Prophecy of the Undead (14 page)

Keisha wearily shook her head.

“I’m so tired. I feel like I’ve been drugged. My body feels so strange...like it’s not mine anymore. Like I’ve worked hard, but I don’t remember anything except feeling lost.”

“Let me carry you upstairs. We can take a long shower to clean the blood off of you, and then I will hold you in my arms until you sleep.”

“Blood?” She looked down and gasped. “Where did all of this blood come from? Whose is it?”

“Some of it is yours, my love,” he modulated his tone, trying not to alarm her. “I’m afraid that you fed a little too heartily on George. Some of it must be his.”

“George? Sweet, thoughtful George? What did I do to him?”

“I don’t want to tell you yet. I don’t want you to see him yet either. Just close your eyes and let me carry you upstairs to the shower.”

She began to cry again but this time it was with sadness and regret.

“Poor George. He was so nice to me...checking on me while you were gone...bringing me glasses of his blood. I can’t believe I would hurt him. How could I do such a thing?”

“Shh, don’t worry about that now. Just shut your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you. Let me take care of you now. Let me love you.”

She sank into his arms as he stood up. She buried her face in his chest, sniffling.

“Promise you won’t leave me again?”

“I promise. I also promise I will find out who did this to you. I will stop it from ever happening again.”

He strode across the lab quickly, slowing down only to gingerly step over the body at the bottom of the stairs. Then he walked up the stairs and closed the door behind him. He carried her into the bathroom and started the shower, then gently removed her stained and tattered clothing, tossing it aside.

Once she was naked, he helped her stand and walk into the shower. Then he stripped himself and joined her in the steam. For once, he didn’t allow himself to fondle her as he wanted to, but gently soaped her up, shampooed her hair, and massaged her limbs to improve her circulation.

When he thought she was warmed up enough, he wrapped her in a big towel and carried her over to the bed. He pulled back the covers and placed her in the bed, then lay down beside her and opened his arms. She crept into them and lay very still.

“Yuri?” she asked after a long while of silence.

“Yes?” He forced his thoughts away from plotting revenge and back to her.

“Do you really think you will be able to stop it from happening again?”

“I’m going to do my best, my love.”

She sighed heavily.

“It’s almost sunrise, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “Yes, honey. Rest now.”

He pulled her closer into his arms and felt her go limp.

“Keisha? Are you awake?”

No answer.
Time to clean up the mess downstairs so she doesn’t have to see any of that. First, I need to make a phone call.

He went just outside of the bedroom, keeping the hallway door open. He used speed dial to get his target on the phone.

“I need to see you.”

“Yuri? It’s so late. What does this concern and why do I sense such anger coming from you, my countryman?”

“I need to see you tonight. Can you come to my home?”

There was silence for so long that Yuri was afraid Casimiro had gone
out
for the day.

“You are not willing to come here to see me?”

“No. I don’t want to move her so soon. I need to talk to you.”

“This concerns Keisha? I would be glad to see her again. Very well, give me the address. I will be there soon after I awaken.”

* * * *

Yuri stood still for a while after he hung up the phone, watching Keisha from the doorway to be sure that she was certainly asleep for the day. He trudged wearily down the stairs to take care of poor George.

* * * *

Once the lab was as clean as he could manage so late in the morning, he forced himself to walk back up the stairs and crept back into bed next to Keisha. He pulled her into his arms once again, and was out before he got a chance to pull the blanket up.

Chapter Fourteen

When Keisha opened her eyes the next night, she was momentarily alarmed that Yuri wasn’t there holding her. She heard voices coming from behind the closed door and realized that he awakened before her. She stretched and moved each part of her body to see if the pain from the previous night still remained. Feeling refreshed from her rest, she got up and quickly pulled on some clothing,

She opened the door.

“Keisha, you are finally awake. It’s good to see you again,” Casimiro rose from his chair and bowed formally to her.

Yuri got up and strode over to take her in his arms for a quick kiss.

“How are you feeling, sleepyhead? You obviously really needed that extra time to rest because you look wonderful tonight.”

She shook her head, answering with a small smile, “I feel okay. Most of the pain from last night has subsided. I still have a lingering headache and I’m really hungry.”

Casimiro indicated the open bottle on the table in front of him.

“I brought a bottle of my finest to appease my countryman, who sounded upset with me on the phone. After what he has told me, I’m not surprised by his anger, though it is misplaced.”

Yuri walked over to the couch Casimiro was sitting on with his arm around Keisha’s shoulders. She sat, her gaze fixed on the blood in the bottle. He poured some of it into a glass and offered it to her. She greedily gulped it down and then held out her glass for more. He filled the glass again and she drank half of it quickly.

She noticed them watching her and took one last sip before she put the glass down in front of her.

“What? Why are you both staring at me like I’ve grown another head? I haven’t, have I?”

“No, but your behavior is odd. You may still be under an influence of some kind,” Casimiro began, adding, “That’s why I’ve contacted Apolinar. He is on his way here.”

“From Arizona?” she asked.

He smiled and shook his head. “No. From our home on the north shore of the lake. He comes up to spend time with me here when it is summer and warm enough for him to enjoy the change of venue. He was painting when I left. Once I told him of Yuri’s fears, he became as concerned about your recent behavior as I am.” He turned to address Yuri, “I am confident he can allay your concerns that he is in any way connected to your troubles.”

Keisha frowned. “I don’t remember much about last night. I remember being in pain, then feeling blinded. I remember a voice intruding into my thoughts but I can’t—for the life of me—think of anything intelligible that it said.”

