Prologue

I was supposed to be in hell. That's right. In Hell... The pain I felt could only be that which the
Devil inflicted on the damned souls in his underground lair, I was paying for all the mistakes I
had committed in my life. Naively, I thought that my good deeds had been more numerous than
my sins, but is the way I was feeling was to be believed, it had been felt that they had not been
sufficient enough to over compensate them. It's true that I wasn't all in the white of my history...
I had been hired in spite of myself by a vampire to become his assistant to help in his work as
an "angel" in the Kerington area, a great metropolis in Virginia where the most greedy wolves
were sure to make good fortune, whether legal or not. Although in our beginnings it had been
difficult, I had finally accepted my situation, supporting as best I could his struggle to preserve
the Secret of the existence of his race and the strict application of the Great Change, namely
the decision to ban the killing of human beings in countries sufficiently endowed with scientific
means to discover the truth about the nature of the world. This did not please me, of course,
because many people did not have the chance to live where it was applied, but it was still a
beginning, as well as proof of the will of the Greats, the ten oldest and wisest vampires in their
community, to evolve their species. I understood that those who employed me were not
bloodthirsty monsters blinded by the desire to massacre human beings, and that on the
contrary, they protected them... in a sense. That's why I ended up enjoying my work as well as
the supernatural and disconcerting creatures I was with. There was François, a virtuous former
French musketeer and the title fiancé of my best friend Angela; Talanus and Ysis, a doubly
millennial couple, one of whom frightened with his savage charisma as an empire general, and
the other bent away by his Egyptian beauty combined with his ability to read as much in spirits
as in the future, while tracing his discoveries into sibylline words to which no one understood
anything; Hedayat Javan, head of daytime security in the latter's villa, whose somewhat
muscular reception after my car accident had preceded an assiduous court; Egire, the leader of
the Greats, who had offered me to return to their service after I had impressed him despite my
humanity... As I entered the world of the night, I had left everything behind, and began a new life
in this catcher-heart that was the small town of Scarborough. My employer pretended to be a
grumpy and sick old man suffering from a social phobia who excluded any contact with the
locals and I was his granddaughter who came to help him in his daily life after the death of my
parents on the other side of the country. The inhabitants, though curious at first, had not looked
any further and had welcomed me with open arms. That's how I formed a real family there:
there was Ginger Wood, owner of the incredible confectionery shop where I sourced
marshmallows and chocolates, Danny Robertson, the chef and owner of the restaurant mascot
of the town, called "Good appetite at Danny's" and above all, his son, Matthew, who with Angela
Schumaker, his childhood best friend, had become the most dear people in the world.
Everyone, vampires or humans, had shown me a respect and consideration that I had never
known in my old life. Before, I had always been the ugly duckling, transparent and useless,
whose insignificance was shamelessly trampled. Since my arrival in Scarborough, everything
had changed, I was appreciated, surrounded, loved. They were part of me. And it was nothing
compared to the most important of them… Phoenix… Aydan MacKinley had died five hundred
years earlier in Ireland, after seeing his family massacred by an English lord. He was reborn
from the ashes (hence his nickname) thanks, if we can say, to its creator, Finn Jorgensen, the
oldest vampire existing and true legend among his own. Fifty years earlier, he had become the
right-hand man of Talanus and Ysis, their "angel" in charge of the most important missions, and
had decided to end his solitary way of life by sparing me one evening that I had accidentally
discovered the existence of his species. At first I was afraid of him... There was enough, really!
While inspiring fear and respect, his charisma was so imposing that every time he entered
somewhere, the heads turned in his path, detailing the invisible yet palpable force of this
stranger with a steely gaze. As we got to know each other, fear gave way to respect and
gratitude for helping me transform myself into the woman I dreamed of being: strong, confident.
Then that respect became friendship... At least, that's what I thought! It had taken me almost a
year with him and many opportunities to rub shoulders with Death up close to finally realize that
this vampire whose esteem I had hard-won had taken first place in my heart. I loved him... So
much so that I had never had so much pain in my entire life... Because that love would never be
shared. As a vampire, his vision of this feeling was limited to a spell of confusion that only
managed to get you killed. Phoenix had learned the lesson of the late predecessor, Thomas
Coltrane, whose true death had been precipitated by his grief at losing the woman he loved, a
human. He had informed me from the beginning that he was not made for it, but my
inexperience as a virgin in my thirties had not prepared me, I had fallen into the trap of his
perfection. I would have done anything for him... First, I had risked everything to prevent its
execution the previous year, when the Greats had felt that it had not gone fast enough to
discover who was pulling the strings of the disappearances of many humans used to fuel a
blood trafficking taking place in the region. Then I pledged to help him restore peace between
his family and a group of humans calling themselves the Mellindra Circle, who had begun to
murder vampires in response to the previous wave of murders. This case had brought me to the
brink. In the first place, I had discovered that my friend Matthew's real father was the leader of
these people, and it almost cost me the friendship of him and That of Phoenix. Afterwards, I was
revealed where I was holding this strange red glow that occasionally appeared in the darkness
of my pupils… Betty and Warren Watkins, the storyless couple who had raised me in the small
town of Kentwood and whom I took for my real parents, were not so innocent; they had
belonged to the Circle and my biological mother had entrusted me to them immediately after
giving birth to save me when she knew it was only a matter of time before she was found to kill
her. I realized then that I was working for the very people who had fomented the murder of my
mother. It was the shock of my life. Nevertheless, I had chosen the path of reconciliation and
served as an intermediary between vampires and humans in negotiations to restore peace
between the two sides. Everything was finally getting better, and I was beginning to see my final
departure from Scarborough... Indeed, on the evening of my birthday, after Phoenix had healed
me from a wound through his blood, I had lost consciousness again of my actions when my
eyes turned red, and I had found myself in spite of myself in his room trying to seduce him. He
had rebuffed my advances with such disdain that I had the impression that my heart was
pierced with thousands of white-hot blades. That, as well as our incessant arguments had
convinced me that I could not bear to live near him, knowing that my feelings would never be
shared. So I decided to leave him after the negotiations with the Circle. He knew this and
despite his disapproval and the real pain he felt, he did not pretend to hold me back. I was mad
at him for forcing me to leave him. But I didn't have time to get to that point. One of the
members of the Circle, a fanatic who refused to turn the page on his hatred when the truce was
concluded, had shot Phoenix with bullets of silver. Untransportable and with no packets of blood
at his fingertips, he was doomed. Despite my efforts to make him drink on my wrist, he had
finally gone into a coma, leaving me in total despair until I had remembered the legend of the
mother of his people. Lethalée had sacrificed herself so that her son, the first vampire, could
live... I had not hesitated. It didn't matter that Phoenix didn't love me, it didn't matter if we
couldn't be together, I loved him more than my own life. The choice was therefore simple.
Occulting from my mind the compassionate presence of Francis and Angela, who would never
have let me do if they had known my intentions, I had opened my throat with my knife and
placed my wound at the mouth of the man who was dying in my arms. All I remembered before I
felt the hellish pain caused by my sins was that fangs pierced me to water their owner with my
vital fluid. So despite the fire that was now consuming me, I could only accept. Phoenix had
woken up. There was nothing to regret...

Chapter I: The Awakening

Wrong. I was in so much pain. The pain was so excruciating that I would have preferred to go
back to nothingness than to be punished in this way. All right, I had not hesitated to kill in cold
blood, thus violating God's first commandment. But still! Kaiko was a hysterical vampire at the
head of a blood trafficking that required the mass abduction and exsanguination of innocent
human victims. As for Henry, he had kidnapped children to do the same and had confessed to
me that the younger ones were his favorite dish! I would not regret having pierced their hearts
with my blades, even if for that I was offered to stop burning myself with all the flames of Hell!
Because I was in Hell, it was obvious! My whole being was nothing more than an incandescent
fire, bringing me to the top of the most abominable of suffering. My throat was also on fire,
perhaps because of those flames that were devouring me, perhaps because of my desperate
cries. I didn't really know because I was persuaded to scream all the time, I couldn't get along.
There was nothing in my mind but this absolute suffering. Apart from... It was strange, I still
perceived something. I was alone. In the collective imagination, Hell is represented as a huge
underground pit where all the damned souls are united to endure together the worst atrocities
for eternity. Everyone can see the treatment of the other, which reinforces the horror... what
could be more logical to create a climate of permanent terror! However, my experience was
completely different from what I had read on the subject. I was suffering a torture worse than
anything I had ever known or imagined before, but I was undeniably alone, without even a
demon to sneer over me thinking that I had really been a naughty girl... There, it was as if my
world was limited to my own body. It didn't make sense. I did not have the leisure to douse
further on the matter because a wave of pain, even more horrible than the others, swept over
me, making me forget to my own name. It was so awful that I felt like I was being skinned piece
by piece and then roasted quarter by neighborhood with a white-hot fleece. Even though I was
still sorry, I still could not hear my voice, only my body and the feeling that it was being attacked
to make me lose my mind for good. I was trying to hold on to happy memories to divert this one
from the terrible suffering: Angela's smile, Matthew's jokes, Danny's joviality, François'
tenderness, Phoenix's azure gaze... Thinking of him was not a solution because his face upset
me so much that it inevitably brought me back to the pain of my present. Besides, I kept
worrying about his fate was he alive, had my blood been enough to save him? I was still going
to keep being tortured than knowing he was dead. I was in so much pain! None of my strategies
worked, the flames consumed me again and again, had they not had time to burn me to ashes
since the time they were getting to work? A new wave put an end to my questioning, pushing
me even further to my limits. Losing all courage, I begged: "Leave me, for pity's sake! Help! I
prayed: " My god! Help me! Destroy me! Annihilate my soul, I can no longer bear it! Pity! I cried,
"I didn't deserve this! After a time that seemed infinite to me, begging to disappear, I thought I
had swung into madness because several things happened. At first another wave reached me
head-on, and this time I could hear my howl echoing as much in my head as all around me,
echoing in this mysterious place where I was tormented. I never thought I would be able to
release such a sound, I never thought that a human being was capable of coming out with such
a torn cry. It was then that the universe formed around me and I became aware of a space that
surrounded me. Everything was black, like infinity. In my island of absolute suffering, I could
discern a bright spot detaching from the darkness, getting closer to me as the pain swelled over
and over again to the point that I felt like I was going to explode into billions of particles at one
moment. I had to clench my teeth to concentrate on this point, I could not hold a second cry,
more intense and more desperate than the first, if it were still possible. Then, nothing. The
breathing jerky, the mind not yet recovered from what it had suffered, it took me a few seconds
to understand that I was no longer in pain. Frightened, I still risked a glance at myself; I didn't
understand it. Where I expected to see charred flesh, there was only immaculate skin, with no
trace of injury or imperfection. On the contrary, it seemed almost radiant in the total night I was
diving. My attention was suddenly diverted by the bright spot which was only a few steps away
from me. Dazzled, I covered my eyes. - Look at me, Samantha Watkins. That voice... I had
heard it several times before. First during my coma, then in a dream where I was burned alive.
As soon as I said her name, I knew I had not made a mistake. - Lethalée... The light became
more ethereal, just like that of the Moon in a clear sky, before transforming into a human
silhouette of staggering beauty. The white skin of this woman radiated exactly like the previous
light, revealing the perfection of her curves, highlighted in a fluid white dress that reached her
ankles. Her blonde hair fell back into soft curls at the bottom of her back. She seemed no more
than twenty years old, but her gaze at the abyssal depth immediately bemented her, a look that
mesmerized me at the same time as I stared at her with amazement; They were black like
mine. - Now you know who I am. She held out her hand to me. - Are you a hallucination? Has
Hell managed to drive me crazy? I couldn't help but ask her by letting her lift me up. - You are
not in Hell. A hysterical giggle eluded me. - I'm in Paradise maybe?! Lethalée did not lift my
sarcasm, she merely smiled at me tenderly, reaching out her hand to stroke my cheek. - I
brought you here because you must know that my children are threatened. I gave her all my
attention. - Soon you will have to play the role for which I have chosen you. - What role? - You
will save the vampires from destruction. - What? - Only you have the power to stop it. - Who do
you want to talk to? She closed her eyes, ignoring my question. - You will restore balance and
save peace... You will lead my people to a new era, more prosperous than anything they have
ever known. But not before we have experienced the darkest period in our history... not before
killing him. - What you say doesn't make sense! How can I save or kill anyone?! I'm dead! I slit
my throat so Phoenix could live! She opened her eyes, a red glow relentlessly pointed at me, a
mysterious smile on her crimson lips. - I'm so proud of you... She shook her head, the red glow
disappeared, as did her smile. - You will go through trials that will seem insurmountable to you,
you will mourn the death of loved ones, and you will make the ultimate sacrifice. Ultimate
sacrifice? Hadn't I already killed myself to allow Phoenix to survive? And who was I going to
cry? - I don't understand. - You will know when the time comes, just as the memory of our
meeting will be imposed on you when necessary. The transition is not over, you must leave. -
What? Hold on! Too late! I felt the pain again, which rose to such a climax that I heard myself
screaming incoherent words as my conscience tried in vain to escape it by lurking in a corner of
my mind. I was about to lose the battle to keep some semblance of reason, I was consuming
myself physically and psychologically. The memory of the discussion with Lethalus evaporated,
leaving instead only a universe of infinite suffering and despair.
*
- Sam... It was first an indistinct sound, then a whisper. - Sam... What was that? I felt like I knew
that voice... to know that name. - Samantha... The voice became louder, like someone who
called a person in the distance. Was it me that was called by that velvet voice whose anxiety
was as a light in the night? A velvet voice... Why did this image resonate in me so powerfully?
Velvet Voices… Phoenix! This thought caused the cloud to give way, which prevented my
memories from rising to the surface, and I was suddenly beset by a succession of violent
images and emotions that tightened my bowels. I had to assimilate into what seemed to me a
few micro-seconds, all the content of a life and all the sensations, hopes and regrets that go
with it, until I reach the more than destabilizing stage of my own death. I saw myself holding the
blade that was supposed to save the man lying in front of me, and then I felt his burn again
when I had cut my skin to let my blood drain. Finally, I also remembered how his fangs in my
neck had hurt me and that it was nothing compared to the torture that my soul had suffered
once freed from its physical straitjacket. I mentally frowned. How was it that the torture had
suddenly stopped? I was no longer in pain... And above all, how was it that I heard Phoenix say
my name when I was no longer of this world? Suddenly, a freezing cold creased into my heart
when a hint made its way into my convalescent mind. I found myself running out of air in
response to the anguish that hugged my chest, and shaking my head briskly to repress the
evidence. Phoenix was dead. He had joined me in my personal hell to be tortured in his turn. I
had not managed to save him. I felt a dull rage born deep within me, increasing as I became
aware of the truth, reaching proportions I had never known in my lifetime, threatening to swallow
everything in its path if I ever let it spring out of me. And I didn't pray. I struggled violently,
cursing God, the Devil, the Night, the Earth and the whole universe for letting me believe that I
had managed to save the man I loved, and then to give me a respite in my tortures so that the
ordeal would take on a new dimension with this information. Because it was safe! Knowing
Phoenix was dead was a torment that broke me more than anything I had endured so far, more
than all my hellish sessions combined! He was dead! He was dead! He was dead! No! I would
have given everything, I would have agreed to continue to be martyred if he had lived. The pain
was such that I screamed worse than the previous ones, so violent and so desperate that he
managed to freeze me too. Until now, I had the impression that no sound was really coming out
of my mouth, but at that moment I heard distinctly this inhuman cry, so distinctly in fact that I
immediately felt a violent pain in my ears. However, it wasn't that that made me stop… - Sam!
OPEN YOUR EYES! I startled and it was at this moment that I realized that the darkness in
which I had been bathing since my pseudo-awakening had nothing to do with death. My eyes
were closed and all I had to do was open them to see the owner of that voice. I didn't even
expect a heartbeat, I performed. There were several disturbing facts. First, I had quickly closed
my eyelids when the lights of the room in which I was installed, mine in this case (I had
recognized it), had assaulted my eyesight. - Open your eyes, Sam. You're almost there, you're
going to get used to it. His warm and encouraging voice made all my cells vibrate. Just to see
Phoenix again, I had re-edited the experiment and suppressed the eye reflex that had returned
to me, waiting for my field of vision to improve to turn my head to where I assumed it. I was
literally stunned. "That's good, Sam. He stood to my right, his gaze riveted to mine, his relieved
expression still betraying the anxiety that had surely gnawed at him a few minutes earlier. But it
wasn't his distraught air that blew my breath, no. It was like I was seeing him for the first time.
All those details that had delighted me before my death, like the coppery shades in his brown
hair, his rebellious locks that fell softly before his eyes when he leaned, or his eyes as deep as
the ocean, now appeared to me with more force and sharpness than before. His pale skin
seemed cut from the purest marble and his mouth, with delicate lips, caught my eye by the
finesse of his features as well as by his wonderful pink hue. He was perfection incarnate. - You
are an angel... I believed, in a voice that was no longer used to expressing itself in words. He
smiled frankly at me, dazzling me with his immaculate white teeth, upsetting me with the
tenderness that this implied. My god... I was so turned up by this vision that I cried: - You came
from Paradise to support me. I'm so unhappy that I didn't manage to save you, but see you like
this... It comforts me to know that in the Heaven you have been given a second chance. I know
that if you're here, with me, I'll be better able to bear the burn of torture. And never mind if I burn
for eternity as punishment for all my sins; because you're here. I wish he'd smiled at me again,
as a guardian angel would have done, but he was re-smiling. - You don't know what you're
saying, Sam. I'm not an angel. How could he say such a thing?! - It's you who don't know what
you're saying! I may be in Hell, but I know how to recognize an angel when I see one. He
passed his hand on his face, as if to arm himself with courage for what was to come. - Sam...
You are not in Hell, although I do not deny that what you have had to go through has convinced
you otherwise... I stared at him, dazed. - But... - You're not dead, Sam. Finally... He did not go
any further. He suddenly closed, frowning, seeming to look for his words, but failing to do so. -
What? This time, I was really coming down to earth. I realized that I was actually in my room, in
our Scarborough Castle, and that I was not alone with Phoenix. Francis was there too, and my
heart was moved when I saw Angela behind him, trying to hide her tears with a handkerchief, to
no avail. It was crazy as she sniffed loudly say so! And then what was this drumming coming
from her and that I heard as an unpleasant sound background? She had nothing in her hands
except her dripping handkerchief... Yuck... I was frowning when I looked at her when Phoenix
put his hand on my arm to get my attention. I immediately turned my head towards him,
forgetting the ambient noise, focusing only on his person. You don't have to be perceptive to
understand that something was wrong, you just had to see your head. - Sam, you must... I
wanted to pass one of my strands behind my ear to listen better, but in doing so, a metallic
noise and resistance to my left arm stopped me. - But what is it? When I woke up, I hadn't
moved, just talking through and staring at the vampire at my bedside, so I hadn't worried about
my physical condition, especially since I thought A few moments before that I was dead. In fact,
I took the time to assimilate my new situation. I was fine on a bed, but not mine. This one was
not made of wood, but wrought iron with bars on the feet and head. In fact, on closer inspection,
I found that the metal in which it was made was not wrought iron, but solid silver, and that not
only was the entire bed made up of it, but that I was also covered with it. Indeed, my wrists were
connected to chains impeding my arm movements, and the rest of my body was immobilized on
the mattress by a double layer of these. I couldn't escape. Immediately, I saw myself again
during my torture session, unable to make any gestures while my whole body was suffering
unimaginable pain. My reaction was not long in coming. - LET ME GO! RELEASE ME! I will
vociferate, having struggled furiously to escape a possible new wave of pain. Phoenix grabbed
my right hand and hugged me while trying to control me. Oddly enough, he failed to do so,
which galvanized my anger. Francis took a step to come and help his friend, but he did not have
time. Without explanation, I managed to break the chains that held my arms, and then, at an
incredible speed, I did the same thing with those on my stomach and feet. Phoenix had thought
it prudent to join Francis during the operation and they were now blocking my access to the door
where an stunned Angela was standing and clearly terrified by what she saw. "I won't let you
hurt me again!" This time I will fight! I say in a loud voice, standing in front of them, ready to
pounce on them when needed. The two vampires looked at each other, stunned, before shifting
their attention to me. Phoenix raised his hands as a sign of peace, it looked like I was scaring
him. Ridiculous! Wasn't he supposed to have all the power to torture me? - Sam, we won't hurt
you. -Oh yes? So why was I tied up, eh? You still wanted to make me suffer with more refined
methods than the previous ones! Burning me over and over again wasn't enough, now you must
punish me with the faces of the people I love! Phoenix shook his head and passed his hand
over his face again. His features were distorted by anguish and guilt. Curious, for a demon.
"Sam, you are not in Hell," said Francis, "to furnish the silence that lingered. You're not even
dead! I let out a little hysterical laugh. - And I didn't even slit my throat maybe?! I saw my
employer shudder and his face decompose into a devastated expression. Francis glanced at
him and went on. - Of course, I was, I was there if you remember! And I guarantee you that it
almost killed me to let you bleed to respect your will! (A hint of anger pierced his low voice) But
you managed to save Phoenix, who saved you back! You were unconscious for three days, and
not for a moment were you alone. You have never been to Hell because you have always
stayed in this world, with us! Part of me, the most optimistic, wanted to believe in his speech.
Francis was not a liar and, in any case,, this situation was so grotesque that even the Devil
would not have gone to so much trouble to develop this charade. So there was only one
solution: I wasn't dead. This part of me wanted to rejoice because my reason, after studying the
file, had just validated this theory. Okay, I was living... But something was wrong. First of all,
why did you tied me up on that bed? I loved everyone present more than my own life so I would
never hurt them. And then, how did I come off? All right, Phoenix had to give me his blood to
heal me; in general, it made me stronger... but not to the point of tearing silver chains with one
hand... On the other hand, I felt really weird since I got up. Standing up, I looked at the entire
space around me and was amazed at how sharp my vision had become. I could see everything
much clearer and no movement escaped me, from the path of a solitary tear on Angela's cheek,
to a tiny arachnid fleeing the stage towards the corridor. Finally, in addition to the view, all my
other senses seemed to have multiplied their abilities because I could, from where I was, smell
the smell of laundry on Phoenix's shirt and its cologne, as well as François' peach shampoo, the
same as Angela's. Angela... Definitely, she had something special tonight, I couldn't figure out
what. Oh, yes! God she smelled good! And... For God's sake! Couldn't she stop that messy and
incessant noise coming from her chest? She had not brought a miniature bass box in her flower
blouse! Sam? Phoenix's worried voice couldn't divert my attention this time from my bookseller
friend. I now stared at her as if the answer to all my questions was engraved on her face. I had
to talk to him. Ignoring the two vampires in front of me, I made a step forward. Immediately
Francis went to stand in front of her, hiding her from my sight, and Phoenix intervened between
them and me. - No, Sam! The order slammed like a whip and to it, a curious sensation was felt
in all the fibers of my being. I looked at him fiercely, furious at being disturbed in my
investigation into the provenance of the drum and Angela's heady smell. -Get out of my way!
Since I woke up, I've only heard your explanations, both of you! I want to hear Angela's! Get out
of the way, François! - That's out of the question! His venomous tone and the sight of his fangs,
which were addressed to me, struck me much more than his refusal. He acted like I was
threatening his beloved. Had he gone mad? What was wrong with them all? They struggled to
make me believe that I was alive and when I finally accepted the idea, they joined together to
destabilize me again. - Sam, Angela will leave. "We'll tell you everything once she's home," said
my boss, detaching each syllable, as if I were a stayer. For whom, for what, the mere idea of
Angela disappearing from my field of vision put me in a black rage. - She stays. I said that,
simply, without raising my voice. But Francis accentuated his protective attitude even more,
which increased my exasperation. I was going to forget all the precepts of politeness by
preparing to tell him to go and be seen when, in my mouth, the sensation of two spikes pressing
on my tongue was felt. Frowning, I ceased to worry about Angela to understand what might still
happen to me, and in doing so I slowly directed my hand towards my face, under the panicked
eyes of the audience I did not know. I had my finger index finger cross the barrier of my lips...
No sooner had I touched these two soft, yet razor-sharp tips that replaced my canines, all the
elements fit into my head. I wasn't in Hell, No.… It was worse than that.
*
My instincts took over. All the times I had become angry before that day then seemed laughable
to me in relation to the murderous and apocalyptic rage that suddenly exploded out of me when
I realized what my friends had done to me... I suddenly saw my world turn red as I picked myself
up, ready to pounce on the prey facing me. At the same time, I heard a serious and menacing
rumble coming out of my throat, at the bottom of which a burn urged me to answer his call: to
spill blood. The spark of reason that still remained in a corner of my head froze at this idea, but
another part of me, the new one, only aspired to obey him. In fact, my lips rolled up on my
canines in a bad grin, foreshadowing disaster for those to whom it was addressed. - For God's
sake... Phoenix, alarmed by the turn of events. She's going to attack us. Francis turned briskly
to Angela. - Save yourself, don't look back and don't stop until you're at Matthew's. My friend
always had that half-scared, half-terrorized expression on her face when she nodded before
taking her legs to her neck. For whom, for which, her flight seemed to me much more important
than my revenge and suddenly nothing counted except the need to catch up with her. So I didn't
wait for my employer to try to re-start the dialogue while his sidekick would sneak around to
subdue me, and took the lead. I ran at them. With my mind turned entirely towards Angela, I
was vaguely aware of the strange sensation that ran me down when Phoenix shouted at me to
stop hitting Francis, an order I clearly ignored, since a second later I delivered to him a punch
that would have beheaded any human, but which, for him, was enough to knock him out. I also
remember only vaguely pushing a deadly-sounding feud towards my boss, who threw himself at
me in an attempt to tackle me to the ground. Infinitely faster, I strayed just in time to take a knee
to his chest, followed by a perfectly executed uppercut, leaving him unconscious on the floor. As
my enemies lay on the ground, my predatory instinct made me want to roar my joy before
remembering that they were not my first target. Immediately, I ran at an extraordinary speed to
catch up with Angela. It had only been a few moments since her escape so I caught up with her
just before she arrived at the door, making an impressive leap over her head to block access to
the exit from my body. Panicked, so stupid, my friend still wanted to force the passage, which
made me laugh bitterly. She had forgotten what I had become. -As if you could escape me! I
say, pushing her back. I had not really calculated the strength of my gesture and instead of
backing down a few steps, Angela was thrown three meters from me, finishing her run against
one of the walls of the corridor. In shock, one of the paintings fell and broke on her head,
causing a cut on the top of her skull which, despite the distance, I could see as if it were before
my eyes. The burn at the bottom of my throat intensified when the reddish liquid flowed from it,
but I didn't know. Seeing her prostrate with fear on the tile, with a whole pile of debris around
her, had showered my anger. The fury gave way to shame and an immense sense of guilt. -
Angela, I... I'm sorry, I say, taking a step forward. She began to scream, holding her head in her
arms, and her reaction finally brought me back to earth. Horrified by what I had done to her as
well as to Phoenix and François, I wanted to scream my despair at the cantonade. Instead, I
abandoned my friend and ran away into the kitchen. There, harassed by the weight of
understanding of what was happening to me and by the harm I had done and could have done, I
let myself fall on the floor, back in the refrigerator, and put my forehead on my lap, my arms in
protection all around. If I had been human, I would surely have burst into tears, but I could no
longer... In addition to my ability to possess a beating heart, Phoenix, since he was my
"saviour", had also delighted me with what made me a human being in his own right. For a
human being, I was no longer, no. I had become a vampire. My god... I never wanted that! I
never wanted that! They betrayed me! These thoughts were looping in my mind. It was only two
minutes during which I could hear, from the hallway, only the muffled sobs of Angela, and then,
the howl, though predictable, made me startle while skinning my ears: - ANGELA!!! Francis'
desperate call made me feel like a stab in the heart and I pressed my nails into my skin so as
not to scream too. - ANGELA! I heard it again, but this time with a note of pure relief in the
voice. The noises that came to me were so clear that it seemed like their reunion was taking
place a few inches from me. So I could easily imagine my musketeer friend lulling in his arms
the woman of his life, who, while sobbing, kept repeating that it was not my fault. Even though I
had molested her and could have done much worse, Angela was protecting me. I didn't deserve
it... My nails had sunk so well into my skin that I could feel the blood flowing without causing me
any pain. I was unfortunate enough not to worry about this kind of fads ... It was curious;
physically, my new state allowed me to endure blows to which any human would have
succumbed, but morally... Phoenix had explained to me that by becoming a vampire, we no
longer had the same conception of things or the same consciousness. There, however, I was
suffering fiercely from everything that had just happened. Someone knelt in front of me. The
mesmerizing nuances of its twilight fragrance left no room for doubt, it was Phoenix. I stiffened,
letting out an involuntary feuly that made me tremble, but which did not prevent him from
staying. I could have run away from the dialogue, or just cursed him for what he had done to me
and run away from it all. It would have been in vain, I knew it. My life had just taken a turn again,
and this time, nothing I could do would change anything. I had become a vampire for eternity.
 saw was your face. For a nano-second, I thought everything was fine and you found a way to
save me, and then I understood... (He swallows) It was as if I had just been blown up... I killed
you... His voice broke, so that I l not help but raise my head to observe him. I blamed the blow
when I saw his face ravaged by the grief caused by this memory. He took another breath by
closing his eyes, then went on: - François and Angela rushed to explain to me what you had
done, but I must say that I no longer listened to them, all my attention was focused on your
throat and I thought I was in the middle of a nightmare. When I finally picked myself up and my
eyes landed on the blade you had just used to save me, I didn't hesitate. (At that moment, the
glow in his gaze became fiercer, almost furious) I know you never wanted to join our world, but I
did what it took to bring you back, and I would do it again, should you hate me for eternity. The
end of his speech shook me. The prospect of becoming a vampire had always horrified me and
he knew it, yet Phoenix had transformed me anyway. I should have actually hated him... I
realized I couldn't. A part of me, the strongest, was glad to have found him safe and sound,
despite the end of my humanity. Of course, I was devastated thinking about all that I had lost:
the sun, the food, the friends... For not to be missed, because of my status as a newborn
overwhelmed by all the impulses to which a young vampire may be plagued, I was going to
have to turn my back on all those who had made me happy in Scarborough... I was going to
have to say goodbye to Matthew and Angela if I didn't want to kill them... I would have sworn to
hear my heart split on that idea. - All this suffering... I lamented, resting my forehead on my
knees. Phoenix ventured to put a hand on my shoulder. I do not run away from contact, even if
the electric shock I felt made me tremble. Why, since I knew him, was this happening? Was I so
emotionally connected to him that all the cells in my body reacted madly to his touch? And why
hadn't my transformation changed anything? His hand left my shoulder to stroke my hair, I
narrowly held back to let me go against his palm purring. But what was wrong with me?!
Disturbed, I departed from him, immediately regretting my gesture by notifying his pained
expression, quickly muzzled by an extraordinary self-control. His face became indecipherable
again when he said: - I know what you have endured for having lived it myself five hundred
years earlier. Vampires may feel superior to humans, but not one would want to relive the
horrible experience of transformation. It is far too atrocious torture to which many called
succumb. I understand that you thought you had been rushed to Hell. But for me, Hell... was to
hold you bloodied in my arms, realizing that I had just taken the last spark of life in you. I do not
know what I would have done if you had not woken up earlier. (His voice was lost again in a
whisper) I'd rather you let me die than sacrifice yourself for me. He closed his eyes, in the grip
of the most intense pain. It was stronger than me, I couldn't let him feel guilty. It was my turn to
comfort him. I reached out to stroke his cheek and make him look me in the eye. -Without you
on this earth, I do not exist. I had not thought about the scope of my words, they had come out
on their own. Nevertheless, I did not regret these words, as true as the desire I had to bridge the
distance that separated us to grab his lips and make them mine. Phoenix stared at me
intensely, without me being able to determine whether or not he understood the meaning of my
words, and then he did something that would capsize me to the depths of my soul. He took my
hand on his cheek and placed a kiss in the palm, followed by another, even softer, inside my
wrist. Immediately, my body reacted by igniting up to the smallest plot, boiling my blood at a
temperature normally impossible for someone undead, and even if my vision remained the
same, I quickly realized that my pupils had turned incandescent red, as vivid as the voluptuous
burn that consumed me to the depths of the bowels (fortunately, my boss did not seem to have
noticed). Somewhat panicked by the abruptness of my reactions, my reason told me that it was
better for me to break the bond to get used to my new condition or it would soon make me make
a fool of myself by pushing me to follow an instinct far too focused on the desire that my
employer provoked me. However, the delicious tingling that ran along my arm made me forget
until the existence of my reason. - Samantha? - ROOOAAARR!!! Francis, as usual, had just
spoiled our one-on-one by landing in the kitchen like a cannonball and lighting the light. So, that,
plus the neon that blinded me, made me address a wild roar that surprised me so much that he
cut me off suddenly and I placed both my hands on my mouth to prevent me from doing it again.
Our musketeer was frozen in front of the door. Phoenix stood up and wanted to help me do the
same. Although I felt the strength of fifty elephants, I let him do it. - Where is Angela? I asked.
Francis was going to answer, but I raised my hand to stop him. - Wait! Again this noise... Oh,
no, no, no, no, no This time, I wasn't going to get distracted, I had to determine where it came
from. I was going to go around Francis and go towards the origin of this continuous drumming
that I heard hammering from the hallway and which had drove me crazy in the room earlier, but
he positioned himself in the frame of the door so that I could not reach my goal. I gave him a
black look, which he returned to me just as well. - You're not going to do it again... I say. He
opened his mouth, but Phoenix got ahead of him. -Let her pass, François. He looked at him as if
he had lost his mind and did not move an inch. - It's too dangerous! - All we must do is control it.
- As if we had succeeded earlier! I didn't quite understand their exchange, but I understand the
hint at when I sent them both to the mat after getting rid of chains that were supposed to be
impossible to break for a vampire. - This time, we won't be surprised. And then I doubt that it
comes to that. - How can you be so sure of yourself? - I am his master. - That didn't stop her
from breaking my jaw... and yours! Oh! So, besides knocking them out, I broke a few bones.
One part of me was horrified, another was jubilant while regretting not having done a better
score. But what was wrong with me? - Think, she would have done it already while we were
coming to our senses. There, I didn't know what they wanted to talk about... However, this last
argument seemed to be a hit because Francis frowned, reflecting on its implications. - Okay, but
at the slightest suspicious move, you manage to immobilize it. All you must do is break his legs.
"Hey, hey! I was offended. Although I could not see why he took so long to make up his mind to
give me permission to check where the noise in the hallway came from, I was nevertheless
shocked by his proposal. First, he showed me the fangs, then he threatened to cripple me!
Francis had decidedly lost his mind. Crazy or not, he walked away from my path with bad grace,
so I swallowed my insult, nodded to him to thank him and passed him to get out of the kitchen.
He and Phoenix followed me so closely that if they had been human, I would have felt their
breaths in my neck. I looked first from the side of the desk and then, with my hearing refined, I
knew that the drumming came from my right, from the side of the front door. That's where I saw
it. Angela stood at the other end of the hall, trembling like a leaf despite the warm cloak that
covered her. She had stayed when she should have long ago fled the danger I represented. I
felt a huge smile coming out of my face and forgetting the risks, I rushed to her to go and kiss
her. At least I'd started to rush... - You're going to let me go, yes, you fat bastard! I cried,
furiously, after a Francis who had grabbed me by the collar and pulled towards him so much
that I had fallen like a pancake to the ground. He sat on me, fangs out, luminescent pupils. "I
won't let you hurt him! Normally, the romantic, if savage, heart with which he protected his
beloved should have melted me, but for a few hours I was not the same. - Change the record a
little! Get out of here or in two seconds, I'll break your nose! - Francis, perhaps you should...
Phoenix intervened. Too late. A punch and a quick leg movement later, our musketeer flew
against a wall, his nose bloodied. I got back up and stared at Phoenix, waiting for his reaction.
He was also watching me, surely wondering what my intentions were. Then, without my
knowing why, he nodded positively. I did not wait and ran towards Angela, who remained
petrified as she looked towards Francis. He had already got up, of course, but I was pleased to
hear noises of struggle that made me understand that my boss was preventing him from joining
us. - LET ME GO, PHOENIX, SHE'S GOING TO KILL HER! He yelled. I didn't care what was
going on behind and focused on my friend. - Angela... I say as I always approach. By
completing the last steps that separated us, I was able to confirm my suspicions as to the origin
of the drumming. At first fast but controlled, his pace had vanished when I had sent Francis into
the air and reached heights when I stopped in front of her. Sam? She looked at her fiancé over
my shoulder, who was still struggling to free herself from her best friend's Herculean strength.
Suddenly I suddenly lost my self-confidence in her. What if she rejects me? What if she hated
what I had become? "Are you afraid of me?" do I end up swallowing after several interminable
seconds. "Should I?" she said shyly. A few seconds passed again as we observed each other.
Then, as if the mysterious thread that held us had finally broken, we fell into each other's arms.
She flooded my T-shirt with her tears and I began to sniff stupidly while hugging her, being
careful not to grind her bones. "I thought you were dead! If you knew how scared I was! I
begged Francis to heal you when I saw you open your throat and I almost hated him for
refusing! I think I would have killed Phoenix if he hadn't wanted to transform you! She did not
scream, but her voice, made louder by emotion, sounded in my eardrums like a bugle of the
British army. However, I didn't care. Angela was happy to meet me again, and she accepted
what I was. I closed my eyes with relief, easily managing to put in the background the burning
sensation in the bottom of my throat, caused by the proximity of a warm and very attractive
living blood. I should have been surprised not to feel my fangs lie down, but I was so happy that
I didn't care. Others took care of it for me. - It's amazing. How did you guess? Francis looked
stunned. - I didn't know anything about it. It was a hunch. Phoenix's voice, whose low sounds
now appeared to me in all their manhood, made me shiver from head to toe. Damn it! He even
managed to get my body to react remotely! Were there any unwanted side effects to vampirism
in addition to the many I already knew? I walked away from my friend, always smiling at her,
and then, without letting go of her hand, tossed François. - I would never have hurt him! He
passed his hand on his face. - There is something wrong. - Apart from waking up with fangs and
a desire to kill? squeaked I, sarcastic. Phoenix spoke. - Sam is right, it's already a lot. Maybe it'd
be better if you left us alone. - What?! Angela and I were exclaming at the same time. - Out of
the question! I'm not leaving! She's my best friend! she then exclaimed. As if this argument did
not suffer any line, she raised her chin, crossing her arms and challenged Phoenix with her
eyes. Unfortunately for her, it took a lot more to impress her. - Sam and I need to talk from
teacher to student. What I must say to him is not about you, I'm sorry. He had apologized for the
form because he liked Angela, but I knew him too well; he was not at all sorry. "Phoenix is right,
Angela," Francis interjected. The creator has a duty to initiate his student to follow the path of
the night world without breaking the rules. It is better that we leave them alone for now. We'll be
back tomorrow. My friend was visibly hesitant to leave, perhaps seeing it as an abandonment. -
Don't worry about it. I'll wait for you tomorrow; I say to decide. -Are you sure? - Phoenix will
make sure I don't do anything stupid. I gave him a reassuring smile, but as I uttered these
words, I realized that it was the strict truth. My boss, or should I say, my master, was going to
watch me closely to prevent me from turning into a bloodthirsty creature hungry for fresh flesh.
The burn that awoke in the back of my throat reminded me that it was a probability to be taken
very seriously. The two lovers finally bid me farewell. As Francis apologized for attacking me
twice, I did the same, for beating him. I kissed them both, then closed the door behind them. I
too took a useless breath before turning back to Phoenix. - And now?
*
- Follow me. I obeyed him and followed him to the kitchen. He doesn't say a word until we get
there. - Sit down. I frowned and told myself that to discuss my new life, um... dead, we would
have been more comfortable in his office. I did, however, take a look out the window; it was
dark, the oven indicated that it was more than five o'clock in the morning. I had not heard the
characteristic sound of the slide to reveal the double bottom of the refrigerator. My boss had just
drawn from his blood supply and was now emptying two pockets into a large bowl, which he
then took a few seconds to heat in the microwave. Ugh! He saw my disgusted look, which made
him frown. what? Should I have drooled with envy? He said nothing until the bell announced the
end of the warm-up in question, grabbed the bowl and sat in front of me. His piercing gaze
scrutinized the slightest of my reactions. Without a word, he dragging the bowl in front of me.
The burn in my throat intensified. "Without a way," I said, raising my hands. I'm not hungry. His
pupils were suddenly invaded by small white flashes, a sign that he was trying to control his
nerves. "It's really not normal," he said at last. - I'm sorry? - You should have already thrown
yourself on this blood and demanded more, just as before, you should have taken advantage
that you had your hands free to empty Angela of hers. I told her not to stay here, but when she
wants to, she can be as syering as you. - I would never have bitten her! - That is precisely what
is not normal. A newborn should not be able to tell the difference. All he cares about is
quenching his thirst for blood. There are no more friends, no family, no good or no evil. -But yet
you have let me approach him! You said you had some kind of intuition! He gently put his hands
on the table and then, without me expecting it, his pupils ignited. -I command you to drink this
blood, Sam! Again, I felt this strange sensation that had made me furious in the room while I
was attacking François... as if something urged all my muscles to carry out this order while
ruling out my own will. I shook my head briskly. - What are you doing to me?! - Drink! - No! Sam!
- Phoenix! He leaned on his file with a sigh. "That's what I thought. - What?! His mood swings
made me dizzy. - That's why you didn't try to kill Angela when you woke up: you're
emancipated. - I don't understand what you're saying! I got upset. - As a newborn, not only
should you be bloodthirsty, but you should also be unable to disobey an order from your
creator... what you've done twice. I see only one explanation: you have perfect control of
yourself, which no vampire can usually hope for for a good hundred years. I stayed coitus. I
should have been happy to learn that I would not behave like a psychopath obsessed with
hemoglobin, but I couldn't. It's hard enough to swallow the pill of my new condition, but to know
that I was still a quirk of nature, it made me want to plunge my head into a hole and not go out. -
You are decidedly very surprising, Samantha Watkins. There was no bitterness or joy in these
words. Phoenix, obviously, didn't know what to think. And so am I! "I'm sorry to disappoint you,"
I squeaked. For sure, he should not have expected me to cause him so many problems when
he decided to spare me on the day we met. I still didn't understand why he did that, by the way.
It didn't make sense when you thought about it. I did not have the leisure to deepen this thought
because the electric shock that passed through me when he seized my hand in his made me
startle outright. - Don't imagine I'm disappointed. You are there, it is more important than
anything else. He hadn't let go of my hand... If he uttered other words after these, I did not hear
them. My world was limited to the softness of his skin, so pleasantly lukewarm against mine.
Good God! It was starting again! My blood began to bubble in my veins, and I yearned only for
one thing, for Phoenix to raise his hand along my arm before drawing me to him to caress me
from head to toe. Sam? Something's wrong? Your eyes are red. Argh! And my fangs had lay
down too! Help! Desperate for the madness of my vampiric hormones, I advisoryed the bowl to
the table. I had an idea. I freed myself from my boss's embrace, grabbed it like a lifeline, and
then, before changing my mind, I took several sips of the thick liquid with the metallic scent it
contained. - Sam? - In fact, I was starving! I exclaimed, resting the bowl. I hoped that it would
fall into the trap and that it would not associate the color of my eyes with the hunger I had... from
him. Though... I looked at the bowl again... and believed feel the ghost of my stomach contract.
