CHAPTER TEN - MARK OF ILL FORTUNE?

Julian glided through the night shrouded streets back towards the hospital. The hospital’s front entrance practically glowed. The white lights were blinding to his night sensitive eyes. He shaded his face and squinted to see the front receptionist desk. There was no one there, but an elderly woman with a halo of white hair and a powder blue cardigan around her shoulders. She looked completely harmless. But so had Dr. Stone.  

Julian lingered half a block away. He listened intently to his instincts. Like Daemon had surmised, they were not as closely connected while he was awake as he had been asleep.  But he still felt he wasn’t alone.  Yet he had no sense of danger coming from the hospital.  Daemon must not feel anything was off. Even if he had, Julian had to find out about Christian. The greater strength that had deserted him as the sun rose had returned in even greater quantity now.  So, surely, he could handle one elderly lady.

He tugged the baseball hat he’d picked up at a corner store down lower over his eyes as he slipped through the hospital’s automatic doors. He’d grabbed the baseball hat and an overly large sports jacket to hide his identity. He imagined that the hospital might have his description at the desk. His disguise was lame, but it was better than coming back in the exact same clothes as yesterday when he’d punched the security guard across the ER.

He sidled up to the desk and put his most winning smile on.  “Excuse me, ma’am, but I’m here to see a patient that came into the ER last night. Christian Thorne.  I don’t know his room number and I was hoping you could help me with that.”

The elderly woman - whose name was June Sawley, according to her nameplate - peered rather owlishly back at him behind coke-bottle thick glasses.  “Let me see, dear.”

She typed with agonizing slowness Christian’s name into the computer, making no less than six typos, which required her to delete the entire name rather than just the wrong character.  Julian forced himself to remain still and not tap his foot or drum his fingers on the top of the desk in frustration.   He needed to seem normal. He needed to be forgettable.

She finally pressed enter and he leaned forward to catch sight of his best friend’s room number.  But her head moved remarkably quickly back towards him. She’d already been frowning at the screen, but now she was really frowning at him.  He moved back and held up his hands, putting now an innocent smile on his face.

“Sorry, sorry, just anxious about my friend,” he explained.  “Didn’t mean to crowd you there.”

She gave him a once over, but finally made a small nod in acceptance of his explanation.  She went back to frowning at the computer screen. She moved the mouse with exquisite slowness as she clicked here and then there and then hit the back button and then clicked on yet another button, the frown deepening all the while.  

“Is something wrong?” he asked. His fingers did one drum on the plastic top of the desk.

If there was nothing wrong she would have given me his room number by now.

“I’m not finding any records for Christian Thorne,” she said, sitting back, and looking at him stonily. Any warmth was gone from her face.  Though her fingers were not on the keyboard any longer, he heard a soft click.  

Alarm raced through Julian though he didn’t know why.  It wasn’t just that she was telling him that Christian wasn’t there. It wasn’t more than that. Something in her demeanor or …   

“But he was brought in here last night.”  I know. I brought him here.

“I’m afraid that he’s not in the system,” she replied and her gaze flickered to the double doors that led further into the hospital’s interior. There was another click and he saw her right hand was underneath the edge of her desk. It was moving. She was pressing something.

A panic button!

She was waiting for security to arrive.

A whisper of a voice echoed in his mind, You can make her tell you what she saw on the screen. Just ask.  

Julian had already taken a step back from the desk. But at the voice’s urging he leaned back in and looked into June’s eyes.  She went rigid in her chair at his nearness and he heard more frantic clicking.

“June,” he said her name and it came out surprisingly low and melodic. There were harmonics accompanying it. She stiffened more then went sort of limp as he repeated her name, “June. Tell me what was on system about Christian.”

His scalp tickled over the very top of his skull almost as if electricity were running through it.  Her eyes behind the thick lenses went unfocused. She stopped pressing the panic alarm. Her hands were limp in her lap.  

