Fan Fiction ❯ Daughter of Venus - the Vampire Rosaline ❯ Meeting the master ( Chapter 3 )

3

"H

ow come you can stay here?" I asked whilst still being pulled through the monotonous arched passageways, stalactites and stalagmites lit like fireflies in a faerie grotto.

"What do you mean?" Armand snapped.

I could not believe this was happening to me…again. I was finally going to blow. I, being apprehended by a boy a mere year older than me - so it appeared. I had to remind myself he was no teenager. Armand had seen centuries that I could only hope to learn about.

Whatever he did, I sulked; he had a reason for.

I swallowed down the pride that might have made Armand even more angry with me and asked him innocently, "How can you live here? Without anyone finding you?"

Armand smiled at me, the way he smiled whenever I had said anything that seemed so utterly simple to him - "Buffy isn't real you know. There are no such things as slayers…or watchers. Vampires don't exist…"

"But…" I was real…

"They are merely figments of the imagination."

I did not quite know how to reply to this level of sarcasm.

"Do you see?" Armand asked inspiringly, "No one knows and only the outcasts care."

Ending on such words of wisdom we reached our destination, the loft of the cathedral. Oh, how the sun must have shined through those windows at dawn. Bright, beautiful, heaven blessed light. God's messenger to all his children. So coarse and cutting, through the mist of obscure darkness to blind his chosen ones with his mercy. Light has abandoned me and stolen away her sacrament. I am no longer touched by her warm glow and have made a worship of her mistress the Moon. Half as bright but twice as godly she guides my path. With open arms she welcomed me and I ran to her with bloody eyes. Now we are one and I wonder if she too has a righteous master or if the Devil's alluring web has trapped me into his condemnation.

Every arch, every hole, every little crag had been boarded up so that not even the most minute seam of light could radiate in. Instead the room was lit by row upon row of candles, oozing under the weight of their flaming burdens. There stood scattered around the room a variety of sized canvasses each providing half painted scenes of the Virgin Mary and Child, Saint Peter and other martyrs. Martyrs, what is a martyr? A martyr is someone who offers up their souls for what they believed in. I gave up my soul for what I believed in but I am no martyr, believe me.

There were splendidly accurate copies of works I'd only ever seen in battered textbooks, coated by dust, hidden in a cluttered art room untouched by the divine hand of a janitor.

There was a bed draped in deep crimson satin with plump cream linen cushions and fine sheets with a blood red woollen throw. Finally at the end of the room sat an Adonis scribbling away furiously in a book placed on a large mahogany writing desk. He wore a slightly dusty crimson coat, high in collar and rich in starch, from the same material draping his bed, which in turn was immaculate in its lack of usage.

Despite his steely eyes and marble-carved features the man had a warm, alluring glow - even if only after a hunt.

Sensing our presence the man paused for a moment but then continued to write. In awe I sheepishly positioned myself by a painting of Dali's `Persistence of Time': how ironic.

On seeing the man Armand coughed aloud knowing that he had felt us enter, then taking a deep breath Armand attempted to gain some self control as I could see a faint rosy sweat form upon his brow.

The man did nothing, just wrote.

His lip quivering for a moment then Armand closed his eyes and said, "Marius."

I watched thoughtfully.

The man, the writer, the painter - he appeared to be an ancient sculpture, yet fully intact. His finely chiselled features: the strong nose and watery blue eyes, the soft pale lips and the halo of golden hair that fell straight to just below his shoulders.

Armand walked up to Marius and addressed him once again. There was a tense glance between the two; a glance that could not be summed in a thousand words. A glance that spoke of years of abandonment, anxiety, regret and predominately pride. Pride is a great barrier and it had blocked the love here. I sighed. It was so sad that two men as beautiful and lonely as my Armand and this Marius, with so much culturally in common should be separated when companionship is required in an eternal struggle. The man looked up, closed the book and took to his feet.

Getting nudged the irritable Armand introduced us to each other, "Rosaline, this is Marius. Marius Rosaline."

I grinned bashfully; Marius needed not to say a single word yet had won me over.

"Hello." I giggled like a schoolgirl waiting nervously to meet her celebrity idol, recalling her poster-splattered shrine of a bedroom and her over biased music collection to impress the surrounding fanatics.

"Hmm," Marius looked me up and down, not quite sure what to think. I guessed he had never seen a girl such as me before - well for a while anyway.

Still staring at me Marius addressed Armand, then turning he stated, "So this is the fruition of our labours."

"My labours," Armand corrected the man.

"Oh," twitching Marius began to sit again.

"You see," Armand said angrily rushing to catch Marius' attention, "I came to you asking for help and you sent me off to England. I returned with what you required and now I am laden with even greater troubles."

