Darien

Chapter 5

Darien stooped next to the gargoyle, but tonight, nothing was the same. Instead of scanning the city for signs of the rogue vampires David had told him of, he was lost in thought about Rose. Why hadn’t he just lied? He had felt a compulsion to tell her the truth, despite his better judgment He had had many lovers before, long when this life was initially thrust upon him. He had had an intense craving for lovemaking and he had seduced many a woman to his bed. The difference was they didn’t usually make it out alive. He had grown tired of the senseless killing of humans for the benefit of satiation.

He had decided to grow more sophisticated and had taught himself how to curb and control his thirst for blood-a feat that lasted him many years and dealt him severe pain. He had started feeding on animals until a few years ago when he was approached by David when he ventured into DC. He had informed him about the gentlemen at The Everest, a global law firm that had underground connections in the protection of his kind and other immortal beings.  Darien was not sure how many leagues of crazy were out there, but he took David’s advice and went and spoke with someone called Weston Green. He later met Michael Rogers and together they had talked about how best he could coexist. They gave him connections to a secret lab run by the government where he could register and get regular supplies of blood without having to kill. He had been skeptical of the idea at first, but after his first visit he had not found the taste as reprehensible. He acquired it after a few visits and had become a registered member and a regular visitor.

He paused now to ponder his last feed again. Somehow he could not remember the last time he had had something to drink. Ever since his foolish honesty a few weeks ago, he had not seen Rose and with her absence had come a reduced appetite. He no longer thirsted for blood. He now thirsted for her. His soul cried out for her and he wondered if he would ever be with her again. He flew down now from the building and set about walking the streets. He was just passing an alley way when he heard a woman scream. He darted in the direction, allowing the darkness to consume him as he glided. He was just in time to witness the woman falling to the curb as a man flashed him a look and vanished. Darien gave chase, but by the time he made it to the bend, there was no one there.

He back tracked to the woman lying on the curb. He knelt and pressed his finger against the side of her neck to check for a pulse; there wasn’t one. He removed his fingers and saw blood stains imprinted on them. He withdrew his hand sharply as if he was burnt and turned her over. Whatever was attacking her was not only long gone, but was not human either. Should someone find her, then his kind could possibly be discovered. He removed a pocket knife and widened the wound in her neck so as to disguise the bite marks. He looked about him when he was through and hurried away before he was mistaken as the culprit by a passerby.

 This had to be the work of the rogue for no human could make a wound of that kind. There was also something familiar about the way he moved. Darien went back home at once to inform Weston of this recent happening. Each time a rogue did a senseless act, it implicated everyone else and soon the government would be forced to take drastic action. He immediately went to his bedside table and pulled the drawer open. That was a relief. His registration card was still there. He walked back to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of red wine. At present his mind needed relaxation and as soon as it was, it drifted back to its most comfortable resting place. So far he had allowed Rose time to vent and come to terms with everything, but it had been four weeks and she hadn’t made any move to contact him. He was not going to let her walk away from him. He needed her too much. He checked the time and realized that it was too late to call her now. He would see her the following night.

Having resolved that in his mind, he went to sit next to his gargoyle once more; this time his conscious mind focused on the rogues. He observed for a long time and skipped over a few rooftops, but he didn’t catch wind of anything else. He retired to his bed once more to relax and wait for morning. He pulled the shutters on his windows and locked the doors. He even turned off all devices so that he could get some rest. Every now and again he would make himself available so that if the partners wanted to reach him they could. Otherwise, he slept throughout the day and came alive at night.

The night couldn’t come fast enough.  As soon as he knew she would be getting home, he positioned himself so that he could greet her before she went inside; he wasn’t sure she would admit him if she was already inside. Soon he saw her coming down the street. She didn’t drive so she had to take public transportation; this time it would appear as if she had taken the bus. She walked slowly up the driveway, seeming too tired to move faster. He walked up behind her before she got to the door and touched her shoulder. She jumped and a squeal came from her throat. He put his hand over her mouth before she should alert unnecessary attention.

“What are you doing here? You almost scared me to death.”

“I am sorry, but I had to see you,” he said apologetically.

She folded her arms and leaned against the door. “What is it Darien?” she asked. Even though she was trying to be tough, her heart was fluttering inside her, nervous at the sight of him. For weeks she had pined over him, picking up the phone several times to call him, but she couldn’t get past what he is. One thing rang true though, amidst all her turmoil; he has never tried to hurt her as vulnerable as she was and as capable as he was to see to it. He had not wanted to hurt her and she had begun to grow curious about this vampire who had flown into her life. A part of her was still afraid of the implications of that, but she wanted to know more about him. She turned around and opened the door.