In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season: Episodes 1-5 (15 page)

Carlotta nodded in agreement. “They sound so young and naive.”

“That’s what I like about them. They are full of ideas, revolutionary ones. They aren’t hindered by what they think they should be. It’s refreshing.”

Carlotta tossed her head and strode into the bedroom. A large canopy bed draped in dark blue velvet dominated the room. It was very old and very ornate. She crawled onto it and arranged her robes around her. Armando followed, deep in thought. Carlotta’s dark eyes studied his brooding form silently.

It amused Armando when she tried to figure him out. She truly didn’t know him. He preferred it that way. Ever since he had stumbled across her all those hundreds of years ago, their relationship had been extremely complicated and yet so simple. They would fight with such intense hatred they’d almost kill each other and the next moment love each other with the passion only vampires could express.

Tonight, her dark gaze was verging on cruelty.

“You’re making me nervous,” Armando said suddenly, startling her.

“Why?”

“You’re too quiet. A dangerous sign.”

“I’m thinking about how we met so long ago.”

“That again?” He couldn’t help but smile. “You scared the hell out of me when you jumped out of that tree I was riding under.”

“I wanted you.” Carlotta responded flippantly, her eyes intense. “I made you mine.”

Armando started to undress. “Yes, I suppose in one sense you did.”

“I don’t intend to ever let you go,” Carlotta continued.

Armando lifted an eyebrow. “What if I decide to leave?”

“You won’t.” Carlotta stretched out on the bed with cat-like movements.

Armando tossed his shirt and jacket over a chair and sat beside her on the bed. Leaning toward her, his eyes capturing hers, he said, “You are far too sure of yourself.”

“Perhaps, but I know you need me just as much as I need you,” Carlotta responded, rolling over and resting her head on his lap. She gazed up at him seductively. “We are two of a kind.”

“I don’t think so.”

Carlotta snapped her body upright. “Why do you say that?”

“You, my dear, hardly know me,” Armando declared, his golden eyes appraising her coldly.

“I know you better than anyone!” Carlotta protested.

“So you think,” Armando corrected.

“So I know!”

Armando stood up and finished undressing.  “Are you staying?”

Carlotta was flustered by his question. “Of course! It’s too close to dawn for me to make it home.”

“Very well.” Armando made sure the curtains were tightly closed while Carlotta sat fuming.

“I do know you well!” Carlotta abruptly shouted.

“You share my bed, not my mind..”

“You are trying to provoke me, you damn Spanish bastard!” Carlotta fumed.

Armando narrowed his eyes. “I was merely telling you the truth.”

Carlotta screamed with rage and yanked the curtains of the canopy closed.

Armando grinned. He felt like ticking off the volatile gypsy. For some reason he was feeling extremely contrary. The evening’s visit had made him think of people and places that were long gone and of emotions he had long thought dead. Still smirking, he finished dressing in his silk pajamas bottoms.

The phone rang abruptly, and he quickly snatched up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Did you contact the Socolis?”  The voice was one he knew well. It still had the power to make him feel utterly helpless.

“Yes, I did.”

“And the girl? Has she been brought over?”

“No, she is mortal. Her brother and sister are caring for her.”

“Are you sure they won’t try to try to bring her over?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure they won’t. They seem to hate being vampires and have an aversion to even acknowledging that they’ve entered the dark life. They live as mortals and still think as mortals.”

“Weaklings,” the voice declared with disgust. “That’s good. Watch the girl carefully. You must protect her. She is the one.”

Armando lowered his voice to say, “I realize you think that because she’s an albino-”

“Did you not feel her power?”

“Yes, yes, I did. The power I feel in her is so strong, and yet, she is so young.”

There was a satisfied chuckle. “Then our time approaches. Very well. You know what to do.”

“Yes, Master,” Armando answered as the line was cut off.

Deep in thought, he pushed aside the curtains surrounding his bed aside. His silk pajamas slid easily under the satin sheets. Settling beside Carlotta, he drew the curtains close. The sun would soon be rising over the horizon, and weariness was settling in his limbs. Carlotta was lying with her back to him, obviously upset, muttering away in Spanish.

“Carlotta,” Armando whispered.

“Was it the Master?”

“Yes, it was. All is well.” Armando rested his hand on her shoulder. “Carlotta, we are not alike in all things, but I do care for you very much.” He kissed the curve of her shoulder.

“You are a bastard!” Carlotta snapped. “But I forgive you.” Rolling over, she snuggled up against him.

Armando kissed her soft hair and held her close, enjoying the coolness of her soft body against his.

“You do care for me very much, don’t you, you rotten Spanish bastard?”

“Yes,” Armando responded.

Carlotta kissed his neck affectionately. “I care for you.”

Armando held his temperamental gypsy lover close and closed his eyes. They never said the word 'love' to each other for they knew that was not what they shared. Love was something Armando had not felt for a very long time and truly did not want to feel its fiery sting again. Love was far too painful and dangerous for a vampire to indulge in. An eternity is a long time to suffer.

“Was Roman handsome?”

“Yes, I suppose. You should like that he is very wealthy.”

“Then maybe we should meet,” Carlotta decided.

“Someday, perhaps. But not now. It’s too soon.”

Carlotta kissed his chin and whispered, “Until tonight, my darling.”

Armando closed his eyes and fell asleep as the sun rose.

For the first few weeks after Armando’s appearance in their lives, Roman kept the vampire in his study during visits, significantly limiting his involvement with his two sisters. Armando was somewhat amused by Roman’s parental attitude toward Alisha and Vanora.