The next second, I grabbed him more violently, and emptied its contents without worrying about
what was dripping down my neck. This time my pupils became red again, but I didn't care
anymore. - Again! - What? I uttered a menacing rumble. - Again! Phoenix raised his eyebrows
as I began to show him the fangs to tell him that he had an interest in hurrying. He did it,
however, without saying a word, and gave me the equivalent of two pockets of A--which I
swallowed without discussion. - Again! He was going to tighten me up a dose four times as
much as he could laugh. - Finally, you are not as different from the human you were. Your
appetite is as fierce as it used to be. I didn't even care to roar him in the face, busy as I was
sucking up the last drop of my drink. When I rested the container this time, I did not ask for
more. I felt ashamed, although my body, this traitor again, was under the shame of being totally
repulsed. - I... I'm sorry. I let out a little disgusted squeal when my gaze drifted from my
employer's goofy smile to my blood-dripping blouse. I ate like a pig! - Don't apologize. Your
devouring hunger reassures me, on the contrary. Of all the questions I will ask myself about the
consequences of your transformation, I will be able to sweep away the one in your diet. At least
we can get supplies in the same supermarket. His light tone reassured me. - Tell me what I
need to know. He took a serious look and launched himself. - By transforming yourself without
seeking prior permission from Talanus and Ysis, I have gone against all our laws. You're going
to play tight to make sure it doesn't get out of hand, so you must stay at the castle to the
maximum, at least until I make the noise that you're dying and that, in fact, I've asked my area
leaders for official permission to guide you through our world. - Did you let them know? "Yes, I
phoned them. - And how did Ysis react? Phoenix frowned. - I can't understand this woman. She
almost ripped my head off when I let you wither after your first interview with the Mellindra
Circle, and I really expected her to come here and finish the job and find out what had
happened to you, but she just thanked me and ordered me to keep her up to date. Unlike him, I
was not surprised by the reaction of his supervisor. Although a little blurry, the memory of our
conversation about what Lethalée whispered about me in his dreams resurfaced. She predicted
that I would become one of them. I shuddered. Another memory, more recent this one, and
especially associated with the excruciating pain of transformation, also tried to make a place in
my mind, but my boss took the floor again and my attention focused on him. - In short, it is
important that we think that we follow the rules so that we accept you. It has been twenty years
since Talanus and Ysis authorized a transformation and there is no shortage of demands. "I
understand. - While waiting for your "entry into the world," if I may say so, I will test your abilities
and train you in battle. - Isn't that what you've been doing for the last year and a half? He had an
enigmatic smile. - You are no longer human, Sam. The situation has changed. - I noticed. He
did not note the dryness of my voice and went on: - We will use this time to understand how
different you are from the other newborns and we will try to accommodate it to make you a
vampire in its own right. I nodded. Anyway, I didn't have much choice about the program. - As
soon as we can, we will go to Ysis to determine whether your parentage with the De Castelcourt
brothers will indeed represent a danger that the Greats will want to eliminate. In the meantime,
you should not get too angry as happened in the room earlier; your pupils have lit up... in red. I
shuddered again. Upon discovering my true kinship, I had discovered the tragedy that went with
it. Indeed, a few centuries earlier, my French ancestors, two brothers of the little nobility, had
been turned into vampires, but something in their blood had driven them mad. They had first
disposed of their master, and then ruled like little kings on their lands. As it was no longer
enough for them, they had gone to a summit between the Greats and their area leaders of the
time and had caused carnage, especially thanks to the extent of their powers: one controlled the
fire, the other, the most powerful, was telekinetic. It took all the combined strength of the Greats
and all the vampires present to overcome it, which horrified many… Hence the decision to
eradicate all members of their lineage so that their genes do not pass on, at the risk that others
among their parents will be transformed into demonic monsters. Fortunately for me, the father of
my forefathers had had a child out of wedlock with a maid and had made him flee by making
him swear to protect her and her descendants. I was the last one alive. At least until Phoenix
takes all the risks to bring me back to him... - You think I'm going to go crazy too? If the Greats
find out... - I won't let anyone hurt you. I was moved by it. - Thank you... - It would also be better
to make your friends in Scarborough believe that you are suffering. You may not have killed
Angela, but I don't want to take any chances. Plus, you're not used to your new condition yet,
and it would be enough for your eyes to light up or to break a table with your bare hands for
them to wonder. When the time comes, if I think they are not in any danger, I will let you rub
shoulders with humans as you please. "I understand," I said, yawning. Despite my interest in
what he was saying, I felt more and more tired. My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. -
One last thing. Do you still want to be my assistant? His question caught me completely off
guard. "You don't want me anymore?" He shook his head in the negative. - It's not that, it's just
that... I have not forgotten that before I transformed you, you intended to leave me. I have no
right to let you go now... I know that because of me, you are subject to a nature to which you
have never aspired and which, moreover, obliges you to remain a prisoner of this castle that you
wanted to flee... I cannot repair the harm I have done to you by turning you against your will, but
I can grant you the distance you claimed by freeing yourself from your obligations as an
assistant. I stared at him, my eyes bulging because of the shock his proposal caused me. I was
a newborn vampire, that was true, and therefore, despite my so-called emancipation, I had to
remain under the control of my creator at least a hundred years according to the laws of the
night world. After the hell I had gone through trying in vain to hide my distress from leaving him
indifferent every day, I should have been desperate… Of course not. It was as if the question
did not arise. Incredible! My new nature had not changed my feelings, on the contrary, it had
strengthened them. My desire for him was intact and all he had to do was look at me or brush
me to make me shudder with envy. Some time before, it would have embarrassed me to the
utmost, but this new nature also had positive points: my heart would no longer run away with
every contact and my emotions would never be betrayed by my burning cheeks. I was stronger,
faster physically, and above all more lucid and more emotionally vindictive. I knew exactly what I
wanted and what I wanted was Phoenix... Then seeing him so, watching my answer with that
glimmer of uncertainty in the hypnotic depth of his blue gaze, sealed my determination. My
decision was made. - There are no more distances that hold. I had carefully selected my words
in order to dig the foundations of what would be the greatest challenge of my life... When I was
human, I had finally let myself be won over by disappointment and despair in love because I had
no confidence in myself, in fact, when I left him, I was going to give up the game without
fighting. Not anymore. No longer that the obstacle of my humanity was no longer. Because I
was determined to seduce Phoenix...
*
For the time being, he had not noticed my new guideline or understood the hidden meaning of
my sentence. He merely offered me a shy smile so dazzling with innocence that I almost fell out
of my chair. -I'm happy, Sam. You have no idea... I thought by rubbing my hands mentally. I was
about to offer him the most radiant smile I had in stock, but my attempt was aborted to my great
shame by a terrible yawn that took over and made my interlocutor burst out laughing. Heck! For
seduction, it started badly! Damn it! What else did I have?! My eyelids were getting heavier and
heavier! At this rate, in two minutes, if I didn't take care of it, I would collapse on the kitchen
table snoring! I got up. - I... I've had enough emotions for tonight. I'm going to go to bed. When
he reached his height, he held me by the hand. - There is no way you are sleeping in your room.
His sudden stiffness indicated to me that he was very uncomfortable, but still determined. -
Where do you want me to sleep? I was astonished. There was a short silence. "With me," he
said simply. He hadn't looked at me, maybe it was better. What am I saying?! Fortunately,
because if not, he would have seen my pupils start lighting up red like car rear headlights!
Closing my eyes quickly to regain control, I prayed that he would not see my reflection in the
window. Inhale, exhale... He wants me to sleep with him! Name of name! Inhale, exhale... Lying
side by side, almost touching each other... But shut up! Inhale, exhale... Will he be naked?
Aaaargh! Inspire, exp... - Sam? I opened an eye. - So? He didn't say anything about the color of
my eyes. I opened the second one. - I'm sorry? Phoenix looked up at the sky. - There are things
that will never change... he breathed as he dragging me with him down the hall. As we entered
the office, I braked with four irons. - I don't want to sleep with you! It's... Uh... Annoying! He
activated the mechanism for opening the secret room. - It wasn't a request, it was an order from
your creator. - Don't think you're God, my father! I am emancipated, you said it! He looked up
again to heaven, but this time mumbling in his whiskers a prayer to give him the strength to
support me. "Hey, hey! I cried when he pushed me inside. Furious, I let out my fangs and
scolded him in the face. "Stop doing manners, Sam," he said, ignoring my rebellion. - You can't
force me to stay here if I don't want to! All I have to do is send you spinning through the air like I
did before! My provocation had its effect, it was right of its calm. His eyes shone. At least that
was all I saw before I found myself on the bed, lying on my back with Phoenix on me, who
crushed me with all his weight and held my arms above my head while pointing the blade of a
knife at the level of my heart. I didn't see it coming. - Lesson number one. Being too self-
confident can be a fatal mistake. He was angry. The bluish fire of his pupils radiated the deadly
power recalled by his fangs, which threatened me with their bite. I should have been scared...
But this new dark part in me made me see things differently. I've never found it so beautiful...
also wild… And he was lying on me... - I am at your command, master... There was no irony in
my whisper. On the contrary, it sounded so sensual to my ears that I was astonished myself. His
pupils filled with a new intensity as he raised his eyebrows, and then, suddenly embarrassed, he
left me to sit on the bed and resume a countenance. My angelic half blushed inwardly to have
embarrassed him, the other, the pervert, sneered handsomely. - I don't want to need to give you
orders, Sam. You are my friend (my depraved mini-me began to growl) and I consider you my
equal. If I ask you to sleep with me, it is not for pleasure (this time, my bad grin was not inside)...
not that it bothers me (he said), but we don't yet know how much control you have of your
bloodlust, we both saw it in the kitchen. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and learn that you
went to Scarborough to fill a little dip before the day came up. Oh... That's what it was for, then.
He was right, it was better to warn the danger than to fix the broken pots. And then, if I started
killing people, there would be nothing to fix. I couldn't stand it... rather expose myself to the sun.
- I'll get some stuff and I'll be back. I did not wait for his answer and went to my room to get a
pajamas (no way to go down in a nightgown, once had sufficed) and my toiletries. There, I
yawned endlessly, dragging myself from one piece of furniture to another as if the weight of the
world rested on my shoulders. I was exhausted, so I had to mobilize my last forces to change
myself. I almost slept when I returned to the secret room and I didn't even have the leisure to
rave about my employer's perfect body, wearing just black pajama pants because my vision,
blurred by fatigue, didn't allow me to do so. - I'm... so tired, I said, tripping over the chair where I
had just laid my toiletry kit. - This is normal, as a newborn, as the day approaches, you can not
resist the call of sleep. I could barely hear it, nor felt him catch up with me as I collapsed into
Morpheus's arms. Nor did I feel him tuck me in or touch the forehead of his fingers so soft. I'm
just sinking.

Chapter II: Renewal

- Slept well? - Mmh? I had some difficulty opening my eyes, but when this was done, my mind
assimilated the presence of Phoenix, crouching in front of me, ready from head to toe, holding a
large cup of fresh blood. My first reflex was to recoil by pouting in front of this dreadful beverage
that he handed me, and then I remembered the events of the day before and my new nature.
The burn in the back of my throat awoke, as did my stomach, which contracted. - How is it that
my stomach reacts to hunger? I thought I was dead? I asked, having breakfast and swallowing it
with a stroke. - Our organs no longer function as when we were mortal, what you feel is only a
reminiscence of your old sensations. Soon, all that fire will be left in your throat to tell you that
you need to feed yourself. - It's not very pleasant. - No one likes to be hungry. "That's right. -
How do you feel? He questioned me when he took back my empty cup. - I don't know... When I
opened my eyes, I thought I was still human. I read the annoyance and guilt on his face. - It will
pass. - I don't know if I'll get used to it. Sleeping in bed had not overshadowed the regret of what
I had been. I was divided between the relief of being still of this world and not in Hell where I
thought I was at the beginning, and the terrible bitterness of what I had to give up to get to this
point. - Do you lose your soul when you become a vampire? Before, when I asked myself the
question, I would take my boss as a reference and my answer was invariably negative. But that
was me. I was no more religious than that, but I found it unfair to be condemned to eternal
damnation for taking a different path than the one that leads straight to Paradise; path that I had
taken against my will in addition. Phoenix's voice, imbued with a sudden sweetness, reminded
me of reality. -I don't know, Sam. I sincerely hope not, if only to know yours still saves and pure,
but I cannot say so. So I act according to my conscience, according to what I know of Good and
Evil. - You are a good man. He smiles gravely at me. - Even if I stole your life again? - You had
good intentions. He bowed his head, and then looked at me again, looking unhappy. " Can you
forgive me? My heart tightened. This part of me who loved him could not hold a grudge earned
for what he had done to me, but on the other hand, the memory of the pain associated with the
transformation was still too present, too excruciating, for me to fully accede to his request. "I'm
going to need some time," I murmured. I was suffering from inflicting this disappointment on
him, but I couldn't lie to him. The time would come when I would digest all this... In the
meantime, I had to take my marks. - What are you planning for me tonight? This diversion
seemed to succeed in his bet: to distract him from the gloomy thoughts that had darkened his
face when I had given him my answer. He displayed his mysterious air and said to me from goal
to blank: - A workout. I grimaced. - Already? I've just been reborn! Phoenix got up. - I want to
test your abilities as soon as possible. It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses
before introducing yourself to the rest of the community in order to discourage anyone who
would like to paint a target in your back. -I already had one, I remind you. I was referring to the
failed murder attempt of Victor Haggis a few weeks earlier. Just before, he had gone to the
trouble of explaining to me that someone hated me enough to have ordered my murder. Not
only did I get away with cuts and a completely turned (very painful) arm, but also with the fear
that one would wait for my life again. - Whoever is behind it will have quite a surprise if he tries
again, because it will not be as easy as before you disappear. I tossed him sternly, which made
him laugh again. - I correct, it was already not easy ... (I'll snutter) It is true that knocking down
such a tough mule's head proves to be a daunting challenge! "Hey, hey! He let himself be
punched in the shoulder which, to our surprise, unbalanced him. To say that before, when I put
all my strength into it, it did not have more effect than a stick! - Um... He regained his
seriousness while I still looked at my fist, looking puzzled. - Anyway, Talanus and Ysis will want
to see what you are capable of and will not hesitate to use drastic means to get satisfaction. -
They're not going to torture me! Phoenix shrugged. - Who knows? And then, given how excited
Ysis looked on the phone when I told her I had transformed you, I doubt this time that she is
interfering between you and Talanus. Flute! What he didn't know was that Ysis had planned for
me to become a vampire, so he was right, she could only want to see with her eyes if Lethalus
had made me special. Grrrr! I wasn't going to be able to escape it! Especially since it would be
she, for sure, who would push me to my limits to satisfy her curiosity as a supernatural divinator
in need of recognition. Definitely, Phoenix was right, it was better for him to test me rather than
his superiors. - Okay, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to do a little grooming and I'll meet you
downstairs as soon as I'm ready. A mysterious gleam suddenly shone in his blue gaze. - I'm
going to prepare everything. When he left, I was won by a stubborn bad feeling about the turn of
this training session. For whom, for what, I assumed I would not like it ... I was right.
*
I would pass the episode where I went back to the gym and saw my employer shirtless. There is
no need to make a fool of myself again by describing how my blood began to bang against my
temples and my mouth to salivate more than reason. To resume a countenance, I immediately
started a series of stretches that allowed me to forget a little about my unbridled hormones. I
knew Phoenix was watching me, but I had managed to hide that fact from my mind to stay
focused. "I'm ready," I concluded. He slowly advanced towards me, all the muscles stretched to
tell me that he was about to pounce on me. Immediately, my instinct for conservation made me
react by making me adopt a defensive posture, while watching for the least of his gestures. We
began to turn around, each looking for the fault of the other. At least twenty seconds passed
without anything happening. Then he knocked. I had seen the movement of his support foot at
the last moment, which allowed me to avoid his fist narrowly. It passed so close that my hair
came close to it and a very clear "Wisss" characteristic of the sound of a fast-moving body
resonated in my right ear. If his blow had hit me, I would have been more than sounded and as
a human, I would have ended up decapitated. - You didn't go there with a dead hand! I was
offended. "Wisss"! I just had time to bend down to avoid a kick that I used to try to sweep his
other leg and bring him down. Missed! He had managed to anticipate my gesture. - In a fight to
the death, there is no gallantry that holds! he laughed. Show me what's in your belly! He had
just finished his sentence which he jumped on me and made me tip over the tatami. Of course,
we were glued to each other, but it wasn't romantic. We were both driving on the ground hitting
each other savagely, each wanting to get the better of the other. Part of me would have
preferred to hold back my blows in this fight, but a small inner voice reveled and kept
encouraging me with "Go ahead, crush his nose!" or " That's right! Stronger on the right!
Ouééééééééééééééééééééééééé or "Does he bite when he kisses?" ». After a while, no longer
supporting this mental supporter doped with amphetamines, I lost my concentration for a
moment. This error was fatal to me because Phoenix immediately rushed into the breach and by
a movement that took me totally by surprise, he sent me flying in the air and crushing me
against the wall in front, from which stood out two swords that fell to the ground in a terrible
crash. Lying and seeing another thirty-six candles, I saw him overhanging myself. - Rule
number two: you can only be deconcentred once. Then we're dead. - I'll remember that. A
second later, Phoenix lay on his back, mowed down by my right leg. I did not give him time to
get up and threw myself at him with one of the swords that had fallen beside me. He tried to
dodge my attack, but I was faster. As a result, I ended up sitting on him, sword in position to cut
off his head. He was at my mercy. His pupils were zebra-white, proof that he was angry at being
caught, and he looked at the sword, which I deliberately pressed on his throat with the urge to
cut it into small pieces before throwing it into the fire. Greased by the victory, the first since our
meeting, I leaned slowly towards him to savour this turnaround. - Who is too sure of him now? I
whispered in his ear. He shuddered. I stood up and threw my weapon a little further to observe
his face. Mal took it from me because he took his chance again and tipped us over so well that I
found myself lying under him, his fangs a millimeter from my neck. "I think it's you again," he
said in the same tone. I should have scoffed at him, but the problem was that I didn't listen to
him anymore. Good God! It was starting again! My hormones were still trying to get the upper
hand on my reason and already I was wrapping my legs around his waist to feel him more
pressed against me. - I could break your bones by squeezing again... I heard myself uttering in
a hoarse, un feminine voice as I passed my arms behind his back, ready to lacerate the skin of
my fingernails. Horrified by my words and by the start of my victim who was now looking at me
with a mixture of suspicion and astonishment, I took control of my body and forced my limbs to
go down to the ground and remain nailed to it. Phoenix took the opportunity to get up, while
studying me like a scientist in front of a lab rat. - You're definitely very surprising... - I'm sorry, I
don't know why I said that. - Don't apologise. In real life, that would have been exactly the right
thing to do. I gave him a black look. He could at least have been troubled by this position as I
had been, and not continue in the role of the teacher who is not aware of the effect he is having
on his pupil. "Sometimes I wondered if he wasn't a bit of an idiot... - I'd like to try an experiment,"
he says suddenly. He disappeared from my field of vision for a moment, then came back with
several silver chains. - Sit down. Without asking my permission, he set about wrapping them
around my legs and around my arms, placed along my body. - What do you have in mind? The
contact with the metal was icy and unpleasant. If he wanted to show me how vulnerable we felt,
he had succeeded. I can't wait for him to take all that away from me. When he felt that his work
was accomplished, Phoenix recoiled. "All right," he said, looking satisfied. - All right? I'm tied up
like a roast, I couldn't scratch my nose if my life depended on it, and you, do you think that's
fine? - Try to free yourself. - You're joking. - Not at all. - Do I must remind you that these are
silver chains? He ignored my provocation. - Don't argue and do it. I struck him again with my
eyes, mentally pestering against his sadism. It wasn't enough for him to send me to the mat, he
wanted to see me squirm unnecessarily to make fun of me. He'd pay me a lot of money.
However, in order to satisfy my vengeance, I had to carry out myself, therefore I tried to open
my legs and arms, hoping not to make too much of a fool of myself, and above all, until he
understood that it was futile and that it was better for him to untie me. - Put your heart into it,
Sam. - What do you think I'm doing?! - You brew air. Earlier, when you woke up, you didn't have
as much restraint to free yourself. - You can talk! As soon as we're done with this nonsense, I'm
going to be happy to chain you too! - Start by getting out of there. You talk but don't act! His
patient attitude, arms crossed on his chest, and his smirk so much bristled at me that I forgot my
immobility and tried to jump on him. Of course, all I could do was crash miserably to the ground,
which made him burst out with a frank and loud laugh. - Come on, Sam! I'm sure you have
hidden resources, except to make me laugh in spite of you! This time, my fury reached a critical
threshold and my vision, enhanced by the sudden scarlet coloration of my pupils, showed me
every place where it would be funny to bite my boss. A second later, freed from my hindrances,
Phoenix had to play fists to avoid multiple blows of fangs that certainly would not have hurt him
in the long run, but well damaged at least. Sam! I'm sorry I made fun of you! he cried, stooping
down to dodge a kick. Stop trying to bite me! He managed to send me to the ground to the other
end of the room, and my rage increased tenfold as I stood up again, ready to return to the
charge, I did not see quickly enough the gun that he had just fetched and that he brandished in
my direction. The gunshot rang out. I'm glad I'm surprised... ... And widened my eyes when I
opened my hands which I had put on my belly by reflex; they were stained with blood! - You
shot me... I say, collapsing to the ground. I was suddenly carried away by a whirlwind of
emotions that immobilized me in this position. At first, I was horrified to have behaved like a
rabid beast, ulcerated that Phoenix did not hesitate a quarter of a second before pulling the
trigger and above all, stunned not to feel any pain in my injury. Sam! Phoenix approached
cautiously. - You dared... - I'm sorry, but you didn't give me a choice. And anyway, I had to
know... - Know what? That you were a bully with no regard for the student transformed against
his will?! He frowned. "Should I have let you bleed to death?" - A loan for a rendering! - It's not
funny, Sam! The brilliance of his eyes proved to me that he did not appreciate the course of the
discussion. - Do you at least have the answer you were looking for, Professor Nimbus? Without
worrying about my aggressive sarcasm, he lifted my T-shirt. - Don't get in the way, especially! I
cried, giving him a nasty pat on the hand. - What you've remained prude! If he knew what was
running in my head all the time when he touched me, he wouldn't say that, that fool! - I wanted
to see if your wound had closed. That's the way it is! I sat down and looked at her. My white T-
shirt was to be put in the trash (between the hole and the blood) but my skin was as smooth and
soft as if nothing had happened. - Do you feel weak? You collapsed... - No. I fell because the
shock stopped me in my tracks. - I can't believe it... - What?! - It was no ordinary ball. You are
immune to silver. Shocked, I looked at my belly again. "Unbelievable," said my employer. - Oh
no! It's not true! I stood up, fetched a knife with a silver blade that was ten centimetres long, and
then I went back to sit near Phoenix. - Stabbing me! I said, handing him the object in question. -
I'm sorry? - Stabbing me! There's a mistake, I'm not immune, I'm just like you! Stabbing me! I
was horrified by the prospect of being a fairground phenomenon. I didn't want to stand out, I
wanted to blend in with the mass of my peers. Phoenix must have been wrong, and I was going
to prove it right. - You have released yourself twice from supposedly indestructible silver chains
and the bullet in my gun has not made you any less strong! What more do you need? Anger and
fear made me rip the knife out of his hands. He stopped me. - Okay! All right! You're so
stubborn! Where? - Lung! That would be excruciatingly painful. That should do the trick.
Phoenix did not wait for me to change my mind and complied. I collapsed on the ground. He
looked at me with an interrogative air, yet, after a high but fleeting pain, I felt nothing. As I blew,
I removed the blade from the wound, as if I were removing it from a wafer of butter. For a
moment, I thought it was a huge joke and that this knife and gun were not silver. Phoenix may
have wanted to play me a trick... Yes... Forget it. I was immune to silver. - Would I stay alive if
my heart was pierced? He passed hand in the hair. " I think so. I lifted the gun to check it out. -
NO! Phoenix had rushed to my arm to stop me in my momentum and snatched the knife from
my hand looking at me, eyes bulging and short of breath. - Are you crazy?! - You said I should
survive! His eyes were ablaze with fury. - I don't know! And I forbid you to try the experiment! I
can handle your anger, but not your absence! he exclaimed, shaking my wrist as if to dislocate
his joint. I fixed it all of a sudden, trying to discern the message hidden behind this statement.
Like when he told me I was adorable when I was angry a few weeks earlier, his sentence had
been uttered too quickly to be thought through. So it came from the heart. - What do you mean?
I murmured. Even though he sought to reconstruct an impassive face, his fury was still visible in
his features, as was the discomfort caused by the awareness of the scope of his words. - That
you are unbearable, nothing more. I felt my lips roll up into a bad grin that he pretended not to
see, busy as he was wiping the blade of the knife over his pants. He was annoying me. - What
should I say about you? He raised his head. - You stuff my head with the need to know my
potential to master it and when I want to reach this potential, you prevent me! Sam! - You really
don't know what you want... and not just in this area! I finished by getting up towards the
staircase leading to the ground floor. He growled and grabbed me again by the arm. - What do
you mean, Sam?! - In your library, you have a beautiful collection of ancient dictionaries; I
advise you to go and have a look! I answered dryly. This time he pulled me brutally, and I found
myself glued to him, almost eyes in the eyes. The steel sheen reappeared and dazzled me. - I
know exactly what I want from you! Without letting myself be taken apart by this sudden
closeness, I maintained his gaze and opposed mine. - And what do you want from me? I could
see his nostrils shuddering, proof that he was beginning to lose his self-control. - Already you're
still alive. - How touching... My acerbic tone, combined with a dry but vain movement to free me
from his embrace, increased his displeasure. - And that you stop defying me all the time. -
Where would the fun be then?! I was really walking on a thread and it was enough of a misstep
for Phoenix to make me regret it. However, now that I was on the road to insolence, I did not
intend to stop. - Don't go too far, Sam. Our faces were only a few inches apart, and my
employer held my arms tightly along my body to prevent me from escaping. What he didn't
know was that I was exactly where I wanted to be. - Otherwise what, I whispered, you'll shoot
me again? He showed me the fangs. - Stop this little game, it does not amuse me at all. As I
uttered the words that followed, I felt my pupils go red again: - I don't play. Phoenix shuddered
and then increased the pressure of his embrace by slowly filling the last inches that separated
us. Immediately, my inner perverse voice began to grow victorious whines and my internal
temperature reached that of a volcano about to explode. All my cells were preparing for the
coming contact and I had to make a colossal effort to force me to stand still. One of his hands
had just left my arm to slip into my hair when: - Sam! Phoenix! We're here! I almost roared with
frustration again when I heard Angela's voice warning us of their arrival, to her and François. It
was like an electric shock to my boss. He let go of me and abruptly strayed from me, frowning.
The next second, his face no longer betrayed any feelings and he turned away to do storage in
the training room. It was once again an impregnable wall. - Join your friend, Sam. It would be a
shame to keep her waiting. I inhaled, expired. I wanted to slap him... not for tying me up or
shooting at me, but for not kissing me when all I asked for was that. Inhale, exhale... Taken with
a sudden discouragement, I observed him for a moment. He turned his back on me, so I could
clearly admire the spectacle of his muscles rolling to the rhythm of his movements, as well as
that of the scar that Finn had made for him and which would remind him until the end of time to
whom he belonged. At least not to me... I thought, repressing a ghost tear. So I reluctantly
climbed the steps and joined François and Angela in the living room. - My God! But you...
You've been hurt! exclaimed my friend. I threw myself across the chair, my legs on the armrest
and caught one of the glasses of blood prepared by Francis for our attention. - It's nothing, it's
Phoenix who thought that as a training, it would be fun to shoot me with silver bullets. - What?!
they each strangled themselves. I emptied my glass with a stroke and got up. - I'm going to take
a shower and change. Angela, I'm going to need you to help me choose my outfit. She opined
of the chief and followed me immediately to the first floor. We both knew what was going to
happen as soon as Phoenix walked through the living room doors. - How dare you?! The doors
closed and the two vampires lowered the volume of their quarrel so that I would not hear it.
Phoenix was going to pass a soap through St. Francis and it was well done for him! As for me, I
was going to enjoy a real conversation between girls without ears too concerned with our words
listening at the doors.
*
- I can't believe he shot you! Angela had spoken louder so I could hear her from the shower
stall, but my new powers made me hear it as if she were screaming two centimetres from my
eardrum. I grimaced. "Don't speak so loudly, I hear you. - WHAT? Ouch! And heck! I blew. The
sound of the water jet and the door between us had not allowed him to hear my answer. -I'M
FINE! AH! Laughing, I continued to soap myself, savoring the warmth of the beneficent wave
that dripped on my skin in a pleasant caress. Then, once clean and wrapped in a towel, I walked
out of the bathroom. Angela was busy rummaging through my closet, ecstatating about the
quality of the fabrics Phoenix had bought me when I arrived at the castle. "Your boss may be a
bastard, but he's a damn good taste!" she said, looking in the mirror with a black dress with
finely crafted lace sleeves. I scoffed when I went to pick from my underwear drawer. She put the
dress on the bed and went to open the door of the closet that I never used. Oh, I'm so sly.
Actually... She looked at the dresses and tops I had categorized as "out of the question" and
missed howling with laughter as she grabbed a satin panties with microscopic fabric. - I
understand why you left that out. I had lied to Francis earlier on the pretext that I needed
Angela's help to choose my outfit; it was an excuse for a purely female discussion. If she had
understood it, I suspected that her fiancé, because of his lack of experience with beautiful sex,
had not s capt. So I was buttoning my white blouse with black skinny jeans and ballerinas when
I joined her in front of the crime. - I give it to you, so that you can make Francis almost apoplexy
on your wedding night. She rose, which did not prevent her from going to stuff the panties in her
handbag before sitting on my bed. - I can't wait to marry this man that I dream about it every
night... His blissful smile moved me. Their love, to these two, was great and sincere. Yet, for it to
be eternal, there was still a step to be taken, and not just any: - Did Francis offer you
immortality? My question brought her out of her blissful torpor. She pouted. - I think he's afraid I
won't survive. I nodded. Francis would not survive without Angela, his reluctance was perfectly
understandable and reassured me. I didn't want her to suffer. - And then... She hesitated and
looked at me with apprehension. "Tell me, I encouraged him by sitting beside him. His eyes
filled with tears. - I have not forgotten what happened to you... I don't think I'll ever forget it... -
What do you mean? I was astonished. A sob made its way out of his mouth. - You shouted... so
strong... So long. I stared at her, surprised to the highest extent by what she had just taught me
and at the same time horrified by what she had witnessed. - Your howls will haunt me for a long
time, I am sure. I can't imagine how much you must have suffered. A ball formed in my throat.
No, I didn't want to remember, the pain was one that we would like to forget forever even
knowing that it would remain engraved with a red iron in my mind. I turned my head away. - I'm
afraid I'm not strong enough to survive this. Francis must think so, too. Despite the impression
of oppression, I felt, it was intolerable for me to devalue herself in this way. I grabbed her hand
and shook her. - No one is... And yet here we are. - You are much stronger than I will ever be. -
I begged for my soul to disappear in order to escape the pain once and for all. As I thought I
was in Hell, if a demon had gone through it, I would have thrown myself at his feet to stop it. I'm
not as strong as you seem to think... A heavy silence fell between us. - I'm so sorry for you,
Sam. I nodded again. "There is nothing to do but accept," I murmured, rising and stopping in
front of the cupboard. My gaze fell on the silver dress and so short that I had put last year to do
the disco tour with Phoenix, when we were on the trail of Chinese blood traffickers. The memory
of this evening was in my mind and I see myself again in this outfit, in high heels and styled and
made-up for the occasion; I was sexy. A click takes place in me. The next second, I was
undressing in front of a slightly distressed Angela. - What are you doing? - I take matters into
my own hands. - I'm sorry? "I made a decision recently and I intend to do everything I can to
keep myself in," I said, donning the silver dress. - What decision? I went to get my lipstick and
eyeliner. - I realized that leaving Scarborough was the very symbol of the weakness of character
in which I had vowed not to fall again. Now I'm a vampire, so I must behave like one, starting
with getting what I want... And I want Phoenix. At first frozen, his face was transfigured when he
was crossed by a huge smile. - Are you going to give yourself to her sight in this dress? - Of
course! After all, if he had chosen all these attractive clothes, it was to see me wear them, right?
His eyes widened. - Underwear too? - Underwear too! She began to clap her hands with
excitement and then rushed to the bathroom to fetch me my hairbrush and pins. - You wear
make-up, I'll do your hair! I can't wait to see his face when you show up in the living room! You'll
let me go to the premiere so I can enjoy the V.I.P. show! I'm smiling. I remembered perfectly his
reaction the first time I went down dressed like this. I had then misinterpreted his silence as a
salt statue and thought that he thought I was too similar to a prostitute. That was not the case,
of course, but I had not measured at the time the importance I attached to his view of me. And
then, when he finally had spoken, he had not been able to utter two words that This scumbag
karl had interrupted him to gratify me with one of his gritty and nauseating comments as he was.
During the operation, Angela and I were extremely focused, and it was only when I
contemplated my reflection in the mirror that we broke the silence. - You're... Breathtaking!
exclaimed my friend who looked at me, something that embarrassed me a little, with a respect
mixed with admiration. My dark makeup accentuated the hypnotic and supernatural black of my
eyes while the red of my lips gave them a full and greedy look that was a real call to kiss.
Angela had pulled up my hair in a bun, at the base of which she had let out a few strands to
which she had given a twisted shape by wrapping them with her fingers. Finally, even if my first
fitting of this dress a few months earlier had been a visual success, I could only be stunned by
the difference between this reflection and the one I saw at the moment. Ysis' blood had
reshaped my body to its ideal proportions and I humbly believed it could never be better. I was
wrong because the effects of vampirism accentuated the strengths of my figure whose
imperfections had been erased in favor of a flawless exterior, perfect to impress and attract
humans of which I had become in spite of myself the predator. -Do you think he'll like it? I
asked, suddenly taken a bout of shyness. Angela looked at me with tenderness. - He will
instantly fall in love with you when he sees you like this. Otherwise, he's the dumbest vampire
on the planet. I had a nervous little laugh. Let's go. As I went down the stairs, I felt my heart
beating again because I felt him banging like crazy in my chest, but I quickly chased my fear
that had arrived in the hall, to prepare myself psychologically for what was to follow. Was
Phoenix going to be indifferent, was he going to throw himself at me, was he just going to tell
me that I was beautiful? Already, I heard Angela claiming that I had forgotten something in my
room to explain the advance she had made on me. So I took a deep breath, stood up, and went
back into the living room displaying a mask of calm and innocence at odds with the anxiety and
perverse satisfaction I really felt. - I'm already more presentable! Phoenix was the first to see
me and his reaction was infeding my expectations. - I assure you that I will do what it takes so
that no one disputes his... Integration... And... I... Completely stunned, he did not finish his
sentence because all his attention focused on every detail of my appearance and as with my
sharper senses I saw that he had reached the boundary between my dress and my thighs, I
made a U-turn on myself which, I felt, brought the fabric up a little higher, at the edge of my
buttocks. "I wanted to remember the good old days," I said, looking over my shoulder with one
hand on my hip. Does it still look good on me? Phoenix spread his shirt collar with his finger, as
if he were too hot. I didn't know Angela, who had backed away trying to suppress her laughter,
at the same time as she was dragging a surprised Francis with her. - Uh... That is,... I faced my
employer again and walked towards him with a sensual approach. When I reached his height, I
raised my eyebrows, looking him straight in the eye. - Something is wrong, you don't say
anything anymore... Don't you think I'm pretty? I asked, making a pout that would draw his
attention to my crimson lips. His eyes were zebra-like with small white flashes; he was visibly
struggling with a sudden emotional rise. If only he could forget to control himself and carry me
on his shoulders to then kiss me furiously! "I thought it wasn't your type," he whispers. My smirk
triggered a new series of lightning bolts in his pupils. - I've changed my nature... why don't I
change my style of dress? - We have no plans to go out. It's a little dressed up, isn't it? I
shrugged. - Undressed, I would say... And I'd love to go out. This time, the light of his gaze
intensified completely. - That's out of the question. You know very well why, he says dryly. - And
how long will I stay locked up here while the terrible news of my death circulates? My sarcasm
came out with a slight note of aggression. His restraint annoyed me; the discussion began to
fester. - A few weeks. It seemed to me that you agreed with that yesterday. - Well, I'm no longer
sure I want to stay cloistered with a man who under the pretext that he is - and it scratches my
vocal cords to say it - my master, do not hesitate to shoot me with silver bullets as an expertise
of my abilities! - Francis! Angela! Get out of this room, please! He had slammed his order like a
whip while the metal fire of his eyes had ignited to pierce me with his devastating ire. The
interested parties were not asked, and Francis informed us that they would be in the library if
needed. I reinterpreted his phrase as "Scream if you want me to save you from his claws."
When the door closed on us, Phoenix, still so furious, took a step towards me. I backed off. He
made another one, I recoiled again; and so on until I find myself glued to the wall and he places
both hands on either side of my head so that we find ourselves in a face-to-face where I did not
lead wide. - Stop provoking me, Sam! Although my knees had some difficulty carrying me, I was
determined to face it. - How do I provoke you? If he told me that my new choice of clothing put
him in all his states, I would not answer for anything. Against all odds, he looked unhappy. -
Stop harpooning me all the time about what I have done to you with your remarks! I'm already
having a hard time looking myself in the face, so there's no need to add more. You can't make
me feel more guilty than I already feel! Completely stunned, I didn't answer right away. Anyway,
I suddenly felt so stupid that nothing came to mind. By titillating him, I wanted to provoke a
reaction in him, of course, but in no way had I wanted to accentuate his feeling of guilt. - That
was never my intention... do I end up articulating miserably. He closed his eyes, inspiring to
regain the upper hand. It split my heart in half. The next second, I passed my arms around his
neck and drew him against me, too upset by his own abatement to think again of my anger at
having been targeted or that of having again missed my seduction enterprise. However, I could
not ignore the fire that took hold of all the cells in my body when Phoenix gave me back my
embrace and pressed me against him to break my bones. Panicked by this new bout of
hormonal madness, I was wondering what to do. It was better for me to put distance between us
or I risked letting my hands act as they pleased. Damn it! Slowly, I departed from him, not
without feeling all the fibers of my being protesting this decision. Well, maybe I was going to be
able to finally have a normal conversation. - I believed that by dressing like this, I would appear
stronger and more confident in order to prove to you that I would be able to enter your world. I
wanted to impress you... not hurt you. Being a vampire has, it seems, not helped my
clumsiness, I say with a poor smile. Even though I had somewhat disguised the truth, my
statement was not a lie. I wanted Phoenix to finally see me as a woman worthy of her love and
not just as her human friend whose duty he felt was to protect her. Of course, I still failed. I let
out a little dry and bitter laugh. What an idiot... - You have nothing to prove to me, Sam. Phoenix
was staring at me strangely. - You don't need to use tricks to convince me that I can trust you...
Even if... His hand went to put back a strand that had escaped from my bun behind my ear,
before slipping on my arm to grab mine. Suddenly, I squeezed my lips so much to prevent
myself from panting with pleasure that they were to form only a thin and ridiculous pink line on
my face. Even if? What did he mean? He then put my hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on
it, which this time failed to make me fail. - ... Although I must admit that in this dress, you're
dazzling. It was too much. I kissed with desire. Name of name! I was sick of it at the end!
Couldn't I let him touch me without being plagued by incredibly erotic visions of both of us?
Couldn't I adapt to my new state quietly, without being afraid at every moment to turn into a
nymphomaniac fury? It was hard enough already! I quickly closed my eyes to prevent him from
detecting my disorder, and in a sudden motion I walked away from him. His turnaround, from
anger to tenderness, disturbed me so much that I decided to empty the place in fourth gear
before committing the irreparable, namely jumping on him to snatch his clothes. - I'm glad it's
settled, then. I'm going to get François and Angela! I cried as I was already passing the door,
leaving him standing there, without understanding the reasons for my debacle. The climb of the
steps took place at a phenomenal speed and punctuated by a number of swear words that I
would not repeat in view of the possible young readers who might be interested in this story.
When I got to the library, I opened the door and startled the two lovebirds who were there, more
busy galloping like teenagers on the couch than really worrying about my fate. - Francis, I must
talk to you! I said, without worrying about their embarrassed air to both as they put their scruffy
clothes back in order. - Is everything okay? He didn't hurt you anyway?" he asked. I wanted to
point out to him that if he had really asked himself the question, he would not have found
himself half lying on his fiancée exploring the palace with his tongue and that he would have
stayed close to the living room bravely braving his friend's orders. - No, of course. Angela, can
you join Phoenix, I don't want him to join us, I need to ask a few questions to the chosen one of
your heart. "Are you sure you're okay?" she said, noting my troubled expression. - Yes, it's just
that something is happening, and I need the advice of a vampire. Francis opened his mouth, no
doubt to answer that my master was a little there for this, but Angela, who knew what my
intentions had been when I arrived in a silver mini-dress, gave him a vigorous elbow which
dissuaded him from formulating his reply aloud. - Take your time, I will tell him that Francis is
knocking you out of a new sermon, he will be irritated, but I do not think he will intervene at the
risk of suffering the same. "Hey, hey! exclaimed the person concerned. You wouldn't say I'm
unbearable if you finally wanted to realize, all of you, how right I am! Angela, who was already at
the door, turned to send her a kiss and went out. I went to close the door behind her, and then,
in the midst of the most agitation, I began to take the hundred steps. "Maybe if you started by
telling me what happened downstairs, you would be able to confide in me what is wrong," he
said after a minute's heavy silence, during which I tried to put my ideas in order. Sentence lost. -
I almost would have preferred to return to myself as a bloodthirsty monster. How do you want
me to one day appear in public if I can't even suffer without flinching a simple touch on the
hand?! If it goes on like this, I'm going to go crazy and do something that's at best likely to make
me lose his friendship, at worst to get us both killed if the Greats see me in this state! I
continued my back-and-forth by imagining them choking with rage when they saw that a
descendant of the De Castelcourt, somewhat overwhelmed by her hormones, was freely
evolving in the area of two of their most loyal subjects. François ends up blocking my road and
grabbing my arms to stop me. "But what are you talking about?" I looked at him, wanting to
curse him for being so stupid. Why did he have to force me to say out loud what made me want
to die of shame?! - Why can't I be once and for all like everyone else? Why do I always must
have something wrong with me? Why do my urges have nothing in common with what a
newborn is supposed to experience? My musketeer friend frowned. - If you are not bloodthirsty,
then what? I stared at him, looking like the last of the morons. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh I looked up
at the sky. Francis was certainly pure like me, but he was more than three hundred years old; it
could still have hit faster. He passed hand in the hair, proof of the rise of his embarrassment. -
Is... It does that to you... with um... all men? It was my turn to take a few seconds to understand
his question. - Argh! I cried, horrified, with a violent punch to his shoulder that caused him to
step back, grimacing. You're sick?! That's all that's missing! Francis could not suppress a sigh of
relief. - Of course not, you idiot! It only happens with Phoenix! Reassured as to the state of our
relationship all friendly and without any ambiguity, he resumed. - Tell me what's happening to
you. I'm going back to taking a few steps. - It's going to drive me crazy! I already felt like an
electric current running through me from side to side as soon as Phoenix touched me when I
was human, but then, even without direct contact, I just need to hear his voice to trigger
thermonuclear reactions in me that put me in the thirty-sixth below. Every time he squeezes me
too close, my body seems to want to take the lead on my reason and try to reconcile that I
cannot allow without risking compromising our current relationship. - How would you define this
relationship? I sighed. - For now, I would talk about the status quo. Phoenix feels awfully guilty
for killing me just as he feels guilty for transforming me even if for that last point, he would do it
again without hesitation. On the other hand, he is determined to train me to make me a
respected vampire. He looks more like a scientist focused on his experience than a man facing
a woman who is so sorry for him. Although I try to keep my distance, as soon as he is around, it
is as if all my cells reacted to his mere presence by shouting "Home, home, home"! That, plus
acclimatization to my new state, I am completely destabilized. What's wrong with me, François?
