one another, to whisper in a stranger’s ear of their insatiable need. In the interim, you will go and bring us two brandies, as the service here is also a myth.”
Isaac found his way to the nearest of the bars and ordered. With the brandies, he returned to the area that he had occupied with Julian, but he was no longer there. He looked around and located him prowling among the crowd in such a deliberate manner that it made Isaac uneasy. At last he returned to Isaac’s side and took his drink.
The better part of an hour passed with no words spoken between them. This was not a place where conversation was encouraged, or even necessary. This was the domain of the pleasure-senses. Everyone knew why they were here.
Then the predicted moment arrived, and the token slow song was cued up. Isaac couldn’t help but smile as dozens of couples took to the floor and embraced each other with a sophomoric tenderness that belied their previous gropings. Julian made his move.
He walked to where the blonde was shaking her head at the requests from the men around her. He bent gracefully at the waist, spoke into her ear, and held forth his hand. She took it and rose to join him in the dance.
Julian moved fluidly, leading and guiding her with an apparent familiarity. It was lovely to watch them. With some effort, Isaac fought off the warmly-intrusive memories of dancing with Lessa. This was not the place to sully those visions.
When the song ended, Julian took her hand and led her back to where Isaac stood waiting. The three of them found a cushioned corner and sat down.
“This is my acquaintance, Isaac Bloom. Isaac, I would like to introduce Erica Nance.”
She held out her hand and Isaac shook it lightly, absorbing her beauty. His curiosity was mixed with a growing concern for the woman’s safety. What did Julian have in mind? Was Isaac going to be forced to witness something more horrible than he had in St. Louis?
But the conversation seemed normal enough, and eventually managed to ease most of Julian’s concerns. The three of them discussed the city and the music and other related trivialities. There was easy laughter, and some flirtation forming between Julian and the young woman. The question of why they were here, in this particular club, hung like an unspoken code of thieves’ honor between them. There was to be no questioning of the motives of dark need.
After about an hour Erica excused herself for the lady’s room. When she had gone, Julian looked at Isaac and spoke in his direct fashion.
“She is dying. There is little time left for her.”
Isaac was incredulous. “Did she tell you that while you were dancing?”
“No. I am not certain if she knows it herself, though I suspect she does. That is the likely reason she has ventured into a world such as this. She has no place here. But I would venture that she has a terrible need to know a range of experiences before she vacates this life. It cannot be an easy thing to know that you must die soon. It can only be harder to know that you never will. When she returns we will learn her story.”
Isaac mulled it over. It was too incredible. Did the reading of minds come with the vampire tool box? How could he possibly know that this young lady was dying? Yet his previous victims bore a silent testimony to his methods.
Erica returned and smiled warmly as she resumed her place between them. Julian asked her if she had ever tasted Cognac and she shook her head. He offered his glass. She hesitated for only a moment, then took it from him, inhaled the aroma at the rim, and drank deeply. The two men looked on as she coughed and gasped in surprise.
“Wow. It doesn’t give you much warning…the smell, I mean. It has such a mellow warmth on the nose that you would never suspect the potency. It seems like it’s just going to slide right down your throat,” her eyes lingered on Julian’s as she spoke, “but it builds up this hot friction and catches fire halfway down.
Isaac found his way to the nearest of the bars and ordered. With the brandies, he returned to the area that he had occupied with Julian, but he was no longer there. He looked around and located him prowling among the crowd in such a deliberate manner that it made Isaac uneasy. At last he returned to Isaac’s side and took his drink.
The better part of an hour passed with no words spoken between them. This was not a place where conversation was encouraged, or even necessary. This was the domain of the pleasure-senses. Everyone knew why they were here.
Then the predicted moment arrived, and the token slow song was cued up. Isaac couldn’t help but smile as dozens of couples took to the floor and embraced each other with a sophomoric tenderness that belied their previous gropings. Julian made his move.
He walked to where the blonde was shaking her head at the requests from the men around her. He bent gracefully at the waist, spoke into her ear, and held forth his hand. She took it and rose to join him in the dance.
Julian moved fluidly, leading and guiding her with an apparent familiarity. It was lovely to watch them. With some effort, Isaac fought off the warmly-intrusive memories of dancing with Lessa. This was not the place to sully those visions.
When the song ended, Julian took her hand and led her back to where Isaac stood waiting. The three of them found a cushioned corner and sat down.
“This is my acquaintance, Isaac Bloom. Isaac, I would like to introduce Erica Nance.”
She held out her hand and Isaac shook it lightly, absorbing her beauty. His curiosity was mixed with a growing concern for the woman’s safety. What did Julian have in mind? Was Isaac going to be forced to witness something more horrible than he had in St. Louis?
But the conversation seemed normal enough, and eventually managed to ease most of Julian’s concerns. The three of them discussed the city and the music and other related trivialities. There was easy laughter, and some flirtation forming between Julian and the young woman. The question of why they were here, in this particular club, hung like an unspoken code of thieves’ honor between them. There was to be no questioning of the motives of dark need.
After about an hour Erica excused herself for the lady’s room. When she had gone, Julian looked at Isaac and spoke in his direct fashion.
“She is dying. There is little time left for her.”
Isaac was incredulous. “Did she tell you that while you were dancing?”
“No. I am not certain if she knows it herself, though I suspect she does. That is the likely reason she has ventured into a world such as this. She has no place here. But I would venture that she has a terrible need to know a range of experiences before she vacates this life. It cannot be an easy thing to know that you must die soon. It can only be harder to know that you never will. When she returns we will learn her story.”
Isaac mulled it over. It was too incredible. Did the reading of minds come with the vampire tool box? How could he possibly know that this young lady was dying? Yet his previous victims bore a silent testimony to his methods.
Erica returned and smiled warmly as she resumed her place between them. Julian asked her if she had ever tasted Cognac and she shook her head. He offered his glass. She hesitated for only a moment, then took it from him, inhaled the aroma at the rim, and drank deeply. The two men looked on as she coughed and gasped in surprise.
“Wow. It doesn’t give you much warning…the smell, I mean. It has such a mellow warmth on the nose that you would never suspect the potency. It seems like it’s just going to slide right down your throat,” her eyes lingered on Julian’s as she spoke, “but it builds up this hot friction and catches fire halfway down.
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