“He -- he’s not here,” she whispered. The words sounded almost like she was talking to him in a dream.  Uncertain and disjointed.

Julian drew in a sharp breath. Christian truly was gone and he had no idea where the nefarious Dr. Stone had taken him.  Her gaze started to clear as panic clouded his thoughts. He forced calmness upon himself and spoke to her again, “June, please tell me what else you saw. I know there is more. Tell me.”

“There was a note … a note from Dr. Stone stating that if anyone was to come looking for this patient that he should be notified through security,” she answered.

He heard people running down the corridor towards them.  He noted that the response time was very slow. If he had wanted to hurt June, he could have done so ten times over by now. But maybe they had to pick up Dr Stone first.  There were shouts. But he couldn’t leave just yet. He needed to ask one more question of June. He doubted that this would have been in the system - after all, would Dr. Stone really mark down where he’d taken his kidnapped patients? - but he had to ask.

“June, does it say anything about where Christian was taken?” he asked. The footsteps were much louder now. He saw a flash of blue uniforms through the glass of the doors.

She shook her head.  He was already out of the hospital before she had uttered the word “no”.  He dashed down the street so fast that it seemed to take as long to think where he wanted to go - a secluded alley - as it took to get there.  He thought he heard Dr. Stone calling his name, but there was no way he was going back there to find out.

But he’s the only one who knows where Christian is!  Sick panic flooded him, but then he realized something, Christian must be with Balthazar.  Another Vampire would know where Balthazar lives.  I don’t need Dr. Stone.

Julian’s heart seemed to skip a beat as he thought that.  His instincts were telling him that this was a good idea. He could have waited until the doctor was off of his shift to tail him and force the doctor to tell him where Christian was.  But he likely wouldn’t get off until 7 am, well after the sun had risen. No, he couldn’t get to Dr. Stone in his hospital fortress. He definitely needed to seek out another Vampire to get the information he needed.

But where the Hell am I going to find other Vampires?

Julian drew up the hood of the jacket over his baseball cap so that his face was even further obscured. He stuffed his hands in the pockets and began to walk.  He always thought better when he was moving.

Head down, he went two blocks in the other direction from the hospital, out of the business district and into the nightlife area where there were bars and restaurants open to late in the evening.  Immediately, he noticed the difference between the two areas of the town. By the hospital, there was no life, but here, it was overflowing.

He swore he could feel a pulse as he slipped into the stream of people who were walking down the sidewalks. It was strange to be around people who had no idea that he was a Vampire.  Many of them - Hell, most of them - likely didn’t believe Vampires existed.  Yet here he was, right among them, with no one noticing.

Laughter and voices boomed all around him, underneath that noise, were the sounds of hearts beating and blood whooshing through veins and arteries. Then there were the smells. From the rich scent of cooking meat to the floral scent of perfume to the raw, earthy smell of body odor.  He opened his mouth and nearly gagged as he was overwhelmed by what he was sensing.  He drew off from the main body of people and hugged the window of a restaurant called L’Etoile.  

His body was shaking and his stomach tumbling. He was, at once, starving and yet nauseous.  He dug his fingernails into his palms as he struggled to stop from vomiting right then and there.  

Control each of your senses.  Draw them in. Start first with your vision. Focus on one point, the voice that could have been Daemon’s told him.  

He stared at the sidewalk between his feet.

Now draw in your hearing until all you hear is your own breathing.

Julian found himself allowing his eyes to go a little unfocused and the cacaphony of sounds drained down to only his heartbeat, everything else dimmed to mere background noise.  

Now your sense of smell. Put your nose against the inside of your hood. Breathe in just that scent.

Julian did and let out a soft huff of relief as the scent of cotton and rayon filled his nostrils and nothing else.  The trembling had stopped as well. He felt strangely weak as he did when he hadn’t eaten in days.

You need blood, the voice that definitely was Daemon’s said and it sounded dismayed.  And shocked. Once more, Julian appeared to be doing things that no other fledgling of the Vampire King’s had done. That made Julian feel good, but he tamped down hope.