As much as the anger pierced in my voice at the beginning of my speech, as much at the end, I
begged him. However, his reaction was completely unexpected. He burst out laughing. - Whoa,
whoa! Calm down, Sam! I'm not making fun of you! He quickly calmed down when he saw my
lips roll up on my fangs and my position change to a much more dangerous posture. - What you
are experiencing is quite normal. I stood up, surprise. "Ah? He smiles. - Angela will apologize
when she knows how well my sermons were based. "But what are you talking about?" I was
impatient. - You remember one day that I wanted to open your eyes, to have categorically
denied loving our mutual friend... I'll clench my teeth. - So what? We both know that I was stupid
and blind. What's your point? - Well, as much, before, you could refuse as long as you wanted
the evidence that now it's just impossible because your body betrays you. Your physiological
reactions are the most normal thing for a vampire in your condition. - In my condition? I'm sick?
He scoffed again. - If you will. But there is nothing fatal about this disease, even if it is incurable.
He was seriously starting to annoy me with his riddles. - Get to the table, François, or I feel like
I'm going to end up sharpening my fangs on your carotid! - How impatient you can be! - Francis!
- Okay, okay! The reason you feel that your body no longer belongs to you and that it seems to
want to blend into Phoenix, hence all your little worries related to your impulses, is that you are
unquestionably under the influence of Absolute Love. - ... I had opened my mouth, but no sound
came out. Absolute Love? The only thing vampires feared more than real death? Namely the
end of their independence of heart for this unique bond between two souls destined for each
other for eternity? When Francis had begun his explanations, I was afraid that I would add yet
another anomaly to the already long list of my quirks, however, I had never envisaged that
whenever my skin became an incandescent fire at the touch of that of my employer, it merely
expressed carnally an emotion that I knew was anchored in the depths of my soul. Even though
I knew I loved Phoenix, I didn't think for a moment that this love, begun as a human being,
would continue in an incredibly more powerful way as a vampire. Because it was obvious. The
need I had for him now had nothing to do with the one I had before. There, it was as if the Earth
was spinning only for him, as if every beat of my eyelashes was directed only for him. He was
the All that conditioned my existence, he was the other part of me; and the reason I didn't feel
fulfilled was that the object of my love had not yet answered it... if he ever did... I forced myself
to swallow my saliva, although I theoretically did not need it. Everything was so clear suddenly...
and yet so complicated! For despite the importance of this information, it did not lead me to
anything until I could find out if my new status was capable of tipping the balance of my
employer's feelings in my favor. Moreover, this revelation confirmed what I had always known:
without Phoenix, I was nothing. "Are you sure about that?" I asked, however, out of conscience,
although I already knew the answer. "Yes. That is what I feel for Angela, to a lesser degree, of
course. I raised my eyebrows. - You may have all the assets of an emancipated vampire, but
you remain a newborn. Your status makes you more receptive to the effects of Absolute Love. I
went to sit down. That's where I'm falling on the carpet. - I won't be able to look him in the face...
Francis came to crouch beside me. - Give Phoenix some time. I may not be a women's
specialist, but I think I figured out your ploy tonight. I breathed a sigh into the soul, still ashamed
of my failed attempt at seduction. He offered me an amused smile and put his hands on my
shoulders. - Even if it didn't work out, you must continue this path. I looked at him, sincerely
surprised. - No matter what you say, I remain convinced that my friend has loved you for a long
time, but that he never dared to admit it, partly because you were human. Now, in theory, there
are no more obstacles between you except his chronic inability to express his feelings. (He
looked up at the sky) What do you want? He's never been able to do it in three centuries that
I've known him! For the moment, be the effective and calm student he expects you to be, and
then, when he starts to let his guard down, you can give him a glimpse of the lover he has
always dreamed of and which he will only want to obtain. I thought of Francis as an alien. For
someone who supposedly knew nothing about women and love, you could say that he had a lot
of ideas! - You saw that I was not gifted, as a seducer, I really suck! I'll never make it! He's still
smiling. - I think the problem is not to seduce him... For that, you have already made him and for
a long time irrevocably in love with you. It's just that it will take time and persistence for him to
finally admit it. - I would like to be as optimistic as you, I can't see things the same way. - That's
because you still don't have complete confidence in yourself. It's going to happen. I let him take
my hands and help me get up. "Come on, come on. Phoenix will wonder what we're doing and
end up believing I'm a potential rival. He winked at me. We went out into the hallway towards
the stairs. - Everything will be fine, Sam. I don't care about you, you're much stronger than many
vampires I know. This statement went straight to my heart and reassured me enough to allow
me to return to the ground floor as if nothing had happened, playing my role as the perfect
student respectful of her teacher. Francis was right, I was strong, and above all, I was not alone.
And for the first time since I woke up as a vampire, I felt really good. A week passed, during
which Phoenix went to spread the sound of my agony to his fellow Harper Hill, collecting a
number of signs of concern for me that had left me pantoise when he told me. It seemed that
Hedayat Javan had been particularly affected by this news and was one of those who
immediately proposed to support any possible request from my employer to Talanus and Ysis to
turn me into a vampire. My nights were in a relative routine. I say relative because even if my
activities were repeated, they were not monotonous. Indeed, suffering the effects of newborn
sleep, I usually only woke up an hour after Phoenix, which had reversed our roles since it was
now he who was waiting for me with my breakfast at the hemoglobin in the kitchen. For bedtime,
it was also frustrating because I struggled with all my might, I could not prevent my eyelids from
closing alone as dawn approached, which took me into a real coma from which I only emerged
thanks to the fiercest will. In fact, would I have wanted to enjoy his perfection by my side in bed,
which my hopes would have been disappointed anyway. As soon as I opened my eye, he was
not in the secret room, but already ready for the ruthless training he forced me to follow for
hours and hours. I even felt like I was back in training because he felt it would be better to
review all the combat techniques I had learned while I was human, to see how I was mastering
them now that I was no longer. After three days, it was clear to him that I had not lost my
abilities in any way and that, on the contrary, they had multiplied for all disciplines, including the
knife-throwing with which I had had so much trouble to familiarize myself. On the other hand, I
had come to really offend myself because in a way, even if it was to discover my vampiric skills,
these beginner fighting sessions infantilided me in a certain way. As the dawn of the fourth day
approached rapidly and I was already beginning to feel fatigue, instead of repeating the
sequence of karate he had just shown me, I put to work all those I already knew in a series of
attacks that forced him to defend himself. At the end of this veritable ballet of mortal blows that I
had initiated and in which I had obliged him to participate, Phoenix, with his nose bloodied and
the clothes lacerated suggesting many wounds on his marble skin, decided that it was better to
abandon the revisions and take it to the next level. I agreed with him. So he had begun to teach
me techniques of close combat between vampires, designed to immobilize his opponent in
order to better behead him. He was still astonished to see that every time he spoke of this
method of execution, I could not suppress a grimace of disgust, and he could not help but be
impressed with my ability to resist the calls of evil that newborns like me could not, in principle,
contain. It was true that the idea of beheading someone, even an enemy, was repugnant to me;
I was fully aware of the notion of Good and Evil and even for an enemy, I found that this way of
doing things was barbaric. However, something I had preferred to keep quiet from my mentor, I
could not ignore that little dark corner in me that would feast on the idea of ripping off the head
of the first person who would take it from me or those who were dear to me. By the way...
François and Angela came every night to spend some time with us, usually before the training
sessions that lasted far too long for a human who had to get up the next day to welcome the
customers of her bookstore. I loved those four-of-a-kind moments when I sometimes felt like I
was forgetting what I had become, even though every time I looked at the glass of blood waiting
for me on the coffee table, my new condition was remembered. These were good times with
friends... But there was still Matthew... Angela had been in charge of circulating in Scarborough
the news that my grandfather and I had gone on vacation for a few weeks in a remote area of
northern Canada. That would be used later to explain a little bit about the changes in my
appearance; thus, the accentuation of my pallor would be due to the lack of light of the polar
winter, or my new silhouette could be explained by the long hikes in the snow, for example.
Everyone had accepted this excuse without a thing but one person, of course. The last time I
saw Matthew, he offered to help me make the end of my employer in my arms bearable.
Phoenix had asked Angela and François to keep my transformation secret for at least a few
days, time for me to adapt to my new situation. In fact, I suspected that he wanted to avoid too
much emotional shock depending on how Matthew would behave when he learned the truth.
How would he react knowing what had happened? What would he think of me now that I was no
longer human? Moreover, belonging to the Mellindra Circle, whose purpose was to preserve the
humanity of vampires, our argument would have to be strong for him to understand that my
death was a choice and not an execution. Phoenix conscious, would never have accepted my
sacrifice and would have preferred to die; he had told me. And Matthew would have to hear it if
we didn't want him to convince his father to rekindle the flame of war against my new race.
These questions tormented me every time I thought about it. There came a day when the
confrontation came. One evening, when I had just finished my breakfast at the A-A, my cell
phone and the one in Phoenix were ringing at the same time. This had already happened and
when I went to pick up the phone, I was convinced that I would be dealing with Ysis, while
Phoenix would talk to Talanus. What was not our surprise to hear each in the handset of the
other, the voice of Francis and Angela. Both seemed particularly nervous and as I focused on
my friend's voice, I frowned. She was so distraught that she could not put her explanations in
order. I turned, astonished, to Phoenix, and screwed him up. Clearly, Francis had been able to
convey the information in a clear and condensed way. "Matthew is coming," he said. Ok. We
couldn't be clearer. - IT HAPPEN AND I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM SO FURIOUS! I walked the
phone away from my ear, grimacing. In a panic, Angela had forgotten not to scream. However,
my damaged eardrum passed very quickly in the background when the information finally made
its way into my mind. - My God... - Matthew has seen that after every sunset for some time, we
are heading towards the castle, just as he understood that we were hiding something from him.
He came in earlier and told us to tell her the truth, including explaining to him why you never
answered his calls. It's my fault, Sam... I cracked, I could not leave him in the dark, it was unfair
to him! I'm sorry... Tensed to the idea of the coming confrontation, the sigh of resignation of my
employer startled me. - It had to happen anyway. He took the phone out of my hands. -Don't
worry, Angela. He had to find out one day and he would have blamed you if you hadn't told him.
We are waiting for him. My very thin hearing allowed me to hear Angela's little choked cry. -
What are you going to do to him? That was it, she was afraid that Phoenix would physically go
after her best friend. The memory of their disagreement in front of the gates of the castle, after
Matthew had kissed me without my consent, imposed itself on me... There were some risks,
indeed. "I don't have anything. Unless he puts us in danger by making Sam lose control of
himself. In that case, I will not hesitate to throw him out. I distinctly heard Angela's sigh of relief,
even though I was far from experiencing the same. What if he could make me lose control?
Phoenix was afraid that an unfortunate word would cause me to attack them both? However,
since the beginning of the week, we had had a few spats and at no time had I turned into a
predator thirsty for the desire to punish the unwelcome who had dared to disrespect me. I had
even succeeded in implementing Francis' advice and keeping a cool head so that my eyes had
not become red again of a desire very different from that feared by his instigator. - We'll let you
know, see you soon. He hung up and we found ourselves observing each other, each watching
the other's reactions, in the same question as to what would follow: how would this confrontation
with Matthew end? - Do you think he will hate me? couldn't help but ask, the discomfort
associated with the growing expectation in me. He went to stand in front of the fireplace and
turned his back on me. - I think it is mainly me that he will want to kill. After what I've done to
you, I can hardly blame him. My heart tightened, but it was the anger of seeing him belittle
himself in this way that prevailed. - Stop feeling guilty, I would have died anyway if you hadn't
made that decision. - I wouldn't have had to take it if you hadn't committed this madness... He
swallowed; he couldn't put words on what I had done. I was going to make it easier for him. - To
save you, I would have slit my throat a thousand times if it had been necessary! (He shuddered)
When are you going to understand that you deserve to be sacrificed for you?! - Not you! (He
had vaulted a little more under the weight of his demons) I don't want to... I... He turned around
and in such a rapid motion that it became blurred even for me, he joined me and grabbed me by
the arms to force me to look him in the eye. - Promise me you'll never do it again, Sam! His
feverish gaze could have melted me, but there was no question of it. I shook my head in the
negative. - Why do you always must disobey me?! I am your master and I command you not to
put yourself in danger just to save me! I pushed him away abruptly and was surprised to see
him forced to restore his balance. - You are not my master, but my am... I! (I had almost let go
of an enormity beginning with "a" and ending with "death") I'll do what I think is right, whether
you like it or not! - You are nothing but an undetectable stubborn! - And you, a paranoid mother-
hen! He stood up and tossed me from the full height, his nostrils quivering with indignation at
having been insulted in this way. For a vampire, being called a mother-hen or a sweetheart was
to be put on the same level as the worst of human insanities. - I see that even in a crisis, we are
unable to discuss without it degenerating into a linguistic battle. His voice, razor-sharp and with
deadly sounds, triggered in me a shiver of voluptuousness that crossed me from head to toe.
And it was gone again! His anger had the gift of purring with pleasure the perverse sadist who
lay dormant in me and whom I thought I had learned to control for a few days. "I'll let you win
this round," I said as I left the living room to go and put some cold water on my face. I had
noticed that my deflated mini-me did not particularly appreciate the low temperatures and that I
covered my spirits more easily when I cooled my body. I then returned to the living room and sat
in the chair waiting to hear the bell announcing Matthew's arrival. Phoenix always gazed at the
fire in silence. A few minutes later, I forgot our argument when we sounded at the gate, honking
loudly as well. My employer operated the door-opening remote and I knew, thanks to my new
senses, that a car was suddenly parked in the driveway, whose gravel was scattered under the
violence of the manoeuvre. - I will welcome him. Above all, don't move from here, Sam. And
whatever happens, keep calm. Phoenix left me just after these recommendations. You bet! I
was so nervous that I was surprised that the armrests of the chair had not yet been torn from
their base as I was grinding them. Suddenly, voices came to me. - WHERE IS SHE? - She's in
the living room, but you should... - FERME-LA! If you're there, talking to me when the last time I
saw you, you were at the article of death, is that what told me Angela is true! HOW DARE YOU,
YOU SCUMBAG?! - I did it because I had to, you idiot! And I don't must apologize in front of a
gnat like you! Phoenix did not scream, but the intonations of his voice hinted at his killing mood.
I can't believe he just told me to stay calm! You killed her! NOW TELL ME WHERE SHE IS AND
GET OUT OF MY WAY! A rumble erupted from the entrance. It was getting messy. -I'M HERE! I
cried, to smother the looming brawl. I heard hurried footsteps approaching. - SAM! Seconds
later, Matthew walked through the door of the dining room adjacent to the living room; I had got
up from my chair. He stopped when he saw me, and despite the distance, I saw him clearly
swallow his saliva in the vain hope of chasing the ball of emotion he must have in his throat. By
the time he pulled himself together, Phoenix had joined me and stood by my side, looking like
someone ready to fight for the slightest problem. - I can't believe it... Matthew stared at me
intensely, seeming to look frightfully for any outward sign identifying the monster I had become.
I wasn't trying to run away from the exam. His livid face expressed shock, disbelief, overwhelm,
and finally anger. All in a second. I was tetanus. He finally decided to walk forward to stop a
meter from me, without stopping to stare at me from head to toe, looking deeply aghast. -
You've really become... His voice broke as he finished his sentence: - ... A vampire? Stretched
up tall, I dared not open my mouth for fear of scaring him away and merely nodded as assent.
The devastated expression that my friend displayed then tightened my bowels. Nevertheless, I
could never have expected what followed: - Why did you do that, Sam? You had your whole life
ahead of you! I glanced into my employer's side before deferring my attention to him and
replying: - I had no choice. This time, it was no longer the sorrow that animated him, but an
authentic hatred that blazed in his eyes and made me shudder as he struck with his eyes the
vampire who remained silent by my side. - Of course, you did! he exclaimed. And yet you
preferred to lose your life, your soul and everything that made you a person for... Him? His
innuendo awakened my dark side, which did not appreciate the having to be questioned. Even
vampire, I was still someone. Hearing the opposite from my best friend's mouth was
unacceptable. Fearing a violent reaction from Phoenix, I pressed into his side, but was
reassured to see him remain marble, though the bluish flashes in his pupils bent his apparent
calm. Despite my disorder and stress, I understood. He was certainly there, but he let me have
the discussion with Matthew, without interfering. I loved him more and found the strength to face
his accuser. "Perhaps you would have preferred me to let him die?"! I replied, acid. - He was
already dead, I remind you! (I pinched my lips so as not to spit in his face) And you had your
whole life ahead of you! You had a life here! With the people of Scarborough, with Angela, with
me! - Phoenix is also my friend! I couldn't leave him to his fate! He sneered, in a squeaky and
cruel way that made me want to slap him. "That's it! A friend! (He shook his head bitterly) I can't
believe you still prefer him after everything he's put you through! In the end, you're not who I
thought you were! I thought you were smarter than that! This time the insult had its effect; I felt
the anger invading me and my fangs start to point. I too had some hurtful arguments to oppose
him: - So that's it! It's like that, over again! You can't stand me putting my relationship with
Phoenix above ours! It's your jealousy that drives you to throw horrors in my face! Do you want
me to tell you? It's not so much my transformation into a vampire that makes you angry, but to
finally understand that you and I will never happen! Trembling with his whole body under the
face, Matthew pierced me with a furious look. - Maybe you're right, maybe part of me was still
hoping to see you come back to me. But it's over... I could have offered you everything this guy
(he raised his chin to Phoenix) can never give you: love, children, happiness, salvation. Instead,
you chose to give it up to save a monster... And you became like him... This new insult, even
worse than the previous one, coupled with his expression of deep disgust at the sight of my
fangs now completely out, made me feel a punch to the stomach. But instead of bending in half
of pain, I stood up from my height, tossing Matthew with all the indignation and fury I felt deep
down. A furious hiss echoed in the sudden silence that followed his diatribe, telling me that if my
blood was bubbling in my veins, another person was about to fill the few steps that separated
him from Matthew to bled him. I raised my hand dryly to stop my boss, without letting go of my
friend, or rather ex-friend of the eyes, who had completely ignited the red of anger. - Well we are
not so different in the end, for your words make you as monstrous as I do! (I laughed, but the
wound he had just inflicted on me was perfectly audible) You see, all you must do is get
transformed, because for cruelty, you've already come a long way! "I don't think we have
anything to say to each other anymore," I conclude. You can leave, I'm not holding you back.
Suddenly looking uncertain, Matthew frowned. I didn't care about his moods! In any case, this
moment of hesitation gave way to an unfailing determination, that of a bitter man determined to
hurt a loved one at least as much as the latter had hurt him. Except that I had never sought to
harm my friend, his conduct was profoundly unjust, and it bruised my flesh in an intolerable way.
He stared at me at length, gave Phoenix a last assassin's look, and turned away to take the way
out. Before leaving the room, he spoke to me one last time. - Know that you were the person
who was dearest to me in the world. I will mourn the memory of what you have been trying to
forget what you have become. Phoenix resurrected you to make you a monster like him; he
should have stopped before he did. Struck on the spot and gripped with horror, I had no reaction
other than to feel something break in the depths of me. I just felt the air current caused by my
boss when he rushed at a staggering speed towards Matthew to catch him by the collar of his
coat by invective in every way possible and in all the languages of his acquaintance, and drag
him by force to the exit. I heard a cry of pain and a thud that I immediately associated with
someone's fall on a hard ground. Phoenix had just thrown my friend out, in the proper sense of
the word. He then threatened him with the worst abuse if he dared to approach me again and
when his car left the estate for good, he spat out a last swear word before slamming the front
door of the castle so loud that the walls vibrated. He then came back to me to ask if I was okay,
but as after the murder of Kiro and his family, I was unable to produce any sound or gesture.
Not... It was even worse... I had just lost my best friend.

Our last argument was certainly violent, and Matthew had been slow to forgive me for hiding my
true identity and the origins of his family from him. Yet, even at the worst of our disagreement, I
had always kept the hope that things would work out between us... one day or another... There
he had just crossed a line that broke that hope. Not on his side, but mine. How I felt... well, it
was beyond grief; I was overcome with disgust. Disgust of Matthew's persistent jealousy,
disgust at having felt in him the envy that Phoenix died of his wounds, disgust about his latest
accusation... Had he called me a monster out of love or because he really meant it? Had I so
deceived myself about him by admiring his wisdom and greatness of soul? He had just told me
that he would have preferred to see me dead than turned into a vampire... Could I ever forgive
him? I was so indignant and deeply wounded that I was still astonished that I had not lost
control and, in fact, had not made him swallow his words by smashing his skull on the tile. In
truth, it was not so much my half vampire who was fulminating, but the remnants of my
humanity and my conception of friendship. I felt so betrayed in the feelings I had been able to
bring to Matthew that I never wanted to see him again. - Sam... Phoenix was desperately trying
to get my attention and looked at me with compassion. This infuriated me and brought me out of
my torpor. - I'm going to the basement to train. I need to be alone. He stared at me with concern
and was about to inform me of his disapproval, but I managed to evade him by slipping away
from the training room. There I did not know how many hours to spend my nerves in the sport
and did not stop me from blocking, shooting, feigning, hitting, only when I vent the sandbag with
a furious kick. I then took enough to clean and when it was over, I went up the steps of the cellar
in order to reach the secret room of my boss. It wasn't supposed to be daylight for several
hours. It didn't matter, I was determined, opening my eyes the next night, to bury everything
related to my old friendship. I walked to the office with a resolute step and didn't even stop to
listen to the telephone conversation at the living room doors. However, it would have been hard
for me not to hear a few snippets of the storm that was taking place in this room: - I don't care if
he felt betrayed, Angela! If he had had the slightest underside of judgment, he would have
understood the importance of keeping the information secret! We're all playing our heads in this
story! If the rumor that I have transformed Sam without Talanus' prior consent becomes public,
he will comply with the law and enforce it! And guess who will be ordered to do this? (...) Of
course, to me! In these cases, the master is asked to make up for his mistake by killing the
student he created, and there is no way I will execute Sam! (...) He won't say anything? Are you
sure about that? Just like you and Sam were sure that this guy was the purity and kindness
embodied! Let me laugh! (...) Oh, it's fine François! We didn't ring you! Besides, if you had
reserved for Matthew half the damn sermons with which you drum in our heads, maybe that
heartless moron wouldn't have emptied the bag of his jealousy with such cruelty! (...) Stop
saying that my point of view is biased! You weren't there when he told Sam that she had
become a monster and that she would have been better off never getting up from the dead! (...)
Yes, Angela! He said that! (...) I didn't hear the rest because I had gone my way to activate the
mechanism of opening the secret room giving access to the Phoenix room. There, I took the
time to shower at length, rubbing myself hard, as if to remove from my skin the stain of the
horrors that my old best friend had spat in my face. Once in my pajamas, I sat in bed and closed
my eyes to try to find sleep. I was angry at my inability to control this simple act of falling asleep.
As dawn approached, I couldn't resist Morpheus's calls and fell into his arms systematically
despite my best efforts. There, I wanted to find oblivion in the rest, but it was impossible for me!
To say that humans only had to take a sleeping pill to solve the problem! Wasn't there any
"special-vampire" drugs I could take to force my conscious being to sink into nothingness? No
matter how much I turned and turned around, I couldn't do anything except get even more
upset. It was at this point that the door opened, and the light was turned on. Phoenix was
staring at me, standing with his arms folded on my chest. - We need to talk. I turned my back on
him and pulled the blankets over my head. I had nothing to say to him. No, no, no! The blankets
also disappeared and flew to the other end of the room. "Hey, hey! Phoenix removed his jacket,
defied his tie and threw it all on the chair near the closet. He then unbuttoned the first two
buttons of his shirt and rolled up the sleeves of the shirts along his arms to be more
comfortable. As a hypnotized, I had not lost a single crumb of the show and was almost
disappointed when he sat down on the bed without going any further in his stripping. - I need to
know what emotional state you are in to know how best to handle the situation. His remark was
saving because a little more, and I passed my tongue over my lips while my gaze was still
centered on the glimpse of perfect body that his open shirt hinted at. I'm getting back on my
way. - How do you want me to feel? I said, turning my head away. Phoenix gently grabbed my
chin to force me to face him. - Like anyone who would be disappointed by his best friend. I was
stinging. Last year, Karl Sarlsberg, the best friend of Aydan MacKinley's vampiric "childhood,"
turned out to be a murderer and a power-hungry traitor too entangled in his jealousy of
MacKinley's success to carry out his own life. In fact, tired of being constantly compared to his
"brother", he had ended up hating him and doing everything to have him executed by the
Greats. Phoenix had struggled to recover from this ordeal, and I knew that even today this
wound was not healed. Although Matthew's was not as serious, it was deep enough that he was
in the best position to understand how I was feeling. With all the desire for rebellion forgotten,
my gaze was lost in the wave as I let Phoenix draw me to him. "I never would have believed that
of him," I murmured. "Neither do I. I raised my head and stared at him, surprised. - You hate
him! He shrugged. - That's right, and even more so now. But before that, I recognized that
despite the aversion I felt towards him, I respected him. After what he dared to tell you, I
despise him. The contempt... It was even worse than hate... To despise someone was to deny
him the smallest ounce of respectability. Was Matthew despicable? The answer was simple.
Tonight, it had been. I huddled against the powerful torso of my employer, who drew me with
him on the pillows in a much more comfortable position than the previous one. Lying against
him, I appreciated the soft luke-warmness of his arm passed around my shoulder, and the
caress of his chin in my hair. Its bewitching fragrance was already transporting me into a
delicious torpor. - I don't know if I would ever forgive him and that feeling scares me because he
doesn't look like me. - Why do you say that? He asked me, squeezing me more against him. I
closed my eyes, impressed by his body's ability to relax, by a simple touch, all the cells of mine.
- I had never had friends before all of you. Losing Matthew is like losing a member of my family.
I suffer from it... Terribly. But for all that, I don't want to try to make things right. He's gone too
far. - You have nothing to complain about, Sam. On the contrary, despite the atrocities he told
you, you kept your composure. I am very impressed; I have lost mine. - At least you didn't throw
it against the trees on the other side of the road. Phoenix let out a little laugh at the evocation of
this episode of our common history. "I should have thought about it earlier," he said. - I thought
that after our explanation, he would turn the page and that everything would go back to the way
it was between us. I'm very naïve. Phoenix got serious again. His hand pressed my shoulder
further. - He loves you. He cannot help himself, even if this love is one-sided. A sudden whiff of
despair invades me... I knew how Matthew must have felt... - I know I shouldn't, but I still feel
guilty. - There is no reason. You've been honest with him; he's going to must accept... the whole
situation. I sighed as I snuggle him. A great fatigue suddenly enveloped me, and my eyelids
began to become heavier and heavier. "It's all so confusing," I said, my eyes closing in on
themselves. - When you sleep, I will call Talanus and Ysis to formally ask them for permission to
transform you, so that, as soon as possible, I will take you to Harper Hill. Seeing people will do
you good. - They will all look at me as if I were a fairground phenomenon... - They will be
curious, of course. You're a phenomenon, Sam, but not a fairground phenomenon. Trust
yourself a little, everything will be fine. Sleep threatened to engulf me within seconds. "Will you
promise me that?" I croaked. " I promise you that. I felt my smile involuntarily. - I trust you... And
I fell asleep.
*
Another six weeks passed. Phoenix had the official approval of Talanus and Ysis for my
transformation and it was now common knowledge that the assistant to the Vampire Angel of
Kerington County had become one herself. I simply had to give myself time to pass the first
theoretical course of bloodshed, namely one where nothing exists in the world except the desire
to replenish the blood of all humans for miles around and which only the authority of the creator
is able to master. After this difficult stage, it would take me a good hundred years to be sure that
I control these instincts enough not to go to cut anyone's throat, at the risk of venting the Secret.
Good… That was in theory... what everyone thought... In practice, I was vegetating. Since I
didn't want to kill anyone... I had occupations with the ruthless trainings of my boss that took me
a good part of my time, knowing that it was not much compared to having to muzzle the
hormonal outbursts that threatened to engulf me as soon as the latter tightened me a little too
close. Finally, Angela and François came to visit us every evening shortly after sunset and
made my forced isolation more bearable thanks to their soothing presence. Indeed, in their
company, I almost forgot the wound that Matthew had inflicted on me and for which Angela had
confided to me that she had never been so angry with him. She had even slammed the door in
his face one day that he had had had enough of leaving messages on his answering machine
and that he had decided to go and talk to her. She could not forgive him for what he had told
me. But I knew her too well. Angela bore her name because in addition to being a woman with a
perfect physique, she was beautiful on the inside. He was an angel; an angel who would
eventually forgive Matthew for his generous nature and his soul kneaded with goodness could
not do otherwise. Still, I couldn't stand being permanently locked up for fear that it was
discovered that my extraordinary self-control was due in part to the fact that Phoenix had
created me before the official date, much like in the case of an extramarital pregnancy that
would must be hidden to make everyone believe that the child was indeed that of the married
couple. Not that I should be considered the "girl" of Phoenix! Fortunately for me, my creator had
not transformed me in this way and had insisted on a relational basis equivalent to that of a
teacher with his student. I didn't like it either, but that was it. In short, this situation annoyed me
as the days, or rather I should say the nights followed one another, and I wondered how long I
would keep my calm before I started to break everything in the castle. Phoenix had noticed my
growing nervousness and urged me to be patient. According to him, my efforts would be
rewarded when I could evolve freely in the world from which he had opened the doors for me. In
the meantime, I had to obey him to the letter to keep us both alive. I had therefore resigned
myself to following his instructions by trying to muzzle my instincts as a predator hungry for
freedom, who constantly yelled at me how intolerable this confinement was to me. A vampire
was not meant to be cloistered between four walls, regardant the size of these walls. I was in a
gilded prison, of course, but a prison all the same, and I hated it. However, one evening Phoenix
received the phone call that we both hoped for. We were summoned to Harper Hill...
*
- My God! I'm so stressed out that I don't even know what my name is! I say, searching like a
madwoman in my wardrobe in search of the perfect outfit for my "entry into the world". A
strapless dress? Too flashy. A trouser suit? Too depressing. A blouse with a 190s style skirt?
Too tight. Help! Samantha. - What! I cried, on the verge of a crisis of nerves. - That's what you
call yourself: Samantha. I turned to Phoenix. He watched my ballet as a drunken dancer dead,
leaning on the door frame, and sporting his endless smirk that bristled at my hair. But why did I
ask him his opinion on my choice of clothing?! - If that's how you help me, you might as well
leave before I get mad! He scoffed: - What a character! I let out a menacing rumble. He looked
up at the sky and came in my direction. - Get out of the way. Out of pure rebelliousness, I
tossed it by raising my chin, my canines already exceeding their normal size, while my eyes
were coloured red. "Please," he said, sighing at the soul. Satisfied, I shifted enough to give him
free access to my closet. - Let's see... While he was concentrating on my clothes, I could not
help but admire his profile made even more irresistible by the serious air he sported. I had never
before noticed the little wrinkle of expression that appeared above his frowns under the effect of
reflection. After all this time spent together, and especially spent detailing it from head to toe, I
thought I had gone around his physical person (character side, I knew full well that eternity
would still be too short to allow me to understand this man). However, it was clear to me that I
was still discovering things about him... Thanks to my new night bird powers... - This will be
perfectly fine. I left my daydream to see Phoenix come up with a simple set: a black trouser suit
with a matching jacket, a red satin blouse with a collar that folded into two large strips that could
be tied to make a bow, and black pumps varnished with Louboutin heels so high that I had
never taken the risk of putting them on before. - Red is the color that suits you best. He had
scratched his throat in the middle of his sentence, an adorable sign that embarrassment was
gaining him, and had stuffed my clothes in my arms. - I'm up for the whole thing, but the shoes...
- You're no longer human, Sam. You don't risk falling or cramping. - You forget that I am always
clumsy. - And you that you are able to reduce to mush anyone would sneer in the unlikely
prospect that you would stumble. I'm thinking. "That's right," I said, smiling frankly at the thought
of being able to give a good volley to anyone who dared to make fun of me. - So it's understood,
I'm waiting for you downstairs. He was about to walk away from me, but I held him by the arm,
taken with sudden anguish. "Everything will be fine, won't it?" I asked, aware of the tremor of my
voice. He offered me a reassuring smile. - Don't worry. I'll be here all the time. And he left me.
With my mind bubbling and my body ultra-tense by the fear of what happened next, I had some
difficulty getting dressed and I had to make great efforts to calm myself down enough to be able
to make up without painting my whole face. I choose a safe value, the black of my eyeliner to
intensify my look, and took the side of discretion with a transparent gloss. I would accessorize it
all with my mother's silver/zirconium necklace and Matthew's matching earrings (I avoided
thinking about him by putting them on), knowing that Keira MacKinley's clover was out of sight,
under my blouse. When I woke up as a vampire, the shock had obscured all the small details of
my resurrection. At one point, I had finally realized that I was wearing this necklace again, that
my dying boss had given me back just before I opened my throat to save him. He had probably
put it around my neck during my transformation. So he really wanted me to wear it; he thought
his sister would have wanted it... So he would never leave me. I looked in the mirror. Seized by
the reflection of this woman whose femininity, enhanced by the outfit, the make-up and the
sophisticated bun, could not erase the aura of mystery and danger that she radiated, I came to
wonder how I had become so different from the samantha Watkins librarian erased from a
public high school in Kentwood that I was before. I may not have been thrilled to be a vampire,
but for nothing in the world I would have wanted to go back in time and not take the alley that
led me to Phoenix. What else would I have become? "Cruella" Angermann would have
continued to harass me, the old guard, Hank, whom I had known since childhood, still did not
remember my existence, and as few students would attend my library with decrepit walls and
aging chairs. So no. I wasn't afraid of my introduction to The Harper Hill Villa and the Vampire
World. I wasn't supposed to show my fear to anyone. For him. I finished preparing by checking
my mental armor, fully determined that I was to honor the one who had offered me a chance to
become a better person, and whom I loved with all my soul. One last look in the mirror and I
came out of my room to join down the vampire who was trying to control his nervousness by
taking the hundred steps in the hall and who, seeing me strangely so calm and ready, rewarded
me with a smile that gave me the impression of feeling my heart banging again in my chest.
"Everything will be fine," I said, smiling and reassuring, letting him guide me to the Camaro,
which would take us to my first beginners' ball... Once is not custom, I was wrong.
*
How do you explain how much? Maybe starting from our arrival at the villa... - My God... I
murmured. Even though he wanted to be discreet, I clearly heard Phoenix swallow,
contradicting the words that followed: - It's nothing. It's normal that the villa attracts people
today. It is not every day that a newborn is introduced to the community. Besides, it won't be
your first crowd bath. - You are talking about a crowd of at least three hundred people according
to the cars parked all over the property?! That's for sure, it's a first! He ignored my sarcasm,
which alarmed me more than the sight of his shoulders sagging at the thought of what lay
ahead. I've never seen so many shiny cars in my life. For a bit, the huge gardens of Talanus
and Ysis could have been mistaken for a giant luxury car dealership. It was just nonsense! And
it was anything for me... I was beginning to feel my armor of determination melting and my
knees liquefying in my passenger seat. - Everything will be fine, Sam, Phoenix says, shutting
down the engine. " You've said it before. Who are you really trying to convince, me or you? We
got out of our car. - Above all, control your nervousness and the words that will come out of your
mouth. I don't want to be cut off because you're considered ill-mannered. I wanted to reply, but
the slamming of her door, so violent that she emitted a squeak of disapproval pulling more on
the agony, prevented me from doing so. He frowned as he assessed the damage. - Who is the
more nervous of the two? Maybe not the one we think! He rolled up his lips in a bad grin. - Shut
up and do as I say. I explained to you how this was going to happen so normally you shouldn't
make any missteps. "I know, I know. I follow you to the throne room (he shot me from the eye), I
mean hearing, and I stare at your back until we arrive before Talanus and Ysis who will embark
on an official welcome speech before training us in private to have a more informal conversation
about my subject quality at their service. This interview will then be followed by a cocktail party
where I will have to show everyone that I am able to refrain from blowing up everything that
moves without showing any weakness, at the risk of attracting temptations, already numerous I
know, to paint myself a target in the heart or in the head. - Just right. I think we can go. - I think
I'm going to throw up. - You can't do it anymore. - A chance for you. - You're really impossible. -
Proof that not since I'm here. - Sam, I'll... - PHOENIX, SAMANTHA JONES!!! My employer did
not have the leisure to finish his threat because even before we reached out to catch the
handles, the doors opened wide, placing us in front of the slightly overflowing enthusiasm of
Max Marroney, whose cry of pleasure must have sounded in the ears of the diners furthest from
the entrance as if they were five centimeters away from us. - Marroney, bowed with his head a
Phoenix as kind as an iceberg. A little disconcerted by this answer, the person concerned
turned to me in search of a warmer welcome. It wasn't that I didn't want to. Even though in the
human world, this guy was a drug dealer who was considered appalling, in vampires he was
nice. But hey... I did as my boss had ordered me, I stood with my eyes on his back and ignored
the unwelcome, like all those who tried to get my attention as we walked up the endless corridor
leading to the Kerington County district chiefs. I had experienced it once, a long time ago. But
there was horror. There were hundreds of people pushing for me as soon as we got to their
height, and I could hear their comments of frustration at not being able to be in the front rows in
the big room. Everyone was watching me, everyone was watching me, everyone was studying
me. I felt like an animal being paraded in front of a floor of predators watching what pieces they
would like to devour. I was just terrified. However, it was out of the question for me to show it.
This is how I followed Phoenix, with his back straight, his chin up, his eyes sharp, without ever
letting me go for a moment to the urge that had taken me to tremble like a leaf. Phoenix was my
creator, we were playing big tonight and I intended to honor him by winning the bet, namely a
flawless integration in this world where we maintained our place and his life by his strength and
value. - She does not let Phoenix out of her sight, he must have given her instructions ... - In
any case, she looks great. She's not as impressive as her creator, but I think she has a hell of a
potential... - I don't like her tailor, it's too strict. She could have put on a dress a little cleavage; it
would have been chic with her Louboutins. - It's pretty good, I like the shirt. It enhances her
breasts. - Here, I thought I saw a red flash in his eyes. Whoà! It was better for me to refocus on
my goal before committing an odd. This was so until I arrived in the great hall where our
entrance was (finally) greeted by respectful silence. All the guards had put on their best
costumes, the people present were all on their thirty-one, and all detailed me from head to toe
while I clenched my teeth to continue to bear it. However, when Phoenix walked away so that its
leaders could also gaze at me, I felt my determination melt to make way for an irrepressible
urge to turn around and run away screaming. Talanus and Ysis perfectly played their role as
vampiric sector leaders with no less than two thousand years on the clock because I knew them
now, they impressed me so much that they frightened me, both of them. Both standing, Talanus
radiated power and danger while his companion, in her aura of mystery, was to give shivers in
the back of the whole audience. Elegantly dressed in black, suit for one, long dress for the
other, their charisma literally crushed that of all the people gathered in the villa. "Come forward.
This order, since it was one, was not forcefully stated, yet all the cells of my body set out to
obey it in the hope of not attracting the wrath of the one who had formulated it. So I walked
towards Talanus, not without having earlier glanced anxiously at my creator, whose impassive
face was of no help to me. It was up to me to live up to the task for both of us. A stone's throw
from the Roman general, I stopped and bowed my head in deference to respect the protocol
phoenix had taught me. A newborn had to learn to respect his masters if he wanted to keep his
head. "Samantha Jones," said Talanus, in a voice strong enough to be carried out of the room,
in view of your record of service as a human assistant to our angel, a service that impressed the
Greats as much as they impressed us, Ysis and I, you were given an honor that only a few
humans can be bestowed on today by one of our own. , i.e. eternal life. You'll must be worthy of
it. "Yes, Master," I said in the consecrated formula. - The gift that Phoenix, your creator, has
given you is exceptional, but it is also accompanied by many duties to which you will obey. Do
you commit to follow the teaching and orders of the one who initiated you until he deems you
capable of being freed from his influence? "Yes, Master. - Do you commit to respecting the
hierarchical way that compels you to answer to Ysis and I for your actions? "Yes, Master. - Do
you commit to respecting our laws and to preserving the Secret of the existence of your new
race at the risk of leaving your own life there if need be? "Yes, Master. - If you do not respect
your word, the sentence against you will be death. Do you accept it? "Yes, Master. - Let the
creator step forward! Talanus tonna. I didn't dare look, but the brush I felt on my left indicated
that Phoenix had stood by my side. - Angel Phoenix, you have asked us to grant eternal life to
your dying human assistant, and we have granted it to you. Do you commit to leading the way
for your student to make him a healthy, law-abiding vampire? "Yes, Master. His grave and
serious voice triggered a shiver that ran my back. I would have given anything to be able to
watch it right now. But I had no right to do so; I had to be humble and submissive. - In the event
that this newborn jeopardizes the Secret by his actions or if he violates the laws guaranteeing
the stability of our community, do you commit to end his life personally? I'm stiffening up. "Yes,
Master. Not the slightest hesitation in his answer. I knew that in front of a crowd of vampires
who were waiting for a misstep on his part, he was not to show any weakness, but his
determination upset me. " Look at me, Samantha Jones. I carried out, though a little bad grace
because of the fear that this empire general inspired me. - From now on, you belong to the
vampire community of Kerington, under the joint authority of Ysis and myself as well as that of
your creator. Welcome to us. A thunderous round of applause and enthusiastic shouting
followed this conclusion and even though I smiled, I told myself that I would really have liked to
be human at that moment to faint and no longer must be at the center of general attention, at
least consciously. Talanus then raised his arms, a gesture that was interpreted and executed at
the second, as suddenly the silence fell on the audience. - There are still some details that we
need to discuss in private with the new insider and her guide. We'll meet you in a few minutes.
In the meantime, cocktails will be served at the buffets provided for this purpose. Thank you all.
After further applause, Talanus and Ysis descended from their high-rise view and headed for
the door overlooking their adjoining apartments in the great hall. When it was closed and the
four of us found each other in the tranquility of their offices, I finally allowed myself to relax.
Strangely, it was the Roman general who was the most expressive because he went to sit in his
chair blowing with relief. Well, it went well. Ysis came to sit on the armrest and he immediately
took her hand. "You were perfect, Samantha Watkins," she said. Phoenix dragged me to the
couch where I sat. – Fortunately, your angel prepared me upstream. Nevertheless, I did not
expect to see so many people, I felt like a fairground beast. Ysis smiles when he hears the
analogy. - Vampires are much more curious than humans and it is not every day that a newborn
is inducted, whether in this county or anywhere else. - Basically, you offer your subjects a free
dinner show that pays you in return for a renewed authority. So it's a nice political coup. It was
Talanus' turn to smile. - You see that your integration into our world will be easy, since you
already understand the workings of it. - Thank you for the compliment. "Now that we've
entertained our audience," Ysis interjected, "it's time to get down to business. We cannot afford
to be absent from the party for too long. No one smiles anymore. The Egyptian princess looked
me straight in the eye. - Phoenix told us about your amazing abilities with silver. I frowned. "Rest
assured," she said, "I do not intend to ask you for a demonstration in the immediate future (I
said on these last words). If our guests see you with bloodstained clothes, they'll ask questions.
Not. I want to know if you have any other powers. "She's much stronger than an ordinary
vampire," Phoenix said. Indeed, I had sent him into the air several times and I had broken his
jaw, to him as to Francis. - It is not enough; all newborns have a more consequential strength
than their creator. - I've fought newborns before, she surpasses them all. Talanus raised his
eyebrows in amazement, but Ysis remained marble and always stared at me. It was really
starting to make me uncomfortable. - It doesn't mean anything. What interests me is the legacy
of the De Castelcourts; I want to know how far it flows in you. - How? I asked. Ysis began to run
his fingers along the arm of his companion, whose eyes were suddenly zebra-like with yellow
flashes. After all this time as a couple, his partner always made him so much effect. - I saw what
these two brothers were capable of, there was enough to run away screaming, believe me. Yet I
fought with the Greats and all those who had the courage to face these monsters, and I came
close enough to notice something. She got up and walked up to me. I wriggled on the couch,
with the desire to decamp to avoid contact, unfortunately I stood good and she stopped in front
of me to grab my chin and raise my head to plunge her gaze into mine. - Their power reached
heights when their eyes were completely inflamed with an incandescent red and a harbinger of
devastation. It was stronger than me, I snatched from her and leapt off the couch. Phoenix also
got up and came to stand by my side. Ysis was always watching me. - I'm not like them! I cried,
as much to defend myself as to reassure myself... My eyes too had ignited in this way... I didn't
want to go crazy like them or be consumed by the thirst for power to the point of slaughtering
everyone to achieve my ends. - To learn how to control your power, you must have at least one
idea. I know your pupils occasionally turned red when you were human, but now that you're one
of us, your power has had to grow stronger. Your eyes are the best indicator, whether you like it
or not, and precisely, if you want to prevent them from being scarlet in front of a Great who
survived his encounter with the De Castelcourts, you will soon must learn to control that too.
