? Why were the Supernaturals so upset with Cole?”

“At that time, Hunters hadn’t yet made their way into society, so we Vampires only had ourselves to keep each other in check. And even though no one wanted to deal with Cole, many were afraid that sooner or later, a Human would take one of those Vampire rumors about him seriously.”

“So you made him see the light, then? He acknowledged the error of his ways?”

But Tidus shook his head no.

“I didn’t have to. By the time I found him, he had already run into Isobel. He told me about how he met a woman – a Human woman – that had seen the monster in him and hadn’t cared. Cole had intended to make Isobel his victim, but she was the first Human he had met that had been unafraid to die. She gave him hope for his Humanity – something his Maker had failed to do.”

“Well, that would be a beautiful story if he hadn’t still been an obvious sociopath and a murderer.” I replied, completely unmoved.

“Then I guess that it would surprise you to know that in His human life, Cole had been both a humanitarian and a scholar. He opened a school for young boys to help them prepare for universities when they were older, and he even opened up a nunnery for women who were either too old or too ugly to find husbands. But if he had had a loyal Maker, who respected the Rules of the Red, he might have saved Cole long before Isobel had.”

With a heavy sigh, Tidus looked down at the Countess’ evil ring. And at once, I knew that his words meant that he truly had felt sorry for Cole and his Human bride. Which also meant that clearly Tidus wasn’t as emotionally empty as he seemed.

“Anyway, Cole said he was changed and I believed him.” Tidus continued. “He promised he would be more discreet with his kills. He even claimed that Isobel was helping him to experiment with living purely off of animal blood. So I left, and the next I had heard he was gone. I kept an ear out for news of him for a few years, but I never found him. I’ve always just assumed he was dead – that Neona had actually found a way to kill him.”

“And what about the curse then? Doesn’t that throw a wrench in Claudia’s plan for the ring?”

“It does, yes, but I think that if anyone can find a way around this, it’s her… They’re coming back.”

I looked up to see Mr. Foster headed our way again. Ms. Castra, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“I apologize for keeping you both waiting.” Mr. Foster said, when he had re-approached. But this time his smile was stiffer, and much less sincere than it had been before.

“Actually, Mr. Foster, maybe now is a good time to confess why we’re really here.” I said. “Right, Tidus?”

“Yes,” Tidus replied smoothly, without missing a beat. “Mr. Foster, I would like to know how much it would cost me to buy the Countess’ ring.”

Mr. Foster raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat in surprise, obviously startled by such a bold and striking admission.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid the ring is the museum’s most – er – valuable item on display. Besides, it’s worth a price that’s out of range for most wealthy men, so you needn’t feel ashamed in not being able to afford it…”

“Simply tell me the number and I can write the check now.” Tidus replied coolly. “I can have the bank verify it for you within minutes.”

“It isn’t for sale.” Mr. Foster replied, this time much more sternly. “And the museum does not generally sell pieces – we only acquire them.”

“Mr. Foster, I would ask that you reconsider the offer –”

“I will do no such thing.” the curator said coldly. “Now, I think it would be best, if you and Naomi would kindly cut short your tour of the museum and find the nearest exit. I would hate to have to call security.”

“Well that really would be a shame Mr. Foster.” Tidus said, stepping in front of the curator’s path. His face was calm as usual, but he had his hands in his pockets. I noticed that he did this at times, when he was feeling annoyed. Or murderous. “You see, we’ve travelled enough of a distance that I would really prefer not to return home empty-handed. Flights, they’re so just so expensive these days.”

I watched in wonder at this extremely one-sided conversation between Tidus and Mr. Foster. Tidus was a like snake charmer, and the curator’s eyes were locked on his, unblinking, beneath his spell. It was odd, to see both men so still and so deeply concentrated in one another. And it was as if everything around them had simply fallen away, and nothing else mattered.

Suddenly, I found myself deeply envying of Mr. Foster.

“You will give me that ring, Mr. Foster. Leave the front door of the museum unlocked, and tonight, at midnight, I’ll return to this spot to collect. You will do this. Do you understand?”

Immediately the curator nodded, and Tidus broke eye contact to slide his arm across the man’s thin shoulders and guide him a few steps away from the exhibit.

“Good man, Mr. Foster. And don’t worry, the owner of this museum will be proud when he finds out what you’ve done.”

And with a final clap on the back, Tidus sent Mr. Foster along on his way. And when Tidus turned around to face me, he didn’t bother to hide his smirk of satisfaction.

“You can’t really expect that to work.” I said, giving him a deeply skeptical look. “The minute he’s out of this room that man is going to go find his boss and tell him exactly what you said. That would be the smart thing to do.”

“Maybe so, Naomi, but I can be very persuasive when I need to be.” he replied, with a cunning smile. “Trust me – the door will be unlocked tonight, and the ring will be ours.”

Tidus took a final step towards me, and leaned his face very close to mine, looking up at me from beneath very long lashes.

“But how can you be so sure?” I demanded.

“Because that same influence is what had you writhing and moaning that night all those weeks ago. So just try to remember that, the next time you feel the need to undermine me.”

I caught and held my breath as he leaned forward, only to let out a forlorn sigh of disappointment as he turned his lips from mine in the last second. Instead, he merely cuffed my chin fondly, and winked, before walking away.

*  *  *

I escaped Tidus, for a while, to take a trolley ride through the city. Somehow, the new surroundings and the intriguing sights proved enough of a distraction to take my mind off my companion – the handsome devil with the silver tongue. But more and more I was discovering that it was harder to be near him, and even harder to be away. His slights and vague threats kept me reticent, of course, but at the same time his revelations and stories of the past wouldn’t allow me to walk away. But after a while, I began to realize that there was no true purpose for my being in New York. Tidus had no care for me, even as a friend, and the longer I stayed, the more I looked like a fool for doing so. And I had just made up my mind to get off the trolley, return to the hotel, pack, and then hail the closest taxi to the airport, when the absolute worst thing that could happen, did.

Tidus called, and he invited me to dinner.

*  *  *

We sat in a quiet, upscale restaurant on Park Avenue, sharing a booth by an open window that let in the breeze every so often. Our view was that of Central Park, with the city lights and busy traffic displayed on the horizon beyond. But from this distance, all you could hear was the faint cry of the birds, and maybe the occasional rumbling of a car that passed on the street. Tidus sipped on a glass of cold Chardonnay, watching as I delicately ate my way through a soup and salad.

“So how many family members do you have?” I asked Tidus, after trying a taste of my water with lemon. I was trying the civil approach. It was better than arguing, or just sitting in awkward silence. “So far I only know about you and Caspian. But are there any other Romaines out there, roaming the world?”

“I have an older sister named Olivia and another older brother named Laiken. And I also have a younger brother, Johl. But Johl and Olivia are the only two that I keep in contact with. As it turns out, I haven’t seen Laiken in centuries.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. Laiken never managed to embrace Vampirism as well of the rest of us. He resented what happened to our family, and turned his back on us because of it. And not surprisingly, he was the only one of us who never struggled in finding his humanity. It was as if he never really changed… but now we’re all monsters to him, including himself.”

“And you never see each other?”

“It’s a big world out there.” Tidus said, with a casual shrug. “It’s easy to get disappear in a crowd in Italy, or vanish down one of the winding streets of London, or get lost in a jungle in the outlands of Africa. There are a lot of places to hide when you don’t feel like being found. Nevertheless, my siblings still keep hope alive that he’ll turn up again, one of these decades.”