Blood? You mean human blood? You mean like biting necks? Adrenaline had Julian’s body tense again and his senses sought to overwhelm him once more.  I can’t do that. I can’t …

I am not there to feed you. I did not think you would get so far, Daemon’s voice sounded like he didn’t really expect Julian to be hearing this.  He felt the Vampire King’s attention snap to him as if he knew then that his private thoughts had been overheard. A fledgling should only feed from his Master for the first year, if not longer.

Julian’s sense of betrayal reared again that Daemon wasn’t there to feed him like some starving baby bird in a nest, but he pushed it down. It wasn’t natural to him.  He did things for himself. But then a wild longing replaced the betrayal. He had a reason now to go back to Nightvallen and see Daemon once more. He imaginedDaemon’s hands on him. He imagined his teeth on Daemon’s wrist again or maybe at his throat while the Vampire King murmured words of eternity into his hair.  He shuddered, suddenly shaky and sweaty again, but this time with an overwhelming desire.  Daemon did not respond to it. Maybe he hadn’t experienced Julian’s desires or maybe he was just ignoring them.  Julian shook his head to clear it.

I don’t have time to get back to the Ever Dark to feed from  you, he said, ignoring the part where Daemon hadn’t offered that.   I need to find Christian before … before it’s too late.  There’s got to be another solution.

Of course, the likely solution was for him to lure one of these people into a dark alleyway and … and bite them. But as he’d said before, he just couldn’t imagine doing that to anyone. He didn’t want to hurt anybody.

Hunting must be taught, Daemon’s voice was coming to him very clearly now. That was a reliefat least.  He needed this Immortal’s advice more than ever. It is not easy.  And you will make a botch of it the first time out.

Oh, thanks, so you think I’ll mess up? Julian raised an eyebrow.

Every new Vampire does, Daemon chuckled.  Even the born killers cannot control themselves at that first taste of blood.

Funny, it just makes me want to retch.

Only for now. That will change.

You mean it would if I lived long enough, right? Daemon was silent so Julian continued, Okay, so I just ignore the hunger then and --

That would be a mistake, too. You are … fragile. You could lose control and attack someone. You are so much stronger than I ever thought you could become, Daemon’s voice dropped off and Julian imagined him standing out on a balcony in Ever Dark, watching those eternal two moons.  Combine finding Balthazar’s home with getting blood. There will be at least one Blood Den in this city for Vampires to slake their thirst.  You will be able to purchase blood there and --

Blood Den?!  Julian’s other eyebrow rose. That doesn’t sound freaky or anything.

It is where Vampires go to socialize and feed from willing humans, Daemon explained with some amusement.. Blood is often stored and sold if the Vampire does not care to feed directly  It will be hidden in plain sight and Vampires will be streaming in there at this hour to get their first drink of the night.  So all we have to do is find ... Ah! Look there!

Julian felt a touch on his chin as if Daemon had brushed a finger along his jaw. His head lifted and he immediately saw what Daemon had already noticed. Across the street, gliding down the sidewalk with a small, ironic smile on his lips was a beautiful young man.  He was dressed fashionably in one of those skinny suits in a silvery gray that hugged his fit form. He had flaxen hair and silver eyes.

Silver eyes. A Vampire.

But even if Julian hadn’t seen those eyes, he would have known that this person wasn’t human.  The way the man walked - that glide rather than stride as if he wasn’t exactly touching the ground - would have given him away.  Julian drew in a deep breath - and though the man was across the road and his scent should have been mingled with all the other smells - he smelled blood on him. He’d fed.  Julian’s teeth suddenly ached. He was immediately distracted though from why and what that pain might mean, because he smelled that same scent on a woman and man that flanked the Vampire he’d first caught sight of.

Good. You caught them, too, Daemon said, approvingly.

It’s so obvious that they aren’t human!  Why is no one else noticing this?  