And heck! His arguments were logical and unstoppable. If one day I came across a Great, all
lights on, he would certainly order me and all the people in this room to cut off my head. - Her
eyes were completely lit up when she woke up when she discovered that she had become a
vampire. In my opinion, anger is the trigger. Phoenix had come to the same conclusions as me
and was playing fair. I looked at him. It was up to me to decide what I was going to say,
especially since what he did not know was that anger was not the main catalyst. My eyes were
always colored when he hugged me a little too closely, awakening in my feelings that I had
trouble repressing, something I had been careful not to admit to him. - I think I have a better
idea. I felt my blood boil in my veins. Ysis' corner smile meant only one thing: she knew. Last
year, she read in my mind that the hormonal outpouring I had suffered while drinking Phoenix's
blood had colored my eyes red. She remembered it, for sure. What did she have in mind? I had
the answer a moment later: - Kiss her. - ... Neither Phoenix nor I were able to utter a word for
several seconds. When at last the shock faded enough to allow me to connect my neurons, my
first reaction was to fix my hierarchical superior by rolling up my lips on my menacing canines,
with a deadly glow in my eyes. - Definitely not, I said. Ysis shrugged. - Nice try, but your eyes
remain black. If you can keep your composure, as Phoenix told us, the only way to really get
you out of your hinges would be to go after the person who is dearest to you in the world... This
time, the rumbling that escaped me testified to the urge that beset me to snatch the fangs of the
woman who dared to issue the idea of attacking the man of my dreams. Oh, I'm so sly. You see,
your pupils are already turning red! But as I told you earlier, I care about my furniture and I don't
want to buy everything back because he will have made you want to trash everything by trying
to kill me and Talanus; especially if you might be able to do it. I was going to say that I liked the
idea enough, but Phoenix cut me off. - If anger is the trigger, I don't see why you're asking me to
kiss it. Even if he doesn't like it, (I almost screamed with laughter when I heard that; as if his kiss
might disgust me!) I doubt very much that it would be enough to check the strength of his
powers. Ysis glanced at me with a smirk that made me want to rip off all his teeth. - I am just
counting on the fact that he likes it. Phoenix remained silent. As for me, I was so contained so
as not to explode with rage that I could hear my molars creaking. Talanus decided to intervene
with his usual tact. - In any case, it is not negotiable. From the moment we survive, you don't
have to argue. You have your orders, obey. - But I... - Enough, Samantha Watkins! "He's going
to do it?" Do I must remind you that you just take the oath? Now stop making manners and
behave like a real vampire, not like a frightened virgin! Even though he did not know my private
life, I was incredibly hurt by the analogy he had used. Besides, I hadn't spent the last few weeks
working my self-control to find myself in a ubiquitous situation where I was ordered to do what I
forbade myself to think about. It wasn't fair. I wish I could cry! - Being a vampire does not mean
going against your dignity! I will not kiss anyone to satisfy your little experiences or your sexual
whims! I cried, on the verge of a crisis of nerves. I've gone too far. Talanus suddenly scolded
fiercely and took two steps in my direction before being stopped en route by his companion,
who severely pushed him away. - Peace, Talanus. She then turned to me, with a much sweeter
expression than I had expected: - I do not want to harm your dignity or that of Phoenix, believe
me. Yet I must absolutely know whether my suspicions about your power are well founded or
not so that I can understand the plan that the Night has for you. - Lethalée? Is she still talking to
you? She nodded. - Not as frequently as before your transformation, but she visited me in my
sleep today and she was the one who asked me to put you to the test. I suddenly felt a
migraine. It was not an ordinary headache, I was forever liberated from it, but rather as a
pressure inside my skull that sought to draw my attention to something important about the
mother of all vampires. - Sam, I think she's right. I looked at Phoenix with amazement, forgetting
my headache. How could he say that? If he had forgotten the times when under the blow of the
exchange of blood, we had kissed, I did not. Especially since we'd both be lucid here. How can
we manage to look him in the face after sharing such a moment of intimacy under the coercion
and supervision of his leaders, a moment which, unlike me, would not affect him in any way,
since he did not have the same feelings towards me? - I don't want you to kiss me against your
will! I carried away a little quickly, blowing him with my red eyes. Who do you think I am? My
employer froze and his jaws clenched and his zebra pupils white, I understood that he was
hiding something from me that made him bubble inside. But he immediately resumed. - That is
not the point. (My canines pressed heavily on my tongue now) Ysis is the only person who has
rubbed shoulders with the De Castelcourts who know that they are your ancestors, she is right
to want to know how much their kinship affects you, especially knowing what fate you would be
in if it were learned and that you were considered a threat to our community! A kiss is not
expensive paid for our safety! His way of seeing things made me feel like I was being stabbed
again. He must have seen the bitterness in my eyes. He grabs my hands. - Don't misunderstand
my words, Sam. I don't like all of this either, and I don't take this kiss lightly. Yet you can't blame
me for putting your life ahead of your dignity... I care too much about you. His last words,
combined with the contact of his hands on mine, ended my determination to collapse. My eyes
returned to their original color. I knew from the beginning that they were all right, but I was so
afraid of my reactions that I would have given everything so that he would not give me that kiss I
would normally have dreamed of. I bowed my head and sighed. Several seconds passed during
which no one said anything, where my decision was being watched. - All right... But I do not
accept any responsibility if things do not go as you hope. The warning was clear. I had no idea
what I would do if I succeeded or failed, all I knew was that I would not emerge unscathed from
this new ordeal, perhaps the worst since I learned that I was a vampire. For the rest, I didn't
care, they just had to fend for themselves...
*
"It's going to be okay, Sam. His whispering so unsured only increased a tension already at his
zenith. I was sure I was shaking. A glance from below to the man facing me and I understood
that I was not the only one. Phoenix was tense to crack. A sudden breath made me look at my
feet. It was easier than confronting him. But no sooner had I escaped him than he gently
grabbed my chin to force me to face him. My god... How could I manage to control myself if he
contemplated me with this depth in my eyes? I wasn't supposed to look at it, I... Too late. He
now held me at his mercy. Prisoner of his two oceans of wisdom, nothing existed in the world
except the two of us. Time had stopped, space had been reduced to our two bodies ready to
touch each other. Nothing mattered anymore. Because it was him, because it was me... His
hand left my chin to slide into a slow and gentle caress against my cheek; I shuddered and
closed my eyes. As the inevitable drew closer, and despite my stress, I felt my body marry the
voluptuousness that had taken hold of it and my will to stray into the desire it inspired me. "Look
at me, Sam. I bit my lip. His voice alone near my ear was enough to unleash in me furious
hormonal assaults that I was trying to channel. " Look at me... The tutu, as well as his other
hand which now ran through my hair, made me execute. This time, my eyes had gone deep red,
I knew it. But that wouldn't be enough. Phoenix filled the few centimeters that separated us by
gently drawing me to him, without stopping to caress my face and hair with a slowness and
tenderness that almost made me purr with pleasure. Finally, the dreaded moment came. He
bowed to me. Wide-eyed, the ghost of my heart suddenly awakened to give me the sensation of
a deafening drumming in my ribcage, I saw the gap between us narrow until that moment when
my universe swung all over in infinite fullness. Our lips had just touched each other. It was as if
the gates of Paradise were being opened to me. My whole being called only for one thing, to
stay there forever because he understood that it was there that among all possible places, I was
at home: in his arms. This time, I was not under the influence of the fingerprint or the exchange
of blood. I was lucid. I was melting... Literally. And when his kiss intensified, charged with a
tenderness that upset me, I told myself that if I was struck down now, I would die filled... I had
let my hands act as they pleased and while I was enjoying the caress of Phoenix's tongue
around mine, my fingers were sticking in her hair as I had always wanted to do. My skin was
tingling where it touched me, and I had to hold my hips to ripple when Phoenix ran his index
finger along my spine to the hollow of my kidneys. When he shook me even more against him, a
groan of well-being eluded me, and I forgot until the existence of our spectators... Unfortunately,
they had not forgotten us. - Hum Hum... It was he who put an end to the kiss by gently moving
me away from his person. I had the impression that my soul was being ripped out... At that
moment I could not have said what he was thinking, but I could see perfectly the abnormal
radiance in his pupils; obviously, I wasn't the only one who was disturbed. And it seemed that it
wasn't enough. "It's not okay, Phoenix," said Ysis. You're too sweet. Don't forget what it is.
Despite her extraordinary self-control, she remains a newborn subject to her urges. You must
not seduce her, but make her desire you... (I shuddered) You've had hundreds of years and
probably thousands of mistresses, you know what to do about it. I knew that Ysis had said this
without ill intent, yet I received his last sentence as a stab in the heart that immediately cooled
my ardor. She and Talanus were behind my back so I couldn't see them. On the other hand, I
could not miss the mortal glow in my boss's eyes. - I know what I must do and, in this case, on
your side, you would do well to keep your mouth shut! - Don't forget who you're talking to, angel!
creaked Talanus. "Leave," Ysis interjected. As for you, put yours on it! This time, Phoenix
showed the fangs to his superior and scolded his exasperation before shifting his attention to
me. Atrociously embarrassed by what had just happened, I hesitated between rolling myself into
a ball on the ground or running away, in fact, I could only fix the patterns of the carpet on which
we found ourselves. Phoenix then raised my chin again to force me to face him. I thought I
could feel my heart leaping into my chest when his eyes lit up more than normal and I let him
draw me to him. His second kiss was even more incredible, and my body relaxed much faster
than at his previous embrace. But as my hands had just found their way back to his hair, his
came down very slowly from my face to my neck, and then, towards my arms and hips, which
he placed against him. His right hand then went to take it behind my back while the movements
of his tongue around mine began to make me dizzy. I felt the desire to mount him more and
more and my will to keep a minimum of control crumbles. I kissed it with a passion that I never
thought I could, and I began to suffocate as my internal temperature flew away. I thought I was
failing when he left my mouth to devour my neck with hundreds of passionate kisses and his
right hand, so far wisely positioned, lifted my blouse to slip under and have access to my skin.
The touch of his fingers burned me at the same time as it carried me with pleasure and several
times, I heard a little groan coming out of my throat. Besides, in addition to his lips there, I also
felt the brush of his canines which made me boil my blood at the idea that it was enough of a
pressure for them to pierce my skin and pour the liquid he preserved. If I had had access to my
employer's neck, I would not have been able to resist the urge to dip my fangs in it to taste it
completely. Imagining this had the effect of triggering my first skid. I wanted to touch Phoenix
and his shirt prevented me from doing so. In a flash and a sound of pimples ripped off later, I
had a complete view of her sublime torso that I could contemplate by licking my lips while letting
my fingers run through it, savoring a silky skin protecting the powerful muscles that rolled under
her. However, my concentration was undermined by the pupils of my partner who, under the
effect of my caresses, were illuminated with an immaculate and dazzling white. A moment later,
Phoenix had grabbed me by the hips, lifted against him, and carried against a wall that served
as a support to resume our embrace with a kiss so torrid that he overcame my last resistance.
With my legs crossed around him with even more force than a noose, I was waving my hips to
better sense the contact of his pelvis, which helped to trigger a real explosion over the fire that
had already ravaged my lower abdomen since our lips had pressed against each other. One of
Phoenix's hands literally crushed a thigh, but I didn't care royally because the other had
magically unsnapped my bra, madly electrifying this area by the way. Something happened. By
accident, one of my fangs scratched Phoenix's tongue, which was bleeding in my mouth. If the
present situation was already difficult to control, what followed proved that neither of them had
any control. My vampiric-self had woken up as soon as the idea of a kiss between my employer
and me had been mentioned and luckily my reason had the upper hand to preserve my honor in
front of the three people present in the room. It would have been unwelcoming indeed, to jump
immediately to the face of Phoenix to water him with marks of desire. I had had a harder time
keeping him on a leash afterwards, but it was clear to me that at that moment my reasonable-
self had no voice. It was over from the moment my senses perceived the few drops of my
partner's blood in my palate. In fact, after a beastly and possessive growl, I had plunged back
into him so hard that our teeth collided, and I began to suck his tongue with relentless voracity
and determination. If he was shocked, Phoenix did not get away from it and after only a second
of floating, I found myself again pinned back against the wall, and arms above my head. It was a
real power struggle that had just started, each wanting to own the other at all costs. His jacket
flew behind him when he violently removed it to be freer from his movements and he did not
flinch when, taking a sudden resurgence of violence, I reduced his shirt to shreds to allow me to
have access to his bare shoulders. On the contrary, as I thrust my nails into his back, Phoenix
crashed a little more against me, letting out a rumble of deep satisfaction. A movement later and
my bra fell to the ground, without me feeling any brush. The idea that his fingers had almost
touched my chest made me scold in frustration and without stopping to devour his mouth, I
grabbed his hand and placed it where my blouse had come out of my pants. My hope was not
disappointed because immediately, the warm slip I felt in my belly announced that I would soon
discover the effect of a caress of a man there. Every cell in my body was nothing more than an
incandescent blaze that ravaged my mind with billions of assaults of voluptuous sensations.
This moment, so intimate, was so torrid that I wondered if I would soon consume myself with
desire. I wanted even more, I wanted it in me... - PHOENIX! Samantha! We stopped together
when we heard this cry. My nails had stopped straying into Phoenix's back, and Phoenix's hand
had stopped just below my right breast. We turned our heads together towards the origin of this
unpleasant noise, knowing that both irradiated the room with a strong light that white, which
scarlet red. I frowned as I notified the two people who stared at us with the same air of dread
mixed with a hint of amusement. I then saw the horror paint itself on Phoenix's face exactly as it
had to be painted on mine, which tripled with intensity when we realized the respective position
of our hands. In a flash, Phoenix rested me on the ground unceremoniously before moving
away from me towards the wall opposite. A second later, he had sent his fist into it, causing him
a hole of considerable size. As for me, although I had taken the iciest shower of my life, it had
not freed me from the grip that my vampiric part had on me. Suddenly, my field of vision
narrows to include only the one who was responsible for all this mess: Ysis. Not only had she
forced us to put ourselves in this impossible situation, but, and it was surely what made my
darkest part of rage, it was also she who had interrupted us. Relishing the desire to hit her with
all the hatred I felt at that very moment, I made a few steps forward to have it well in the axis
when I would choose to act. Uncomfortable, Talanus came to stand beside his companion.
Pooh! As if it inspired me the slightest worry! "Samantha Watkins," said Ysis, raising her hands
in peace, "I know that what I asked of you was not simple and you have done your job to the
best of your ability." I've seen what I want to see, and I can promise you that I will never ask you
for such a thing again. Something was buzzing in my head and seemed to make the air around
me crackle. I always stared at my future victim with a chilly calm that was bent by the murderous
rage that smoldered in my mind. The tension in the room reached its climax. Sam! Phoenix
intervened. Not! My lips rolled up on my fangs to accompany the warning to the man behind me,
while the brightness of my eyes strengthened to the point of reaching the critical threshold that
had triggered the fight when I awoke. A silence of death weighed between all of us. The
atmosphere was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. That's when I pounced.
Fortunately for Ysis, his angel had anticipated my movement and he jumped on my back to
tackle me to the ground before I skinned his superior. Talanus! Help me! he cried. Without
hesitation, the Roman general threw himself at me and grabbed my legs while Phoenix held my
arms to immobilize me. - Let me go! Let me go! I'll kill her! I will vociferously point my murderous
gaze into that of Ysis. The latter had sat in her chair with an air of deep concentration, as if what
was happening under her nose did not matter at all. Sam! - Let me go! - We had to calm down,
we knew it could go wrong! "She doesn't listen to anything, what's going on?" asked Talanus. -
She is emancipated, she will obey only reason! As if to contradict him, I began a stampede to
disarm him. "Let me go, I tell you! Sam! Your induction is not over, you risk ruining everything if
you don't regain control! "Phoenix!" said Talanus in a voice made breathless by the effort. She's
too strong, I'm not going to be able to hold on much longer! - SAM! Do you really want to have
us all killed?! In my glowing universe, a spark of reason finally managed to make its way to my
mind. The evening of my entry into the world of vampires was not over, indeed. If I landed in the
big room in cataclysmic mode with the corpses of the two area leaders in my wake, it was right
to think that the panic generated would be quickly followed by an intervention of the Greats to
destroy me and my creator. I had no right to come to that. I stopped struggling as a sign of
surrender, something that was correctly interpreted as Talanus and Phoenix cautiously walked
away, remaining on their guard in case I changed tactics. When I got up, I shot Ysis with his
eyes, who had again shifted his attention to my person. - Are you satisfied? I spit with snarl by
making a hand gesture to show him the results of his experiment. My bra lay a little further,
Phoenix's shirt was lacerated on all sides, and my eyes slowly regained their original color while
the feeling of being humiliated as never before was printed in me with a red iron. Ysis adopted a
compassionate air. - I'm sorry, really. But it was necessary for me to assess the extent of your
inheritance. I never meant to hurt you. - To others! Talanus had at least the honesty not to try to
clear his name when he too wanted to "assess" my abilities after my accident! The Egyptian
princess frowned. - I'm sorry you thought I was so insensitive. I've always wanted to protect you
on the contrary and I... - In short! I cut it off. Since it seems that this little exercise was a
success, I think it is fair to ask you to tell us what you have concluded. Ysis sighed, then: - Your
eyes lit up like those of your ancestors, perhaps even more so... - What does that mean? asked
Phoenix. - We will not be sure until we see it at work, but I would say that it contains in it the
same power as its forefathers, or even a much greater power. Despite my still-present anger, I
shuddered at the verdict. Was this power so terrifying that I seemed to possess express itself
through destruction? Starting with the reason of my reason? -I'm starting to think that you
should have let me die there... I had turned to Phoenix, who showed me his fangs. - Never! We
stood for a few seconds thus, observing each other, me trying to look for a flaw in his
expression allowing me to interpret his statement as I would have liked it to really be, taking a
wild air challenging me to repeat once again what I had just said. "Your destiny was to become
one of us anyway," Ysis interrupted us. Now that it's done and we know what your potential is
and the danger it can pose to all of us if the Greats are aware of it, we must keep a low profile
until the events that will allow us to understand the purpose of all this happen. A heavy silence
fell into the room. Dark days were brewing, but we were all unable to say what they would
consist of, or when they would occur. Disheartened, I went to pick up my bra and in doing so, an
image far too fleeting for me to fully apprehend passed through my mind. I would have sworn to
have seen a blonde woman dressed in white reaching out to me... - You're going to have to lend
me a shirt, Master. This observation, said in a neutral but slightly dry tone, provoked in me a
desire to take refuge under the carpet. - Follow me. We have already dragged too much. As
Phoenix and Talanus left the room, I went in front of the library window to see my reflection.
With a sigh, I handed over my bra and tried to rearrange my hairstyle by repressing as best I
could the furious onslaught of memories of the events that had occurred in this room a few
moments earlier. I had to concentrate. - I don't understand you both. Missed. I turned to Ysis,
who stared at me with bewilderment from the wall where Phoenix had dug a hole with his fist.
The couch suddenly seemed more suited to the discussion that would follow. - Why continue to
act as if there is no more than friendship between you when it is clear and for a long time that
this has never been the case? I sighed again. No need to try to lie, Ysis had dug around in my
head and knew everything there was to know about my feelings towards her angel. - What do
you want me to tell you? The problem, obviously, doesn't come from me. - The problem comes
from both of you. If Phoenix is today the best angel in practice in the world, it is because he has
always stood on his guard and never showed any weakness. I suspect why he is keeping you
away, but it’s clear that at this point his behavior is ridiculous. As for you, your inexperience
doesn't help matters. (My aggressiveness rate increased) You've probably had a lot of
opportunities that you haven't been able to take and while I offer you on a platter the opportunity
to check each other's feelings, you behave as if you had been subjected to the worst of torture. -
Do not expect me to thank you for your kindness, do not push. - Obviously, you are both unable
to take the plunge. However, it is not complicated, after what you have just experienced, to
deduce that you are made for each other! I bit my lip to hold a swear word. - Perhaps it was
supposed to let us discover it for ourselves, in a healthy setting where no one would have had to
order Phoenix to kiss me to check that I was not going to trigger the end of the world. Ysis came
to sit next to me, seeming to reflect on my arguments. - That's right, but in the end, how long will
you have wasted staying unhappy everyone in your corner? I'm not saying anything. - Think
about this: eternity has no attraction if one refuses to live without one's Absolute Love. Even
though the arrival of my boss and Talanus put an end to Ysis's sermon, her words had literally
penetrated me and I had to make a huge effort to hide the whiff of bitterness that won me when
Phoenix entered my field of vision, embodying the very symbol of perfection. - It's time to go
back. Are you ready? asked the Roman general with a gentle voice that surprised me. I nodded.
- I'm ready. Thus, without exchanging a word on this kiss with the man who stood silently by my
side, I followed the leaders of the Kerington sector into the arena where my integration into the
world of the night would take place. My name is Ethan Grimm and I am delighted to meet you.
Until your rebirth, I was the youngest vampire in the region... Talanus and Ysis allowed my
mistress to transform me twenty years ago because... Ah? - I'm Felicity Sall, if you need office
items, I can give you preferential rates as a partnership with you and Phoenix would expand my
fame in the world of vampires... Huh? - I'm Carson Beckman, here's my card... You know you
could pose nude for our calendar of the most beautiful women in the vampire world? No, no, no,
no - My name is Benny. Could you tell Phoenix I think he's very sexy? Arrgh! Like a tsunami, the
diners of this beginner's ball (me), had poured on me to satisfy their curiosity, each wanting to
know my impressions of my transformation or take a souvenir photo as if I was wearing a
Mickey costume and we were at Disneyworld. Some people didn't bother to ignore my refusal
and moved to shoot me with their cameras or mobile phones. However, there was a time when
this uproar made me sick inside, especially when one of the people around me took the
opportunity to pinch my buttocks. In a split second, I grabbed the fingers of the pervert in
question, an incredibly tall and muscular vampire who was to be more than six feet tall, and
pulled him brutally in front of me. Without giving the spectators time to react or for me to be
impressed by this real piece of work, I broke each of his fingers ignoring his cries of pain, or his
attempts to free himself, and when he put a knee on the ground, still holding his injured hand, I
said to him: - Dare to touch me again without my permission and I promise you that next time
I'm tearing your head off! My audience, somewhat shaken by this show, had strayed a little and
now formed a circle around us. I looked one last time at the man who was still trying to justify
himself, before focusing on me, the apparent fangs, on each of those around me, scratching
their faces in my memory. My expression must have made them uncomfortable because I saw
several of them get out of the circle. - Let it be said, I will not allow anyone to cross the limits of
politeness to address me. A dry movement and a crack followed by a cry of pain later, I made
myself easily this time a passage in the crowd of vampires who strayed to avoid being in my
way, pointing to the pervert to whom I had just broken all the bones of the arm. The aura of
anger that was to come out of me allowed me to have peace for a moment because it
dissuaded the curious to come and annoy me again as I walked towards the buffet. - Blood,
please! I say in a murderous mood, with the sight of an unwelcome man who thought it best to
make a strategic retreat at the other end of the great hall. Phoenix had better have a good
reason for leaving me alone in the cage of the fawns! He'd pay for it! - What cocktail can I serve
you, Miss Jones? I turned to the server to which I had very rudely not paid attention when I
arrived. However, it would have been foolish to apologize after the entertainment I had just
proposed. - What do you propose to me? I asked kindly, to make up for it. - My specialty: gin,
vodka, lemon, and blood of course. Simple but effective. - Sold. While he was already active, I
was looking in the crowd where my employer could hide. Maybe near the thrones... - That's it,
Miss Jones. I grab the glass he was handing me and by took a sip. - What's your name? -
Johnny, Miss Jones. - Well, Johnny, you should open your own bar. It's delicious. He smiles
frankly, revealing his sharp canines to me. - It's already done. I officiate tonight because I was
commandeered by Talanus and Ysis when they realized that your entry into our community had
attracted more people than expected. It was my turn to smile. "I see. And I guess in humans,
you're the proud boss of many brands that don't know the crisis. "Bingo!" he said cheerfully,
gratifying me with a wink. Ah, vampires and money! To believe that by losing one's soul, one
gained an innate sense for business! - I'll leave you, it's time for me to get back on track. He
nodded. - Glad to have spoken to you, Miss Jones. If you go to one of my bars, there will always
be a free drink for you. "That's nice. Goodbye. - Goodbye. I was moving away from the buffet to
go to the side of the thrones of our guests when a warm and terribly sensual voice interrupted
me. - Glad to see that you always have good reflexes, Miss Jones. The way my name had been
pronounced, both slow and caressing, was enough to make me shiver from head to toe. I didn't
turn around to find out who I was dealing with. - Hedayat Javan, I'm glad you weren't sent to do
it. It would have cost me to prove to you that my reflexes are still operational. His laughter
triggered a new voluptuous shiver all over my body, and when he came to my height and I could
admire his impeccable putting and his devastating smile, I could only be sure that if my soul was
not fully turned to Phoenix, I would have immediately taken this man's hand and dragged him to
a room where we would be indulged in the most delicious of debaucheries. Before my
transformation, I had already felt this power of sexual attraction that this Persian prince exerted
on the ladies. Like the other women, I was immediately challenged by her exotic skin, her dark
almond eyes, her sexy smile and to my great shame, her incredible crotch always highlighted by
pants far too tight there. Having become a vampire, my hormones felt this power at its maximum
power, which, therefore, multiplied my secret desires to a critical rate. However, I had no fear.
Indeed, the most sexual man I have ever met was before me, but with the ever-alive hope of
seducing me, my most unbridled thoughts were directed only to one person, who, always out of
my field of vision, lost nothing to wait. - Samantha, I found you to be astoundingly beautiful
before your transformation, but I must say that this one has magnified you. I can't find the words
to tell you how sublime you are. With a charming smile, he grabbed my hand and kissed it. I'd
clench my teeth so I wouldn't start whining stupidly. Decidedly, this guy had a real gift for
triggering vapors to women. - Stop playing seducers and tell me how you're doing. He stood up,
without letting go of my hand. - I'm better now that I know you're healthy. I was worried about
you. - Phoenix told me. It touched me. He raised my hand to his mouth and laid another kiss,
much longer than the previous one. I'm getting tense. -It was you who touched me, Miss
Jones... With Cupid's arrow... Horribly uncomfortable, I took my hand away from him in a
sudden motion, looking from all sides if anyone was listening to our conversation. - Hedayat...
It's not really the time... - Have you ever been told you're cute when you're embarrassed? He
whisper in my ear. I departed from him gently, but firmly, my decision. - Enough, Hedayat. I
appreciate you very much, but your efforts are useless... I admit you're very attractive but... He
raised an eyebrow. - Let me guess... Phoenix? I stared him straight in the eye. "Yes". He
sighed, half amused, half disgruntled. - I knew it anyway. But I cannot be blamed for trying my
luck because of all the women I have met in my life, few could be compared to you, both in
physical beauty and in that of the soul. - I'm sorry, I hope it doesn't call into question our friendly
relations. I'd be sorry. - Of course not. I'll just want you from afar. I would have preferred another
answer, but it seemed like I should settle for this one. Vampires had a whole way of expressing
their feelings, so now that I was part of their world, I didn't have to formalize it. - I still have the
right to give you a hug to show you that I am glad to see you again among the undead. He
displayed an innocent smile, but I made no mistake, which amused me. Maybe I too was
starting to adopt their mentality. - Okay for a hug. He drew me to hold on to him. Obviously, after
a second, the hand behind my back began to move lower. - Put your paws down! I say, scoffing
and re-entering my distance. -You heard the lady, Hedayat... I missed jumping to the ceiling in
fear when I heard that velvet voice with deadly dangerous accents. Phoenix stared at me and
Hedayat, with a cold anger too well contained. What he was offering us and that terrorized us
was to be only the tip of the iceberg; I knew him too well. - Talanus and Ysis want to introduce
you to the heads of the New Orleans and Dallas areas; they've made the trip here to see you. It
took me a moment to regain the use of speech. - Um... I'll be right there. Turning to the Persian:
- Uh... Goodbye, Hedayat, I said, nodding towards him. He imitated me, adding the typical
oriental hand gesture. - Goodbye, Samantha and... good luck, he said with an enigmatic smile
for Phoenix. I gave him the big eyes. For me, that smile was nothing mysterious since it was
referring to our previous conversation. Fortunately, even though he frowned, my boss did not
bother to ask the head of daytime security for an explanation and merely advanced to the
thrones. - What do you think these people want from me? I asked him, catching up with him. - In
any case, not the same as Hedayat Javan! His icy tone made me feel like a punch. I really didn't
need him to be angry with me. However, I did not have time to explain myself with him as we
reached our destination. Talanus and Ysis drank their cocktails in the company of two other
vampires, one small and stocky, the other tall and skinny, whose sick appearance was belied by
the excessive size of his hands, which could have been compared to that of a butcher on
steroids. "Miss Jones," said Talanus. I see that you have tamed the mass of the curious
brilliantly. Congratulations. I answered him with a smile. I was happy to know that I was not
being blamed for crippling one of the guests. Anyway, it seemed like that was what was
expected of me. - Meet Clark Temple and Gregory Chess, our counterparts from New Orleans
and Dallas. They were curious to meet you. After the usual nods, Grandes Mains, aka Gregory,
was the first to speak to me. -I am happy to finally meet you, Miss Jones. The story of your
exploits has, after all, gone around the world of vampires. - Um... I don't know what to say other
than... Thank you. - To tell you the truth, I wanted to be the first to offer you a job in my area, in
Dallas, as soon as your training with Phoenix is over, but it seems that Clark had the same idea
as me. "Yes," said the latter. Caught off guard by this double proposal, I raised my eyebrows
greatly, not knowing what to answer. "In truth," said Chess, "I would also have liked Phoenix to
finally accept my offer to make him my guardian angel, but I do not wish to face a fourth refusal.
He glanced at him skewed, but he remained unperturbed. - Well I thank you for your
consideration and rest assured that in the next century, if I want to change sectors, I will not
forget your job offers. My little speech seemed to convince them as they nodded again and
recommitted themselves to a discussion with Talanus and Ysis about raising property taxes
nationally. - Come on, there are other people to whom you need to be introduced. It was thus all
night, a whirlwind of names and faces that asked me all the same questions about the transition
from my human to that of vampire, about my work as an assistant, or about my pride in rubbing
shoulders daily with illustrious personalities of the supernatural world. I carried out my task with
professionalism and passion without ever making any missteps and at the end of the night I was
looking forward to feeling that my entry into the vampires was a success. They spoke to me with
respect and listened to my point of view. This had never happened to me from the time I lived in
Kentwood. To say that without Phoenix, I would still live there to be shamelessly walked on by
"Cruella" Angermann... I owed him so much... But tonight, he deserved a good pair of slaps!
Indeed, in addition to having abandoned me to my fate after we left the apartments of our area
leaders, he had hardly spoken to me except when he had to introduce me to important
vampires. How could I be excited to be accepted into his world if he himself closed the doors of
his mind to me? His attitude, based on the kiss we had exchanged, hurt me terribly. Was he so
disgusted with that moment that Ysis had forced us to share? My brain was boiling because I
was asking questions. Nevertheless, I put them aside while I ensured the spectacle of my
induction to the end and offered friendly smiles and respectful nods to cough those who
paraded before me or who showed the desire to speak to me. I waited patiently for the time of
confrontation. It came. When all the guests left the great hall to join their day-to-day resting
places and the servants of Talanus and Ysis began to tidy up, they joined us in front of the dais
where their thrones were placed. - This evening was a success. Your entry into the world of
vampires is now official, Miss Watkins, says Talanus, giving me a vigorous slap in the back. -
Es. Uh, thank you, Talanus. I did my best. I was somewhat forbidden by his friendly expression
at that moment. He was able to scare me even more than when he got angry. "I'm very proud of
you," Ysis said. Her eloquent gaze meant that she encompassed what had happened during the
evening and just before. Yes... I expected Phoenix to congratulate me too and turned his head
towards him smiling, but my smile died on my lips, noting his ruthless air. "Is our room ready,
Ysis?" he asked dryly. If she was surprised by her tone, she showed nothing. - The eighteen, as
usual. Rest, you both have earned it. He did not bother to thank her and turned his heels to the
stairs that would lead us to our retirement. - Uh... See you tomorrow, I say to catch up with our
masters, before running to catch up with him. - Phoenix, can I find out what's wrong with you? I
had tried to stop him at the top of the stairs by grabbing his arm, but he had come out growling
and had gone back to our room. I followed him without saying anything, an argument in the
hallway would have risked attracting attention. I was waiting for the door to be closed. - Phoenix,
why are you angry? He had just placed his tuxedo jacket on a coat rack; he would then go into
the bathroom without saying a word to me. Before he had time to take two steps, I leaned
against the door of it to block his way and stared hard at him. - That's enough. Let's get to the
root of what happened in Ysis' office just now like that, you can turn the page and move on! His
eyes lit up. Oops. - That's right! Let's turn the page quickly so you can put us all in danger by
your inconsistency! The tone of his voice surprised me as much as the motive of his
vindictiveness. " I ask for your forgiveness. - If for you, to turn the page is to throw yourself
directly into the arms of Hedayat Javan while it is not in the secret of your origins, it is that you
are stupid in addition to being reckless! - What? I was so shocked by his accusations that I
couldn't defend myself. But anyway, Phoenix wasn't done. - He's been wanting you in bed for
months! They say he's good at it, maybe that's why you let him fiddle with you in front of all the
vampires in Kerington and elsewhere! - But he didn't fiddle with me! I got carried away. You're
crazy! Oh, please! All women want to sleep with this guy to taste his exoticism! You wanted to
do as they did to celebrate your entry into our world; I know that newborn hormones can be
particularly unbridled! And if your eyes had caught fire during the act, what would you have told
him? Ysis told us to keep a low profile if we want to avoid the Greats singing our heads! What
the hell were you thinking when you showed up with him like that? Stunned by his stupidity and
the shortcuts he had imagined when he saw me in Hedayat's arms, I was no less angry. - No
but, do you realize what you are accusing me of? Are you also going to call me a slut, too? No
one has found fault with my behavior tonight except you! You should be ashamed to talk to me
like that! - I know what I'm saying! I saw you with Hedayat, all exalted by his lips on your hands!
I told you to control yourself! (He uttered a frightening rumble) I should have foreseen that as a
virgin, you were more likely to be swallowed up by your frustrations! Now I live red. Wham! The
masterful slap I had just given him silenced him as I urged myself to calm down so as not to
give in to my desire to reduce him a smear on the floor. You couldn't hear anything in the room,
not even a fly. The scarlet of my fevered eyes must have been of the same intensity as my aura
of indignant rage. - How dare you speak to me in this way when all I have done is take it upon
myself to live up to your expectations?! Do you have any idea how I felt tonight? He turned his
head away. - At least have the courage to look at me, Aydan. Was it the mention of his courage
or that of his first name that prompted him to execute, but he was now facing me? - I'll tell you
something. Tonight, Hedayat behaved as the friend you, you have not been. He was kind to me
and cared about me, when on your part I received nothing but contempt and anger. As for his
intentions, do you think I'm an idiot? But after what happened in Ysis' office and the way you left
me behind, you can't blame me for accepting the testimony of affection from someone with
whom nothing will ever happen. (White flashes began to zebra his azure eyes) At least he didn't
make me feel that a kiss from me disgusted him! Phoenix's eyes lit up, but I was too angry to be
afraid of it. -Is that what you think? - You have sent your fist into this wall! - So what?! - The
latest news, you don't do that when you have a nice time! I cried, my patience reaching its limits.
" They were looking at us! - So what?! - You are impossible! he got carried away. - And you, a
moron! vociferously, I will, out of myself. Without giving him time to answer, I turned around. -
Where are you going?! On the threshold, I deigned to turn around to cast a furious look at him. -
I will sleep where I will be sure that they will not come to insult me and belittle me lower than
earth... I was about to leave, but I turned one last time to crucify him with a new line. - You
never know, on the way I may come across Hedayat who will surely be delighted to offer me a
place in bed! Poor guy! Immediately said, I slammed the door so hard that it almost broke, at the
same time as I heard howling furiously: - SAM, COME BACK HERE! – LEAVE ME ALONE! I
shouted, from the hallway, without worrying about any ears that might have heard me. I started
running and went down the stairs to reach the ground floor. I had my idea of where I wanted to
take refuge, which obviously had nothing to do with my eastern friend's room. Along the way,
the rage had given way to a horrible feeling of suffocation, as if all the sobs that could no longer
flow out of me had become stuck at my throat. I knew I couldn't die, yet I hated this oppression.
I used my new powers to reach the huge room housing the pool at lightning speed. There, the
first thing I did was find paper and pen and write a message that I then showed to the
surveillance cameras: "I want to be alone." I was sure that someone had seen me, and I was
hoping that the caretakers of the villa would leave me alone. Then I took off my Louboutin’s and
soaked my feet in the water. My fight with Phoenix was running in my head. Why did you put
himself in this state? Was it jealousy? He seemed to be furious at the thought that I might think
that our kiss had disgusted him... Baby! In any case, he should never have spoken to me as he
had. I loved him, of course, but that did not allow him to insult me. - You moron! I cried, kicking
in the water that splashed me. Why couldn't he understand? However, I felt like I was spending
my time sending him signals. Tss... Ysis was right; if one of us does not decide to take the first
step, we would only be good to suffer and make each other suffer... My god... Why was my life
so complicated? I took my face in my hands and thought of François and Angela. To say that
everything was so simple for them; they loved each other and intended to formalize this love by
marrying. What could be more normal? I envied them so much! Was it too much to ask to be
loved in return by the one who filled my thoughts? Wasn't I entitled to happiness after everything
I had been through? Under the effect of these bitter reflections, the abatement threatened to
engulf me, especially as I felt my eyelids get heavier and heavier. I had to get back on my feet.
In any case, I could not afford to fall asleep on the spot where I risked poking a head against my
will. So I got up and went to lie down on a sun lounger. Thanks to my new nature, I didn't suffer
from the cold so I didn't feel the need to cover myself with one of the bath towels made available
to potential bathers. Even though my thoughts were less bleak, I couldn't find peace of mind and
it was on a new loop of my dispute with my employer that sleep caught me.
*
When I woke up, I thought I had strayed into a dream. Where was the pool? And why didn't I
sleep on my deckchair anymore? I instantly evacuated the last hazes of sleep to take stock of
my situation. Ah, I'm at it. I was back in an Ava Gardner style nightgown and the reason I felt so
good when I opened my eyes was that I was comfortably seated in the very bedroom bed I had
run away from. Not only had I been brought there against my will, taking advantage of the loss
of the newborns, but they had dared to take off my clothes to get me into a satin nightie. And
this "on" was not difficult to identify. I came out of bed searching the room looking for the one I
was going to trick, but in doing so, a paper fell. It had to be placed on the pillow next to mine
and I hadn't paid attention to it. I caught him and read him: "I am a fool, forgive me." You bet!
That he was a fool was a fact, but that I forgive him?! Certainly not! In any case, not before he
stole from him in the feathers, to that night bird of doom! Overwhelmed by anger, it took me only
a few minutes to wash and put on the clothes I had been given, which, if still possible,
aggravated my bad mood. If Ysis wanted to show me her sense of humor, she had wrongly
chosen her moment! As a casual dress, she had me brought a chic red silk evening dress. I was
sure that she had chosen it to be noticed three leagues around and in the blink of an eye with
regard to the color of my eyes! By the way... I quickly checked in the mirror that black was still in
my pupils before heading to the hallway. On my way out, I almost bumped into myself Steve,
one of the security guards who had a promotion recently and with whom I got along well. He
was about to knock on my door. "Oh, Miss Jones," he said, nodding his head and tidying his
hand. I'm here to see you to Phoenix. Hum... He told me... Uh... asked to warn you that if you
wanted to see him, he would be waiting for you at the library... Only. Steve seemed too
uncomfortable to be just a messenger. I squinted as I tried to pierce it up to date. - Why did
Phoenix call on you instead of someone else? - Uh... A sudden hint made me show him the
fangs. - You were on duty during the day at the guard post, weren't you? (He wadded from one
foot to the other) And it was you who told Phoenix where I was! His very comic sling did not
even manage to deride me. "Don't blame me, Miss Jones. With Hedayat and the others, we
respected your desire to be alone in the pool, but an hour later, while you were already asleep,
Phoenix descended into a state of rage that almost made me run over. I thought he was going
to kill Hedayat when he saw him, but he contained himself and ordered us to tell him where you
had hidden. When you showed your image on the screen, he turned around and slammed the
door so hard that it broke into a thousand pieces. I can tell you that no one was leading the way
at the time. I believe Hedayat has had the fear of his life and yet it is hard to impress, believe
me! He then carried you in his arms to your room and as I was passing the library earlier to go
to bed, he ordered me to get you. I had listened to his speech with the utmost attention. Despite
the sympathy I had for Steve and his colleagues, their moods had not made me hot or cold; all I
had remembered was that Phoenix seemed to have put himself in a rage at least as violent as
mine. He seemed to have calmed down from the word... It's bad luck. I didn't! - Good night,
Steve! Without giving him time to say anything else, I bypassed him and went down to the
ground floor to reach the library, royally ignoring the puzzled and admiring glances of the
vampires I encountered in my flamboyant outfit. With my hair left free floating behind me as a
result of the speed of my gait, the effect had to be striking, and no one risked getting in my way.
When I got to my destination, I showed the fangs to an unwelcome man who had the idea of
wanting to enter the library too. - Come in and I gut you! The glue pot took off immediately and
backtracked, apologizing. I then operated the handle, opened the door, and entered this room
which, in other circumstances, should have been a resting place. For the time being, she felt
confrontation. I locked behind me before tossing the man who had just rested his diary to catch
a glass of fresh blood on the table. He got up and approached me, his face impassive. - Here. I
crucified him with my eyes. He rested the glass, sighing with spite. - Sam, I'm sorry. He must
have thought that with his serious looks and his formulas of apology, the pill would be easier to
swallow. He was wrong. - I read that, yes. After waking up in a little outfit in a place other than
the one where I fell asleep! - I couldn't leave you there, it would have been unworthy of you. -
We were no longer that close, you'll tell me! I answered, acid. And I guess it would have been
unworthy too to let me sleep all dressed up! - I have not looked, if it can reassure you! he was
exasperated when he realized that I was not calming down. I laughed as I walked up to him. -
Oh yes, it's true! I'm stupid, I forgot I disgusted you because I was just a slut! His nostrils
pulsated by a sudden rise in tension. His eyes began to light up more than normal. - Don't make
me tell me what I didn't say! - It was just like that! I cried. He bowed his head and passed his
hand in his hair before looking me back in the face. - Yesterday I behaved like a fool, I admit. -
It's not just yesterday if you want my opinion! He stood up; his pride crumpled by my insolence.
However, he did not raise to the basic, which was proof that he really regretted what had
happened the day before. A part of my anger gave way to his good faith, without disappearing
completely. - Why? I asked, simply. He sighed. - What happened between us in Ysis' office
destabilized me. I was still thinking about it when we came back to the big room, so I didn't see
you get caught up in this tide of vampires devoured by curiosity. I was mad at myself, but at the
same time proud of you when you broke the arm of the guy who had pinched your butt. I would
have cut the second one personally, but Chess and Temple wanted to talk to me at all costs. As
soon as Ysis ordered me to go and find you, I started looking for you... He paused. This allowed
me to understand what he had just told me; our kiss had destabilized him? How bad? He
repeated his account: - I saw you, from afar, chatting with Hedayat, and I saw him kiss your
hand. Gulp... If he was there when I put the dots on the "i" of my Persian seducer... - Did you
hear our words? - No, there was too much noise and I was too... In short, I didn't hear anything.