During their talks together, Roman revealed to Armando the incredible mind of his new-found friend.  Roman was a deep thinker, who constantly examined his life, searching for any flaws in his character which needed to be rectified and fortifying his strengths. Roman’s determination to remain as human as possible was impressive. He aspired to live a life that contained honor, love, and a measure of happiness. Armando was surprised to find himself challenged by those beliefs, but he still remained dedicated to fulfilling his Master’s orders.

Roman found comfort in his new friendship. He had not realized the extent of his isolation until he finally had a companion with whom he could share his ideas. Roman enjoyed the challenge of Armando’s questions and found himself sinking many of his new philosophies into his journals. Slowly, a tome he christened
Roman’s Law
, emerged. When he finally allowed Armando to read the journal, the Spaniard asked for a copy, and Roman complied. Armando transcribed it, then contacted a local printer and requested a hundred leather bound volumes, the minimum amount the printer would allow him to order. He presented copies to Roman and Alisha as gifts and burned the rest.

But what Armando did not know, was that several botched copies of
Roman’s Law
were thrown away in a dumpster behind the printing building. A dumpster diver found the books and sold them to a second-hand bookstore.

April 2005

Long, skinny legs draped over the armrest, Vanora slouched in one of the leather chairs in Roman’s study reading a book for school. It was a bit difficult to concentrate with the epic shouting match taking place in the hall.

“I can date whoever I want!” Alisha yelled at Roman. “Just because you don’t like Sin doesn’t mean I’m going to stop seeing him!”

“Alisha, his name is
Sin!
I’m sure that isn’t short for Sinclair, right?”

“No, it’s not! But why should it matter? Besides, you’re not my father!”

The argument shifted away from the study, much to Vanora’s relief. Since Alisha’s career had started to take off and she interacted with the mortal world on a regular basis, Roman had been particularly paranoid and overly protective. He’d been horrified when Alisha actually started dating another artist. Vanora liked Sin. Whenever Alisha took her over to his place to hang out, Sin played
Resident Evil
with her.

With a yawn, Vanora snuck her Motorola Razr out of her pocket and flipped it open. She was so bored of
Little Women s
he
could just die. As far as she was concerned, they all sucked, though Jo was somewhat tolerable. Texting Rhonda, her best friend at school, she tried to keep her action hidden behind the book just in case Roman returned. After her last dismal report card, he was a tyrant about her homework.

“What are you reading?”

Vanora flipped her phone shut, and looked up to see Armando taking the chair opposite of her. “Where did you come from?”

“Ryan let me in,” Armando answered, flashing his white teeth in a broad smile.

Whenever he smiled, she looked for fangs, but was always disappointed. Her brother and sister refused to show her theirs. If not for their adherence to living only at night, it was difficult to tell they were vampires. Vanora couldn’t even get them to turn into a bat, though she wasn’t sure if they even could.

Armando lifted his eyes, head tilted, obviously listening to the argument that had shifted upstairs. “They’re fighting?”

“Roman hates Sin.” Vanora shrugged.

“Well, he is a good Catholic.”

“No, he hates
Sin
, Alisha’s boyfriend.”

Armando returned his gaze to her. She hadn’t really interacted with him since his arrival in their lives, and his attention made her feel self-conscious. Swinging her legs around, she sat up straight in her chair and shoved her feet into her red ballet shoes. Clad in red skinny jeans and a Hello Kitty t-shirt, she felt obscenely childish.  Flipping her braids behind her shoulders, she felt her face flush. She knew it was dumb to want to impress a vampire who was hundreds of years old, but a piece of her desperately wanted him to think she was pretty.

“Alisha has a boyfriend named Sin?” Armando was clearly amused. “Is he an artist, too?”

“Yeah. He makes sculptures out of old cars. It’s cool.”

“And he’s mortal?”

“Yep.”

Armando’s expression was thoughtful for a second, then he glanced at the book in her hands.

“So you’re reading
Little Women?
For school?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m supposed to pick which one I’m the most like and then write what I’d do in her place.” Vanora rolled her eyes. “It’s lame.”

Armanda lifted one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows. “Why is it lame?”

“Everyone is going to pick Jo. I mean she’s okay, but everyone in this book is dumb.” Vanora shrugged.

“Actually, they’re very enlightened for that time period,” Armando explained gently. “I lived during that time and those characters were revolutionary. Especially Josephine. Women were tied to very strict gender roles. They often couldn’t make choices for themselves, even who they married.”

Vanora tapped the book with her fingers. Noticing that her blue nail polish was chipped, she curled her fingers to hide them. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Marrying for love was very rare. People married for security, political gain, to satisfy their families...” Armando’s golden eyes lowered, his lashes casting shadows over his cheeks. “Marrying for love was a luxury afforded to only a few.”

Flipping the book around in her hands, Vanora stared at the cover. “Well, that sucks for them. And those dresses look awful.”

Armando chuckled. “Yes, well, fashion is not always kind.” He gestured to her outfit. “Little girls wearing pants would have been scandalous at that time.”

Vanora bristled under the ‘little girl’ label. “I’m fifteen. I had my birthday.”

“Ah, true. Young lady, then. My mistake. In some eras, you would be married by now.”

The twinkle in his eyes and amused smile he bestowed on Vanora softened her irritation. “Well, yuck.”

“You don’t want to get married someday?” Both eyebrows lifted, surprised.

Shrugging, Vanora answered, “Maybe. I mean...if the guy is cool, I guess. But he has to be super awesome and not a total spazz.”

“Ah, so thinking about being a career woman?”

“Maybe,” Vanora played with the edges of her book.