"Apologise," Marius said calmly.

I'm sure the apology was supposed to be directed to me however: "I'm sorry Marius."

Marius sighed regretfully; "I have no right to preach to those who are not mine to minister to."

I could see the pain in Marius' eyes and glimpsed at Armand, who looked down so as not to receive such painful emotion.

Marius was solemn; "Amadeo."

"Help me!" Armand begged his eyes wide like that of a fallen angel searching for a way to return to return to his father.

"And how can I?" Marius asked with cloaked concern.

"It is…her," Armand said bitterly once again aiming at me, "and I fail as her teacher to guide her through the storm."

"Don't!" I cried, smashing the deep concentration of the melodramatic moment.

"Oh?" Marius stared at me remembering I had the ability of speech.

"I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry!" I poured, "I want to change, really I do!"

"You've said that before and yet have only caused me more trouble…" Armand looked liked he was about to erupt and from him would flow all the pain I had caused him.

No, please not in front of a stranger my heart begged but Armand would not hear.

"I was in shock…" I stuttered, "I didn't understand how things worked, but I do now!"

"You know," Armand had not heard me, "for one solitary night I actually saw in you everything I thought I had lost - I loved you…" he shoved his head into his hands and began to cry. I could see his shoulders heave up and down, a perpetual motion of pain.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I prised Armand's shivering hands away from his face and held them in my chilly grasp, "all I know is that it's not your fault."

I pulled back trying to stop a blush as I realised I had opened my heart too far - in front of this stranger.

"No, it's mine," Marius said quietly and calmly, "but I can help. Come, sit beside me…" Marius moved to his bed and sat motioning to me, "and then we can begin to sort this `problem' out."

I was not sure if that was such a good idea - joining him on his bed. I mean after the little out break with Armand - and on his bed! I mean it was a bed - and less than an acquaintance's bed!

"Come my child," Marius reassured me, "sit beside me, I will not harm you."

It was a tempting invitation.

Suddenly I fell, catching myself on an awning covering a small canvas almost pulling an entire row of paintings down before me! Oh! I felt ill and hungry, the hunger continued to grown inside of me becoming irrepressible. I could feel my drive to consume and destroy growling within a like a caged wild animal.

The candles' biting flickered making me feel dizzy and the whole room spun around before me. A canopy covered the bed and so at least there the light would be duller. Taking a few shaky steps I fell into Marius' arms as he placed me beside him. He looked directly at me as I tried to hide the pain in my eyes.

"So now I must fore fill my part of her Calling," Marius muttered as Armand turned away.

Fixing both eyes on me Marius placed a firm hand upon my shoulder to hold me still as I squirmed under his arresting gaze.

Calling Armand back Marius growled angrily, "What is this? Even from her exterior I can see the pain and hunger! You call this being a father?"

I felt my heart stop only to realise its random attempts at death, escape, were to no consequence as whether I liked it or not I was immortal.

Marius turned to me, not a single look of disdain shown upon his face, "How long has it been? Since you were turned, sired, reborn?"

I felt embarrassed, useless, a mere "Two weeks…"

"Ah then!" Marius held me close to him, "How old are you, my child?"

I wanted to cry, the scene was so sombre and all because of me. I wet his white shirt with scarlet tears, "S-s-sixteen."

Stroking soothingly Marius questioned with a warm smile, "Why do you weep so? Is it not good to be forever so sweet?" Nice words considering he did not live by them.

"I am a murderer."

I felt free to speak all to this welcome creature.

"I thought you were stronger than that!" Armand lashed out at me; I felt he would have hit me if it were not that his former master Marius held me within his arms.

"Armand, when you were with your brothers did I not tell you to be patient with them?" Marius began to teach old lessons.

"They were mortal and they would eventually die," Armand continued, "but she is not and will not!"

"Do you not remember how long it took you to learn my ways?" Marius lamented, "And how easy it was for you to forget when we parted. You must show her the same patients as I showed you."

"But I lusted for the taste of blood!" Armand argued, "On the first day of her new life I took her to bars and clubs, brothels and dens and she killed more that night than I did in my first week regardless of who they were and it was beautiful and I loved her! Now she turns a martyr and will not take a mouthful! That I know is not who she is but obviously she no longer feels the need to express her true self to me," Armand snapped, sneering at me as I tried to hide myself behind Marius.

"Armand, I will ask you to go now - only because I know you are angry but I know you love her," Marius said shuffling so that no matter how hard I tried I could not position myself happily behind him. Heaving grudgingly I sat back and let Marius continue, "there are many who believe you fled from us. That is not a good rumour to be left unsettled."