Ouuuuuuuf! I was hot! But... it was too much what? - You honestly believed that my newborn
hormones were going to make me want to sleep with Hedayat? He bit his lip adorably, I wanted
to bite it too. - At the time, I believed him, and it made me mad. - Really? I say, trying to contain
the general panic of the hormones in question. He smiled, with a smile of repentance and
innocence that made me melt like snow in the sun. - Really... In my head, a whole bunch of
sirens started whistling and yelling " Warning! Alert! Alert! in a thunderous uproar. I took a step
forward without letting go of my angel's gaze, relishing the fact that my movement did not go
unnoticed and that, on the contrary, it triggered a new observation of my person, slower and
more sensual than the first time. I would have even sworn that Phoenix had lingered a fraction
of a second in my cleavage (Ysis had "forgotten" to give me a bra). In a voice that I wanted to
be soft and caressing despite my desire to roar at him that I belonged to him, I said to him: -
Well, you had no reason to be furious... The brilliance of interest in his eyes soon gave way to
something more intimate to which all the cells of my body responded in a vibrant with desire. -
Oh, really? He took a step towards me. We were only one or two centimeters apart. His
impenetrable mask was crumbling more and more, and I could clearly see the hesitation and the
urge being painted on his angelic face. I had to push my advantage. - I have desires... but not
that of Hedayat Javan… Dear God! Ysis was right! Why couldn't I tell him! Was it so hard to say
those simple words: "I only love you"?! Although my statement was not exactly what it should
have been, it influenced my partner, who closed his eyes for a moment, before reopening them,
completely illuminated. - I don’t deserve you. I should have been by your side, but I behaved like
a rude being mired in jealousy. My pupils became red. - Were you jealous? He made his hand
run along my cheek and then on my arm, finally stopping on my hip. I had just held back a
groan. "You belong to me," he said in a suddenly hoarse voice, enough to set off a blaze in my
lower abdomen. When he drew me against him and his other hand slipped from my neck to the
hollow of my kidneys, I felt out of myself. - I belong to you... I repeated, blissfully. He leaned
over my ear and inhaled. - I like the smell of your hair and skin... I didn't dare move for fear of
collapsing. The hand on my hip went up to my cleavage, which he touched. - I love this dress...
My god... I had to tell him. - I have you... Toc! Toc! Toc! - PHOENIX! MISS JONES! Crash!!! My
whole bubble of hope and well-being had just exploded into a thousand pieces. My employer,
who had been, I was convinced, about to kiss me, had just closed again like an oyster and
suddenly departed from me as if I had burned it with a red iron. Without even giving me a look,
he bypassed me to go open to the person who had interrupted us and that my dark half as my
reasonable half wanted to eviscerate. "Jonas, what do you want?" asked Phoenix dryly. The
famous Jonah seemed to shrivel up on himself with the irrepressible urge to unwind without
delivering his message (a lethal option if he chose it, it was self-evident). - Uh... Excuse me for
bothering you... Gulp! (I heard him clearly swallowing, Phoenix had to shoot him with his eyes)
Talanus and Ysis want to hold a new reception in a month and a half, a masked ball. All the
vampires in the region will be invited, so we must organize in advance, so will you and your
student be with us? His shoulders stiffened at the last word. "Yes. Wham! Phoenix slammed the
door in his face to end the discussion. Seeing his funeral head, ours was over as well. We both
remained silent for a few minutes, in bitter consciousness for me and perhaps relief for him of
what had not happened. I didn't have the courage to start all over again. "I'm going to pack my
things for our return to Scarborough," I said, heading for the door. Sam, I had my hand on the
handle when he stopped me. I didn't dare look at him. "You are my pupil," he murmured. I'm
holding a new groan, of absolute suffering this time. "I know." And I left the room. As I put my
bag in the trunk of the Camaro a little later, I thought back to the room eighteen, when I had
locked myself in the bathroom to give free rein to my distress of having been rejected once
again. I had sat against the bathtub and let my body drain of all its negative emotions; it had
gone on for a while... After that, I had finally got up and did what I had to do, without thinking
about what had almost happened in the library because, in fact, Phoenix, by retreating again,
had not taken into account one thing: the day would come when I would leave him no choice.

Chapter III: Long live the bride and groom!

The days and weeks that followed allowed me to think a little bit about something other than my
failed attempt to confess to Phoenix my feelings. Indeed, The wedding of François and Angela
was scheduled in a month, June 8, a fortnight before the costume ball that would take place in
Harper Hill. My boss gave me free time to help Angela organize the reception since Francis had
no idea of the terms of the invitation or the contents of the menus for the wedding. The choice
had been made to entrust the task of the married cake to Danny who was thrilled when he
learned, and who had immediately closed his restaurant because of "intensive reflection" on the
subject. As we had come in person, Angela and I, to tell him the news, Danny had taken me in
his arms exclaiming that my muffins and I had missed him, and then he had pushed me away
from him to better observe me: - Goodness gracious! The North agrees you, my little Sam!
You're... (He let go of a hiss) fabulous. A little pale, but sublime! If I were thirty years younger,
you can be sure that I would make you a very diligent court! - Um... I missed you too, Danny, I
say, a little embarrassed. - When Matthew sees you, he may be even more smitten by you than
he already is. I hope you're aware of that! He wanted to be kind, but his remark made me
cringe. Fortunately, Angela had intervened to divert the conversation. - Actually, Danny, I
wanted to ask you something about my wedding... All the people I met afterwards in
Scarborough had shown me their joy at seeing me again in such good shape. I smiled at
everyone, infinitely happy to be among those people who had adopted me as one of their own.
This time that Angela and I spent together did us both a lot of good because it allowed me to
forget my daily hassles to devote myself to the happiness of my best friend, who kept thanking
me for helping her manage her stress in addition to helping her in her preparations. For their
part, François and Phoenix took care of the vampire side of the guest list, calling the guests and
providing a special caterer who could take care of their menu without it being too showy.
Indeed, it would be wrong to realize at the time of the toast that the contents of the champagne
flutes were not the same for everyone. Talanus and Ysis had been invited, of course, and as the
number of people present that evening would exceed the capacity of the small Scarborough
party hall, they had kindly offered us one of their Drake Hill villas, recovered with others after the
death of Ichimi and Kaiko. Angela, despite her natural modesty, was like many women and had
always dreamed of a princess wedding; That's what vampires offered her. Of course, she was
quick to accept the proposal of our sector leaders and had threatened Francis with the worst
abuse if he did not thank them in the rules. I suspected that he would have preferred a more
intimate ceremony, but when I had told him about it, he guaranteed me that if he had to go
through it to see his future wife radiate happiness, it did not bother him in the least. He was
willing to do anything to make Angela happy. Of course, each of them had asked Phoenix and
me to be their witnesses, which we was quick to accept. In fact, I had accompanied Angela to
the last fitting of her beautiful dress in the wedding shop of the Pembroke shopping center. -
You're... There are no words, I breathed, when I saw my friend coming out of the dressing room.
With the little tiara she had chosen, Angela, in her wedding dress, looked like a fairytale
princess. The saleswomen, like me, stared at it with the round eyes of those who feel like they
are living a magical moment. All that was missing was the godmother the good fairy to make us
believe that we had definitely swung into an enchanted universe. "Do you think Francis will like
my dress?" she asked, smiling shyly. - Why are you honestly asking that question? He's going
to love it so much that he's going to fall to the floor at the priest's feet! She laughed. Francis was
a three-hundred-year-old vampire, broken with the bloodiest battles, but as soon as he was his
sweet, he became as clumsy as a fifteen-year-old. - You know, sometimes I try to imagine what
my life would have been like if you hadn't introduced me... But I can't do it... because I can't
conceive my world without it. His blissful sigh made me smile. I knew exactly what she was
feeling and she remembered it as well. Oh... Forgive me, Sam. You and Phoenix... I shook my
head, smiling all the time. - Don't worry about it. I'm really happy for both of you. She sat by my
side, lowering the volume of her voice so that the saleswomen would not hear us. - Has he
lowered his guard a little since your official entry into his world? I shrugged, remembering our
aborted meeting in the library of Talanus and Ysis. - Unfortunately, becoming a vampire and
being accepted by your people is not enough; it seems that for him, training his pupil is not
compatible with any sentimental outpouring. - What a moron! He deserves to have me slap him
upside the head to get him back on the path to reason! Its brilliance surprised me so much that I
left in a laugh, quickly shared by my friend. These moments with her gave me such intense joy
that sometimes I regretted the moment when we had to leave so that she could find her beloved
fiancé, and I, my complicated boss. However, a week before the date, I had to cancel Angela
because of a mission that I could not escape. Phoenix had been tasked with reminding a
vampire of legal common sense when he visited a colleague's house and failed to report his
presence on our territory. As a good teacher, he had decided I would pass my first test by
decreeing that for once, I would play the role of the big bad policeman while on his side, he
would confine himself to taking notes. When I arrived in the southern quarters of Kerington, not
far from where Seamus O'Malley lived before he was murdered by the Mellindra Circle, I was on
burning coals. For weeks I had been confined to the castle and despite all the love I felt for
Angela, our outings of recent times, although pleasant, had not been able to soothe the
devouring fire that consumed me since my awakening from the dead. I needed action. My dark
side left me alone most of the time, but I felt it was time for Phoenix to finally decide to let go of
my neck a little bit or I was going to explode. It almost scared me to admit it, but I needed to
unleash the violence that was brewing inside me. It was good. the vampire to whom we were
going to pay a small "angelic" visit came straight from Angola, and his reputation as a "man
eater", it seemed, was not usurped. He was going to give me a hard time, and I was going to
love it... Of course, I had been careful not to share with Phoenix the bloody thoughts that had
been tapping me since he told me what our mission was all about, and he probably put on the
concentration my total lack of conversation in the cockpit of his Camaro during our journey to
the county capital. In truth, I didn't want to let him see that my canines had already come out of
the excitement of a good fight. What if Kambale Neto cooperated nicely and humbly apologized
for not obeying the protocol of the region? Immediately, I forced my lips to reposition themselves
normally after they had rolled up into a bad grin on this idea. Not... If he were as Phoenix had
described to me, he would try to honor his reputation as a violent vampire without any state of
mind; and if he had the impression when he saw me that he could crush me like vermin, he
would not hesitate to attack me... It would have a strange surprise ... Indeed, after days and
days of intensive training, we had to see, Phoenix and I, that I was surpassing the latter in
speed and strength far more than a newborn was supposed to do in theory. With my immunity
from silver, I had become terribly formidable. However, I didn't always have the upper hand over
my mentor because my new abilities were extraordinary, but I was still trying to familiarize
myself with it. How many glasses had I blown up in my hands, how many times had I deflated
the castle gates by slamming them without measuring the strength of my gesture? How many
times had I enraged Phoenix by breaking the blade of a sword or a steel knife with two fingers?
It was destabilizing. And the proximity of the man of my dreams wearing simple black pants
during these workouts didn't help at all. Although I was careful, there was always a time when,
when we found ourselves fighting hand-to-hand, I was more tempted by the idea of devouring
my partner with kisses than by putting a knife to his throat to signify the end of the fight. As a
result, Phoenix often scolded me for my lack of concentration, then knocking me out for hours of
sermons about the absolute need to avoid any parasitic thinking during a fight to the death. It
was more in those moments that I wanted to gut him. But hey... It was part of everyday life.
Tonight, the conditions would be different, tonight, no parasitic thought would be able to distract
me from my task. Kambale Neto just had to keep up...
*
- The vampire Neto came to see is Bob Karshian. They have known each other for four
hundred years, but their roads separated when Karshian chose to live in the luxury of his
medical skills and address book, including Kerington's wealthiest families. He's a plastic
surgeon. I raised my eyebrows. - Is this not incompatible with his nature as a blood drinker?
Having his hands full of hemoglobin every day must stoke his thirst! It would be unfortunate if,
as a liposuction, he suggested to his clients to relieve them of a few liters of their vital fluid. A bit
excessive as a weight loss cure, if you ask me! Phoenix scoffed. - It is true that I have never
really told you about this part of our way of life. No, it is not incompatible, on the contrary. How
do you think we manage to divert so much blood without the knowledge of humans? Some
clinics are entirely made up of vampires. My eyebrows rose as long as I wondered if they had
reached the sky; he laughed. - Think about the benefits: no risk of a human venting the Secret,
our brothers of race only have to come and get regular supplies by posing as chronic patients. -
No one has ever made any complaints. After all, getting a liter of blood taken when you're on
the operating table is not nothing! - Rest assured, our supernatural clinic can boast the best
postoperative follow-up results in the county and the lowest rate of hospital-acquired infections
in the country. Our patients are treated like royalty! The proof, they're coming back! Somewhat
overwhelmed by the means used by my new breed not to be discovered by the old one, I looked
again at the pretty property of our colleague whose gates opened to let us pass after Phoenix
identified himself on the intercom. There's no doubt about it. At the sight of the large,
immaculate white façade and the columns housing a pergola as richly furnished as it is useless
due to the un conciliatory weather, one could only conclude that the owner of the place loved
luxury and glitz. Sacred vampires! It made me envy this house ... Short! I regained my spirits
and followed Phoenix, who rang the doorbell to announce our arrival to our host. The latter
wasted no time and made us enter with eagerness and above all with a clenched smile. -
Phoenix, Miss Jones... I must say that I am delighted to welcome you to my humble home. What
is the pleasure of your visit? I stared at him. This man, in other circumstances, had to be very
self-confident and radiate self-confidence. There was something to be sure of, since his large
size and his very advantageous physique were to please all the women. On the other hand, all
the diplomas and photos in the company of the most prominent figures of politics and show
business, hung on the wall of the entrance, proved to anyone who set foot in his home that he
was an important and intelligent person. There, my employer's sight had been enough to take
away his smugness and his confident smile. "Stop your leg rounds, Bob," said Bob, simply
shaking our host with fear in his boots and me with pleasure in mine. You know exactly why
we're here. The other swallowed his saliva and walked to the drawing-room, beckoning us to
follow him. - Uh... I assure you; I don't know what you're talking about. I can offer you a drink, I
have a refrigerated box behind the bar. He was going when: - Where? This simple question, a
veritable mortal melody coated in velvet, is enough to bring back my canines, not only because
of the threat it contained, but also because of the sensual effect it made me. Patience...
Karshian used a glass of blood to give himself a countenance. - Do you want to talk about?
Phoenix sighed. -All right, you'll have wanted it. You know my assistant, don't you? When his
gaze drifted from his angel to me, I savored the little out surge of fear that eluded him. Not that
my attitude was threatening! On the contrary, I smiled with all my teeth, including the sharpest,
excited I was, like a little girl about to bite into a huge cream cake. On the face of it, the vision I
offered him was not the most reassuring. I was wondering why... - Uh... Yes. Just like everyone
else here. Phoenix glanced at me and saw an amused gleam in his eyes when he gave me
notice of my expression. He went on: - You know that I am training her to become a respected
vampire who cares about our laws... You know how much I care about respecting the
established order, don't you, Bob? Apparently, Karshian could see where Phoenix was coming
from because his face was decomposed. - Of course... - You can surely be useful to me; I need
you to help me! exclaimed the latter with a jovial air as I had rarely seen him. There, our host
seemed completely lost by this change of attitude. Although I didn't show anything, I was no
more advanced than him. He was going to allow me to make meat, yes or no?! - You have...
Help you? "Yes, you see, I know that your last student took flight about twenty years ago and I
would have liked you to give me some advice. - I... I'd love to help you. His relief was not only
visible, it was also almost palpable. While the previous second he expected to be tricked, he
learned that the most formidable henchman in the vampiric world was in fact only yearning to
receive a little of his immense knowledge and boundless intelligence. As a result, Karshian
regained enough self-confidence to use a superior expression. Phoenix's smile should have
alerted him... - Well, it stays between us, but I have some problems mastering Sam's newborn
strength. You've been there, I suppose? The man stood up from the top. Oh yes. You will see,
over time, her strength will diminish and become less than yours. Anyway, she's subject to your
authority, so if you order her to calm down, she'll obey. It's normal for young masters to have
these kinds of doubts at first, so don't worry. The pedantic tone of this pretentious man bristled
at me, but I suspected that my reaction should not match that of my mentor, whose canines had
still lay down under the effect of Karshian's desire for murder at the time. Wrapped in his vanity,
he had not noticed anything. Too bad... - The problem is that her strength impresses me and
even when I know I must tell her to calm down, I can't do it. The other night, when we went to
interview one of our fellow citizens who was illegally harboring a vampire passing through the
area, I did not react in time... This time the light was in the mind of Karshian, whose haughty
attitude immediately gave way to a panicked air, concentrated in my direction. Playing the
game, I frowned as I crossed my arms to adopt a sulky posture. - You didn't tell me it wasn't
necessary to dismiss them! Stretched to the extreme, our host's recoil movement was stopped
by the hand my employer put on his shoulder. - You see, I know I should temper her passion,
but her taste for bare-handed venting can be very useful to me in my work. What do you think,
do I feel guilty if I let my student skin alive all those who flout the law? On that, I took my knife
and pretended to cure my nails with it. I would have sworn that our target was greening. - Uh...
Well... I... um... - Master, I'm getting impatient. You promised me that you would show me how
to rip the skin off a vampire's back without the blood splattering me! "That's right, Sam," he said,
pressing Karshian further against him, grinding the bones of his shoulder in the process. But
that's why we must find an offending vampire. I tapped my foot on the ground to make my
capricious, and then pointed to the man he held in an iron embrace. - Why don't I practice on
him? He looks like an offender! - What?! Of course not! I didn't do anything! It's not me! he
exclaimed. "Come on, Sam," Phoenix kindly said. Bob Karshian is one of our most reputable
blood suppliers, he would not dare to play double-play at the risk that he will lose his head ... -
Yes ... Yes... That's right. I wouldn't dare! I made the gesture of curing my teeth with the tip of
my blade, which failed to overturn our masquerade because Phoenix barely refrained from
bursting out laughing. - And I tell you that it is not clear! All you must do is rip his toes out one by
one! If he remains silent until the tenth, it is because indeed, he has nothing to hide! Karshian
turned to my boss, completely terrified. He expected a refusal on his part, but he is greener
when he thinks about my proposal. - You're not going to accept it! I have rights! - Hm... It's worth
thinking about... "And you have no right," Phoenix replied, scratching his chin. It was my turn to
suppress a laugh. - Okay, Sam. I'm also curious to see what it's going to look like. - WHAT?!
No! Karshian yelled as he struggled. - You send it to me? - PHOENIX, PITY! - At three, like in
basketball, I bounce it first. - Hehe! I feel like we're going to have fun, I say, rubbing my hands. -
OKAY, RIGHT! I'LL TELL YOU WHERE HE IS! I was about to walk towards him when a noise
behind my back made me turn suddenly. The man we were looking for had just taken
advantage of the diversion offered to him by his host to escape through the front door. Without
wasting a moment, I rushed to his suite through the gardens of the property and avoided without
difficulty his gunfire. As he approached a tree whose high branches could have been used as a
support to jump across the perimeter wall, I caught up with him and jumped on his back to force
him to stop. Far from cooperating, my target struggled and managed to spoil a left hook that
sent me rolling into the grass. - I'm six hundred years old. You should go back to school, little
girl. Fully awakened and galvanized by the blow received, my dark side howled with joy in my
head and multiplied my power to give a good lesson to the arrogant who had had the idiocy to
stand there to toss me. - And you should get up to speed on the abilities of young vampires, old
debris! I was aware, in uttering these words, that it was not quite me who was the originator.
However, I had no remorse for it. Without warning, I sent my leg into his shins to unbalance him,
successfully; he crashed to the ground. However, he immediately got up to punch me, which
would certainly have put my nose in my head if I had received it. Instead, I dodged and took
advantage of a guard too high to hit him in the stomach with my foot. As I had not measured my
strength, he was thrown against the tree behind him, and under the force of the impact, a piece
of bark fell on his head. Like my dark side, I burst out laughing. It was so funny! "You're going to
pay for it! "Come on, I'm waiting for you! I say, hopping on the spot, like the boxers. He did not
pray and ran at me. With extraordinary agility, I leapt over him so that I found myself behind and
took advantage of his imbalance to kick him again in the ribs. He collapsed to the ground, belly-
to-earth. A second later, my knife under his throat, I was able to give him the real death. - You
come to say hello to an old friend and fail to start with his area managers? How rude you are! -
Stop! You won! I will tighten my grip, letting several drops of his blood drip into the fresh grass. -
What a funny effect it must make you to be in the place of those to whom you are about to take
life usually ... You disgust me... Maybe I should show you how it feels to be slit. I know that... It's
very painful... mortal, even. - Pi... pity... - Pity? Is this what I'm supposed to feel for you who has
none towards all the people you shamelessly kill? I let my blade sink a little deeper into the skin
of the executioner's neck that I held at my mercy. A trickle of blood was slowly flowing down the
ground. - Sorry... but now I'm like you... I don't feel pity anymore. - Sam, no! Phoenix's voice
echoed in my ears as Kambale Neto's cry of fear and suffering, while the sharp edge of my
silver knife had just made its way into his chest (I didn't want to stain my clothes by decapitating
him). When he arrived at the scene, he looked at me before pulling my gun out of my hands. He
put it in his belt. - Why did you stab him?! It was enough to break a few limbs to immobilize him
the time to go to Talanus and Ysis! No, but I was dreaming! He'd rather argue with me than
congratulate me?! What an ungrateful man! - I did what I had to do while you had tea with the
plastic artist of the stars! - I was handcuffing him to the stairwell! This idiot made his make
money. - Booo! What a feat! And I just put out of harm's way an assassin who takes advantage
of the misery of the world to line his pockets and stomach full! Excuse me for the little! I thought
you wanted to put me to the test and now you're mad at me because I did it? - You got carried
away! I told you to keep a cool head! - And you also told me to make sure I was ruthless so that
someone wouldn't paint a target in my back! - But the goal was to scare him to permanently
dissuade him from coming back here without declaring himself, not to hole him like a colander!
Oh, oh, oh but you start to annoy me at the end! I barely touched him! He frowned, pointing to
the pool of blood at our feet. - Well what?! Sam! - All this scandal for a punctured lung and a
gash in the throat! Finally, I should have followed my instincts and pierced his heart! At least
you'd have grumbled about something! Yes, I do! Despite the tenacious urge to burn him to the
ground for all the crimes this guy had committed and continued to commit, I had not allowed
myself to listen to the aspirations of my dark side and had directed the blade of my knife into his
ribcage so as to do non-fatal damage to an immortal. To hear me say that I had lost my mind
when, precisely, I had kept it very cold, it revolted me! - Raâââ.... crazy to bind... Got it...
Lesson... Leave... Angola... Tomorrow... Kambale had just woken up completely and was trying
to grab the bottom of his angel's pants to crawl up to him and his protection. - Shut up! Phoenix
exclaimed, kicking him in the teeth. You knew perfectly well the risks of coming here without
announcing yourself. You are lucky that I was not ordered to kill you because if I had, I could
swear that I would have left you between the fangs of my assistant with the greatest pleasure!
You're not leaving tomorrow, you're leaving tonight, and when you get back, you better tell
anyone who might be tempted to make a fuss in the Area of Talanus and Ysis that their angel
and his student are waiting for them! Neto spat out blood before he managed to articulate: -
Got... Got it. - Get out of the way. And if I find out that you weren't on the next plane to Luanda, I
promise you that Sam and I will be happy to take care of your case! I wanted to applaud him,
but I held back. Neto booked and fled into the night without even taking the time to pack his
bags. For him, mission accomplished! However, there was one small detail to be worked out... -
What do we do for Karshian? - I'll take care of it. He needs to understand the lesson. - How are
you going to do it? I asked, following in his footsteps towards the house. - Sometimes it is not
necessary to brutalize a vampire to pass him the desire to flout the laws. Look, and learn. He
preceded me in the entrance, and I smiled when I finally saw Bob Karshian trying in vain to free
himself from the silver handcuffs with which he had been tied to the bars of his stairwell. As
soon as he saw me, he redoubled his zeal for the task, forgetting that it was completely useless.
Phoenix crouched down in front of him and offered him a smile that made me cold in the back. -
So you shelter a stranger without telling us... You may think that frequenting the human jet-set
allows you to take liberties with the rules in force in our world... - No, I promise you... Please
don't kill me! My boss looked around him. - It's a beautiful home that you have there... richly
decorated... You've always been attracted to the flashy and well-stocked bank accounts to lead
your big life. He let a little silence run between them which put Karshian in a state of generalized
panic. - You're lucky, Bob. Today, I'm not going to kill you. (The person concerned let go of a
sigh of relief) But you're going to must scale back your lifestyle. - What? What you mean? - For
six months, you will live with the only income that your clinic generates; Talanus and Ysis will be
happy to save a few thousand dollars by not paying you during this time the slightest cent for
the help you give us regarding blood punctures on humans. -You can't do that! - I can and I do.
Let it be a lesson to you if in the future you still decide to welcome old acquaintances without
them first going through Harper Hill to declare themselves, because next time I will be much
less lenient. Karshian had some difficulty swallowing. - Ok... Ok... I got it. Phoenix stood up. -
Good, good, good, good, good, Now, if you'll excuse us, other cases are calling us. He
pretended to leave. - What? But you're not going to untie me? exclaimed Bob Karshian. -You're
resourceful, Bob. You'll make it. The sun doesn't rise for several hours... - But... Phoenix!
Wham! He closed the door and followed me to the Camaro without showing any remorse for the
abandonment of the one we could still hear screaming for help in his lobby. This time, my first
mission as a vampire was accomplished.
*
- It was amazing! I cried after we had left Bob Karshian's property. These idiots didn't walk, they
ran! We should turn into theater actors, you and I, don't you think? Phoenix scoffed. - I almost
lost my seriousness when you became curate the fangs in front of Karshian. I didn't expect it. -
In any case, thanks to your lie, he really believed that I had spread two vampires to me all by
myself. That way, those who might be tempted to get me into trouble will think twice about it. - I
didn't have to lie at the end of the day. The correction you inflicted on Kambale Neto will be
more than enough to cool them down. Congratulations! - At one point, I really thought you were
mad at me for stabbing him. I didn't know if it was part of our game or if you were sincere. It
became serious again. - Actually, a bit of both. I, too, thought you had exceeded the limits of the
masquerade by planting your blade in his chest. Luckily it was just the lung! You got carried
away, didn't you? What can I say? It was better to be sincere... at least a little. Well, I haven't
told you about it yet because I was afraid of your reaction. -I am your Master, if you ask yourself
questions, you must not hesitate to tell me about it, Sam. The softness of his voice gave me
enough confidence for me to start. - When I became a vampire, I didn't feel that my personality
had changed that much, yet I must admit that for some things, my worldview is not the same.
My conscience works a lot less and... - And? he encouraged me. - Part of me loves violence
and only aspires to answer its call when the opportunity arises. Tonight, I really wanted to kill
Kambale Neto. - But you didn't. Phoenix took my hand in his. I refrain from pointing out to him
that this kind of gesture also tended to awaken my dark side which filled my mind with images of
the two of us kissing furiously on the side of the road. Sincerity had its limits. No, no, no, no I
knew I didn't have to. I told you: even if your emancipation seems to me to explain your relative
calmness, it cannot prevent certain spontaneous reactions specific to newborns. The whole
thing is to be able to control your predatory instincts and tonight you proved that this is the case.
I'm proud of you, Sam. He shook my hand a little more in his, which forced me to regulate the
emotional tsunami that overwhelmed me when he came into contact. - Why don't we celebrate?
This little outing made me hungry. I looked at him, surprised. - And where would we go? I doubt
the local restaurants will serve us the menu we're looking for. - I know a club. The manager is a
highly respected vampire who knows how to serve his supernatural clientele without his human
clientele having any doubt about the contents of the glasses. They're all opaque. If Phoenix had
told me we were going to see Jesus, I wouldn't have been so on my butt. - Do you want to
dance? He bit his cheek, his fingers clenching on the steering wheel. Maybe, like me, he was
remembering our sensual dance while we were tracking Chinese traffickers in the city's
nightclubs last year. No, no, no, Distrust, I tried a turned to mask my disappointment. - Phew,
because I still haven't taken a lesson. He tightened the steering wheel, which squealed with
protest. - I seemed to see you twirling on salsa with Hedayat some time ago. I looked up at the
sky. His unassured jealousy of Hedayat was getting on my nerves. "You're not going to do it
again, master. (I had deliberately insisted on this last word to remind him of our recent
conversation in the library of Talanus and Ysis) I thought this subject was closed. I could clearly
hear his teeth creaking. -You're right. The atmosphere was taking over electricity and I had no
desire for a storm to break out between us again, so I took it upon myself to change the subject.
- Can alcohol make us drunk? Won. Phoenix derided himself and explained to me that for
alcohol to have an ounce of effect on a vampire, he had to drink the equivalent of four barrels of
vodka in a sitting. Some had tried; the result had been hilarious. The drunken guinea pig had
finally fallen into a canal and had sunk like a stone at the bottom of the water. Since he could
not die, the witnesses at the scene simply sat at the water's edge, taking bets on when he would
rise to the surface. The guy finally reappeared an hour later, completely sober and yelling at
anyone who wanted to hear him that his feat was worthy of the Guinness World Records. -
Before I met you, I thought the world couldn't be crazier than it already was. I was wrong...
Phoenix couldn't help but laugh and it was in a very good mood that we arrived in front of the
porch of a club with the evocative title: "Blood". Notifying my tune, he thought it appropriate to
explain himself: - Joseph Stone, the manager, has an excellent sense of humor. I followed him,
without giving any attention to the dozens of people complaining about the fact that we could
enter without queuing, unlike them. There was a time when it would have bothered me... I didn't
care. Inside, after we put our coats in the dressing room, a beautiful blonde woman equipped
with a Bluetooth headset, undoubtedly vampire, greeted us warmly and offered to guide us to
the bar where the master of the place officiated that night. "He's a cocktail specialist," Phoenix
told me, without needing to raise his voice, "because despite the ambient noise, I could hear it
perfectly." At the bar, our guide left us after hailing her superior who notified our presence in her
place. From the height of two stories, his two hundred pounds of muscles and his infernal
tattoos spread over his two forearms, Joseph Stone had enough to impress the revelers, human
or not, who chose to go to his nightclub. Yet it was necessary to remain objective, Phoenix's
charisma crushed his as one crushes an ant. - Phoenix! he exclaimed. What a pleasure to see
you again! Yo. I'm happy about that, too. As the two shook hands instead of a simple nod, I
assumed they were friends. - It's been a while since I saw you in my establishment! If I'm not
mistaken, it was about two years ago, when you were dating that crazy slave girl. What was she
called? Oh yes, Engara! The evocation of the past relationship that the love of my life had with
the bitch who had insulted me when I had just saved her skin had an immediate effect. I felt my
blood boil in my veins, my canines come out with a blow and my pupils go from black ink to
deep red. With a sparkling eye of malice, Joseph Stone turned to me. Obviously, he had done it
on purpose to take out this enormity to see how I would react and obviously I had reacted badly.
And still, of course, the only one who had not noticed was the principal interested, who had
addressed a disgruntled frown to him on which it had no effect. - You must be Samantha Jones.
He reached out to me as a token of friendship. Was I going to take it after what had just
happened? - Delighted. I'm going to take it. His satisfied air disappeared a hundredth of a
second later, when instead of letting go of his hand as politely, I shook him so tightly that I heard
a first crack and then a second of his fingers. Stone could not help but wince in pain, and after
three seconds of intense treatment, I allowed myself to release him. - Sam... Phoenix had not
lost a crumb and was making big eyes at me. I shrugged. "I don't like rude men," I simply
defended myself. He sighed, then looked at his friend who was shaking his fingers to speed up
the healing process. The latter burst out laughing. - Oh, Phoenix! You can say you know how to
choose them! But between us, I find your assistant much nicer than your ex-fiancée! Did he
think I was nice? Curious for someone whose fingers I had just crushed. But hey... Vampire
Psychology... - Sam has nothing to do with Engara, who was never my fiancée. The end of his
sentence was less kind, something to which Joseph was not mistaken. It was better to change
the subject! - What can I do for you? Are you here for professional reasons or for fun? - Sam
and I have just settled the professional part of our evening. It's time to move on to the relaxation
stage. Give me your best table and two of your secret cocktails. - No problem. Follow me. He
took us through the crowded space of those who came to order at the bar and guided us to the
other end of the box, in a quieter place, out of the way of the main dance floor, where there was
a series of VIP alcoves in which we entered only by invitation. Joseph preceded us to the most
luxurious, where I was surprised to see the most famous peroxide blonde of reality TV, who
became a star after breaking her daily life as a wealthy heiress of a chain of hotels to get her
hands in the back of cows in this show advocating the return to "simple life". Laughing with her
throat outstretched, she stood among her jet-setter friends as soaked as her champagne. As
usual, that night she had not put on panties. Tss. If I had been given an extraordinary view to
see this kind of horror, I would have preferred to be blind! Or at least that this luxury hen has the
idea that the drafts she felt between her legs meant that she absolutely had to tighten her thighs
in the minute to go! No, no, no, no, What vulgarity! "Sorry to disturb you, Miss," said Stone,
without seeming in the least impressed by the haughty gaze of the heiress, "but I will take you to
another alcove, where you and your guests can end the evening." It goes without saying that a
premium of the best champagne awaits you, offered by the house. -Hey, I'm not going to do
that! We're already here! I'm not moving my ass from here! You just have to bring it here, your
premium! It'll give you a tip with which you can buy yourself a new shirt, buddy! Accustomed to
the luxury and the guarantee of being obeyed by the finger and eye by the army of servants that
her father was to have at home, the twenty-one-year-old hawk who had just spoken did not
realize the risks she had just taken. She merely inflated her chest, under the appreciative
laughter of her little friends. She did not even have time to touch the glass she was about to
take when Joseph grabbed her arm and sent her crashing a meter away, shoving in passing a
table whose glasses spilled over the friend of a vampire who, outraged, grabbed the unwelcome
guest and placed her on his lap to spank her in rhythm with the music. A glance at Phoenix is
enough, of course, to get her released. Her "aggressor" greeted us courteously before taking
care of his companion by using his own jacket with the utmost gallantry to wipe her. My
attention then returned to the small group, convinced to leave us and who were already leaving
the place. But as the heiress passed Phoenix, she realized her incredible beauty and took a few
steps aside to talk to her (or should I say turn it on). Neither one nor two, my predatory instinct
took over to protect my property and before it opened its mouth, I stood on her trajectory and
crucified her with such a threat that she was about to suffer if she continued in this way, that she
took her heels to her neck to move away as quickly as possible. I was always looking at her with
the desire to skin her alive when Joseph Stone passed me. - Everything is ready. I'll tell
Stephanie to bring you your drinks. Uh... You can sit down, Miss Jones. -Well? Stone sneered
away and I realized that Phoenix was already sitting and waiting for me with his arms folded
against his chest on the red sofa of our place of relaxation. I joined him. At least... - Beuh... -
What's going on, Sam? Seeing you quit like that on the couch, you'd think you were dancing
sitting down, but I doubt that's the reason for your funny attitude. - I try to sit where this in bitcb
did not put her soft buttocks! More amused than irritated by my sense of humor, Phoenix asked:
- What is this sudden bout of vulgarity about? Are you jealous? Immediately, I felt my blood
bubbling in my veins. - What?! Me, jealous? And what would I be jealous of? I cried. Because
instead of using family money to educate herself and others, this girl prefers to go around the
boxes hoping that a handsome male with a radar for no panties sniffs her availability? Pooh!
Excuse me for not being jealous of that! Seeing Phoenix burst out laughing didn't help calm me
down. -Come on, Sam! I was joking! I wanted to see if your transformation had not altered your
so charming character, I see with relief that this is not the case. I growled discreetly in his
direction. - You're annoying. This did not prevent me from settling next to him, while Stephanie,
our vampire guide, was already coming back with our drinks. "And that's it for you. Offered by
the house. "In what honor?" asked Phoenix. Stephanie glanced at me cheerfully. - Joseph says
that the sight of the heiress running away with all legs is worth all the cocktails in the world. I
looked up at the sky. "Thank him for us," said my boss. She nodded and left us alone. - Another
proof of your power to impress all vampires, Samantha Watkins... - Oh, shut up... This
unexpected follow-up to my first mission as a vampire was a most enjoyable experience.
Phoenix, relaxed, was the very friendliness and told me anecdotes of his long life while I feasted
on sipping the four or five cocktails I had ordered after swallowing the first in three sips. Despite
their more than unreasonable alcohol content, I felt no negative effect, so it was with pleasure
that I listened to the man I loved tell me about parts of his long life. I don't know how long we
stayed to discuss it in this way, it didn't matter. I was with him, that was all that mattered.
However, with the dawn fast approaching, we had to make up our minds to leave and after
greeting Joseph Stone one last time by thanking him for our free drinks, we headed out. - I had
a great evening, thank you, master. We had just arrived at the Camaro, parked a little further
away, in a small street near a thermal insulation company. I had deliberately insisted on the last
word to tease him. - My God! What would my daily life be without your sarcasm? His falsely
desperate look made me laugh and I punched him in the shoulder. - Oh, my gosh! Stop bullying
me! You are a very unruly student! - I am the best student you could dream of! - Probably
because you are the only one now! Oh, oh, oh - Oh, my gosh! Sam! This time you really hurt
me! - You've earned it! - And you deserve a good correction! We clashed with our eyes for a
moment, and then, as if there had been a click, we burst out laughing again. Even if our hilarity
was absurd, it swelled me to block, so that no doubt assailed me when I put myself on tiptoe to
give my companion a light kiss on the cheek. As soon as he became serious again, Phoenix
stared at me with a strange glow in his eyes: - Why the kiss? I shrugged and smiled
mysteriously at him. - Do I need a reason to express my affection to you? - Uh... Well... Taking
advantage of his stuttering, I continued: - I know that as a vampire I should adopt the tradition of
nodding, but perhaps it is due to my recent transformation, I prefer to kiss you on the cheek to
thank you for having me have a good time. I find that less impersonal. Suddenly, the glow in
Phoenix's eyes became more intense and his expression wilder. -You're right. I too had a great
evening with you. As he leaned gently towards me, my heart remembered my good memory,
starting, at least I felt, bouncing from my feet to my head like a basketball. The next second, as
his lips radiated my cheek to the place where they had laid them and my legs were about to be
unable to bear my weight, I closed my eyes to savor this moment. Another second and my
whole wonderful universe broke up to make way for the nightmare.
*
Lost in my fairytale bubble, I had a moment of floating between the feeling that something had
just hit my chest and the realization that the man who was kissing me just before was sagging to
the ground like a rag doll. Completely down to earth, I saw Phoenix in horror collapsing on the
ground on his back, hit with a silver bullet just below the ribcage. This situation, a near-perfect
response to what had led me to slit my throat several weeks earlier, put me in such a state of
panic and murderous rage that for the first time really since my awakening as a vampire, I lost
my head and finally allowed my darkest part to make the decisions that were necessary.
Someone tried to kill Phoenix. He was going to pay. In the ambient darkness, if someone had
entered the alley at that moment, he could clearly have seen two eyes shining with a glow as
red as demonic over a pair of gleaming fangs, a promise of an excruciating death to whom they
were destined. - Sam... Don't go there... in this state... Phoenix tried hard to get back on his
feet, but the unbearable pain caused him to fall again, further galvanizing my desire for revenge.
Rushing at a prodigious speed into the supposed direction from which the shot had gone, I still
heard his voice roaring behind me: - SAM! Not! A grin of wild satisfaction was born on my lips
when, in two leaps, I managed to jump on the roof of the warehouse containing the insulation
equipment and which would allow me to find our aggressor through a high point of view. I was
on the hunt, I was going to put the claws on my prey and turn it into pulp the pulpit, literally. In
fact, leaving free rein to my instincts, I stopped to fill the void within myself and call upon all my
power to find it. At the top of the warehouse above us, I had felt a honey scent so minimal that I
certainly would not have felt it in normal times. There, it was like the light of a lighthouse in the
night, a real fragrant track that I had to go back up to achieve my ends. Thus forgetting noises,
scents and ambient heartbeats, I focused on this particular fragrance, deliberately erasing the
world of my mind so that there is more than this one. A few minutes passed without me losing
hope. On the contrary, the passing of time only fuelled my predatory excitement and I reveled in
the pleasure I would take in torturing the one who had dared to attack my love. Then, as if in a
rude awakening, I suddenly opened my eyelids, looking ruthlessly in the distance, at a moving
point that was moving further and further away from the area of the crime. Releasing a rumble
as triumphant as it is beastly, I darted and jumped from roof to roof, using all the extraordinary
abilities that my status as a newborn vampire gave me to catch my target, a red Viper last
model, led by a vampire who soon would claim to be more dead than alive... This guy may have
been aiming, but between his honey shower gel and his shiny car, he might as well have been
walking around with a sign that read "vampire and proud to be" and "follow me" on it. Unable to
fly, I had to climb buildings too high for me several times, which aggravated if it was still possible
a mood already located in the deepest abyss. Despite the fact that I had left the reins of my
body to my dark side, I was lucid enough not to risk venting the Secret by operating a landing of
several meters on the car of our assailant in traffic so I took it upon myself to wait for him to
enter a quiet corner in order to use it as I pleased. It took me ten minutes, but my patience was
rewarded when he entered the eastern quarters, where he must surely have hoped to blend in
with the mass of drug traffickers. This fool thought he was safe, but he had forgotten that the
Eastern Wards were a lawless zone where Kerington police could not enforce the law.
Therefore, if someone was tricked into it, people tended to call the police only once they were
sure there was no longer any danger to them or their loved ones. Perfect. Hen was mine.