Julian glanced around and saw no one looking at the stylish, beautiful trio.  The woman sported a red silk skirt that hugged her curves like a second skin and a black lace top that hid little from the imagination. The other man was slightly older than the first. Maybe in his early thirties. He had the self-satisfied smirk of the wealthy predator, someone whom the law wouldn’t dare touch.  He had on a black, skinny suit with a brilliant indigo silk tie. Even without them sharing the same silver eyes and Vampire glide, they should have been attracting attention simply for the figures they cut. But no one looked at them except for him.

Vampire magic, Daemon sounded almost amused. Vampires can use glamours to attract attention, but also to be ignored.  The latter is what they are using.

Cool. Am I doing that, too? Is that why they can’t see me? Julian asked, curious if he was using some of this Vampire magic.

No, the disdain was thick in Daemon’s voice, but it wasn’t aimed at him. They are being sloppy. Careless. They think themselves the top of the food chain so they are not looking for other predators.

It’ll make it easier for me to follow them. They might be going to a Blood Den and they might know about Balthazar.

And though he didn’t think it clearly like the other statements, he also considered the fact that maybe these Vampires would agree to turn Christian and save him.  But seeing these arrogant beings with their sleek good looks and obvious disdain for all those around them, he couldn’t imagine Christian fitting in with them. More like, he could imagine Christian sneering at them. Not maybe the people for Christian to be associated with.

I feel like I’m planning his wedding or something.

In a way, you are, Daemon answered.  The Master-Fledgling relationship is … is the closest one there is.  

Julian didn’t say, You’re my Master and we just … walked away from one another. There were reasons for that. Good reasons, but it still stung somehow.

Daemon went on abruptly, There are also considerations of which Bloodline he would be best suited for and which House within that.

Bloodline?

Yes, each of Immortals … except me … A long pause.  Has a Bloodline. Each Bloodline has a special power granted to it such as the mind control you exercised on dear June in the hospital.

Just one? Julian frowned.  So making people tell me things is a power from you?

The other Bloodlines have only one gift to give. I have … all of them.  

All of them? Julian’s eyes widened.

Yes.

So I have … all of them, too?

You need to get following our trio. They are almost out of sight, Julian, Daemon pointed out.

Shit!

Julian hurried across the street, dodging cars easily as if his hips were oiled.  He had always been athletic and confident in his movements, but now he was so much more.  Movement was almost effortless. He indulged this effortless speed to get close to the trio until he could have reached out and brushed his fingers down their backs.

Not so close, cocky one.  Hang back. Not even these arrogant children will fail to notice you that close, Daemon chided, but he sounded almost as amused as stern.

Right.  Right.  Julian slowed down and let about twenty feet separate him from the trio.  You know … I can hear you perfectly now.  In the beginning of the night, I couldn’t. You were like this … suggestion in my head. But now you’re … you.  Are you getting stronger? Is that why we can communicate like this?

There was a pause and Julian could have read many things into it, but decided not to. ThenDaemon said simply, I am getting stronger.

And so am I.  

Also, other than the hunger that burned low in his belly like a banked fire, and that sensitivity to sight, smell and sound, he felt stronger, too. He felt almost good.  Not like the night before when he could well imagine he was dying. But he didn’t tell Daemon any of this. He already knew that Daemon did not want to give him hope that this increased connection between them meant anything, let alone his seeming health. In the Vampire King’s mind, Julian was already dead.  He was drawn out of those dark thoughts when the trio, who had been easily in his sight and smell, suddenly disappeared.

What the Hell?!

He raced up to where he had last seen them and looked around frantically. He saw nothing, but a plain brick wall on one side and a street filled with traffic on the other. But no Vampires.  People flowed around either side of him as he continued to stand there, completely lost. There were some mutters to move, but Julian found himself thinking, Don’t see me, and whether he was using Vampire magic or people were just not in the mood to fight with him, they parted around him like he was a rock in a river.

They’re gone!I’ve lost them! He cried to Daemon.  Had his inattention caused him to lose his best friend’s only chance for survival?