"If you mean David, then that has been sorted…" Armand grumbled.

"Spread the joyous news that a new daughter has been added to our family!" Marius continued, knowing that Armand understood that he should leave, "Then if you will prepare her a coffin…somewhere…with someone…please, just go."

"She is my child!" Armand began, showing his repressed patriarchal side as despite all hints and rage of the past few days Armand would not leave me alone again with another vampire, "I received the Calling and must be here to see her helped…"

"Oh how protective you have become, if not forgetful…" Marius pooh-poohed.

"I too heard her" Marius reminded Armand whilst I sat bemused, "…I love all my children, and I love all my children's children even more so."

Marius made a motion to the door and Armand stubbornly took his leave every once and a while turning to check I had not moved.

When he was sure we were both alone Marius started his inquisition, "So, what is it that you have murdered?"

I could not believe Marius was asking me this, "People!"

Without blinking he corrected me, "Humans?"

I was desperate, "Yes!"

Marius laughed merrily, "Oh well then! There is nothing wrong with that."

"With killing? There is nothing wrong with killing?" I was shocked that such a compassionate looking man could be so vicious and cold hearted.

Marius could see my discernment and so began to teacher me his theories on vampiric life, "There is no shame in feeling for your victims. It is a blessing not a curse, you should be thankful that you have by-passed decades of ignorance to feel this. There are some who will spend their entire life slaughtering for the enjoyment of death until their final day when they realise that their life has been a lie and they can no longer face such embarrassment. Some will never know what it is like to care but ignorance is not always bliss as it attacks their souls and they go crazy with the gnarling knowledge that is unacceptable to their new nature. Then one sad day they will walk into the flames or they will sit to watch their final sunrise and it will all have been too late. Death is never good. Others of us ignore what we feel and become callus. It has happened early to Amadeo (Armand) as he was parted from my love and guidance at an untimely age and that is why he is so rough and does not seem to understand - but he is not bad as he does loves you. If he had hated you why would he have brought you here or wanted to stay? Also in time it will happen to you and you will lose your humanity, but by then I will have prepared you. It has happened to me and I cannot turn back the hands of time but I can dive deep inside my heart and with every immortal second I remind myself that I had a soul."

"Then I did have one," I cried with excited salvation, "but the stains of other's have destroyed it! I don't want to go to Hell - tell me I'm saved, tell me God has not turned his radiance from me!"

Marius looked at me with weak eyes, no attempt at lying to me; "I can't answer questions I don't know the answers to myself…I believe though, that if you kill only the damned then you do have a chance."

I began to sob, hunger ripped my insides apart yet I could not admit that I wanted to murder, "Do you take only the bad?"

"I relish on their blood so that I do not even think of tasting the flesh of the innocent," Marius smiled.

"But Armand, Lestat…" I was confused at this doubled edged sword of a gift.

"I cannot touch those who are not there to heed me -" Marius sighed referring to more glorious days when he owned his own estate - rather than for this momentary residence of a single small room.

Marius changed subject, disconsolate to recall his past," Do you feel the hunger now?"

I could hold my craving in no longer, "Oh terribly so!"

"Then drink from me. I promise I will not die…and I hold no grudges."

Marius loosened the stiffly starched collar from around his solid neck. He easily lifted me so that I sat upon his lap. Then he took my head with a firm gripping hand around my nape and pushed my mouth into the direction of his neck, then with the other he took hold of my left wrist so that I could no longer resist.

"Taste freely," he whispered firmly into my ear, "or be made to."

Armand was correct; this noble master had indeed less patience, which became apparent as he pushed me ever closer to his firm flesh so that my frosty lips feasted on the chill of his skin. I would have cried out but I was too shocked to make a sound. I reluctantly bit into his smooth flesh, the salty water mixed with his blood forming a weak mixture of the nutrients I so desired. His blood was unlike any I had ever tasted; the blood of centuries was coursing through my veins, the blood of history itself, the fountain of sanguinarian knowledge lapped upon my shores of drought and neglect, rushing and refreshing me with a new source of vitality. Oh, how deliciously it slid down my throat, coating every nook and cranny and freeing me from my dry exasperation. I can only liken this lust for his vital fluids to the above-mentioned orgy I enjoyed as a baptism of blood in London, which without debate I would mention in due course. Once again the desire hit me I thought I had lost, encouraged by Marius's groans of masochistic pleasure as I drained him. His hand moved away from the back of my head (as now I fed freely), wrapping this now free arm around my waist, tightly and stroking in reply to the heaves I made as I consumed him. Distracted I hardly noticed that he had raised my captive wrist to his mouth and commenced to bite into it.