Arriving in a deserted street, sure that no idiot would come to assault him or steal his beautiful
car, the stranger came out to head to an old and dilapidated building where there did not seem
to be a living soul. I took advantage of the fact that he searched his pocket to find his keys and
jumped off the roof from which I was spying on him to find myself in front of him. "Hi," I said
simply. Caught off guard because he had not heard me coming, the man jumped and dropped
his keys, but picked himself up with his hand behind his back, surely to look for a pistol or a
knife that I already had in hand. Without waiting, I threw my two blades which clung into his
throat for the first, and one centimeter from the heart for the second. The effect was immediate,
he fell like a stone on the pavement as I materialized at the speed of lightning above him to
prevent him from removing my weapons from his wounds. "If you move even a millimeter, the
silver will pierce you what serves as your heart," I said, while breaking both arms and legs to
make him want to defend himself. The man screamed horribly, but with my knife in his throat,
the only sound that could be seen from the adjacent street would have been a simple, formless
and disgusting gurgling that made me smile. What a delight! And what a satisfaction to see the
absolute terror painted on his excreted face when at last he realized that the pupil whose master
he had tried to kill, would not have an ounce of pity for him. - You're a good boy, you haven't
moved. I could clearly see in his frightened black eyes the devilishly red reflection of mine, and
even though I wondered if, in the long run, I would fall into the same destructive madness as my
French ancestors, at that very moment, this question did not make me hot or cold. - You will still
be a good boy and tell me who sent you to kill Phoenix or I swear that your death will be slow
and painful. He widened his eyes, seeming to weigh the pros and cons, and then nodded to the
positive. - Don't move. Delicately, I pulled the blade in his throat to allow him to speak, less for
the sake of preserving him than of prolonging his suffering. I then waited for his vocal cords to
heal enough to make sounds. " I'm listening to you. - I... didn't... been sent... per person... -
Wrong answer. In order not to waste time, I chose to stab him elsewhere and the groin seemed
to me an appropriate place. This time, his cry of pain echoed abominably in the murky space we
were in. - Next time you lie to me; I'll aim more at the center. I hear this pain is worse than death
for a man. I've already experienced it with a guy who tasted my stiletto last year and I confess
that I almost want you to start again to compare your howls. I had spoken to him like a good
comrade, smiling very kindly. My mother had always told me that with a smile, you could
conquer the world. My short-term goals were much less ambitious, but it seemed that my
strategy had paid off: - Okay! " I'm listening to you. - We... I was sent well but... not to kill
Phoenix. I frowned, ready to play with my knives again. "It's you! You're the one I was aiming
for! he exclaimed, reading the exasperation in my eyes. "Me? "Yes! My canines still faded under
the influence of anger. - Either you're a bad shooter or you don’t care about your genitals! I had
lowered my hand to his groin. - Look down! he cried, panicked. - What?! Make yourself
understood better than that, I'm starting to lose patience! - Look at your blouse! - Well what my
blouse, it... Oh! I contemplated, stunned, the blood-soaked fabric with a hole the size of a rifle
bullet in the middle of a chest that should have been reduced to ashes from the moment the
projectile passed through it. The light finally got into my mind. - For God's sake... - Not God! You
must be a demon! my victim became unearthly, caught in a sudden verbal rebellion. No vampire
has eyes that light up like yours and above all, I never miss my targets! The bullet pierced your
heart! I'm sure! How did you survive? How? That's a good question, and I need to take a serious
look at that. In any case, the murderer at my mercy had just confirmed what Phoenix suspected
and that he had not allowed me to check: I was truly immune to silver. Damn it! Was I born only
for the purpose of being a phenomenon for all human or supernatural fairs around the world? I
had to get back on my feet. This was not the time to scatter. - You also hurt Phoenix! - Of
course! I know his reputation; I wasn't crazy enough to kill you and let him chase me. When he
kissed you, I took the opportunity to make two blows with one stone! I almost made him swallow
his insolent words by ripping off his fangs, but I'm continuing myself. - Tell me who wants me
dead. - It won't do you any good, there's no evidence linking us to each other. You can't take
revenge for it without flouting our laws. I swung the blade in his groin towards his lower
abdomen. He screamed again. - I just must press harder... I joined the gesture to the word,
tearing the flesh without the slightest compassion for the one who bit his lips in blood to stick to
immobility and thus prevent the knife in his chest from tearing his heart. - ENGARA ROWE-
HARRELL! I raised my hand, piercing my victim with my red eyes. - I'M TELLING THE TRUTH! I
swear! Engara? Had she learned that I had gone to Kentwood after her formal ban on me
setting foot there on pain of death? - Why? Still suffering excruciatingly, the shooter took the
time to gather his spirits before answering me: - She hates you! She has never drawn a line
under her past with Phoenix and considers you a rival to be eliminated. She hired me after
Victor Haggis failed to fulfill the contract. The memory of my meeting with Haggis became clear
to my mind. He told me that someone was terribly angry with me and showed me the photo of
me that had been given to him. It was the one in the evening when my boss took me to the most
popular restaurant in the city, the Beaumarchais. In the picture, I finished eating my dish with
delight, under the mysterious eye of my companion. - Why not tackle me directly? - Because
she fears Phoenix. She is afraid that by killing you with her hands, he will subject her to the
worst torture, knowing that he would be within his rights. "And then why can't I put her through
the fate she feared?" - As I told you, you have no proof. I answered him with a bad rumble. -
Error. I've got you! You're going to tell Talanus and Ysis all over again! His skin took on a
whitish hue, he spat in my face. - Error. You have nothing at all! And on these last words, he
made a sudden side movement which thrust the tip of the knife into his heart. I did not even
have time to do anything and watched helplessly as the man whom I had tortured, but who had
in the end had the last word of our confrontation, turned into dust. He had preferred to commit
suicide rather than confront Talanus. Disgusted, I wiped my face and sat on the ground. The
second state in which I was a few minutes earlier had given way to a state of calm in favor of an
essential reflection to manage the sequence of events. Engara had taken it upon her to have
me eliminated at her peril if she was discovered. Her sickly jealousy had taken the lead on her
reason and believing that her angel and I were having an affair, she had decided to permanently
remove her rival from the face of the earth. What she did not foresee was that twice I had foiled
her plans; the first being human, the second, thanks to my immunity from vampiric fair
phenomenon. From what I had learned in my previous conversation, the volunteers to execute
the contract on my head were not so numerous because of the fear that Phoenix inspired the
whole world of the night, therefore I could hope for a respite, until she found another volunteer,
for financial reasons. I was going to practice terrorizing vampires like my boss if I wanted to
build a reputation that was deterred enough to put the wheels in the wheels of recruiting this
slave harpy. Having indeed no proof of his forfeiture, the hitman was right, I had no right to
come to her house to snatch her golden hair with my teeth before throwing her head in the
garbage. Damn! Damn justice! The trouble was that Phoenix might not see it that way and get
tempted by a little break from the rules to settle his account for good. He had said that those
who tried to attack me would be punished. But there we were playing in a court other than mere
reflections on the turn of my posterior, it was an attempted murder. Looking back, I began to
scold fiercely, my eyes lit up red again. I felt like I was going to love the moment when I twisted
the neck of that bitch from Engara! But for now, we had to wait, wait for the moment when she
would make a misstep that would ring its end. An end that I would be happy to give him... Short!
Engara was mine and since there was no reason to put her before her judges at this time, there
was no need for me to share this discovery in Phoenix. I did not want to take the risk that his
protective attitude towards me, his property, would lead him to commit a fault that would tarnish
such a hard-won reputation. So I got up and went to pick up the keys to the car under the ashes
of the vampire-murderer. Installed comfortably in my new means of transport, a Viper that I
liked very much, I turned back to the scene of the tragedy, where I was going to have to
apologize with many laments of a loss of control which, in truth, had never been definitive.
*
I had just shut down the engine of my car when I arrived on the street where I had left Phoenix,
which he missed ripping off the door when he joined me. He was not alone as James and his
twin acolytes finished cleaning the blood left by their angel on the icy pavement. " Are you hurt?"
Where were you?! Where is he? Do you have any idea how much trouble I wouldn't been in?!
How dare you disobey me; you could have been killed?! And what is this car?! Phoenix had just
pulled me out of the cockpit without an ounce of delicacy, and I saw his nostrils throbbing with
fury when he saw the blood on my clothes. "It's not mine," I said to reassure him. I have nothing.
His pupils immediately wided, and he took me away from the cleaners to speak discreetly. - And
that, you're going to tell me that it's nothing either, no doubt! He was showing me the bloody
hole on my blouse, right in front of the location of my heart. - Um... I didn't really know what else
to say. - Forget it. We are going to Harper Hill to report on what has just happened. Ysis will be
furious. - No! I cried, panicked. We can't go there! I didn't want to be in front of Ysis because it
won't be missed, she would like to put her hands on my temples to visualize the attack in her
mind in order to discover the identity of the shooter. The problem was that in doing so, she
would also discover that Engara was behind the plot against my life, which I only wanted to
reveal in due course. - Why then?! my employer was. - Why? - Yes, why?! Sam! - Uh... (Quick,
an inspiration!) I don't want Talanus and Ysis to know that I lost control and tracked down this
assassin to make confetti! Phoenix seemed shocked by my words. - Talanus may believe that
the blood of my ancestors devoured my mind and he will want to protect Ysis by denouncing me
to the Great, even if it means losing her esteem or her love. It was far-fetched, but relatively
plausible. All that remained was to hope that my angel would accept this version of events. -
Talanus would not do that. - Of course, I do. He was never convinced by Ysis' speech about my
alleged role assigned by the Night. If he thinks I might have his wife killed, he won't hesitate to
take the lead in saving her. Think! Anyway, because of my incompetence, we have no
information about who this guy was and who sent him to kill me, so what are we going to tell
them? Nothing at all, because we have no element at our disposal. Phoenix seemed to think
about the idea, and then, after a few seconds of silence, he left me to go see James and his
colleagues. - Thanks for the blood and cleaning. You won’t tell anyone about this. "You know
you can count on us," James replied. Phoenix nodded. " I know, that's why I called you. They
greeted each other again and took leave. As their van was already leaving, the three cleaners
gave me a hand sign that I gave them back with a smile. - Let's go home. We need to talk, Sam.
This dry order made my head fall in my shoulders. I can't believe the evening started so well...
He took the Camaro, I took the Viper, and I followed him to Scarborough where another
unpleasant confrontation loomed. The sun would rise in just three hours and fatigue would make
things even more painful than they were already announcing... - Drink that, he told me after
bringing me fresh blood into the living room. Conciliatory though not hungry, I took the glass he
handed me and executed me. It was only after I rested him on the table that I realized how
much I had needed it. - Tell me what happened. His voice was set, but his outstretched
shoulders and steely eyes were cold in my back. "I got carried away," I confessed. That was the
truth. - To what extent? He had to ask himself whether the assumption I had made earlier, about
what Talanus might believe about my mental health, was correct. I could understand that. Our
lives were at stake in this story. - I did nothing that could have put the Secret in danger. No one
saw me except the man who shot us. - That's it. (He seemed relieved) Continue. - My dark side
took the reins during the hunt and mobilized amazing abilities, even for a vampire. From a
simple smell of shower gel on the roof of the building where the killer had posted, I managed to
sort through all the ambient parasitic elements to trace the source. (Phoenix shuddered with
surprise, but immediately resumed) I followed his car to the eastern quarters and waited for him
to enter a dark alley and jump on him. - You said that you had reduced it to ash. I shook my
head. - Not immediately. A bolt of lightning passed through my boss's pupils. Uncomfortable, I
wriggled in my chair. - I tortured him. Phoenix jumped up and began to take the hundred steps
in front of me. I had to defend myself. - You know I don't taste like blood! What happened has
nothing to do with my origins and a possible thirst for power! I reacted like that because he tried
to kill you! - The target was not me! I bowed my head. - I know, but at the time, nothing existed
except you, lying on the ground with a silver bullet in the chest, and the one holding the gun. I
didn't realize that the bullet had passed through me. At these words, I thought Phoenix was
going to break the living room table to pieces again by knocking it out with anger, but he merely
kicked it that caused it to slide to the other end of the dining room, fortunately without damage. -
By following him in this state, you have put yourself in danger! He could have finished the job!
That, however, was not true. - No! I was much stronger than him and especially much faster. I
didn't give him a chance! - That's no reason, Sam! I did't know you got the better of him! What
annoys me is that once again, you disobeyed me by making fun of the risks you would incur! -
Should I have let him run away after what he had just done? If the roles had been reversed, you
would have done the same thing, I carried away, overwhelmed. - Sure, I would have pursued it!
But unlike you, I would have kept a cool head to the point of knowing how to contain myself and
not kill him before asking him about the mastermind of this assassination attempt! Oh, oh
Excuse me for getting angry because someone dear to me almost ended up in ashes before my
eyes! And then I didn't just torture him! I asked him some questions! - Well I'm curious to hear
the answers! Here, I was advancing in minefield. Phoenix was almost stumbling, but I certainly
didn't want to tell him the end of the story, at least not until it was the right time for me to take
revenge on Engara myself. I had to calm down, so I resumed in a much less aggressive tone. -
He told me the same thing as Haggis, namely that the sponsor hates me to the point of seeing
me dead. When I came up with the idea of putting him in your own hands, the guy decided to
move abruptly, piercing his heart with the knife I had stuck to a hair away from there to prevent
him from running away. Phoenix suddenly calmed down, too, and came to sit next to me with a
sigh. - We're really must settle this case. I'm afraid the third attempt is the last one. I ventured to
put my hand on his knee. - I managed to get him to say that volunteers for this mission were not
rushing forward. It seems that your reputation for being ruthless towards those who disrespect
you through me has gone around the supernatural world. I must say thank you for that, too. He
took my hand and shook it, and then he looked at me with severity. -It should never have
happened, Sam. I shrugged. - What do you want, not everyone knows how to appreciate me at
my true value. He lifted his hand and got up. - That's not what I mean. Tonight, I was reckless.
By wanting to please you and giving us this moment of relaxation in public while your training is
not over, and especially knowing that they were already trying to murder you, I put you in great
danger. I frowned. But what was he saying? He didn't feel guilty for something so unpredictable.
He went to stand in front of the fireplace. - If I had been professional, this bullet would never
have hit you... Deeply wounded by what he was alluding to, I got up. – Going was your idea,
Phoenix. Have the courage to say it. His back looked for a moment, and then he turned to
crucify me with his eyes and assail me in a frosty tone: - If I had not given you that kiss, none of
this would have happened. Anger took over despair. Perhaps he believed that by pushing me
away in this way, he would win the game and that I run away with tears, however, it was a real
war that I had declared to his sentimental reluctance and guilt for having turned me into a
vampire. He had forgotten that I was not quite the same person, that I was much stronger and
above all, incredibly determined, therefore I was about to give him a lesson that he would not
soon forget. I offered him a carnivorous smile that was not kind when I started: - Oh... Phoenix...
As if this simple touch between our lips and cheeks had any effect on my concentration... That
is ridiculous. If you had kissed me as furiously as in your bosses' office, maybe then... I'm not
saying... I would surely have been a little confused... I had deliberately insisted on the "a little."
- ... But that! Well! It wasn't really anything exceptional! As I spoke, I relished Phoenix's change
of expression, which went from severe and cold to something more of outrage. I even scoffed,
provoking a flash of discontent in the eyes of the one who did not appreciate at all that I made
fun of him. "Come on, what! It's funny that you think that a little kiss of nothing at all could have
been enough to outwit the great and perfect concentration of your professional heart! Or it's that
I have more seductive power than I thought... I looked falsely astonished and slowly lowered my
hands from my chest to my hips as if to make sure, which managed to set his pupils ablaze. - In
short! I'm sorry, but your excuse doesn't hold up. I'm disappointed, I thought you were able to
see the truth... - And what truth is that? I'm sure you will not fail to tell me. Phoenix was on the
verge of exploding. Perfect! It will teach you to constantly want to find excuses to keep me at
bay! - But certainly... The truth... Well it's that instead of our little pseudo-emotional hug that
distracted you, you came across someone gifted enough to get through your arrogance to
believe that you are the most perfect man in the world. I almost laughed out loud when, too
shocked to say a word, Phoenix stared at me, his eyes bulging and his mouth open. But I wasn't
done with him. - Please don't blame me for my frankness. After all, you are my master, if I
cannot remind you of the lessons you teach me, such as not being too confident in one's
abilities to the point of blinding oneself, well our learning relationships may suffer. Phoenix had
just taken the hit of the century, from which every resounding word of truth could not be denied,
which he knew well, since they were his own. All I had to do was put the icing on the cake: - You
understand, you are a role model for me... But perhaps I was wrong to have put you on a divine
pedestal when, in fact, you are only a man... And at the end of the this, I swear! Bah! Aydan
MacKinley, a five-hundred-year-old vampire on the clock, had just been given a lesson in
humility as it had not happened to him since he had followed the teachings of its creator, Finn
Jorgensen, a lesson administered with mastery by his own creation, a woman who loved him,
but who was beginning to get tired of his phobic hesitations. - I'll leave you, I'll go to bed. It's
been a rough night and tomorrow Angela and I are tackling the final preparations with the
wedding planner. I try on my dress, among other things. We had the shop privatized in the
Pembroke shopping centre to be quieter and we planned a girls' night out behind. I love these
moments with her, far from men, vampires or not, who would like to teach us to live and think...
Phoenix still not reacting, I held back to self-applause and concluded: - Well, good night. I had
left him alone for only twenty seconds that a long and dreadful string of swear words broke the
silence of our late night.
*
- Seriously? Did you tell him that? In the reflection of the large mirror of the wedding shop in the
Pembroke shopping center, I could see a replica of the carnivorous smile I had served the day
before to my employer. It was the most beautiful effect! " Believe it or not, Angela, I have no
remorse. She whistled in admiration. - I thought that your transformation into "you know what"
had not changed you that much! Before, you would have had knots in your stomach all day, with
the desire to go running in his room to apologize! - It was time for the wheel of frustration to turn
and I do not regret having sent it into the teeth of this handicapped feelings! Angela burst out
laughing. - You're both so stupid! You're made for each other and that doesn't stop you from
constantly scarfing! I made a grimace. - I think I would be less irritable if the man of my dreams
finally decided to see me as a woman to love rather than as a pupil to be educated. - Anyway, in
this dress, you'll earn points, I'm willing to bet. You look fabulous! I looked again at my reflection
in the mirror. It was true that the dark red hue of my bridesmaid dress highlighted me, as did her
cleavage and mermaid shape. At the waist up to the knees, it then flared up to form a small,
elegant drag. All the touch-ups were perfect so much that the fabric fell exactly where it needed
to be, giving my figure a sensual look without being sexy. "She's almost too beautiful," I said. -
Don't be stupid, you are my bridesmaid, as such, you must be wonderful. - It would have been
easier if I hadn't been your only bridesmaid. - I don't have a friend closer than you and then,
between us, I would have a hard time convincing Matthew to put it on so that you feel less
alone. I should have laughed at her joke, but Matthew's evocation gave me a pinch in my heart.
- Is he okay? It was the first time since he and Angela had reconciled that I allowed myself to
ask him about him. Although I had been more than hurt by the words we had, I still had to
realize that I missed Matthew. My friend sighed. - You can't say it's Nirvana. He finally
introduced Richard Harding to Danny and the interview went well, but he feels guilty about
having to lie to his adoptive father about the reasons for his abandonment. " What did he say to
him? - Part of the truth. Danny had some preconceived ideas about Harding and did not
understand why he had wanted to abandon a child in such a gloomy place, so to avoid a
possible disagreement between the two, Matthew told him that his biological father thought he
was dead; which was true. He also told him about his electrical troubleshooting business, but
that was it. I nodded, pondering what Danny's reaction might have been if his adopted son had
told him that his sire had believed him dead after he had waged a war against the vampire
race... - I think he regrets what he told you. These words took me out of my daydream. "Do you
think so, or did he tell you?" It is not the same thing. - Look, you know that whenever he wants,
Matthew can be the most narrow-minded animal on earth. However, he is not a bad person
either, or he knows how to admit his wrongs when he has to. - After how long! - I did not say it
was perfect. But believe me if I tell you he's remorseful, I've known him since I was five! I think I
know him better than he knows himself, so trust me. - The question is not there, Angela.
Matthew said horrible things I can't forget, and don't tell me he didn't mean them. You know
perfectly well that this was the case. She sighed again. - I know, I told him how bad it was. -
What did he say to you? - Nothing, he walled himself in silence. We didn't really talk about what
happened. In any case, it must be resolved between you. "I will not take the first step," I said,
categorically. Matthew had done me too much harm to make things easier for me, even though I
was more and more willing to forgive him. - I think he will, one day or another... I hope soon. It
makes me sad that my two best friends are cold with each other, especially when these two
friends are going to stand by my side when I marry the man of my dreams. Touched by her
dismay, I passed an arm over her shoulders. " Listen to me. I promise you that if Matthew
behaves like a gentleman at your wedding and he comes to apologize to me for what he told
me, everything will go back to the way it was. She looked at me, a burst of hope in her eyes. -
Are you sure? "Yes. She hugged me, and then suddenly decided to move on to a subject that
made me even more uncomfortable than the previous one. - Sam, what if François changed his
mind after our wedding night? After all, my lovers count on the fingers of one hand and I confess
that I have never been very focused on "the thing". So it never bothered me to wait for François
to propose to me, however, I'm afraid I don't know how to do it anymore and be ridiculous... -
Sam? All right? Looks like you swallowed the wrong way. Several hours later, I dropped my
friend off at her house. After our hellish discussion about her wedding night during which all the
arguments that came out of her sounded hollow in my ears since I myself, I had never known
how to do it, we had gone to eat in a restaurant in Pembroke before going to the cinema. The
evening had been pleasant although I had some regrets when I saw Angela swallow her
Mexican dish while I had to just look at it. The film we chose corresponded to my friend's
romantic mood since it was a replay of a feature film with Sandra Bullock playing the role of a
nice aerial subway box office career falling in love with the brother of the man to whom she had
just saved her life and who was taken for the bride. I had already seen it a long time ago and
apart from the fashion of the dress at the time, I had not regretted. Anyway, it was that or the
final chapter of Twilight that, you understand why, didn't tempt me at all. It was crazy, even
though it had already been released on DVD more than a year ago, there were still groupies
lining up to go and watch it, some wearing the famous "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" T-
shirts. Pooh! I had enough vampires under my nose, myself included, in my daily life, without
wanting to add more. As for the werewolves, bah, pity! I didn't like hair or drool! I was happy to
be back with Sandra Bullock in her early days, especially since I had always felt that she, along
with Rachel Weisz and Kate Winslet, was one of the most beautiful actresses of her time. At the
happy ending, without even looking at her, I handed a handkerchief to my neighbor who was
foolishly hoping to hide her sniffles of emotion in her sweater sleeve. I was still making fun of
her when I arrived in Scarborough at about one o'clock in the morning. - Stop laughing or you
won't be my bridesmaid! "And why are you making fun of my fiancée?" said a presence I had
heard coming. Angela startled, but I just smiled as I went to kiss François on the cheek.
Between us, there was no nodding. - François! You scared me with my life! -And you've never
seen her in front of the stoves! That's scary! Think before you let him put the ring on your finger!
I chuckled. In response, I received a nasty elbow to which I responded with a punch in the
shoulder. - Oh, my gosh! You could have broken my bone, Xena! - Stop whining, Angel! We
both laughed. - What a funny sense of humor you vampires have... Angela looked at us with a
mixture of affection and dismay. That was exactly the kind of line I could have said a few weeks
ago. To say that now it was me who had a nutty sense of humor. François gave me a big kiss
on the cheek. - Beuh! I'm not against kissing, but control yourself, or I'm going to believe Angela
isn't hugging you enough to fill your emotional gap. My musketeer friend laughed. - You've hit
the point, Sam. My fiancée can never show me enough how much she loves me. She was
offended. - How dare you?! In between, she threw herself outright at her future husband and
kissed him fiercely. - Well, it's not that I don't want to hold the candle, but it's getting late, so I'll
leave you. They tried to wish me a good end to the night, but with their tongues curled up to
each other, the result was hardly understandable. So I left them with no regrets, and instead of
heading to the castle, I decided to turn to Kerington's eastern quarters with the idea of using one
of the deceased's keys to search his house for items that might link him to Engara Rowe-
Harrell. I hadn't really given a time to Phoenix, but even when I set foot on the floor, I knew that I
would return to the castle late enough to be held to account. Arriving at the scene of my
confrontation with the henchman of my worst enemy, I had no trouble scaring three shady guys
who had come a little too close to me and my car. When I opened the door of the apartment, I
had the unpleasant surprise of finding that not only was there no one in this three-bedroom, but
also that there was not much in it either. Obviously, the man was only passing through the
vicinity, as proved by his refrigerator containing the bare minimum of blood that a vampire can
ingest; there were only two days, at most. It made sense that he didn't want to go on forever. As
I had experienced, this guy feared more than anything to pass into the expert torture hands of
the angel of the region. Next door, the little wounds I had inflicted on him would have been
passed off as mosquito bites. I went around each room of the apartment in search of any clues,
but I had to admit that this man was not an amateur. Not a mail, not a phone message that can
link him to Engara. After an hour, I gave up the game. Since I could not contact the Harper Hill
cleaners, I took it upon myself to do their job so that in case a potential landlord came to claim
his unpaid rent, he believed that his only tenant had preferred to set sail as suddenly as he had
come here. An hour later, I left for Scarborough at an open grave, ignoring the meter and the
speed limits in order to return as soon as possible to the lair of a fawn that would not refrain
from roaring his displeasure in my face.
*
- Where did you go?! I woke Angela up to ask if you were at her house and imagine my
amazement when she told me that you had parted around one o'clock in the morning! I texted, I
left tons of messages on your phone! Do you realize that the sun will soon rise?! - I'm sorry, my
phone ran out of battery. - And you didn't think to use another means of communication to let
me know that you were okay?! exclaimed, furious. I want to know what you were up to! I looked
sheepish and waddled from one foot to the other. - I went back to Pembroke because I realized
that I had forgotten... I had to find something important enough to justify my delay so much. -
Forgotten what, Sam?! "Keira's necklace," I said, suddenly inspired. He couldn't blame me for
that. - What? Indeed, my answer baffled him enough to bring down the degree of his anger by a
few notches. I didn't play too much comedy to show a guilty air because I wasn't very
comfortable with the idea of lying to him. I remembered only too well what had happened when I
took the initiative to meet the Mellindra Circle without telling him. Yet this imperious desire to
take over Engara personally was not only due to my desire to slaughter her, I had a fleeting
sense that this was what I had to do. Lying was therefore the only option at that time. - I had
taken it off to try on my bridesmaid dress and I thought I had handed it over, but when I came
back to the castle, I realized that I didn't have it anymore. This necklace means a lot to me so I
didn't hesitate and I left for Pembroke. - You're went back... to get the necklace back? Phoenix
seemed to be divided. On the one hand he was still furious at my escape, on the other, he was
appalled that I might have lost the last memory of his sister. In truth, I had refused to remove it,
even to do my fitting. Losing this necklace was unthinkable to me, so it was with bitterness that I
served this lie to the one who was tormented. - I... I'm sorry. I couldn't imagine reappearing
before you without it. I'd rather run away and never come back than face your disappointment
and pain of losing the only memory that connected you to Keira... A flash of lightning flashed
through Phoenix's eyes, as every time his sister was mentioned in front of him. My heart
tightened. - I had to study the broom of the surveillance cameras before sneaking into the store
to find my property. No one has seen me, I am sure. - And it took you so long to get home? I
bowed my head. "I was ashamed," I murmured between my teeth. - I'm sorry? "I was ashamed,"
I repeated, louder. Phoenix sighed. "You should have called me," he said softly. I wouldn't have
blamed you. I glanced at him unseemly. - Well, if, a little, it's true. But in the end, I would have
forgiven you. I stared at him, sincerely astonished. - Really? But... "This necklace belonged to
your sister and... - It's just a memory, Sam," he said. I don't need this necklace to keep Keira in
my memory. (He sighed again) My family died more than five hundred years ago. It is an injury
that I will never forget even if I have learned to live with it; just as I have learned not to go back
to the past to move forward. That's why this necklace is no more important than the person
wearing it, safe and sound in front of me. A ball formed in my throat. His words touched me
deeply. - As you did not return, I was afraid that another killer had managed to honor the
contract on your head and it made me mad with worry. Oh... Without me expecting it, Phoenix
drew me to him and crushed me against his torso. "I couldn't bear to lose you, Sam. I would
have liked to get out of my way to look him in the face, but I was so tightly against him that
despite my strength, there was no point in trying. Anyway, I loved being in his arms, where I felt
at home. -Forgive me for worrying you. He laughed and let me go a little. -You know well that I
have already forgiven you. As I could not regain control of the muscles of my face, which were
surely to bear witness to the true adoration I felt for the man who held me in his arms, I
wondered what would follow. - Um... It's cold and you must be hungry. Come inside. He evaded
again and preceded me in the castle. Relieved that he no longer had to answer his questions, I
followed him to the kitchen where he served me a large bowl of blood at the right temperature. -
Other than that, did your evening go well? I rested the empty bowl on the table and stretched
before me. - We have each done the last fittings, Angela will be the most beautiful bride who
has ever crossed the threshold of a church. - What about you? " What, me? - Your dress... - Ah,
yes! It's very pretty, but it doesn't really make me feel any better. - What are you afraid of? I
shrugged. - As usual, to do something completely silly in the central aisle of the church, like to
fall to the ground and be the general laughingstock. Phoenix scoffed. - You know it's not going
to happen. You weren't that clumsy when you were human. - You are not objective. Have you
ever forgotten the soup I managed to spill on your head? You yourself have not managed to
avoid it! He made a disgusted pout at the memory I recalled. - Well, it's true, you weren't a
model of address, but when you had to, you knew how to control your two left feet. I went to put
the bowl in the dishwasher, and then Phoenix and I headed for the office. "I think you're
magnanimous. After what happened tonight, however, you were entitled to blame me. He
operated the book to open the library sign concealing his daytime retreat. - I wasn't in the mood
anyway. The disappointment caused by the identification of your Viper's license plate was
enough for me. - You didn't find anything. - Nothing. Not even on the car serial number. All I
know is that it was sold a week ago to a certain Humphrey Grange whose identity is the falsest,
of course. - With a little luck, after this second failure, the sponsor will find himself in need of
volunteer to execute me and will abandon the game. Phoenix is back on his way. - With a little
luck... he murmured. Without a word more, he went into the bathroom only to come out of it late,
ready for his "night." I took over and when I joined him under the sheets, I was surprised to find
him asleep. I smile when I see him that peaceful and innocent air after his anger earlier; sleep
made him look like an angel from heaven. For the first time, I was able to snuggle up to him
under the covers without fear of the consequences. I felt good. And I fell asleep.
*
Finally, the day long awaited by our friends arrived. After helping Angela and François make
their final preparations, Phoenix and I agreed to match our colors; him as a witness to the
groom, me as bridesmaid. In fact, after several fittings during which I had to take on myself so
as not to drool with envy in front of the sublime torso of my employer, the choice was decided
on a black suit, associated with a dark burgundy shirt and an anthracite grey tie. I didn't know
which of us was the most nervous about our respective functions or which most abhorred the
idea of being the center of general attention during the ceremony, but I was still trying to put
things in perspective by telling us that everything was going to be fine. Thus, on D-Day, when I
joined Angela after sunset, in the magnificent room of the sumptuous villa lent by Talanus and
Ysis for the occasion, I mastered my growing panic as a professional. It was still insane that I
did not hesitate to slit my throat to save a man's life when a simple marriage made me
nauseous with anguish. "Everything's going to be fine, Sam," said my friend, who was getting
her hair done by?! Ysis!!! I had not recognized her from the back with her bun, she who always
let her imposing black hair cascade on her shoulders. "Wouldn't it be more like me to reassure
you?" I heard that the brides-to-be were always scared before they walked up to the altar. When
I reached her, I nodded respectfully to my area leader, who gave it back to me with a watchful
expression that left me pantoise. - Oh, I'm absolutely not afraid. I have never been so
determined in my life. "The effects of Absolute Love," the Egyptian princess interjected. If you
become one of us, they will seem even more powerful than what you feel when you are human.
- Ooooh... I thought I couldn't love François more than I already loved him. Ysis smiles as she
places a blonde curl in the incredibly complicated bun she was building. - Ask Sam, she knows
that. As Angela burst out laughing at my shocked air, Ysis, more restrained, merely caught up
with an unnecessary cough in her hand. Weary of a war, I made a careless gesture of the hand.
- Oh what the heck. Make fun of me if you like, I'll put on my dress. "Not until Sasha takes care
of your hair and make-up," Ysis told me. - What? What's wrong with my hair and makeup? I had
rushed to a mirror to check that I didn't look like a clown. - Oh, it's not bad, but you will admit
that your best friend's wedding is an occasion where you have the right to pass into the hands
of a professional. Sit there! Sasha! Sounded, I didn't even discuss her order and went to sit in a
seat in front of a mirror illuminated by enough lights to believe me in broad daylight. A second
later, a vampire appearing to be nineteen years old crept into the room with material worthy of
New York's greatest modeling professionals. - Delighted, Miss Jones, I'm Sasha. - Uh...
Delighted. Sasha, far from me the thought of offending you and Ysis, but why don't you take
care of Angela? Sasha offered a blissful smile to her area manager. - Because it is my mistress
who taught me everything and she is able to make your friend more sublime than all the brides
who have trodden the ground of this earth. I looked at Ysis with round eyes, half astonished to
learn that in another life she had been a beautician, half stunned by the veneration that her
young assistant had for her. - Cleopatra liked me to prepare her before her interviews with
Julius Caesar. She had said that simply, I opened my mouth wide, of course. - Wow! exclaimed
Angela. "I didn't like Caesar very much, I thought he was very arrogant. He's had a sad fate,
poor man. Sad, that was the least we could say! Being stabbed forty-four times by members of
the political body whose own adopted son was included! It would have more than one! Once I
recovered from my emotions, comfortably settled and enjoying Sasha's fine fingering in my hair,
I decided to satisfy my curiosity: - Ysis, can I ask you a personal question? - I'll answer it if it
suits me. - How did you get to know Talanus? Although always focused on the eye brush she
handled with precision, a glimmer of tenderness and nostalgia lit up in her green eyes. - Talanus
was already serving under Octavian before he became emperor. The latter had instructed him
to secretly negotiate with Cleopatra and Marc-Antoine, her lover, so that he could finally declare
his defeat in the conflict between them. History has held that both were stumbled, not that in the
meantime, the next and the general could no longer do without each other. Completely taken by
her memories, the pause she marked in her story was a real frustration. - What happened next?
I encouraged her. -I had sworn allegiance to my mistress, he, to his enemy. Our love, though
sincere, was impossible. So it was with our hearts outsized that we each returned to our land.
Nevertheless, when Cleopatra's defeat was proven and she committed suicide, I felt free to go
and find him, wherever he was. So I crossed the Mediterranean in defiance of the risks I was
incurring and I don't know how, I managed to find his villa in Rome. Unfortunately, my journey
had been over the end of my last strength and it was half-dying that I collapsed at the feet of the
servant who welcomed me. He could have left me there in the street; he should have done so.
But he had once heard his master speak of a woman to whom I looked like trait for trait, a
woman whom he had not been able to forget and whom he had gone to Egypt a few weeks
earlier. Angela, don't cry where I'm going to start all over again! I laughed as I saw my friend
sniff gracefully to stop the sobs of compassion that had gone down her throat as her millennial
hairdresser recounted. - I'm sorry! But it's so romantic! Ysis looked up at the sky. - Ah, these
humans... Short! The servant's name was Janus and had some authority in his master's villa, so
no one contradicted him when he decided that I was going to stay there. So I waited weeks
before at last, the one who had taken possession of my heart came home, covered in dust and
darker than ever. And before Janus could tell him anything about my arrival, Talanus had locked
himself in his apartments, forbidding anyone to disturb him, on pain of death. Everyone advised
me to be patient because the latter's threats were never words in the air. - You mean that you
lived under the same roof without him knowing? I was astonished. "Yes. I wasn't a vampire at
the time, and I wouldn't have been able to get up if the idea had come to Talanus to skewer
myself through the door while I was knocking on it. - It's crazy, and hmmgnnnn! Angela
immediately had to shut up because Ysis shut her mouth so she could put lipstick on her. - Yes,
but it only lasted two days. In the third, I didn't know how to approach Talanus and I asked
Janus to help me. I followed him into the garden and hid behind an orange tree to better
observe them. Talanus did nothing special and his eyes were in the wave when Janus
challenged him: "Master, forgive my intrusion but... "I want to be alone, Janus" "But it's about
the Egyptian woman, Ysis, that you talked about before you left us." The reaction of the latter
was not long in coming. He grabs Janus by the neck. "I forbid you to say her name in front of
me! She's dead, can you hear me?! I went there and was told she was dead! As Janus began to
suffocate, I tried to rush to his aid, but no sooner had I touched the arm of Talanus shouting at
him to stop that his military reflexes worked for him and that I found myself on the ground, a
dagger coming out of nowhere under the throat. Fortunately for both of us, Talanus was a
master in the art of self-control and he stopped his act before it was fatal to me. "But... I was told
you were dead! "I left everything to find you. When he hugged me, it was the most intense and
happiest moment of my life. Our master transformed us together because he understood what
bound us. Now eternity belongs to us. There was a silence first, then: - Oh, no! Angela! - Sorry...
sniff, but... sniff, it's so... sniff, romantic! This time, I didn't want to make fun of my bookseller
friend. I myself was shocked by the story of our narrator, whose absolute feelings for Talanus
reflected exactly what I felt for Phoenix, although my love is not shared at the moment. She
knew this well and gave me a compassionate glance filled with kindness. I quietly nodded to let
her know that I was touched by her attention. She smiled at me and set out to repair the
damage caused by Angela's tears, while on my side I let Sasha take care of my makeup. - It's
beautiful! Angela and I had just exclaimed together when we saw our reflection in the mirror.
Ysis and Sasha had done goldsmith work. My hair pulled up in a bun lengthened my face, which
had made up her eyes to accentuate their hypnotic capacity to a record rate. As for Angela... My
god... Never more beautiful nor pure creature had trod this earth to it. She was a true angel
descended from Paradise to touch our hearts, an impression reinforced by the whiteness of the
airy and immaculate dress she had just put on. Even Ysis stared at her with deep and sincere
admiration. - Jesus, Mary, Joseph... Sasha muttered. François will fall to the ground in front of
the altar. We all laughed at the idea. That was exactly the kind of thing that could happen. Our
musketeer may have been very respected, but it was nevertheless common knowledge that he
was a great sentimental. - Excuse me, ladies, but I wanted to warn you that we are starting to
place the guests. It's going to be started soon. She was the wedding planner. It had to be
acknowledged that Ysis had shown incredible generosity for these nuptials. Not only had she
insisted that the ceremony be held in the large garden of her property, but she had also rejected
in bulk the idea that the future spouses would pay any cent for the occasion. It had also
imposed the choice of the best caterers, decorators and wedding organizers in the region, to
make it an unforgettable event. And as I glanced through the huge bay window of our room, I
could only adhere to the choices made. The night did not prevent you from seeing perfectly in
the gardens because of all the soft white lights that had been installed there. A white carpet
covered the central aisle to allow the bride to reach the altar, soberly but so elegantly decorated
with white light garlands. Eight assistants were in charge of guiding the guests to their
nominative places, something that would still take some time given the one hundred and fifty
people who were expected. I knew François would have preferred something less ostentatious,
more intimate, but Angela had always dreamed of a princess wedding; Ysis offered her more.
For my part, I had never had that kind of ambition. Finding a nice man who would marry me
seemed to me at the time already a miracle, so a small ceremony would have suited me
perfectly. Even if what I saw outside was magical and I noticed since my transformation into a
vampire that my taste for the foil tended to assert itself a little too much, I could not imagine
myself in this situation. Too many people... too much noise... I thought that if it were to be my
turn, I would settle for my closest friends and, above all, the look of the man who loved me.
From the look of Phoenix... He was already at the altar with François and the priest, and wore
the costume we had both chosen. He was perfect. I sighed. Sam? Are you ready? "We're
coming down," Angela called me. "I'm on my way. My love would wait. For the time being,
another was about to become official.
*
- For God's sake, Sam! All I want to do is to yell at these people to hurry up and sit down so
that I can run to the altar and kiss my husband until I die. Ysis and Sasha had left us for a few
minutes to return to their respective seats and Angela and I were alone waiting for Danny to join
us after finishing crying like a baby in our host's bathroom. Emotional restraint was not his style.
- Tell yourself that these scumbags are vampires very ticklish about good manners and that
besides, if you die suffocated under the kisses before you say yes to the priest, all this will have
served no purpose. - Goodness gracious! You are right. Then I'll kiss him wildly as soon as we
both say yes! Angela couldn't hold up and started giving me a headache with her incessant
movements. " So do that. But in the meantime, you'd better calm down or you'll sweat and arrive
sticky at the altar. - Argh! You think so? My friend threw herself in front of a mirror to check her
outfit and the scent of her armpits. I looked up at the sky. - Between a doped up bride and her
companion who cries like a fountain, we couldn't leave the villa! It was in uttering these words
that I identified the heartbeats that had been approaching our place of waiting for all of this time.
- Angela? Matthew had just walked through the front door. Needless to say, it was so strange
that we were so, almost face to face, after weeks of silence. After the first second of
embarrassment, we stared at each other with suspicion. In any case, it was out of the question
for me to take the first step. - Um... Good morning, Sam. "Matthew," I greeted him, icy, serving
him the usual, impersonal nod of vampires. He stiffened and I wondered if he was going to fight
back. "Pretty house," he said, as if he were talking about the weather. - It belongs to two very
generous vampires. The dry tone I had used certainly did not please him because his eyebrows
frowned, but again, he did not lift my sting. Anyway, it was better that I avoid a confrontation a
few minutes before the ceremony of our common friend, who came in a rush to hear us. -
Matthew! You're here! She threw herself into his arms. - I wanted to wish you all the best before
it started. - Oh, I'm so touched! she exclaimed, sniffing. "Angela, if you cry, you're not only going
to stain Matthew's jacket, but you're also going to ruin Ysis' makeup," I reminded him. Oh, oh,
oh Excuse me! But I'm so happy! I couldn't help but smile tenderly as I watched her throw
himself at the neck of Danny, who had just returned and who, receiving her in this way, burst
into tears again. - Sam, I... I turned to Matthew when I heard him speak and was surprised at his
gaze on me. No anger, no bitterness, just hesitation and embarrassment. - We must talk and... -
Ah, you're here! It's already complicated enough to organize without the witness disappearing
from my sight a few minutes from the operations, you want me dead. Follow me! The wedding
planner had just interrupted us by running into the lobby and grabbing Matthew by the arm to
force him back to the altar. Caught off guard by this general-in-chief in Chanel's suit, he let
himself be taken without making a fuss. I didn't really have the leisure to ask myself what he had
to say to me because two minutes later, the music started. Ysis had brought a three hundred-
year-old violinist to accompany my steps and those of the bride to the altar. The first melody
signaled that all the guests were in place and that we had to be ready, the second indicated to
me that I had to walk down the aisle, and the third was the ancestral bridal march indicating to
the bridegroom that his promise was coming to him. Although my stress had reached its
maximum level, I was trying to control it to impose breathing exercises on Angela to calm down.
As it did not work, I earned him one last time the argument of perspiration, which allowed me to
go and accomplish my task with peace of mind. At least... At the signal, I had gone out on the
porch and had descended the four steps separating me from the garden. No sooner had I put
my foot out of the protective walls of the villa than I had to fight an irrepressible urge to back off
and run away. All the heads of the very large audience had turned in my direction at the
beginning of the melody and even trying not to pay attention to it, I felt horribly uncomfortable
being so devoured with my eyes. I did not have to blush with shame, however, since the
admiring comments of humans, which they mistakenly believed to be inaudible, confirmed to me
that my appearance was quite honorable. On the vampire side, they also looked at me, with the
difference that the faces of some who were unknown to me and who should not belong to
Kerington County, expressed an almost greedy curiosity. In the crowd, I recognized Steve, one
of the guards under the orders of Hedayat Javan, also present. The first gave me a small wave
of the hand, while the second, detailed me from head to toe, a greedy smile on his lips, a burst
of envy in his eyes. I went forward without showing anything of my disorder and resisted as
much as possible the call of the leak forwards or backwards by clutching my bouquet of flowers
at the risk of grinding it. I thought my transformation had soothed my shyness! Obviously, my
vampiric self-abhorred crowd baths as much as my human ex-self. It was too loud! I wasn't
going to let it happen! I had to find a way to get past all this and after a short reflection, this one
seemed to me in the end as the most obvious. Phoenix. Despite the distance that separated us,
our eyes clung to each other and the rest of my journey to the altar passed without anything
else in the world except those eyes. I didn't even respond to Ginger Wood's hand sign or
Talanus's nod. All I could see was him... He who looked at me as if he saw me for the first time,
he whose expression of indomitable hardness had given way to that innocent and deep air that
each time capsized my soul, he who did not seem to notice that François had slipped a few
words in his ear smiling, he who illuminated my existence by the simple fact of standing there In
front of me. Arriving at the altar, fortunately a burst of reason guided me next to Matthew or I
was sure that I would have finished my journey curled up in the arms of the groom's witness.
Besides, I almost wished him had been there because he blocked my field of vision and
prevented me from seeing the object of my adoration. - Sam, please come back to earth. This
half-fun, half-reproachful whisper had the desired effect and pulled me out of my daydream. I
glanced at Matthew, astonished by his rather affable but grateful behavior for his advice. It was
time, the bride was coming. - Oooh.... After this single interjection, there was no noise that
disturbed the bride's march towards the formalization of her love. Everyone was captivated by
the unreal beauty of this twenty-six-year-old human, whose immaculate smile dazzled by the
incredible goodness of soul he received. Even vampires, all beautiful, were speechless. One of
them, of course, surpassed all of them. François was literally in shock, but where it might have
made you laugh, that vision was rather upsetting. His whole being was sweating love, to the
point that I even felt like I could touch him. And when at last recovered from the shock caused
by the magical appearance of the one he loved, he smiled at her, I had the impression that the
ambient air had warmed by the force of the feelings they communicated with each other silently.