Calm, Julian.  Look at the building beside you, Daemon instructed. Blood Dens are not open to the public. They are secret. It will be hidden. You will see a symbol, glowing silver, just out of the corner of your eye. Look for one.

Julian turned back to what looked like a blank brick wall.  The wall stretched up two stories. This building looked incredibly nondescript.  There was no restaurant or club occupying the space. Just a brick building with small, dark windows that people seemed not to notice as they made their way past it from Club Le Lune to the Noodle Shop.

Let your vision go unfocused, Daemon advised.  Do not stare at it directly.

Julian sighed and did as Daemon advised. At first, nothing happened, but then he saw a glimmer out of the corner of his right eye.  He jerked his head towards the glimmer in surprise. The glimmer disappeared the moment he did that.

Just let it come, Julian, Daemon advised.

Julian nodded, then realized that Daemon couldn’t see him, and said, Okay. Doing this.

He shook himself and then let his vision go unfocused again.  The glimmer came after a moment. He forced himself not to look at it directly. He let it come to him. Suddenly, it resolved into a symbol: a vine with thorns.

Bloodline Siryn! Daemon sounded pleased.  Their gift is that of music.  They can create the most aching pieces to move armies.  

Julian blinked. A slight headache had him squeezing the top of his nose.  But he noticed that the silver symbol did not disappear when he looked directly at it now.  

So is this a Blood Den? He asked.

Yes. I do not know if Siryn is the ideal Bloodline for Christian, but they will know where this Balthazar is.  Siryn prided himself on always knowing everything. His people will be the same, Daemon said with satisfaction.

Is Balthazar this Siryn Bloodline?  Julian asked, taking from that statement that Vampires were territorial.

No.  The Vampires that came after you and Christian were of the Eyros Bloodline.  They are almost as distrusted as the Kaly Bloodline, because they can control minds with perfect ease, even other Vampires’ minds, Daemon explained.

Christian would really hate that gift. He’s so into person autonomy, Julian remarked. But, truthfully, beggars can’t be choosers, right?  Christian doesn’t have a lot of time and I’m assuming that Vampires don’t just take on Fledglings for nothing, right? I mean ones they haven’t chosen themselves?

Daemon chuckled. They will do this without objection.

Why?

Because they will see my mark on your arm.  They will treat this as a direct order from their king, Daemon explained as if he were being dense.

Julian drew up the sleeve of his shirt and saw the tattoo of the infinity symbol. It was much darker now than it had been when Dr. Stone had seen it.  He let the sleeve slide back down. He frowned. Would Daemon’s symbol really be enough to make these Vampires do as he asked?

You’ve been gone a long time, Julian said, a thought coming to him.

Your point being?  He could almost see Daemon raising his chin in defiance.

Julian said slowly - but not as if Daemon was stupid, he clearly wasn’t, but he was being stubbornly blind to not consider it, Nobody came to wake you. Those two that entered Nightvallen came to kill Christian and me. They wanted to stop us from exposing Vampires as real, but I also think … they didn’t want you found.

There was a long silence.

My point is: what makes you think they still want you as their king?

Julian’s question was met with another long silence.  He feared for a moment that he had lost the connection with Daemon.  

Daemon? Daemon, are you there?

I am.  There was another pause and then in a completely colorless tone continued, To enter the Blood Den all you need do is expose my mark to the symbol. The door will appear.  We may lose contact for a moment as you enter Siryn’s territory, but it will come back as I connect to his realm.

Okay. Julian paused, You okay?

Why would I not be? Daemon’s icy tone brooked no further conversation on that subject.  When you go in, there will be some place to get blood. Look for it.

Right. Expose my wrist to the symbol, door will appear, look for yummy blood.  He nodded and pulled back his jacket’s sleeve again.  

Julian.

Julian froze.  What?

They will honor their duty and loyalty to me, Daemon said quietly.  The or else didn’t have to be added for it to be there.  Loud and clear.