Casimiro stood with a smile. “Ah, he has arrived. He will want to question you himself.”

He walked over and opened the balcony doors wider. An instant later, there was a whooshing sound and Apolinar landed in front of him. He rearranged his clothing briefly then strode into the room.

He bowed low before Yuri and Keisha.

“Thank you for inviting me into your home. I see that Casimiro brought a gift to show our concern over what has happened to you, Keisha my dear. Please tell me everything.”

He perched on the edge of a seat across from them. Casimiro walked over to sit on the chair next to him, pouring some of the liquid into a glass and offering it to him. He sipped on it slowly as Keisha and Yuri once again told the story of what happened the night before.

Apolinar asked no questions until Yuri ended with, “She has no lingering symptoms other than a slight headache.”

“Has this happened before? Were there any previous incidents of inexplicable behavior?”

Keisha shook her head but Yuri broke in, “Yes. Remember that time when you explained your findings to me about the spores, and you talked about aliens? You said you felt weak and had a headache bothering you.”

Keisha smiled wanly at him. “You fed me. We took a shower and that was the end of that.”

Apolinar leaned forward. “Tell me what you have learned about the nature of our existence. I think it is somehow connected.”

Yuri studied him, “First look me in the eye and tell me you had nothing to do with what she suffered. I know that Ancient Ones are capable of entering someone’s head once there is a blood link between you and that you can do this over great distances.”

Apolinar gave him a wounded look. “I would never do such a thing to our beautiful Keisha. I’m hurt that you would think that of me. What she and I shared is a special memory for me. I have so little contact with the more modern members of our community. Her insights and experiences are still entertaining me. I have even created a few paintings which reflect on what she showed me.”

He turned to Casimiro, “Tell him,
querido
. How we both feel about her. How we would never want her to be hurt.”

Casimiro shrugged. “I did. He needed to hear it from your lips.” He turned to Yuri and Keisha, “We have brought few over during the last few centuries. We are more comfortable with each other and with the lives we have created for ourselves. Allowing us to share the blood with you was an honor.”

Apolinar nodded in agreement.

“We know that Yuri is your progenitor but we feel intimately connected with you as well. Think of us as...perhaps uncles who feel a special affection for you because we are family.”

Apolinar now spoke, “Yes, that’s it. Family. So tell me, what happened? I can see that Keisha is not as sparkly as is her usual self.”

Yuri’s eyebrows rose. “You can tell? Can you sense anything else?”

“Perhaps...but tell me again so I can determine if my suspicions are warranted.”

Keisha and Yuri once again detailed the experiences that Keisha had the night before, as well as the previous time. Keisha felt self-conscious as Apolinar and Casimiro studied her as she spoke. She thought she should sit perfectly still, but couldn’t fight her overwhelming thirst, so when Yuri was talking she picked up the glass and tried to take only small sips of the fresh blood. It had cooled slightly so was not as intoxicating as it had been. None-the-less, she felt a deep hunger that was insatiable.

When Yuri finished, Apolinar leaned forward to take Keisha’s free hand in his.

“What were you doing with the knife? Do you remember why you cut yourself?”

She shook her head but felt a tingle running up her arm from his hand holding hers.

“No. Your hand...why is your touch making me feel different?”

“I am opening our connection.”

“Without blood?” Yuri asked.

Apolinar nodded. “It is not always needed if I don’t need to delve deeply.” He continued staring at Keisha, who felt compelled to look into his eyes.

“Why were you making yourself bleed? Whom were you trying to feed?”

Keisha swayed slightly; her eyes became unfocused. Yuri leaned forward—as if to stop things from happening—but Casimiro shook his head at him. Yuri forced himself not to interfere.

“Why did you need to bleed, Keisha? For whom?” Apolinar’s voice became low and rhythmic—almost like a chant. He held her hand with both of his, and then leaned forward to speak urgently. “Was it for the Ahk’uhun, keeper of the holy books? Was it for the Ah’kinob’ or for Xaman Ek?”

Keisha’s eyes opened wide while the color changed. The whites of her eyes were a blood-red color, and the irises darkened. She whispered a chant in a language that Yuri had never heard until the previous night. He recognized some of the words and became alarmed.

Even Apolinar and Casimiro look shocked.

Yuri leaned forward to touch Keisha, but Apolinar slapped his hand away, shaking his head. He spoke in a low tone, chanting words in the same language, responding to Keisha who paused when he spoke, then repeated what he had said. This went on for so long that Yuri felt himself prickle with anxiety. He forced himself to sit still and watch as Apolinar and Keisha swayed and chanted.

Suddenly they were both quiet. Keisha leaned forward and broke the glass she was holding against the table. She plunged the ragged stem into her arm.

“No.” Apolinar became himself again. He grabbed her hand and held it, pulling the glass out of her arm.

Yuri grabbed her other arm to hold her still. She fought them, twisting and turning, mewling like a cat in pain. Finally Apolinar shouted a few words at her in that strange language and she quieted.

Apolinar let go of her and leaned back in his chair, exhausted by the ordeal. Casimiro got up to stand by him with his hand on his lover’s shoulder. Apolinar reached up to hold his hand and they shared a private bond of strength.

Yuri pulled Keisha into his arms and held her closely, rocking and whispering incoherent words of love to her. When he reached down and tilted her head up to look at him, he kissed both of her eyelids again. She opened her eyes to look at him and he was relieved to see them hazel and gold again.

She woke up and shook her head, confused.

“What happened? Did I fall asleep?”