It was as if the two parts of a whole, so far separated, were about to be finally reunited forever.
It was... Good looking. I don't see any other way to put it. - Sniff... A glance over my shoulder
showed that I wasn't the only one touched by this show. "It's just dust," said Matthew, wiping the
corner of his right eye. I couldn't help but smile, especially when I notified the reactions of the
other guests. On the human side, everyone looked at the couple, wiping away tears, or
mouching loudly in the case of Danny, who was supposed to be in his second packet of tissues.
On the vampire side, Phoenix had warned me that they saw love as a weakness to flee, but the
emotion of coughing those present, including the most impressive, was betrayed by the little
flashes of light that zebraized their pupils. Even Talanus could not hide the smile that had
naturally come to him. - If we are here today... The priest had just begun the ritual words linking
Angela and Francis for eternity. I followed every moment with tenderness, soaking up the
atmosphere of love and happiness that enveloped us. - Let the witnesses bring the covenants.
For the second time, I found myself trapped in the azure eyes of my mentor when we faced the
rings of the bride and groom. Only a few centimeters from each other, I felt his soft gaze as a
caress, and his presence as a cocoon of well-being that warmed my soul. An elbow made me
regain my spirits. Angela stared at me, holding back from laughing and dreadfully embarrassed,
and I hurried to undo the ribbon that held her gold wedding ring set with small diamonds. Damn
it! How could I need up! I couldn't even look up to Phoenix, much less to the audience who had
not lost a crumb of the distressing spectacle I had just offered him. It was therefore with relief
that I joined my place behind Angela, already busy saying her vows with a fervor somewhat
altered by the sobs that interspersed her words. Despite his restraint, Those of François were
just as upsetting and finished to bring down the self-control of his beloved to whom I handed out
a handkerchief intended for the occasion. When, at last, the priest declared them husband and
wife, I felt my heart tighten and my eyelids contract in reaction to the tears of joy that should
have flowed if I had not been a vampire. Their kiss was so pure and beautiful that all the guests
rose to cheer on the new spouses. Applauding myself to break everything, I refrained from
taking my friends in my arms to congratulate them, letting them savor their first embrace of
newlyweds. I was smiling. I smiled so much that I thought I could not stop smiling like this for the
rest of my life as I was happy for those I considered my brother and sister. When they
descended to open the march towards the planned festivities in the reception room of the villa,
and Phoenix appeared again in my field of vision, gallantly offering me his arm to follow them, I
bathed in a fullness so total that I was sure that even the sun could not shine as brightly as I
could. - You're incredibly beautiful, Sam. His compliment, stated very low to be audible only to
me alone, and with a velvet voice charged with sincerity and sensuality, almost made me lose
all control. I would have thrown myself at his neck if: - Um... You'd step forward so the diners
could follow us. Phoenix slipped Matthew a murderous eye, but executed and took me with him
after the enamored couple who didn't seem to care in the least about whether their guests were
following them or not. On the way, I picked myself up enough to stop smiling like an idiot and
look worthy to walk alongside the angel from the Kerington area. I stood upright and looked
proudly in front of me, ignoring my little inner voice, which yelled at me that I would no longer be
content with my companion's arm and grab his lips to make it mine in front of everyone. "It was
a beautiful ceremony," I said, to fill the silence between us as we headed to the reception room.
-That is true, even if I did not listen to a word of what the priest said. I looked up at him,
surprised, and in doing so I thanked heaven for not being able to blush with embarrassment or
to have a heart in a state of excitement. Phoenix looked at me with malice and something else
that I could not identify, but which nevertheless managed to give me vapors. I swallowed to
resume a countenance: - I found his sermon rather interesting, on the contrary. Usually,
religious services annoy me deeply, but now Father Gauratis has been able to find the right
words. - Maybe you're right... His enigmatic smile made me shudder and I wondered if I had
missed an episode. Fortunately, we finally arrived at our destination and marveled at the
beautiful decoration of the place. Guided by Angela's choices, the decorators had done
goldsmith work. Crystal chandeliers and purple orchids adorned fabric tablecloths with pristine
whiteness. Silver crockery, crystal glasses and porcelain plates with a silver edge on their edge
sparkled with the dim light of chandeliers giving the place a magical look, in perfect harmony
with the magical apparition that was Angela. The cocktail began soon, and everyone went to
serve a glass of champagne. A special service consisting of four-pinned creatures of the night
had been set up for the beneficiaries of the blood-cut drinks. Waiters passed among the guests
to offer refreshments and Phoenix caught two "special vampire" flutes. "To François and
Angela," I said, tying my glass with his. - It's yours. My mouth dried up immediately. It was time
for me to swallow the contents of my glass. - Sammyyyyy!! Swallowing the wrong way, I turned
to greet Ginger Wood and her daughter Valerie, who was absolutely ravishing in her electric
blue furl dress. Several men had turned in her path and I saw in Steve's admiring face, not far
away, that she had made a strong impression on him. - Good evening, Ginger, I'm happy to see
you again. The ceremony was beautiful, she grabbed me and hugged me against her generous
chest. - No fuss between us, my little one! Danny told us you'd been sick, and every time you
came back to Scarborough, I didn't see you. I've been worried about you! God you are stunning
in this dress! - Mom... Stop choking her!" said Valerie, scoffing. Even though I didn't run any risk
on that side, I didn't particularly like my favorite candy seller to null and void Sasha's beautiful
bun by being too expansive. "Oh, my little Sammy," she apologised, as she walked away from
me before turning to my boss, reaching out her hand. Phoenix, right? Ginger had a good
memory and above all a penchant for gossip more than pronounced. If she remembered
Phoenix, it was because he had come to my birthday party at Danny's house a few months
earlier and she had fully understood that Matthew was jealous of it. I was wondering how he
was going to react. - I am delighted to see you and your lovely daughter again. His friendliness
surprised me less than the two kisses that followed and which triggered a giggle in Ginger and a
redness of skin as well as a characteristic heart runaway in Valerie. I liked the latter, but the fact
that her body reacted so instinctively to the wild and charismatic beauty of the man of my
dreams annoyed me. Mine! a voice in my head. I felt my canines point, it was better that I did
not open my mouth too much. Fortunately, they were called a little further, leaving Phoenix and I
once again were one-on-one. - Sam, it looks like something made you angry. You closed like an
oyster all of a sudden. Super. What was I going to say? - It's just that I'm hungry. What a loser!
Phoenix looked up at the sky. - Work on your lies while I get us to drink. - Gnaaa. But he was
already gone. Baby! As much as I take the opportunity to send my congratulations to the bride
and groom. The queue seemed much shorter than before. I had taken two steps when: - Sam,
can we talk? I hadn't heard Matthew coming. Bravo! For an angel assistant, it was more than
irritating! "I'm listening to you," I said. With a contrite smile, he replied: - Not here. Outside, if you
don't like me. I don't want everyone to hear what I must say to you. I kept informing him that it
was not the bay window that would prevent a curious vampire from listening to our conversation.
"I'm following you". Once outside, Matthew took me away from the villa, not far from the bride
and groom's altar. I then waited for him to decide to speak because he was dumb as a carp, he
simply looked at me with a mixture of sadness and anxiety. - I wanted to apologize, Sam. I
raised my eyebrows; not sure I had heard his words despite my superhuman powers. He was
even more embarrassed. - Look, I know that I behaved like the last of the morons and that what
I told you at the castle was unforgivable. "Indeed," I said harshly. He nervously passed a hand
in the hair. - My conduct was unspeakable, I know it, I knew it when I spoke, but I was too proud
and above all too hurt to stop. I couldn't understand why you had left me in the dark about your
transformation and above all I didn't accept the reasons that made it necessary... - Matthew...
His sad but resigned expression hurt my heart and I felt my resentment against him subside a
little. - No, Sam. Let me go to the end without interrupting. I was furious... because I loved you
and this transformation ended all my hopes with you. I would never have preferred you to die
instead of becoming a vampire, but I wanted to hurt you at least as much as you had hurt me by
choosing to give your life for Phoenix... so by choosing to love him. I became tense and hoped
that no one, and certainly not the person who was now to pick me up with my glass in his hand,
would have heard this. - Matthew... - I would understand that you do not forgive me for what I
have put you through all these weeks, but I just wanted you to know that I have come to
understand what bound you to this vampire and that you will never feel for me how you feel
about him. Despite my desire to keep quiet, I looked at him with compassion; these words must
have been horribly hard to pronounce. He continued: - Even though I still love you and I believe
that part of me will still love you, I don't want to ruin our friendship. If you agree, I'd like to start
trusting each other again. I voluntarily allowed the silence to weigh between us. Part of me
rejoiced that at last Matthew accepted that the only feelings he inspired me were friendship, and
that he took the initiative to reconcile with me. Another could not forgive him for his cruelty when
I needed him most. - What you said to me hurt me to a point you can't imagine. Matthew sighed
as he shook his head. " I do not ask you to forgive me right away, I suspect the harm I have
done to you. "I don't think so. He raised his eyebrows, a little astonished by the hardness of my
voice. I'm taking it more gently: - I don't want to be mad at you anymore, Matthew. If you can
accept me as I am and accept what you mean to me, a friend, I am ready to trust you again. He
stared at me with a mixture of hope and guilt. "But this will be the last time," I said. The silence
seemed to last between us after this statement, and then: - I understand. He reached out for my
hand, and I slipped him mine. "He must be looking for you, I will take you back to him. There
was no bitterness in his voice and the smile he offered me was calm and resigned. I allowed
myself to smile at him in return, happy with the turn of events. Definitely, this marriage really had
something magical. I found my best friend.
*
The rest of the evening went very well. The guests had been divided during the meal on round
tables and each person's seat was marked by a plan at the entrance. Thus, no human was
mixed up with the vampires’ present, who could taste their liquid menu without being asked
questions. After I returned to the reception room with Matthew, Phoenix had come to meet me
and refrained from commenting, but the way he had crucified my friend with the look, I
suspected that it was not the envy that he had missed. The latter was then quick to go and
congratulate Angela and François. I had held back my boss on his behavior because I knew it
was unnecessary; not only had he warned me that he would never forgive him for treating me
like a monster after my transformation, but also that it was an excuse to be able to hate him at
leisure, he who had never appreciated him. In short, we also went to congratulate the new
spouses before heading to our table, that of the bride and groom in this case. The meal took
place in an atmosphere of celebration and cheerfulness, somewhat tearful when François had
risen to give a speech of thanks to the present assembly. He was a Frenchman; he had the art
of formula and therefore to make people cry in the cottages. Talanus and Ysis were with us,
obviously (it would have been badly taken I think otherwise) and were pleasant table
companions, quite surprising thing knowing them. The Roman general was very gallant towards
Angela and his beloved had regaled us with several rather funny anecdotes of his very long
existence. Matthew had been placed next to Angela and although he was uncomfortable being
seated with a majority of vampires, one of whom never spoke to him, his conduct was beyond
reproach. In short, it was very nice. Then came the moment when the bride and groom opened
the ball with a very romantic waltz during which both devoured each other's gaze. The aura of
love they radiated was so intense that many took their handkerchiefs and I let out a giggle by
notifying Danny's tear-shredded face, to which Matthew gave little pats on the back with a
disgruntled and amused air. The music then became livelier and more modern, a sign that
everyone was invited to occupy the dance floor. Many people did not resist this call and
unknowingly, humans swayed in rhythm alongside creatures straight out of their nightmares.
Two couples already stood out: the bride and groom, too busy looking each other in the eye to
keep pace, danced slowly, as if no one but them existed in the world; as for Talanus and Ysis...
- Jesus! Phoenix laughed when he saw my expression astounded. - What? Didn't I tell you that
they were professionals in all ballroom dances? Mouth gaping, I watched our sector leaders
begin a frenzied rock in the middle of a circle of dusweed and admiring human dancers. It was
as if I were learning that Fidel Castro was an irreducible Pictionary! - I can't believe it!
Fortunately I do not intend to join them, with my sense of rhythm, I would be the ridiculous
incarnate compared to them! "I, who wanted to invite you for the next dances," said a voice
behind my back, "I am disappointed. I had recognized the Persian accent of Hedayat Javan and
especially heard the human heartbeat that accompanied it. Turning around, I saw that the head
of daytime security was accompanied by a young redheaded woman who, in her own way of
staring at me as a rival, was not at all delighted with what she had just heard. "There is no room
for you in her dancebook," replied a velvet voice with a tone as caressing as acid. I turned my
head briskly and struck Phoenix with his eyes, which was not affected in any way since he
merely stared at his colleague in an explicit way: if he did not pass his way in the second to
follow, he would eat it raw. Hedayat grasped the message and bowed to me in the east before
dragging his future mistress (to the way she drooled with envy by undressing him from the eyes,
especially in places where she should have blushed, she would soon be) to the dance floor, not
without whispering a very low "What a pity!" that did not fall into the ear of the deaf. Phoenix
scolded imperceptibly as I thrust myself into my seat a little more in anticipation of the argument
that was about to break out: - I can tell what took you? I attacked, as soon as he ceased to
contemplate Hedayat with the desire to dismiss him. - I have always found this Persian to be
competent and intelligent, but the way he persists in sticking you like this, I think I will revise my
judgment. Not wishing to leave for the umpteenth time on the same subject of contention, I got
up with a sigh and walked towards Danny. - I need a partner, mine is decidedly too grumpy to
get anything out (I knew Phoenix could hear me perfectly and I just laughed when I heard him
scolding with anger); Do you like it? The person concerned stared at me, stunned. - I thought
you hated dancing. I shrugged. - I never took the time to learn and my beloved grandfather tried
to show me a few steps, but it's been a long time since he gave up the idea. I convinced myself
that I was a partner as pleasant as a lead ball at the foot of a prisoner and I must be content to
dream of knowing how to dance instead of enjoying the experience of it. And toc! Take this,
slave boss! Matthew crossed his arms with a devilish smile on his face, reinforced by the
assurance that his subsequent words could not earn him retaliation for the too many witnesses.
- It seems that your grandfather knows how to take advantage of your hard work, but in return
he is not very interested in your desires. In other circumstances, I would have seen in this
reflection an aggressive sting of a friend jealous of his rival, but after our discussion in the
gardens, I understood that this was not the case and that, on the contrary, Matthew was holding
a pole to his enemy telling him that my desires in this case were focused on him. That's why I
didn't scold my newfound friend and contented myself with discreetly signaling him not to look
for trouble by raising the price on the subject. It was already a miracle that Phoenix didn't get up
to knock him out in front of everyone, there's no need to tickle the beast more. - So? I asked
Danny. He jumped up and after a deep bow, he extended his arm to me. - You speak to the
man who taught Fred Astaire everything, little girl. Follow me. As I performed, I glanced at
Phoenix to check that my goal of angering him was masterfully achieved, but I felt a curious
anxiety at the sight of his enigmatic smile, his eyes following my arrival on the dance floor with a
glimmer of revenge that told me nothing worthwhile. It was with apprehension and slight
attention that I followed Danny's teachings for a little more than three songs, then Matthew's
when my first teacher, too breathless (or desperate) to continue, had called his son to the
rescue. - Sam! Put some of yours on it! You're not at all into what you do! Ouch! His cry of pain
had brought me back to earth and I was quick to apologize for crushing his foot with my heel.
Not to disturb the other dancers who were twirling on salsa, we had put themselves at the other
end of the track, near the DJ, but the result was to increase my disorder even more since
Phoenix was no longer in my field of vision. He was preparing a trick for me, I was sure! - Ouch!
Sam! Now you're doing it again! cried my partner. - Oh, I'm sorry, Matthew! - Well, listen. We're
going to come back to his side so you can see him once and for all, so you'll be able to follow
me without risking crippling me every step of the way! Quite irritated, my friend dragged me to
the edge of the track by playing elbows to keep the other guests away from our passage. As I
was careful not to step on my dress, I was able to say thank you to my vampire reflexes that
allowed me not to get into him when he stopped in front of me. "Come on, actually, we're going
to go back to the DJ's stage," he said, positioning himself so that I wouldn't see what was going
on behind him. - Why? The speakers are killing my eardrums there, I will be more focused on
this side! - Believe me, it's better if we go back to where we came from! Perhaps it was the tone
of his voice or his eagerness to turn me around that set off an alarm in my head. - What's he
doing? I said dryly, my foreboding becoming more pressing as the second paraded. Matthew
sighed. - I hope that what Angela told me about your newborn self-control is justified, because
you're not going to like it. - Please push yourself. The spectacle that was offered to me allowed
me to confirm my friend's hope. Fortunately, for the flame of jealousy that set me ablaze at that
moment was so gigantic that if I had had the power to bring fire out of my body, like my
illustrious ancestor, my enemies would have found themselves charred on the spot.
*
Sam? The fearful murmur in my ear reminded me that I was in the middle of a wedding ball and
that I could not decently spoil the party by ripping off the heads of several of her guests, who, in
great conversation with the dirty traitor who served me as boss, had no idea that a predator
stared at them like prey to be slaughtered. I pick myself up and think. Phoenix showed the fangs
to all the men who approached me from near or far and from his side, he himself allowed
himself to snuggle with a band of humans too busy drooling with envy in front of him rather than
listening to their sixth sense which tried in vain to warn them of the danger that the object of
their fantasies represented for them? I thought back to the scene he gave me after my
welcoming ceremony at Talanus and Ysis. Son of a bitch! He didn't lose anything to wait! But at
first, before I could steal his feathers, I had to get rid of his delirious fans. And what fans! There
were three of them, all dressed in attractive dresses indicating their availability for the night to
any single person interested in their plastic remade silicone. They carried with them the
intelligence of fish in addition to sweating the filthy ignorance of the basic principles of good
manners, including the one that advocates women to avoid jumping on anything that moves so
as not to be called "easy girls". I could only see Phoenix's back, but the way these women were
pushing their chests to bring out their big breasts, I suspected that he offered them a charming
facet of his personality, a facet to which I was never been entitled. It put me in a mad rage, rage
that reached its climax when the most daring, the blonde, who reminded me of Engara (imagine
then how much I wanted to kill her), dared to put her hand on his arm, who did nothing to get rid
it. I roared mentally. In my world of owner, I saw only this hand, which I wanted to dismantle
bone by bone. - Sam... Matthew whispered again, so low that no human or vampire could hear
him. You're starting to scare me. "Don't worry," I reassured him after a good inspiration, having
allowed me to contain my desire for murder. There are more subtle ways of acting than rushing
into the heap. " Please, whatever you have in your head, it's a bad idea. I rolled up my lips and
put one last touch to my battle plan. - Thanks for the dance, Matthew. And without taking care of
his reaction, I left him... Phoenix must have felt my approach, but he had a false surprise when I
suddenly appeared at his side, pushing back at the same time the shamed hand towards its'
owner, who was lucky to find her with all her fingers. - Darling! I threw, taking his arm without
allowing me to crush him. There you are, I was looking for you. This time, my employer's
surprise was not feigned. Obviously, he had not expected this entry. Without giving the young
women a look or giving her the opportunity to speak and the upper hand over me, I went on: - I
finally found the medicine prescribed by the doctor Stanbruck, the box had fallen into the lining
of my bag. His frown and his question... - What medication? ... made me address him a wicked
smile, visible to him alone. "You know, the one against impotence." I heard a set of sneers
muffled behind my back; it was the infernal trio. I seemed to have seen a big chubby vampire
spitting out all the contents of his glass on his long-toothed neighbor, who also didn't seem to
have noticed, too horrified by what she had just heard coming out of my mouth. It wasn't the
time to back off, I may have won the game with Phoenix, but I wasn't done yet. I turned to the
groupies and with an unbearable slowness for them, I detailed them with all the disdain and the
desire for massacre that they inspired me. My expression must have impressed them because
in a perfect whole, they blushed and shriveled on themselves. What I didn't foresee was that in
doing so, I had a good view of the veins that pulsate at their necks, making me want to plant my
fangs there. I don't really know what I was looking at this time, but I suspected it wasn't going to
be very pleasant because in a flash, the three Playboy girls fled as fast as their pumps allowed
them to. Although these igniters dispersed to the four winds, it was not the case of my anger,
and gathering all the invective that had come to mind, I turned abruptly to face the object of my
wrath ... ... Except that I had just come across his incredibly soft azure gaze while he was in the
rage of mine, that mine was completely lost and forgot the reasons for his appearance. His
smile, at that moment, could have melted the entire Antarctic ice sheet and stupidly, I felt melted
too. - Honey... His tone was ironic, but curiously cheerful. He was not at all angry... ... But... I
dreamed where he had just called me "Honey"? I was dreaming! Yes, yes, I was dreaming! -
Well? His serious and sensual laughter made me shudder even in places still unexplored by no
man. What the! - If I must take pills against impotence, those for the ability to align three
coherent thoughts should be recommended to you. It was well found by the way, it caught me
off guard. Completely disconcerted by his friendly attitude, I didn't know how to approach what
had initially made me angry. - What catches me off guard is that you take it with a smile. A white
flash ran through his irises and he grabbed my chin and looked me straight in the eye. I
shudder. - That was the goal for me, but I feel like you didn't like it as much as I did. I hope you
were not jealous. His smile in the corner made me understand his little merry-go-round, which I
thought was very devious. He had sought to humiliate me by showing that I could behave as
badly as he did when I entered his world at Talanus. Why else do I want to be jealous? There's
no way we're going to give him satisfaction. - Jealous, me? And why, please? Don't think I feel
the slightest sense of ownership towards you. If I intervened, it was only to prevent you from
scaring these idiots with your cave male manners! His eyes creased; his smile became wilder.
Was he amused or irritated? - My cave male manners seemed to satisfy them, on the contrary.
They have pleased many women in five centuries. It's strange, you're the only one who ever
complains about it. Outraged by so much arrogance and especially by the mention of his
previous conquests, I felt the anger win me again. Perhaps because I am the only woman who
must undergo daily your repeated mood swings, your barbaric workouts, and your superiority
complex. Beware because one day you will have a hard time getting through the doors at the
same time as your ego! Won. He took the fly and his smile faded like snow in the sun. - I must
have confidence in my qualities to support a woman who, as a vampire, has the gift of
systematically going to look for the little beast in order to poison my existence. Re-won. My fury
was awakening. -You had to think about it before I ever bleed to replace it with yours! I whistled,
paying attention to the indiscreet ears. No sooner had I spoken these words than I regretted
them; I had gone too far. His eyes passed to a hair to burst into flames completely. - If it's to
hear this kind of thing, I still prefer to suffer the ridiculous giggles of women earlier. He stared at
me and even though I knew I was at fault; I could not help but say: - At your leisure. ... as dryly
as he was. Phoenix left me in the middle of the empty tables and headed for the gardens
without a look back. But what had taken me? did I immediately think that he disappeared. I had
let myself be so carried away by my jealousy that I had ended up being cruel and stupid.
Phoenix offered me a ceasefire and all I could do was ruin our beautiful evening. Because how
do you make it up after that? It was over! Why didn't I know how to be reasonable for once? I
shouldn't have used my transformation to win an inept verbal joust. I shouldn't have played with
his guilt. What I could have been stupid! I said to myself, falling heavily on a chair, his head in
my hands. Sam? I didn't answer, I wanted to be alone with my remorse. Missed. Someone sat
down next to me. - I told you it was a bad idea. - Matthew, I'm not in the mood to hear a "I told
you so"! - What happened after you drove those girls away? It seemed to me that it was getting
better. I stood up to face him. - We had a fight... It's totally my fault. - Why? - I am not sure that
you are the best person to allow me to spread my love vexations. He pinched his lips but took
my hands. - Just because you told me nothing would happen between us doesn't mean I can't
be your friend anymore, so tell me what's bothering you. How honest can I be with Matthew? On
the one hand I needed to confide in someone, on the other hand, he said, I did not consider him
the ideal person for it. "I couldn't bear for him to make fun of me," I said. " What did he tell you?
He wouldn't let go. Ok, I might as well get started: - Some time ago, I blamed him for his
possessiveness towards me and tonight he had fun proving to me that I was not much better
than him. Except what he doesn't know is that my possessiveness has nothing to do with my
new vampire status; I love him and I don't know how to tell him without him running away from
me, so when a woman tries to take it from me, I feel an intense jealousy and incidentally, a
desire to kill. Matthew raised his eyebrows on these last words, looking genuinely worried. - It's
a way of talking! I hastened to reassure him. It belonged to the Mellindra Circle, which had
vowed to stop the killing of human beings by vampires who had not respected morality. It was
not the time, when we had just reconciled, that he believed that I had just switched to the dark
side of the force. - I was scared for a second," he laughs. I held back to follow him in his hilarity
since my desire to kill had never been a way of speaking. "Well," he said more earnestly. And
what did you tell him to get him to go away like that? - I used the feeling of guilt he feels for my
transformation in order to have the last word. Matthew grimaced. - Believe me, I hate this guy
and what he did to you, but I'm afraid you must apologize to him. You shouldn't have. I let my
head fall back in my hands. - God, what these incessant quarrels can tire me! I was going to
follow his idea when a well-known voice interrupted us. - If you knew how happy I am that you
have finally reconciled! Here we are again! exclaimed Angela, falling half on me, too pompous
to aim properly at the chair. Matthew and I immediately composed a smile of circumstance so
as not to spoil the happiness of the bride with my nonsense. She took us each in one arm and
hugged as hard as she could. - Gargl! Ang', you forget that I'm not a vampire and that I can die
suffocated if you keep hugging me like that! -Sorry! She shrapnel away, bursting into laughter,
then hiccupping. "I told you not to abuse champagne," I said, helping him to get right. - Hic!
François arrived just after, sporting an aura of unsealed serenity. - She only drank three cups. I
think the stress must have helped the bubbles act faster. (He looked at his sweetheart as a gift
from Santa; it looked like he still couldn't believe she said yes) I hope you're having a good
night. Matthew peddles me to answer: - In fact, I was hoping that you would have more success
than me with Sam to teach him to dance in rhythm. She's a distracted student. I stared at him in
disbelief. What was wrong with him? Why was he handing me over to François in this way, kind
of like a big unwanted package? Was that all he got out of our discussion? After what had just
happened, I had not the slightest desire to dance! He pretended that I did not exist and went on:
- You are the most patient man I know; you should do it. François smiled at me with all the
goodness that inhabited him. - Anyway, I came to you to invite Sam to dance. After all, it was
thanks to her that I met my wife. What did you mean by that? At least not no! Not at the risk of
offending the brother I had never had and who was only trying to please me. - Oh yes, dance
with François, Sam! All you must do is let him guide you and you'll be fine! Problem! If Angela
did too, I was defeated in advance. - Uh... Ok. But if I'm too lame, you promise to take me back
to my seat. François grave laughter echoed in my ears. - It's a sworn jury. Dismayed by
Matthew's betrayal, I let him take me on the track, where I had made a fool of myself since the
beginning of the evening. Fortunately, Angela was right and after two songs, our musketeer
managed to get me to perform several sequences without me leaving against the odds. I may
have had extraordinary talents for a vampire, but for the dance, I was still a real dung, so it was
a real feat that François was doing at that moment. Jesus Christ would not have done better,
any son of God that he was! In the end, I didn't do so badly. Yes... Compared to Talanus and
Ysis who had embarked on a series of crazy steps, I remained a dung. I noticed Angela, a little
further on, who waved to cheer me on as she played gracefully with her partner, whom I could
not see, but who I thought was Matthew. At the end of the song, everyone applauded and
congratulated each other while waiting for a new one to start. Only, instead of a catchy new
track, it was a sweet and romantic melody that rose from the DJ's speakers. It was slow song.
As it seemed more logical for my partner to dance with his wife, I proposed that we exchange
our partners: I would dance with Matthew, while he would meet Angela. After all, I didn't need
classes for a slow, just swing from one foot to the other while waiting for it to happen. When I
got to the middle of the track, I realized that Angela had the same idea as me when I saw her
join me. However, it was not against Matthew that I found myself. The man who had been
dancing with my friend since earlier was none other than Phoenix and as I frankly suspected,
the fact that we were in front of each other during a slow was not a coincidence. The
resplendent smile of my favorite bookseller was enough proof of his treachery. In theory, I might
have liked this situation. The problem was that if my boss was still mad at me, he would not
hesitate to abandon me to my fate by returning to his place. Embarrassed and frightened at the
thought of being pushed back, I didn't dare look at it when the bride and groom left us to enjoy
their dance. Maybe it was better for me to start by apologizing: - Phoenix... I'm sorry for earlier, I
was stupid and... The softness of a finger on my lips made me stop. - Shut up, Sam.
Everything's fine. He did not give me time to check his words and drew me to him. As in a
dream, he grabbed my right hand in his as he put his other hand behind my back to hold me
against him. I felt like my heart was pounding when he started to move, training me too. In fact,
we were barely moving, but I felt every movement with incredible intensity. Every time our
bodies brushed, my cells began to vibrate in unison, as if to beg me to prolong contact. To
satisfy them as much as to prevent Phoenix from seeing my disorder, I passed my arms around
his neck and buried my face in the hollow of his shoulder. He did nothing to stop me and on the
contrary, tightened his embrace around my waist as if to blend in with him. If he had had a
breath, I would have felt it clearly on my neck, where my skin burned me with the desire to feel
him stick his canines in my flesh and to drink my essence to carry me to the limits of pleasure. It
was not, however, only the desire I felt, so closely embraced against him. All my feelings had
awakened to his contact and in the depths of my being, I felt the bond that connected me to this
man. Unique... Powerful... Eternal... If there had been no one around us, I was sure that at that
moment I would have revealed to him that I was madly in love with him. But that wasn't the
case... then I contented myself with sighing with happiness as I savored the twilight fragrances
of his natural fragrance, which, even more so now that I was like him, bewitched me to the point
of transporting me into a clearing at sunset. When his lips grazed me gently up towards my ear,
an explosion of heat swirled in my body. - Where do you want to sleep, Sam? His murmur
triggered a second explosion, even more powerful than the previous one and above all, horribly
located south of my anatomy. What did he mean? Sam? he'll still be sousing, his lower lip
caressing the lobe of my ear. Almighty God! - With you! I gasped, as if I were taking my first
breath of air in years. He laughed and his right hand went up my spine to play with a wick that
had escaped from my bun. - That's not what I meant. Horribly embarrassed at the thought of
what he had understood, I stiffened myself and strayed from him. He wouldn't let me. Under
pressure, I found myself glued to his torso. - It is obvious that you sleep with me. His smile had
not disappeared, but his voice suddenly became hoarse, as well as the strange glow in his
eyes, found an echo with my cells, which seemed to want to abandon my skeletal system to go
and wrap itself around the one they wanted to join. They almost started screaming with ecstasy
when he stroked my cheek with his left hand. - The sun rises in just over two hours. Unless you
prefer to sleep here, you're going to have to think about saying goodbye to our friends to go
back to Scarborough. I glanced through the bay window to look out. The sky was black in ink,
but I could only attest to his words since my legs were beginning to become as heavy as lead.
My disorder had overshadowed this now familiar feeling, but I realized that it was there. Soon,
the sleep of the newborns would catch up with me and I would collapse asleep in front of
everyone. Either I was still enjoying the evening and I was occupying with my boss one of the
rooms of the villa at our disposal, or I left earlier to find the bed I now shared with him. I was so
well in his arms... And I wanted to wake up in our room, with him saying hello to me by smiling
and placing his eternal rebellious locks behind his ear. I wanted both or nothing. There was a
way. - I want to go back to Scarborough... He nodded, but I wasn't done. - ... through the air. I
don't know if the smile he gave me in response included some understanding of my intentions,
but I didn't care. I was going to enjoy the joy of being in his arms until I fell asleep. It was a
fairytale wedding.
*
"Are you leaving?" Phoenix had held me against him for two more dances before reminding me
that the sun would soon begin its run in the sky. I was so good that I had completely forgotten
the deadline of the start of the day. I would have liked my partner to hold me in his arms
forever... - We are almost the last. The flight to Scarborough will be longer than usual, he
answered François' question. I will take back roads to prevent the most morning workers from
having the idea of looking up at the sky and discovering it Superman and Lois Lane. I smile at
this evocation. Apart from flying in the air, we had nothing in common with these two characters,
however, I am more like imagining my employer with cape and tights. - Why are you smiling,
Sam? Heck! - I... I thought this wedding was amazing. "Supernatural would be better," said
Matthew as he approached our group. I'm going home, too, Angela. Danny forced some alcohol
and collapsed in the back seat of my car an hour ago; I don't want him to spend the night there.
"Instead, we should help you get him out of there so that you can both rest in a room, without
risking killing you on the road," I worried. "She is right," Ysis interjected, accompanied by
Talanus. There's enough room here for you and your father. - Don't worry about me. It's okay.
He went to hug François and Angela, and then, after a brief hesitation because of Phoenix's
presence by my side, he did the same with me before walking away towards the parking lot. -
Wait! I cried, when he was already a hundred yards from us. I left my friends to join him before
he got in his car. - Matthew! He closed his door and waited for me to come in front of him. - Yes,
Sam? - I did not thank you for what you did. - I'm sorry? I took his hands and shook them in
mine. - Earlier, you asked François to resume the dance lessons where you had left them.
Logically, it was with you that Angela should have danced, but it was with Phoenix that I found
her, but he was angry at me and didn't flinch when he had to be my partner. The only
explanation that comes to mind is that you and Angela went to see him to bring him back among
the dancers and make him forgive me for my misplacement. Matthew's lips formed only a thin
line on his face. His eyes are there. - I don't know what you said to him, but I suspect what it
must have cost you to bring him back to me. He turned his head away and closed his eyes. - I
thought it was the right thing to do. But when I saw you both dancing, so firmly clinging to each
other, I almost regretted my gesture. I did not know what to say, nothing could ease the pain of
my friend, which I was responsible for in spite of myself. He faced me again, eyes shining, but a
burst of infallible determination in his irises. - I told you not to worry about me, I will be able to
turn the page and if you need a friend, you know I will always be there for you. I felt like my eyes
were bursting with tears. "Thank you so much. He put a light kiss on my cheek and just said
goodbye. The next moment, he took his sleeping father to finish his night in a bed more
comfortable than the back seat of his car. A second later, a soothing hand landed on my
shoulder. "I suppose you heard our conversation," I said without turning around, "for I knew full
well who was the presence behind my back." - He was convincing. I do not forgive him what he
told you after your transformation, but he has regained a few points in my esteem. I stared at
him, astonished by his magnanimity. - It's very amazing of you. Phoenix's gaze on me troubled
me. - He had to give up on you because you did not share his love and to preserve your
friendship, he went so far as to arrange your reunion with his rival. It gives him useful
circumstances for me. I was going to ask him to clarify his idea of the rival in question when
François' voice came to us. He didn't scream and just said our names. - Come on, Sam. I
followed him to François and Angela who told us that Talanus and Ysis had gone to give orders
for the management of the storage of the premises by the daytime employees of the villa.
"We're going to leave," Phoenix announced, before congratulating his best friend again that he
hugged. He did the same with Angela, who gave him a kiss on his cheek that caught him off
guard and made me burst out laughing. It was then my turn to say goodbye to the young
spouses. The emotion was overwhelming me, and it was with difficulty that I uttered these
words: - I entrust her to you, François. Take good care of my sister at heart. " I swear to you. I
kissed her again and whispered in her ear: - Take good care of my favorite musketeer, and
don't forget to tell him that you love him until he gets tired of it. I heard a serious laugh behind
me. - I'm afraid it's never going to happen. I smiled at them both, happy at the thought of the
happiness they were going to live together. - Goodbye. As they left to reach Phoenix a little
further away, the joy turned to exhaustion and I smothered a yawn. I didn't have much time left
before I fell into the arms of the Vampire Morpheus. All I wanted to do was fall into their
angel's... - Are you ready? Snuggling up to you? Always! I thought. Fortunately Phoenix could
not read the thoughts, he would have been shocked by the multitude of fantasies in which he
appeared. In fact, sometimes I would shock myself. - Yes, I'm just saying. With infinite
sweetness, he took me in his arms and rose slowly to heaven. It was the first time since my
transformation that I experienced a trip in the air and I noticed that in addition to no longer
feeling dizzy, I could appreciate the landscape below, which was shrinking as we gained
altitude. I could see Kerington's lights shining under my feet in a multitude of little white dots.
Already, a few cars were entering the city's expressways. - How beautiful... - It's even more
beautiful in the middle of the clouds. Phoenix rose again and I could only agree with him.
Everything was so beautiful and silent, it would have been like a dream, especially since no
longer being human, I no longer suffered from the bite of the cold. Delighted by this dreamlike
landscape, I began to feel the effects of the newborn's sleep as my eyelids became heavier and
heavier. - I like... I murmured faintly, gripped more and more by the stupor that called me. My
carrier understood my condition and immediately gained speed to return to our place of retreat.
The beautiful scenery of earlier became blurred, but I wondered if it was not because of my
fatigue. I had to close my eyes for a while because when I regained vague consciousness, the
man of my life was placing me with the utmost care on the bed he shared with me. - Phoenix... I
articulated, in a voice that seemed awfully pasty to me. Chhhht. We're here, Sam. - I... am so
tired... I felt myself leaving again, his face was just a blurred shadow above me. - Rest, I'll take
care of putting you to bed. I had vaguely the idea that I had to feel embarrassed by my inability
to undress alone, but I no longer felt the strength. My mind began to wander and remembered
the previous events in disorder. - Phoenix? - Yes, Sam? - You are a good dance teacher. My
fog intensified even more as it collapsed, to the point that I could no longer discern what was
dream or reality. In fact, the soft lips I felt on my forehead seemed totally unreal to me. I had
flipped, it was obvious. Everything was black around me. I might as well tell the truth in my
unconscious. - Phoenix... - Sam? In my dream, I relished the sensation of fingers gently
spreading the strands of my hair that fell on my face. It seemed so real... his voice was so
sweet... - I lied to you... I smile when I start my sentence. If I couldn't be honest in my dream,
when could I? The voice had been silent... Very well. - Tonight, I was mad with jealousy... Even
though I had not spoken these words in real life, I felt relieved of a weight, at the same time that
a certainty was required of me. In a short time, I would gather my courage and allow my heart to
free itself from the secret in which I had locked it since I had discovered for whom it actually
existed. In a short time, I would give it of my own free will to the one who would use it at will,
since I was all his. But for the time being, I was content to sink into the fullness of a restful and
well-deserved sleep.

Chapter IV: The Masked Ball

The week after François and Angela's marriage was rather quiet, except for the increasing daily
difficulty of suppressing my feelings for Phoenix. I didn't know why, he had been surprisingly
gentle and caring towards me since the day after the wedding, as if I had told him or done
something that had touched him. In fact, his propensity to incubate my gaze or incubate me
ever since, had triggered in me an ever more pervasive hope, which I had difficulty reasoning.
My whole being stretched in the same simple and haunting question: What if? All I could think
about was him at all times, and as soon as he was absent to settle a few things with his
superior, I almost felt a real physical torture while waiting for him to return. On the other hand,
as the days passed, I would sometimes wake up shortly after him and I hoped to see quickly the
time when I could finally open my eyes and feel his presence at my side in bed. This idea, every
time I thought about it, made me boil my blood because of the more than unbridled thoughts I
associated with it; I wanted it as long as I suffered from it. And it wasn't with my discussions with
Angela that it was going to get better! Indeed, I had waited three days after her honeymoon to
Paris before asking her about him and we had agreed to meet at the castle for a shopping
evening at the Pembroke shopping center, far from any indiscreet vampire ear. So we had left
the men between them and on the way, I listened passionately to her description of the French
capital and the monuments she had visited there with her husband, swearing inwardly to ask
one day in Phoenix to accompany me to this dream country, where we would follow in the
footsteps of the great men who had built that, notre Dame Cathedral Versailles, or the Arc de
Triomphe. I had always wanted to see France, but fate had decided that this project should be
postponed. However, I did not despair of going there one day, especially since my friend
assured me that visiting Paris at night was an experience she would never forget, especially
alongside a man who could tell her anecdotes still unknown to historians on these places.
François had introduced her to a wonderful world, outside the usual tourist trails, with a
downside however: - It's crazy how it can stink of urine in the corridors of their subway! Ugh!
She scoffed at me, telling me that one evening, a bunch of young offenders had tried to rob
them both. - I suppose François took very badly the fact that they threatened you. -That's not
saying much! He stunned them in two minutes! - I hope there were no witnesses. - Oh yes! (I
raised my eyebrows; François wasn't the type to endanger the Secret for a handful of idiots) But
they thought he was a martial arts specialist so we were careful not to contradict them. I
laughed. It was true that humans sometimes saw no further than the tip of their noses! And I'd
better keep my mouth shut because it hasn't been that long since I wasn't. I parked in the
parking lot of the mall. -Well, where do you want to start? Shoes, clothes, underwear? Angela
scratched her chin. - Hm... My stay in Paris also brought me a complete renewal of my stock of
lace underwear (I almost ran into an old lady by suddenly turning my head towards my partner)
but I need pants. Direction H and M! There, between two pairings of jeans, she returned
squarely to my cabin, and ignoring my protests as well as my underwear, she began to tell me
in detail about her wedding night. I had obviously tried to silence her because I wasn't sure I
wanted to hear this, just as I wasn't sure that François would be happy to learn that a third
person was going to be made aware of his performance in bed. - I'm going to explode if I don't
talk to someone and you think I'm not going to make that kind of confidence to Matthew!
Anyway, I warned François that I had no secrets for you! - Doesn't he have a say too? Don't
bother him by telling me about this! - I love you, Sam, but now you really need to stop behaving
like you have a broomstick planted where I think! Her remark left me shocked. The so refined
and so sweet Angela, my sister at heart, had just called me stuck in extremely rude terms! -
Angela! She shrugged. - You're a vampire, sex shouldn't be shocking to you! - Except for a
vampire who has never practiced before! It's embarrassing because I don't know what you're
talking about! You could think about it! - Precisely, I think my confidences could help you with
Phoenix. -Well? - When the time is right! - EH? I fooled, atrociously embarrassed by the turn of
the conversation. "Please! When I came to see you tonight, I saw how he looked at you!
Congratulations, Sam! It's coming soon! It was too much, I was so mortified that I wanted to
throw her out of my cabin. The problem was that my hormones had suddenly gone wild when I
heard my friend's speech about the possibility that my secret desires would be fulfilled soon,
and that instead of telling her to go out, I scolded the shreds of the pants I had just torn. Angela
collapsed from her stool so much she laughed. - François told me about your little problem of
hormonal reactivity at the evocation of your angel of the night. I didn't think it was that bad! She
was still screaming with laughter when, with a hard push, I sent her rolling out, at the feet of
several customers stunned by the spectacle we offered them. Fortunately, my new nature did
not prevent me from being magnanimous; after many excuses, I finally forgive my friend when
she offered me a pair of blue and silver sapphire earrings that had dazzled me as we passed in
front of the window of a jewelry store. My new penchant for bling-bling and my reflection in the
mirror with these two beauties had finished reconciling us. On the way home, I cursed her again
when she decided to resume the confession of her wedding night where she had left it. I could
not decently throw her out of our car en route so I resigned myself to hearing her evocation of
her intimacy with François. To my greatest relief, she merely described the sensations she had
felt during their embrace and how she had fulfilled her most secret desires. My embarrassment
eventually flew away to make way for a real curiosity about what we were supposed to
experience during those moments. - Ah, Sam! I can tell you that it had nothing to do with the
other nights spent with my former lovers... She spoke of it with stars in her eyes, as if she had
come close to Paradise. I suddenly envy her. - I only had sex with three of the boys I dated and
frankly, I told myself that I was not made for this exercise. So I was afraid to disappoint François
but... (she became entangled, something that, after what she had just told me, surprised me) it
was magical! He knew exactly what to do and how to do it to send me to the seventh, what do I
say! to the ninth heaven! I bit my lip, as much as not to spoil my friend's memory with a stupid
word, as to try to stem the unfulfilled surge of desire that the account of her experience
provoked in me. Sam? Your lip is bleeding. Oh, I don't know. And heck! I quickly wiped myself
with a handkerchief, inwardly pestering my inability to control myself at least the minimum that
would allow me not to make a fool of myself. - Seeing you radiate so happiness fills me with joy,
I am glad that your couple works as well. She had not noticed the tension that inhabited me and
had continued on the subject of Absolute Love all the rest of the way to the castle. Whenever
she was ecstatic about the sensuality of François' lips or the softness of her hands, I couldn't
help but imagine Phoenix's on my skin, which, at this idea, became so sensitive that the
slightest friction of fabric in my clothes gave me fumes. How can we stay focused when heaps
of images all more erotic than each other continue to assail our consciousness already hardly
felt by the smoldering fire in every part of our body? Easy to guess... - Sam! You're driving in the
wrong lane! ... It was a real ordeal to endure. When I came home, horribly oppressed by the
heat waves that kept coming back to the assault every time I pushed them away, I desperately
needed to freshen my mind. Phoenix and François were playing chess in the living room and
when the first got up after the latter had received his young wife, who had thrown himself at him
to kiss him savagely, I thought that a nap in the freezer would be most appropriate in my
condition. As my employer was already frowning, thinking that a certain reddish glow would
appear in my pupils, I pretended a burning thirst to escape into the kitchen. There I sprayed my
face under cold water at least five times in a row to make my mind regain, without success.
