Page 10 of Abiding Blood

I gazed back out into the night. The city lights sparkled as trees swayed in the winter breeze and cars and people moved about. It really was stunning.

I reached for my book but realized I no longer felt like reading. The earlier anxiety threatened to creep back in. I needed to get up and move. Nathaniel’s call and questions about my deceased children had stirred my emotions for the second time that night. Sunrise was still far off, but I was ready for the evening to be over. It was time to shut myself away.

I walked down the hall toward my private suite when something caught my eye. Karl approached, holding a file I presumed contained financial documents.

“Please leave that on my desk with the mail. I’ll take care of it later,” I said. I knew I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for business. “I’ll be staying in for the rest of the evening,” I continued. “I’m retiring to my rooms and won’t need anything else tonight.”

“Yes, sir,” Karl replied. “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed. Enjoy your rest.”

“Thank you, as always,” I said, nodding as I passed by.

I continued down the natural wood-lined hall, with its soft lighting and minimal decoration, toward the center of the building and the entrance to my private suite. I pushed open the solid door with its steel core as easily as if it were made of rice paper. Only Karl and a few select staff had ever accessed this part of the apartment. The door’s weight alone would have set tongues wagging. This was my inner sanctum, my retreat from the world, my coffin, as it were. These rooms offered a safe place to sleep through the daylight hours, well protected from the sun, humans, and other creatures.

I closed the door on its quiet, well-oiled hinges and engaged the large locking mechanism. Once bolted, it had to be unbolted from the inside and could be opened from the outside only by entering a security code even Karl didn’t know.

Was it overkill? Probably. Did it make me feel more secure? Definitely. And I didn’t get to be as old as I was by being reckless.

I went through the spacious sitting room and cozy library, which housed the best of my book collection, and into the bedroom. Flinging open the doors to a dressing room grand enough to serve as an extra bedchamber, I scanned the rows of clothing. Everything was perfectly tailored, the height of luxury, and all in shades of gray or black.

But as I kicked off my boots and pulled off the gray sweater, I reached for the only splash of color in the room. I wrapped the soft, well-worn red silk dressing gown around my shoulders, leaving my trousers on, and walked barefoot back to the sitting room. As I went, I enjoyed the feel of the cool, polished concrete floor and the thick carpets under my toes.

Settling onto the sofa, I reached for the flatscreen remote. Next to the remote, Karl had laid out my cigarette case and silver lighter. I took one from the case, lit it, and savored the nostalgia as it filled my lungs. This was one of the few places in the city where I could still smoke, and smoking helped me relax, helped me think.

There was little on television, and the streaming services offered too many options. I soon grew bored scrolling through, trying to find something interesting. I turned off the TV and lay back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, exhaling great clouds of smoke above my head.

The evening seemed to call for reflection, considering everything that had happened, and I let my mind turn over the events. I’d been enjoying myself until I’d joined Anna and the other vampires. Maybe I needed to devote more time to the things I loved and less to the chatter of the young, I thought. They had no appreciation for how I fed or how I lived. So what if I didn’t feed as they did? I enjoyed mingling in clubs with my prey, pursuing, seducing, and feeding like a true vampire should. I wasn’t one of those modern beings content to choose something from a menu or sip my blood from a glass, as some did.

No. I wouldn’t feel guilty for what I was.

I decided right then that I would focus on what truly mattered to me, what made me feel like myself. I would no longer waste time on those who annoyed and distracted me. I was a vampire, and I was going to act like it.

With my mind made up, I felt better than I had in years. I stubbed out my cigarette and headed to bed. Stretching as I walked, loosening my tight shoulders, I finally felt my back muscles relax. I shrugged off my clothes and climbed under the dark blue linens, pulling the duvet over myself.

I lay there, waiting for sleep, while planning the next evening in my mind. I would avoid my usual spots, not wanting to go where friends might expect to find me. The thought of indulging in my pursuits, free from the burdens of social obligations, excited me.

Dawn approached, and sleep tugged at me when my cell phone buzzed on the bedside table. I picked it up. It was a message from Nathaniel. Irritation prickled through me, and I silenced the phone. I was about to set it back on the table when I thought better of it and tossed the thing into the corner of the room, where it slid behind a chair and out of sight. I didn’t want to be reachable, not then or anytime soon. Satisfied, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke the next night with an excitement I hadn’t felt in decades. I bathed quickly and dressed in my usual dark attire, hardly noticing what I’d chosen but confident it would all go together. I laced up my boots and headed out the door less than thirty minutes after sunset.

The hour was too early for the clubs and bars I typically enjoyed, but I’d left early on purpose. I’d decided the night before to avoid my usual haunts, leaving me no choice. I exited the building and headed to a different part of the city, where the bars were always open, and the nightlife began long before the sun went down.

It wasn’t hard to find what I was looking for. The establishments in this part of the city drew rougher customers, but they would suit my purposes just the same. I had several options. I selected a large, rather noisy club tucked back off the main streets, hiding its seediness from the more upstanding citizens. I pushed open the scuffed front door and made my way inside.

Smoke hung thick in the air. This wasn’t a place that worried much about the rules. I smiled. It was something we had in common.

As I expected, the bar was already packed. It would serve as the perfect spot to kick off the evening. Half a dozen worn booths lined one wall, while scarred wooden tables filled the rest of the space. Almost all were occupied. The venue also functioned as a pool hall. Several games were underway in the back, adding to the cozy din.

The shift from my usual surroundings heightened the sense of tense exhilaration. It reminded me of the thrill of hunting in my youth. My hands twitched, recalling the unrestrained urgency. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scents the place offered. My eyes darted around the room, more alert than ever.

I froze, realizing how I must look. What was I doing? This was so unlike me. I needed to calm down and regain my control. I took another deep breath to steady myself. I had to focus on my role—on who I needed to be and what people needed to see—to get what I wanted.

Feeling like myself again, I went to the bar. I picked a stool and ordered a lambic. I waited for the drink to arrive before turning in my seat to look over the crowd, more calmly this time.

There were many options for the evening’s pursuit, but I didn’t need to stress about choosing a suitable candidate. Before I finished scanning the place, a blonde woman pushed through the crowd, heading straight for me. Her hips swayed as she approached, and a wide smile spread across her face. This wasn’t unusual. My prey often came to me, and I welcomed them with open arms. She looked young, probably just over twenty, wearing a strikingly bright pink fitted dress.

“Hi,” she called over the din of other patrons. “Is this seat taken?” She gestured to the stool beside me.

“Not at all,” I said, pulling it back and inviting her in. “Please, have a seat. What are you drinking?”