one."
Marcus chuckled again. "I don't think he'll make the mistake of arriving at your door when you're here, but if he gains access, he can invite d'Arcy in. Then our security is breached."
"You mentioned another enemy—an older adversary, you called him. Who is he?"
Marcus's expression grew grim, and he rose from the couch, in order to look out of the window. "His name is Gregory. He was a Hungarian monk when we first met, many, many years ago. He blames me for his vampire state, and has vowed to kill me. He thinks I changed him." "And did you?"
"No. Believe me, Roger. Nothing could have been further from my mind. I disliked the man at first sight. He was a sanctimonious, miserable human being, without an ounce of joy in his spirit. His fellow monks despised him enough to have him thrown out of the order to which he belonged."
"How did you meet him?"
105
My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
"In the monastery where he was lodged." His smile reflected a distant memory. "I have always been a curious man. Religion has fascinated me since my youth. I was not raised a Christian, although Christianity was rampant at the time of my birth. My father believed in the old Roman gods and would not allow Christian teachings in his house.
"After I was changed, I disavowed all gods, feeling if they existed then this calamity could never have befallen me. But as the years went by, I matured in my thinking, and seeing the sufferings of man through the ages, I marvelled at how humans could still cling to the basic belief that there was a God, out there somewhere, invisible, unheard, yet somehow governing the fortunes and misfortunes of all men. I felt the need to know more of this God and see if there was a mention of my kind in those tomes stored within the monastery vaults. I have to admit I wanted to discover if I could ever find redemption from this half-life I was bound to."
"Oh, Marcus..." My eyes filled with tears at the thought of him so lost and alone. "I wish I could have been there then to bring you comfort." "You have no idea how much I wish that same thing," he said, taking my hand and holding it to his lips. "Perhaps then, we would have been spared." He paused and drew me into his arms. "I am just glad that I found you now."
[Back to Table of Contents]
106
My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
Chapter Eight
It was dark outside, and I was hungry—for food this time.
There was so much more I wanted to hear, but I didn't want my rumbling stomach to distract us, so I asked if he'd like me to fix us something to eat.
"I have a couple of steaks in the fridge. Would that do?" I figured he might like his rare. "And I have some wine. Not the vintage you provide, but it's not bad."
He smiled and nodded. He was really turning out to be the easiest-to-please boyfriend I'd ever had. While the steaks were grilling, I poured some cabernet into my best glasses—
I'm enough of a queen to have had some good crystal on hand—and he pretended it was just to his liking.
After a minute or two, I pulled the steaks from under the grill. They were rare all right and suddenly looked extremely appetising to me. Me, who preferred everything well done.
"Look okay?" I asked him.
"Excellent," he said, licking his lips in mock anticipation.
I giggled and flipped them onto a couple of plates. "Dinner is served, sir." I gave him a courtly bow, and he smacked my butt. We sat side by side at the table, feeding each other chunks of underdone steak. I'd never been so happy.
"Tell me about your friends, Marcus," I said. "Do any of them live here in LA?"
"A few ... one in particular I want you to meet. His name is Jean-Claude. I was his mentor for many years."
107
My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
"Oh, yeah?" Mentor , I thought, with a twinge of jealousy.
That means they're really close .
"Yes, we are. Very close," Marcus said, a smile playing about his lips as he read my mind—darn it. "He was changed only one hundred years ago," he
Marcus chuckled again. "I don't think he'll make the mistake of arriving at your door when you're here, but if he gains access, he can invite d'Arcy in. Then our security is breached."
"You mentioned another enemy—an older adversary, you called him. Who is he?"
Marcus's expression grew grim, and he rose from the couch, in order to look out of the window. "His name is Gregory. He was a Hungarian monk when we first met, many, many years ago. He blames me for his vampire state, and has vowed to kill me. He thinks I changed him." "And did you?"
"No. Believe me, Roger. Nothing could have been further from my mind. I disliked the man at first sight. He was a sanctimonious, miserable human being, without an ounce of joy in his spirit. His fellow monks despised him enough to have him thrown out of the order to which he belonged."
"How did you meet him?"
105
My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
"In the monastery where he was lodged." His smile reflected a distant memory. "I have always been a curious man. Religion has fascinated me since my youth. I was not raised a Christian, although Christianity was rampant at the time of my birth. My father believed in the old Roman gods and would not allow Christian teachings in his house.
"After I was changed, I disavowed all gods, feeling if they existed then this calamity could never have befallen me. But as the years went by, I matured in my thinking, and seeing the sufferings of man through the ages, I marvelled at how humans could still cling to the basic belief that there was a God, out there somewhere, invisible, unheard, yet somehow governing the fortunes and misfortunes of all men. I felt the need to know more of this God and see if there was a mention of my kind in those tomes stored within the monastery vaults. I have to admit I wanted to discover if I could ever find redemption from this half-life I was bound to."
"Oh, Marcus..." My eyes filled with tears at the thought of him so lost and alone. "I wish I could have been there then to bring you comfort." "You have no idea how much I wish that same thing," he said, taking my hand and holding it to his lips. "Perhaps then, we would have been spared." He paused and drew me into his arms. "I am just glad that I found you now."
[Back to Table of Contents]
106
My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
Chapter Eight
It was dark outside, and I was hungry—for food this time.
There was so much more I wanted to hear, but I didn't want my rumbling stomach to distract us, so I asked if he'd like me to fix us something to eat.
"I have a couple of steaks in the fridge. Would that do?" I figured he might like his rare. "And I have some wine. Not the vintage you provide, but it's not bad."
He smiled and nodded. He was really turning out to be the easiest-to-please boyfriend I'd ever had. While the steaks were grilling, I poured some cabernet into my best glasses—
I'm enough of a queen to have had some good crystal on hand—and he pretended it was just to his liking.
After a minute or two, I pulled the steaks from under the grill. They were rare all right and suddenly looked extremely appetising to me. Me, who preferred everything well done.
"Look okay?" I asked him.
"Excellent," he said, licking his lips in mock anticipation.
I giggled and flipped them onto a couple of plates. "Dinner is served, sir." I gave him a courtly bow, and he smacked my butt. We sat side by side at the table, feeding each other chunks of underdone steak. I'd never been so happy.
"Tell me about your friends, Marcus," I said. "Do any of them live here in LA?"
"A few ... one in particular I want you to meet. His name is Jean-Claude. I was his mentor for many years."
107
My Vampire and I
by J. P. Bowie
"Oh, yeah?" Mentor , I thought, with a twinge of jealousy.
That means they're really close .
"Yes, we are. Very close," Marcus said, a smile playing about his lips as he read my mind—darn it. "He was changed only one hundred years ago," he
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