I ripped my mouth away from his neck, all ecstasy gone, the blood dripping from my now protruding canines as I screeched, "My wrist! What are you doing? No, stop you hurt me!"

Marius turned his head so that the blood from his neck trickled and gently stained his shirt, "It is your choice now," he said as he tipped my hand so that my ruby blood oozed down my arm.

I echoed him, "Feed to survive…"

Marius once again bent his head, an unseen viciousness gleaming in his eyes. He licked my arm lavishly; lapping up the waste as I watched him horrified. I felt ill, a sick feeling rising up from my stomach into my throat. I tried to pull away but I was growing weaker every second. I desperately bent and once again drank passionately, now though not for pleasure but survival. This nightmare seemed to take hold of me and as he lowered my stained limp hand from his mouth I continued to feed. I wanted to hurt him (impossible I know) for he had damaged my beautiful wrist, ripping the flesh, making my delicate and fine fingers pale and numb. My lips throbbed as Marius asked me pleasantly to cease but I just bit in harder, my aim to reach his spinal discs, to sever and destroy him. But like a god smiting his chosen Marius placed his hands around my throat and tore me away, ripping gaping holes in his skin and I gasped as the air was pushed out of my lungs.

Marius threw me so that I fell back onto his bedding, supporting myself on twisted hands that still bled indiscriminately onto his sheets. I glared at him angrily, "Why did you do that?" I snapped, "Why did you make me do that?"

"Despite what you feel it is time for acceptance," Marius began, satisfied that I had learnt my lesson, but I just glared as he continued, "you are like us now and must learn to…"

Just as Marius was about to finish his answer my eyes lids widened, appearing to almost disappear, and my pupils narrowed, almost vanishing. I clutched my guts as I fell, fitting, hitting the blankets. Jolting I gasped like a fish on a hook, "W-what…did…you…d-do…to…me?"

Marius stared at me frantically as he debated with his own convictions almost ignoring my state, "You did not finish your transition…it is true…I too am your father…"

Tears ran down my cheeks, I felt like puberty was starting on my body once again, I could feel myself knotting and churn and gasped, "W-what is…hap-pen-ing…to me? A-am I dy-ing…a-gain?" My eyes burnt and I could feel a bloody sweat breaking out as I tossed and cursed silently. I heaved and puffed as I slowly began to suffocate, the demonic blood invading my body and drowning my lungs as I choked and spluttered, my heart beat fading as I slowly withered.

"The last few drops of human blood are leaving your body," Marius said gently, regaining composure as he stroked my sweat soaked brow, "now you choose what humanity remains."

Finally the agony stopped, blinking I wiped my eyes with a blood stained sleeve leaving a red bandit's mask across my face.

"It has calmed," I gasped.

Marius pulled out of his pocket a white cotton handkerchief and dabbed it tenderly across my closed eyes, "That, my child was your salvation."

Marius kissed me tenderly on the nose; "I have freed you from those mortal chains of discontent."

"I'm whole again?" I asked, relieved that such an unplanned ordeal had finally met its demise.

Pressing his thumb Marius wiped away newly formed tears of gratitude that began to well in my eyes as I looked upon him. He nodded, "You are."

I latched onto him hoping I would never have to loosen my grasp. Laughing and crying I gasped, "Then I can live again!"

Marius peered down as I snuggled myself further into his creases, "It was a hard lesson you learnt today, you were very brave to endure without your loved one near…"

Silently I chuckled deciding I had just established a secondary alliance.

Marius continued, "I can see why you were chosen but this dramatic build up has sparked a flame of curiosity within me…" he paused trying not to sound intrusive, "…you seem to have had an eventful two weeks."

I looked up at him; "This all started a long time before that. But yes…the worse…the deepest pain was a lot less than two weeks…the pain I think I will never forget…which Armand will never understand…completely…"

I stopped and began to blush as I noticed Marius' neck; "I'm sorry."

"Completely my fault," Marius said with a wink, "now tell me of this excitement and we will see if I can find a way to help you feed with such passion every night…to get over this trauma."

"I-I'm not sure…" I was hesitant, realising already we had become too intimate.

"Relax and tell your tale, soon you will find that the story tells itself."

"O-okay then…" I fidgeted nervously, tensing up. "Can I just?"

"Of course."

"Armand!" I yelled with the vivacity I gained whenever the thought of playfully annoying him entered my head, "I can hear you behind that door - I am no longer a little girl!" I cried with excitement, "You have heard this story; go see if David has figured out how to use the copying machine yet!"

There was a shuffling and eventually I relaxed sidling up beside Marius when I persuaded myself Armand was gone.

I sighed and then began to tell my short life's tale; "It was a mid-summer evening…"