I’m sure they will, Julian murmured.  He lifted his exposed wrist to the symbol.  See you on the flipside.

He was sure that Daemon had no idea what he meant by that, but the Vampire King did not reply.  

There was no pain when he faced his wrist to the symbol. Instead, there was a momentary blurring of the area in front of him.  He took a shocked step back. Before him was not a blank brick wall, but a set of beautiful french doors. They were closed now, but Julian imagined in summer that they would be thrown open to allow for sweet breezes to cruise inside.  

The inside was filled with people. All stylish. All beautiful, even if not conventionally so.  All with silver eyes. Julian let out a huff of laughter. This was incredible. Right out in the open, but no one else saw it.

Holy shit. The Vampires have been right here. All along. I never saw them. Never even guessed.

Julian felt conspicuous in his ill fitting jacket and baseball cap. This was a place where men wore suits or jeans that cost the earth. Not his thing really.  But the way he was dressed now was even worse than his usual attire and would stick out like a sore thumb. He looked at the infinity symbol again.

This is all the currency I need to get in here.  All the power I need to make them do what I want.

He drew in a breath to steady himself and went to the brass and glass door. He opened it and stepped in.  The trio he had been following was standing right there, staring at him.

The Vampire he’d first noticed said, “You win the bet, Lottie.  He was following us.”

“But the question is how he got in here. He’s not one of us,” Lottie said, her eyes drifting down to his right wrist.

This was the moment of truth. He went to expose his wrist to them, to show them the infinity symbol, to order them to obey Daemon’s will.  But a slip of a girl - pale hair, eyes, face - looking more like a doll than a person, grabbed his wrist and stopped him from showing the symbol.  Her grip was almost painful.

“Julian!” she cried, excitedly. “There you are!  You’re late! Glad that charm I gave you got you in on your own.”

Bewildered as he did not know her and she wasn’t addressing him as a fan of his show, but as if they were close friends, he stammered out.  “W-who are --”

She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth, silencing him. “I can’t wait to get you in a corner and talk about … everything!”

The trio had gone awfully still at her appearance. She looked to be no more than fifteen and if she weighed more than 100 pounds dripping wet, he’d be shocked, but the trio actually backed away from her and him.

“Did you show my friend the way, Lottie? The girl asked.

“It seems so, Sophia. Glad we could help.” Lottie flashed a bunch of white teeth at her.

When Sophia continued to stare at her in silence, Lottie quickly lowered her head and murmured something about being real glad they could help.

Suddenly transforming into what Julian could only compare to an anime school girl, Sophia burst out into a huge smile, her eyes nearly shutting with it, as she tilted her head to the side and practically cheered, “You guys are the best!  C’mon, Julian, let’s get a drink!”

She practically dragged Julian through the crowd, past what was a really beautiful mahogany bar to a long hallway. There were doors on either side. She opened the second one from the left and pushed him inside.  The door opened into a small room with a cozy couch and low table with two wine glasses set out on it. She shut the door firmly and stood there, listening he supposed, for long moments. He stood there stiffly, shifting from foot to foot.

Daemon, are you getting all of this?

But there was no answering remark from the Vampire King.  They were cut off from one another. He reminded himself that Daemon told him this could happen, but that the connection would return.  This, however, appeared to be the absolute worst time for them to have lost touch.

Sophia turned around and looked at him with such … awe. There were tears in her large eyes.  “You’re here. You’re finally here.  But you’re alone just like she said and I foresaw …”

“Excuse me, but who are you?” he asked.

“Sophia Strange.”

You definitely are strange.  But that doesn’t clear up who you are. I don’t know you.

“We don’t know one another?” he sounded as if he was trying to determine that. “I mean we definitely don’t know one another and I wasn’t coming here to see you. So why did you say that to those three out there?”

“Because we will know one another,” she told him simply as if that made complete sense. “And if you had exposed the infinity symbol on your wrist out there … well, they would have tried to kill you.”

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