Sam? I heard an incredibly manly and sensual call voice from the drawing-room. My canines
popped up at a speed never before reached while my eyes ignited with terrible intensity. -
Damn! swore atrociously between my teeth. A nano-second later, I had opened the refrigerator
in its blood part and placed myself right in front, so as to enjoy the icy fumes that were escaping
from it. There... It was already having an effect, I could already feel my temperature drop.
Inhale, exhale... Inhale, exhale... Inhale, exhale... Inspire, experience... A hand landed on my
shoulder, a slight smell of cologne tickled my nostrils. Sam? - ROOOOOOAAAAARRR! Turning
around to roar in his face, I had lost the battle to keep what little I had left of dignity. Phoenix
jumped up and hurried back, but too late. I was already on him. We both swung to the ground
and I had already managed to lacerate the entire front of his shirt when I suddenly found myself
in the air, before crashing into the kitchen table, spraying it at the same time. Surrounded by a
pile of debris, the consciousness of my actions came back to me at the same time as my
stomach fell like a brick at my feet. I particularly liked this table because of all the good times I
had shared there with the man of my dreams. How many times had he sat in front of me,
reading his diary while I devoured my little dishes concocted by me, and which he liked to smell
if not to taste them? How many times had we laughed here, when my rabid stomach started
growling to scold me for not sticking my fork in my mouth fast enough? How many times had I
seen him smile tenderly at me, as we were facing the same table that I had just cut to pieces?
Slumped on my back, I heard François and Angela running to see what had happened. I was so
ashamed because of my visceral reaction that I stood still, unable to get up, unable to sustain
their gaze at all. - Sam… This fearful inquiry made me growl with spite. - Angela, go into the
living room, it's more careful. They thought I was going to hurt her. "No," I said. All right. It was
not going well at all, but it had nothing to do with a possible crisis of violence. I got up, slowly,
and took a good gull of air before turning back to my friends. Oh,... I realized that I was swearing
more and more often lately, but on the other hand, who could blame me? François made his
body a veritable bulwark to protect his wife from my madness, which had nothing to do with her,
without being mean, but instead focused on the somewhat unsealed man who stared at me with
anger, his beautiful shirt out of price good to put in the trash. Pierced by the arrow of his
disappointment, I let myself be overwhelmed by spite and allowed the sobs that had gathered at
the bottom of my throat to come out. I covered my face with my hands in the hope of not putting
myself on a show, to no avail. Oh... Sam. Angela had been faster than Phoenix and François
and surrounded me with her arms to bring me back against her and rock me. - Sam... Hearing
my name uttered by the one who, at the moment, had repelled me so violently, made my
distress redouble. Although he had surely thought I was attacking him, my boss had rejected me
again; I felt like I was back on the night of my 30th birthday. - Come on, we're going to find a
quiet spot to talk. I let her drag me out of the kitchen, noting in passing that she had struck
Phoenix with the darkest look she had in stock. - Where? she asked me in the hallway. - This
way. It was my turn to take her where I was sure that two vampire hearings would be insufficient
to hear the conversation we would have. - Wow! could she hold back when she saw the library
door sliding to the side after I had activated the book. A vampire never delivered the secret of
his daytime retirement lightly. I had blind faith in Angela. Between sobs, I said to her, - This is
the room I share with Phoenix. She stared at me, looking disappointed. " Do you share it? - I
have no choice as long as I risk behaving like a vampire unable to control myself; like just now...
- Oh, Sam... She pressed me again against her, and then made us sit on the bed. - It's my fault,
isn't it? I nodded silently. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. " I don't blame you. How could anyone have
predicted that I would lose my mind at this point? - If he had kissed you as he should have done
for a long time, that bastard, you wouldn't be here! - Don't talk about him like that! You can't
blame him for not finding me to his liking! I could not help but defend it, even though in truth I
completely agreed with it. - Finally, Sam! It is only to you that the truth escapes?! Not... In fact!
You are as stupid as each other! - Angela! - You told me yourself that you were determined to
seduce him! And when he shows more than obvious signs of your success, you refuse to see
them and still prefer to believe that you are indifferent to him. If it is by suffering that you seek to
reassure yourself, it is because you have a serious problem! - I'm waiting for the right moment
and it's not easy! I'm not as brave as you are! Are you happy? - No! You are a vampire, bitch!
Prove it! - Have I not already proved it earlier by trying to rape the man I love? - It was nothing
but the explosion of your frustration. If you want my opinion, in the end, it's pretty positive. I
hiccuped. - You're crazy! - No, it shows you that in the long run, it will be up to you to take the
first step. - You say anything! She turned red with anger and grabbed me by the shoulders to
shake me. - And you are a virgin, and you may remain so for a long time if you don't put a little
of yours in it! I don't know how to say how offended I felt. The last time I was put in the face, I
slapped my employer. Angela was waiting for me to stop looking at her with a face alternating
shame and fury to water her with reproaches. They never came. I closed my mouth and lay
down. She imitated me. What I had never accepted from Phoenix, I could only take from
Angela's. She was right. I promised myself to seduce him and I made no progress because I
kept restraining my impulses towards him. My behaviour earlier was explained by all the
frustration that had accumulated in me over the weeks, a frustration that had finally come to light
when my friend had made me glimpse the delights that I could live in the arms of the man of my
life if he finally agreed to let his guard down with me. It was true that since the marriage of our
friends he was more tender, more smiling, as if he had managed to break down an invisible
barrier between us and yet I still did not dare to check what it meant. I was going to break
through my own barriers... otherwise, my long-lasting virginity would eventually turn me into a
barrel of walking nitroglycerin. I sighed. - If you knew what a torture it is to fall asleep here,
where I would like him to make me a woman in my own right! -You should tell him. What could
be worse than this unspokenness between you? I closed my eyes to the memory of my
birthday. "Let him reject me," I murmured. - He will not make the same mistake twice. Angela
had taken the course of my thoughts. I'm smiling at her. - Or you'll make him pay. She gave me
back my smile. -That's what you can say! We scoffed at the same time. "Maybe we should go
back," I said, rising. - Not until you promise me that you won't hesitate to put him at the foot of
the wall. I turned the musket and looked at it, the fangs out, a glowing glow in the look attesting
to my determination as to what would follow: - I promise you.
*
Back in the living room, I was amused to see Angela address a new murderous look to my boss,
who frowned with bewilderment. "Everything is fine," she said. But next time, avoid landing
quietly while Sam is doing her market in your fridge! Phoenix stared at me, surprised. I
shrugged, delighted that my friend, despite her human heart, which was prone to the frantic
heartbeat indicating deception, might as well be able to lie. She was covering for me; I loved it. -
I thought you wanted to take my food from me. It was a reflex. I almost burst out laughing when
I saw him scratching his head, stunned. - My dog did the same. It was a real terror for a poodle!
Everyone knows that we do not approach the bowl of an animal ready to bite, it amazes me that
you have forgotten, you the master vampire jedi! Wow! If I doubted Angela's friendship with me,
I would have been reassured instantly after this outing. Indeed, as if slapped with the insult,
Phoenix reacts immediately by picking up on himself and letting his fangs lie down mortally.
Although she tried not to show anything, the fear was distinctly read on the livid face of my
friend, who had surely wanted to stifle my master's suspicions towards me by diverting his
attention to her. Well done, she did it! Phoenix now wanted to kill her. François immediately
came to stand before his wife. - I think we have abused your time enough. We're going to leave,
Phoenix. He straightened up a little, without tidying up his fangs. - It's good, yes. His icy voice
made me shudder. Fortunately, the discussion with Angela had allowed me to completely
recover. She came to kiss me, whispering not to forget my promise, forgetting herself that
despite the weakness of the decibels she sent, she was perfectly audible to everyone in the
room (I saw my boss frowning). François paid more attention because when he hugged me, his
words were heard only from me: - If you need me, do not hesitate. They then left us, leaving us
both alone in our castle of unspoken. "I'm going to tidy up the kitchen," I said, pointing to it. On
the threshold, I saw a large empty space instead of the mess I had left there. - François and I
took care of it. A muscle clenched up somewhere in my body when I heard that sweet velvet
voice behind my back. I immediately opened the cold room and drew four pockets of blood to
give the change. In the story, I hadn't actually eaten anything for too long and my burning throat
was going to remind me. While I was warming the blood in a large bowl in the microwave,
Phoenix stood silent in the space of the table, which had become vacant. - I liked this table... I
looked up at the sky and grasped my good when the bell indicated to me that it was hot. I then
grabbed a straw in one of the closets and went out towards the stairs. I had the idea of finishing
my night at best, comfortably installed in the library, a good book in my hands to forget all this. -
I also like your earrings. Goodness gracious!! Despite the distance between us, I had heard
perfectly his compliment on the jewels that my friend had bought me to make amends for having
offended me. In fact, taking a sudden whiff of heat at the thought that he had noticed them and
that he had found me pretty with them, I had dropped my salad bowl which had broken on the
tiles, watering my feet like the walls of my lunch. Tempering against my immeasurable stupidity,
I picked up the pieces of glass when: - I'm going to train a little, so as not to commit the kind of
blunder that a master worthy of the name knows how to avoid normally. I'll see you later... Clean
it up. His manner of defying me as he repeated Angela's accusation, his smirk as he pointed to
the result of my clumsiness, his hands on his perfect hips whose skin was offered to my sight of
the fact that he had taken off his lacerated shirt to throw it, while his pants deserved to be pulled
up one or two centimeters... My mouth dried up. And as my eyes turned to the same red as the
blood on the floor, his smile grew as he already moved away from me, frustrating me in an
unimaginable way, as if to punish me for not telling the truth earlier in the kitchen. So it was by
cursing him that I completed my cleaning chore and had to start all over again to finally benefit
from a full stomach. Several hours later, considering that I had been quite unemployed and that
my state of mind had returned to normal enough, I decided to follow Phoenix's example by
spending time in the training room. So I gave up the copy of Around the World in Eighty Days
that I read for a good part of the night to go put on an outfit more suited to my goal. Recalling
the promise made to Angela, without intending to carry it out that evening, I chose the most
form-fitting black tank top and black leggings in my wardrobe and tied my hair in a ponytail to
clear my neck and above all, to allow the one I was going to join to be able to admire the
earrings I had decided to keep. Phoenix wanted to play? Don't worry about it. I admired my
reflection in the mirror. The blue sapphires of the pendants sparkled as much as the sparkles
that surrounded them and framed my face in a dazzling and refined way. My outfit highlighted
my new shapes, very advantageously molding the parts of my body that I wanted to offer to the
sight of my employer, who used to train me with clothes much less flattering. As I walked down
the stairs, I was whistling. The episode of the kitchen and the bowl was looping in my head, but
at least I had managed to ignore it so as not to risk turning scarlet again. On the doorstep of the
training room, I froze. Phoenix turned his back on me, and idled the movements of a jujitsu
sequence. Each of his gestures was fatally precise, appealing to the flexibility of muscles that I
could see rolling under the skin of his bare torso. His black pants fell slightly on his hips, giving
me a glimpse of the hollow of his kidneys. Oops... I hadn't taken a step into this room that I was
already smothering. It was better to turn around. - Come this way, Sam. I cried. Inhale, exhale...
He turned around and notified my outfit... I missed the flurence of voluptuousness when his
gaze slipped with a delicious slowness of my face to my bust and then to my hips and legs, yet I
straightened my chin, looking full of a challenge that he only wanted to take up. Of course, he
turned away, but I would have sworn to have seen the sketch of a smile born on his lips in doing
so. A second later, I was only due to my vampiric reflexes to be able to catch up with the two
knives he had just sent me in the chest. My smile revealed two sparkling and sharp canines. If
you want to play it like that, my big... Adopting the same sequences as him just before, I tried for
long hours to break through his guard while dodging the blows he was inflicting on me with
incredible violence. Although I was theoretically stronger than him because of my heredity, his
experience made him formidable in battle. His movements were so fast that even for me they
were hard to follow. Still, I liked it. It was completely crazy but... I liked to fight him, to feel his
strength, his power, the fact that he was ruthless... By giving it back blow for blow, I could not
help but smell the scent of his skin as soft as silk. Of course, it was worth me to end up on the
mat again, with a knife to my throat. - You're not focused enough, Samantha... When are you
going to understand that inattention can cost you your life? Phoenix was overlooking me,
looking grave. It looked like he was seriously worried about me; he must have thought that in
the first fight with another vampire, I might lose my mind in the first few seconds. If he knew!
Besides... - When you understand that by fighting you, I have no chance of winning. He
frowned, perplexed, but did not rise. I also liked the fact that he was lying on top of me. - What
for? I just smiled mysteriously. Win. He took a deep breath before straying from me and heading
for the mini refrigerator. I got up and began to stretch my arms as if nothing had happened. With
my tight clothes, I hoped that the view would satisfy the senses of my coach. I slipped an eye to
the side. Hehehe... giggled my evil mini-me when he saw him use the bottle of water, he had
taken to spray his face. - Are you hot suddenly? I asked very innocently. Inside, the little voice of
my conscience called me a deflated. I told it to shut up. - I thought vampires didn't have that
kind of problem... I had just turned around to perform another stretch when a kick on my
supporting leg sent me crushed to the ground with a knife to my throat a second time. He then
got up, helping me to do the same, looking infinitely superior. - It is above all those who have
their tongues too who have problems. Why do you love playing me so much, Miss Jones?
Phoenix stared at me with a mixture of amusement and dismay. I smile: - Because your easy to
get angry. - I feel like you like to make me angry, am I wrong, Miss Jones? His voice became
more serious, more threatening. I swallowed. No, no, no, no - Why? - Because I can... He
scoffed, but his voice took a warm intonation like the lava which burned me whole. - You are an
extraordinary woman, Samantha Watkins. This discussion took a strange turn, and it was not to
displease me. -You don't call me Miss Jones anymore? His bright smile and that tender glow
that I could see in his eyes stirred me to the depths of the bowels. God that I could love him! -
What do you prefer? Without hesitation, I replied: - Sam. He touched the pendant of my right
earring with his fingertips, tilting his head. It was stronger than me, I gasped. - Sam… Jesus! I
had a hard time convincing my pupils to stay black. He put his hand along his body and closed
his eyes for a second. Then: - The sun will rise soon. You should go upstairs to take a shower
and go to bed if you don't want to spend the day on this tatami. His attitude was so changeful;
one moment he would kick me in the air, another he would speak to me in a warm voice like
honey, and yet another, he would send me to bed, like a little girl. His behavior of the last few
days might have led me to suppose that something was at work, such as a change that was
brewing, yet I could not determine the nature of it because of the barriers that my mentor still
stood between us. He must have seen my expression disappointed. I couldn't help but think that
Angela would be extremely angry if she had attended this scene, repeating several others that
had resulted in the same result: nothingness. " I'm going to go. Without looking back, I left him
and took the desired direction, bending under the weight of frustration. Recently I had made a
promise to myself not to give her a choice and I had to strengthen it with the one that Angela
had snatched from me not to hesitate to take the first step. Tonight, after all that had happened,
I was not ready and had preferred to push back the deadline. Patience... I quickly undressed,
my soul fully turned to the object of my desire and entered the shower cubicle. Under the
benevolent wave of the secret chamber, I let my mind wander as it pleased, noticing that all my
thoughts were systematically returned to the same person. I shrugged. Oh boy! You might as
well let go. I closed my eyes imagining that Phoenix had pressed his fangs on my throat instead
of his blade; a shiver passed through me from all sides. Surprised by the violence of my
reaction, I understood its implications. What if I dared... Suddenly ultrasensitive skin, I ran my
fingers on my cheeks, my lips, my neck, and my arms, dreaming that it was his that caressed
me; a hiccup of pleasure eluded me. I wanted so much to feel his touch on me! What if I dared...
When my hands ventured down my chest, I uttered a little choked cry and the image of his
azure plums zebras of white flashes imposed itself on my mind, encouraging me to continue
what I had never attempted before. But just as I was about to overcome my last reticence by
going lower on my belly, I heard the characteristic sound of the bedroom door opening. it! Was
he up? How long have I been there? Horribly confused at the thought of what Phoenix might
have surprised, I hastened to soap myself to hurt myself to find clear ideas, not hesitating to
rinse myself with cold water to speed up the process. Unfortunately, this lasted quite a long time
and I was already beginning to feel my eyelids getting heavier while my burning desire was still
not channeled. The sun was about to rise! He knocked on the door: - Sam? Are you okay? You
must have been in there for over an hour! Panicked, I hurried to grab the hairdryer cursing the
effects that dawn had on newborns, even emancipated ones. In fact, the sight more and more
blurred by the sleep to come, I managed to tame my ruffled mane so as not to look like a
scarecrow when leaving the bathroom. I was about to press the trigger when I realized with
horror that my pajamas were balled on the bed and that I was preparing to appear naked in front
of my employer. I knew I was going to fall into a near coma within a minute, so I didn't have to
waste any time, but wanting to be quick, I stumbled upon my dirty clothes and bumped into the
vanity in a big boom that earned me a call again in a frankly worried voice. I did not know it to
catch the only towel available, to wrap myself in it, regretting that it barely covers my butt, and to
take a large breath of air to give me the courage and above all the strength, to reach the bed
keeping my dignity and conscience. Of course, as soon as the door was open, I had to hold on
to the handle so as not to fall to the ground, which did not escape the one who was waiting for
me shirtless just behind it. Sam! He came forward to help me, but I raised my hands to stop him,
I didn't need to look stupider yet. There! My cozy nest was only a couple feet away from me!
However, the abyss of oblivion did not allow me to reach it because it opened from the first step
and before swallowing me whole, it seemed to find it amusing to allow me to keep one last
spark of conscience to reassure me about the outcome of my fall. As I had not had time to
squeeze the towel around me, she had detached herself to fall to the ground, before I followed
the movement, completely naked, in the arms of the man who received me on the flight. It was
wrapped in the mantle of the greatest shame of all my existences, human and vampire
combined, which I swung into infinite darkness.
*
 - I want to die... A serious and sensual laugh came to me despite the blankets I had folded over
my head. - It is not by hiding from me that you will cancel what happened at dawn. I felt the
mattress slump on my left, a sign that someone was sitting next to me. The next moment, they
ripped off the sheets that covered me. "Hey, hey! Phoenix smiled frankly; he held a big bowl in
his hand. - Breakfast in bed to console you with your lost dignity. I growled in his face, but
nevertheless grasped the bowl to bring the precious contents to my mouth. Fortunately, when I
stood up, I could see that I was wearing pajamas, even more banal and awful. - Very good
choice, I said to thank the man who was watching me with a smirk that horrified me. - I wouldn't
say that. I raised my eyebrows. What did he mean? - I thought that this horror would be effective
in bringing down the embarrassment between us, but honestly, if it were up to me, this
monstrosity and all its binoculars would already be in the trash. - What do you have against the
pink flannel with blue rabbits? He looked up at the sky and took my empty bowl and laid it on the
nightstand. - It is to wonder if you are actually a vampire. - Why are you telling me that? He
pointed to my pajamas that were too big and too old. - Because a true vampire would never
stoop to make a fool of themself in this way. Offended, I pushed back his index finger. -
Because you think it's better to make a fool of yourself by falling asleep, in Eve's outfit, in the
arms of the one you're... Respect?! I had caught up in time, I had almost said "likes". Phoenix's
wards blazed. - Absolutely. My fangs pointed at my tongue. Damn it! This guy had a way of
modulating his voice that was able to trigger thermonuclear reactions in my body. - Um... If you
want to, after my shower, I'll throw my old pajamas in the trash in front of you. "I thought I'd set it
on fire," he said, bowing his head over his shoulder. - Uh... (I shook my head to pick myself up)
Okay, but I keep the cotton nightgowns! Sam! scolded him. - I remind you that we sleep
together! He revealed his fangs to me. - So what? - Ben... I... (my blood was starting to warm up
dangerously) I don't want there to be any misunderstanding between us! Once is enough!
Bingo! I had found the argument that showered him definitively and caused him to depart from
me, embarrassed. I didn't feel guilty for reminding him of the end of my birthday party, he didn't
meddle in the choice of my daytime outfits. I hadn't told him that I liked the feeling of silk to
sleep more and more, but after this conversation, I would be especially careful not to do it.
"Forgive me. I meddle in what's none of my business. - Yes, you do. He frowned and rose. - I'll
let you get ready. Ysis gave us a mission for the night. -Oh yes? What's it all about? - I'll tell you
more when you're ready. Don't hang around. I quickly executed myself and donned a trouser
suit with a white blouse with a black collar and buttons. After a cursory make-up, I made myself
a quick bun and went to meet my mentor in the living room holding a large plastic bag in my
hand. - What is it?" he asked, pointing to the bag. I shrugged and sent him. - Promised thing,
due thing. Notifying its' flannel contents, he had a slight smile. He got up and handed me a
sheet of paper. - What is it? - Our flight plans. I had a moment of floating. I couldn't even read
what was written. - I'm sorry? Do you need a plan now? "Not my flight, Sam, the flight of the
plane," he said with a laugh. Oh, I don't know. I also thought it would have been a little stupid.
But... - Wait, you said "plane"? I followed him into the entrance as he went to get our coats. Ever
since we knew each other and knowing my aversion to air travel, Phoenix had always made
sure to find me a task to do in the area while he was taking this means of transportation alone in
order to settle certain transactions on behalf of his area managers. When I asked him when he
returned from the mission, I asked him how it had gone, but never any details about how his
journey unfolded. The plane and I were decidedly incompatible. -Yes, that's what I said. - And
you said "our flight plan"? Phoenix looked up to the sky and took the scarf I was holding without
really seeing it to tie it around my neck. - That's also what I said. No, no, no - Yes, I do. - I'm not
coming with you! - Yes, you do. - No! Sam! he barked. You're a vampire and I can fly! If the
plane were to crash, we would have time to rip the sheets out of the cabin to jump into the void
without any problems! I swore I'd feel nauseous. - I hate it! Couldn't I stay here, like every time?
No, no, no You are my student, I must teach you about our world. Besides, showing myself
alone risk of making people talk, I'm not supposed to travel without keeping an eye on you.
You'll must try. Defeated by logic, I offered him a disgruntled pout. He turned his heels. Having
joined him in the garage, I settled into the passenger seat of the Camaro. - Where are we
going? - To Las Vegas. - Ysis sends us to play at the casino? He scoffed as he started the car. -
That's kind of it. The owner of the Rosario is interested in a plot of land on the outskirts of the
city that belongs to Talanus and Ysis. He would like to buy it to build the twin of his casino. - But
how many lands do these two have in the world?!This couple of antiquity enjoyed a colossal
fortune, I knew, but from there to own several acres equivalent to a small European country,
there, I did not conceive it. We had just left the castle grounds to head for Kerington. - Enough
to allow them to spend without counting for hundreds of years. It serves to have an instinct to
buy for a bite of cheal land that no one wants, and which turns out to be real gold mines, literally
and figuratively. - They really discovered a gold mine. - In Burundi, yes. - Unbelievable. - As you
say. Talanus and Ysis are extremely powerful, it is not for nothing that they are respected and
jealous in our community. - Why are you so loyal to them? - Why are you asking me that? Well,
I did receive five or six offers from foreign sector heads who offered to buy your services, but
you always refused. Knowing you, I suspect it's not a question of monetary power, so why? He
shrugged. - I met countless vampires and many area leaders. There are very few that I respect
as much as Talanus and Ysis. "I hope I belong to this category," I said, smiling gently. There
was a silence, and then he glanced at me in a skewed way. - I respect you even more. I bit my
lip, moved. "Thank you so much. It's the same for me. He smiles, too. "Thank you so much.
Kerington Airport was located on the outskirts of the city's western districts. We got there after a
little more than an hour's drive, spent mostly in a musing silence. Phoenix wasn't very talkative
naturally, I used to this kind of moment. Besides, before I met him, I had no one to talk to then
somewhere, silence did not bother me. I let myself be lulled by Chopin's sweet melody, which
rose in the car's interior and carried my imagination to 19th-century France. - I'd like to go
there... I murmured as the sign indicated where we were to fork out. Phoenix tightened his
hands on the steering wheel. -I'll take you; I promise you. I stared at him. He had read my mind.
How did he get to know me so well? Was I so easy to read? - The airport is right there. I stood
up, cutting short my reflections. - I've never been here, but I know we're not going in the right
direction. The entrance is over there. Phoenix ignored my remark and continued along the
runways where many planes boarded and disembarked hundreds of weary travelers. I didn't
understand what he was getting at until he went into a more secluded part of the tarmac. - Oh,
holy cow... A private jet was waiting for us to board to embark on one of the available flight
paths and two people stood in front of the aircraft stairs watching us approach: the captain and
a flight attendant. - But why? I began, once Phoenix had parked the car a few yards from the jet.
I was stopped by a finger on my lips and a mischievous smile. - Because I can... He did not stay
to see my pupils turn red and got out of the car to go around and open my door as a perfect
gentleman, allowing me at the same time to catch my breath. For a first, it was a first! Not only
was I going to set foot on a plane for the first time, but for my baptism of the air, I was entitled to
the luxury version of these flying machines. It was still a bit extravagant... Wahouuuu! Great!
howled a little hysterical voice in my head, hasty to wallow in the comfort of this device reserved
for the elite. Hum... And it was gone again; the joys of being a vampire... - Sam, will you decide
to join me, or will you stand there until the end of time? I scrambled mentally and ran to catch up
with Phoenix, who was already greeting the flight attendants. We were invited to take a seat in
the cabin and I was ecstatic about the opulence of the interior decoration: nothing but leather
and rare wood whose finishes were of extraordinary finesse. - We advise you to stay seated
until take-off. Will you have a glass of champagne to wait? Sitting in one of the large armchairs
next to my boss, I felt so good that I could not see myself refusing the offer of this nice lady.
When she disappeared to prepare our drinks, Phoenix gave me a slight elbow. - Do you drink
during the service? In my recollection, it never worked for you. - She proposed it too kindly to be
refused! I defended myself. Tqhen, I remind you that now I can drink like I have a hollow leg if I
feel like it, I don't risk a hangover. He laughed. - It is his job to be kind to his rich customers,
drunken sod! And if you say amen to everything so as not to offend anyone, what will you do
when one of our enemies gently asks you if he can rip your head off? Will you kneel on your
own in front of the log? I was burning in his face, which made him laugh more beautiful. -
Samantha, the good Samaritan! - Don't make fun of me! I did not have the leisure to show her
the fangs because the hostess was already coming back with a tray bearing two champagne
flutes, and the overpriced bottle going with it. "Thank you, ma'am," I said politely, crushing with
my heel the foot of my neighbor who had started laughing again. Once alone, he handed me my
full glass and I took the opportunity to question him about what happened next. - There are only
three days left before the masked ball, how long will this mission last? - We should arrive in Las
Vegas in a few hours. We've been prepared for the royal suite. - Just that... I interrupted him. -
They are the plaintiffs, not us. In short, Talanus and Ysis do not want to make any decisions at
this time, they have instructed me to relay the offer to them in order to study it in more detail
later. They're too busy with the preparations for the ball to focus properly on this case. They
don't want to lose their advantage on a whim. We will honor our appointment with Mr. Robins
and then we will stay in the suite all day before leaving for Kerington and Scarborough. - Who is
Mr. Robins? - The very wealthy owner of the Rosario. They say he's a real shark in business. -
But your teeth are much sharper. He laughs. "That's right. - What will be my role? - The same
as usual: open your ears wide and take notes. I frowned, annoyed. - Said like that, I would look
like an owl with a pen! Phoenix stared at me, surprised. - Far be it from me to offend you, Sam.
You understand I think you are doing a great job. I sunk in my seat, sulking and crossing my
arms on my chest. - What you may be likely to be! he chuckled. I was going to throw a well-
smelling line, but the hostess came back and asked us to fasten our seat belts as the plane
began to advance on the runway. Nervous, with trembling hands, I had all the trouble in the
world to perform under the mocking eyes of Phoenix. - Come on, Sam, everything's going to be
fine. Don't forget what you are. I watched through the window as the landscape slowly unfolded.
Other aircraft took off and landed further away, without any comfort. - Go tell that to all the
vampires who have been disintegrated in a plane crash! He sighed. - You are impossible. I
turned to him to tell him to leave me alone, but a terrible engine noise twisted my eardrums,
forcing me to plug my ears. - What's going on?! I cried, panicked, looking behind me if the tail of
the plane had not caught fire. I still saw the smirk of my mentor when he informed me: - It's
nothing, we'll just took off. Indeed, less than a minute later, we were accelerating faster and
faster. Terrified, I grab Phoenix's hand and crush it in mine, as if that would be enough to keep
us from crashing. I had expected an amused rebuff, but instead he gave me back my embrace,
albeit a little less savagely. The next moment, the thrust of the reactors propelled us to the sky
at breakneck speed, snatching a cry of fear that ended in the Phoenix jacket, on which I had
thrown myself in spite of my belt, and which I was grabbing like a force at the same time as I
begged God to keep me alive a little longer. The turbulence soon ceased, as did the fairy fingers
that were activating in my hair to soothe my senses, which were frightened this time. I stood up,
confused. - I... I'm sorry. Phoenix stared at me with that strange glow in my eyes that always
disturbed me. " Not me. I held my breath and lost myself in his azure eyes. I was still holding his
jacket; our faces were only a few inches apart. - Um... I startled when the heartbeats with the
presence before us came to me, and I threw myself back into my seat, embarrassed. The
hostess pretended nothing. - You can unbuckle your seatbelts; the weather will be good all the
time of your journey. We estimate your arrival in Las Vegas at two o'clock in the morning. A
helicopter will be waiting for you when you get off the jet to take you to Rosario. Would you like
to eat something? - "No thank you," Phoenix said, as if he didn't care what she had just told us. -
If you need me, feel free to call me, I will be right next door. He did not answer. She
disappeared. - What are you doing? I asked when I saw him get up. It was pitiful, but I was
afraid of being alone in this death machine. He leaned towards me without stopping to nail me
with his bluish gaze and I thought for a moment that he was going to kiss me. He just pulled my
belt off. Silly! I thought. He reached out to me. - Come on, I've planned to pass the time.
Curious, I let him take me on the large beige leather sofa and watched him catch a remote
control with bewilderment. What did he want to turn on? I had the answer when I saw one of the
wooden studs in this design salon open to let out a state-of-the-art flat screen. When he lit it, I
felt my heart melt, so I had no remorse in squeezing against him to be more comfortable, and
sighed with happiness when he passed his arm around my shoulder to hug me. The stargate
Sg-1 credits resonated like sweet music to my ears as I nostalgically reminisced about our first
video shoot. That night, he had made his first barriers give way to me. How eager I was for the
last ones to fall once and for all!
*
After almost breaking down the door of the aircraft to get out as quickly as possible after the
landing, Phoenix had the opportunity to make fun of me again when he had to push me with all
his might so that I dare to put a toe in the helicopter that would take us to the roof of the casino
(a thirty-storey tower) where his owner was waiting for us. At the first air hole, I had screamed
like crazy and begged my hilarious boss to get us out of there thanks to his powers. As he had
refused, claiming that flying in the middle of the buildings would be detrimental to the
preservation of the Secret, I had cursed him copiously before turning my back on him.
Unfortunately, my fear took over from the second jolt and putting aside my resentment towards
him, I had plunged on him again to feel safer. I knew it was stupid because in the event of a
crash, I had no more chance of getting away with it than in any other part of the cockpit, yet this
was where I managed to control my fear. And then... he held me tightly, his chin rubbing on the
top of my skull. Once or twice, despite the unbearable sound of the pale rotor, I thought I heard
him inhale to smell the smell of my hair, so I had clinged all the more to him, taking advantage
of this imposed proximity. - "Sam, we arrived on the roof of the Rosario," he said after a while. A
jolt confirmed to me that we were in the descent phase, and then another almost made me give
my employer the ball of the century. - You can't be careful, can you?! You want to kill us or
what?! I would be shouting in the ear of the pilot whom I had just joined at lightning speed and
to whom I had just ripped off the helmet and a few hairs in the process. I don't know what head I
was supposed to have when I yelled at him in the face, and he blushed and began to tremble
like a leaf. - Enough, Sam! You're going to make us crash if you keep terrorizing this poor man!
Phoenix scolded me, grabbing me by my jacket and violently pulling me back. Exasperated, I
pulled his tongue. We landed without further difficulty on the roof and two men dressed in
tuxedos came to open the doors and ask us to follow them. - Mr. Robins is waiting for you in his
office. "Let's not keep Mr. Robins waiting, then," said Phoenix, icy. His time is surely as precious
as ours. The two guys shrivelled on themselves under the weight of his ruthless eyes. - Uh...
Over here. We followed them in an elevator wide enough to accommodate fifteen people and
the first pressed the key of the tenth floor before composing a specific code. The second one
then reached one of the five gates twice. - Come in! Inside the gigantic suite of the many floor-
to-ceiling windows allowing to admire a night panorama of the most luminous and most active I
had ever seen, a man in his thirties, blond with brown eyes, rose from behind his huge desk to
come and greet us. All these enormous proportions... Did this guy have a complex? In any case,
to see his gait assured, his athletic build hidden behind a high-fashion Armani tuxedo, his
impeccably coiffed hair and manicured nails, I would have sworn that not. Mr. Robins was
sweating luxury and power. Mr. Livingstone, I presume. "I am delighted to meet you," he purred
pedantily as he extended his hand. His expression was somewhat taken into account when he
understood that, as greetings, he would be entitled to only a dry nod. Mr. Robins, this is my
assistant, Samantha Jones. He did not venture to reach out to me, but the way he said he was
delighted to meet me, a glimmer of lust lit up in his eyes, I felt it a duty to remind him of good
manners. I held out my hand to him, which he took, surprised, and pressed her, dosing my
strength so as to hurt him enough without breaking his bones. - Nice to meet you. My voice had
been even colder than that of my boss, who, after our interlocutor had walked away to his office
trying to circulate blood in his hand, discreetly raised his thumb to make me understand that he
had approved my initiative. We were in a position of strength, and we had to stay that way.
"Please sit down. Whiskey? Mr. Robins went to his private bar for a drink. I took the opportunity
to look around. There was an ivory sofa in the space lined with many cushions, resting on a very
large white-haired carpet in front of a modern fireplace that gave the room a slightly more
engaging appearance than what its black paving would suggest. On the wall in front of me,
there were three large framed photographs, showing our host in advantageous situations:
posing with a copy of the Times where his portrait was on the front page with the headline "The
Businessman Always Winning", him in trekking clothes with what I assumed to be Everest in the
background, and finally, holding him by the tail a huge fish that he had surely not caught alone.
Phoenix and I looked at each other and looked up at the sky at the same time. Another
specimen more attached to his navel than to that of others! - No, thank you. My employers have
asked me to come and see you in person so that I can give them my opinion on your proposal
based on my feelings about you and your respectability. I smiled, Mr. Robins swallowed his
whiskey ass-dry. He probably understood as I did that Peter Livingstone was not just an
intermediary and that he was going to be spared. - You may want to see a copy of my criminal
record?! he laughed. Oops... "The always winning businessman" was not the kind of man to
accept being dominated, he who, ordinarily, had the role of the dominant. Phoenix leaned a little
more into his chair. It was going to be interesting. - You see, it is not your two sexual
harassment trials that you have been exonerated of thanks to the brilliance of your two lawyers
and your more than full bank account that would give me pause for thought, but rather the
ongoing investigation of you and suspecting you of the laundering of a good million dollars
belonging to the leader of one of the city's drug cartels. I almost applauded at the end of his
speech, especially since Robins had become livid. "You are well informed," he said in a tight
voice. - I'm just doing my job. - All right, so let me prove to you that my intentions regarding the
land that your employers own are the most honest. " I'm listening to you. For nearly two hours, I
took countless notes while our potential future business partner gave us a detailed description
with plans in support of the real estate project, he planned to implement at this as yet undulating
location in Las Vegas. The expansion of the city and the search for new, well-located, buildable
land had increased the rating of Talanus and Ysis, for which our friend was prepared to pay
several million dollars on top of what his project would already cost him and his bank. - Hm...
Until then, Phoenix had not uttered a single word of the entire presentation, adding to an already
tense atmosphere. Robins was holding his breath... The latter failed to choke when he got up
and put on his coat, prompting me to do the same. - I will refer it to my superiors. Good night. -
Well? But... You're not telling me if you're interested in my proposal? I told you that no decision
would be made tonight. We'll call you back when the time comes. The other got a hiccup in
amazement. Somehow, I understood him; It must have been funny getting fired in your own
office. - It's that... Uh... - How do we get to our suite? cut Phoenix dryly, to put a definitive end to
the interview. Robins frowned as he sought to regain the use of speech. - Take the elevator to
the 30th floor and type in code 548 BC. - Thank you. Without a word more, Phoenix passed me
before him and left us in front of the frightened eyes of a man who, probably for the first time in
his life, had seen his beautiful varnish of arrogance trampled by stronger than him. "I confess
that I am admiring," I said while waiting for the elevator. You led this appointment from start to
finish. I hope that after that, this character will have put water in his wine. - You weren't bad
either. I particularly enjoyed your handshake. - You didn't like it with your friend from the
Sanguin. - He would not have sought to put you in bed by any means. His voice had suddenly
become more aggressive. I took the opportunity to prod him: - Because I belong to you, right? I
smiled, but the way he answered me: - Precisely. ... as I looked at me, made me shudder from
head to toe. Fortunately, the elevator found it appropriate to signal its arrival with a little tinkle.
We entered the cabin in a strange silence that lasted until the doors opened on the thirteenth
floor, in front of a couple in their twenties who, carried away by the throes of passion, continued
to kiss furiously without noticing that he was no longer alone. - Um, um... Phoenix ended the
show by slitting his throat. Immediately, the two lovebirds strayed from each other, red with
confusion, and rushed into the elevator with us, mumbling an apology. It could have been a
simple funny episode if these two, driven mad by their hormones, hadn't started to pet each
other in the corners behind us less than two minutes later, ignoring or pretending to ignore that
we might be shocked. I suddenly needed air. Both lovers exuded such an aura of sex that I
began to feel my body temperature increase as their desire contaminated mine. Nerves strained
during the time we shared together, I would carefully look at every detail of the elevator control
box to avoid my attention being too captivated by the couple or by Phoenix, who had taken
refuge on the other side of the cabin, in an awfully stiff posture. Silently asking my canines to
remain in their place as well as my eyes not to ignite, I counted the seconds that separated us
from deliverance. I sighed with relief when the doors opened and the two excited were able to
continue their stripping in the hallway leading to their room, and took off my coat to lean on the
partition and lower my adrenaline levels to an acceptable level. What I didn't anticipate was the
way Phoenix witnessed every move I did... His dilated pupils suddenly ignited as he shook and
loosened his fists, staring at me with the air of a hungry predator. - Sam... he was late, as if
ready to bite. My internal temperature exploded all the meters. Suddenly he threw himself at
me. Phoenix brutally pushed me against the elevator wall and imprisoned my wrists above my
head with one hand to reduce me to helplessness as he grabbed my lips with a violence that
completely stained me. Making him kiss with passion, I groaned when he wrapped his tongue
around mine and freed my hands to pass them into his hair. The strength of his desire for me
could be seen in the blinding brilliance of his eyes fully illuminated as were mine, and when he
placed me a little more against the wall, I passed my legs around his waist to better feel the
pressure of his body. He scolded and tore off my blouse more than he unbuttoned, offering my
black bra to his sight. I had only time to see his fangs lengthen before they plunged on my right
breast, tearing me a cry of ecstasy that must have sounded up in Mr. Robins' office, as well as
the messy gasps from the first unbearably erotic suctions. I gasped with pleasure... I was still
gasping... Damn it!!! I was gasping!!! I was suddenly opening my eyes. The merging couple was
still snuggling behind my back and my attempt to channel my emotions into thinking of a quiet
lake in Canada had ended in a dismal failure. Help! I had just fantasized about Phoenix and me
when he was just a meter away. And what a fantasy! I still had vapors, it was as if all the bones
of my skeleton had liquefied in my imagination and that it had taken the consistency of the jelly,
especially at the legs. I was shaking. My god! Did Phoenix notice? I glanced at him quickly.
Nothing in his attitude proved that I had betrayed myself except his jaw, which was tense
enough to explode and the lightning in his eyes. Let's hope this reaction is to be blamed on the
two behind us! On the twenty-third floor, the doors opened, then closed on giggles more and
more excited and fortunately quickly out of reach of our ears. Phew... We were alone again.
Without daring to look at my mentor, I went to lean on the wall of the elevator to regain my
physical and emotional balance. A tense silence set in between us... until an imperceptible
change in the air makes me suddenly uncomfortable. The atmosphere was loaded with
electricity... For the first time since the departure of the two lovebirds, I looked up at Phoenix
and missed collapsing under my weight. He looked at me exactly as in my fantasy, staring at me
like a predator that threw himself at his prey, visible fangs, violent flashes passing through his
tempestuous irises. My body reacts before my mind. I began to gasp as my pupils turned deep
red as they were pointed at the one who occupied all my thoughts day and night. - Sam... His
beastly and possessive rumble resonated in all my cells as they all vibrated at the same time,
making me shiver with voluptuousness from the hairline to the toenails. - Phoenix... As in a
slow-motion dream, I saw him take a step towards me and as I stood up to bridge the distance
between us and throw myself into his arms... ... The elevator door opened on an elderly couple
going up to the twenty-sixth floor. I closed my eyes abruptly and re-endorsed the partition to
prevent the Secret of vampire existence from being revealed here. I assumed Phoenix must
have done the same. What had just happened? I thought during the end of our journey. I had
imagined a scene in my mind, and it had almost identically in reality. Well, Phoenix, had not
thrown himself at me and I did not know if that was his intention but... Still! The way he looked at
me! I ventured to observe him by biting my lip. He always closed his eyes, as if he were making
a terrible effort of concentration and, because of his stiffness, his frown was the only sign that
he was indeed a man and not a statue. In fact, the old lady elbowed her husband, pointing at
him, and he shrugged. "Goodbye, Miss, Sir," they greeted us kindly, abandoning us a minute
later. "Good night," I said with a big smile to excuse the silence of the rude who had not deigned
to answer them. I then remedied because his behavior did not change until we arrived on the
thirtieth floor. Worse, when he arrived safely, his speech finally destabilized me completely. - It's
late. Go to bed in the big room, I'll take the smaller one. I was speechless on the threshold. Like
Mr. Robins earlier, I had just been dryly dismissed, the height of which was that he had not been
ordered to go to bed like a little girl who had committed a nasty stupidity. I would have liked to
ask my angel what was wrong with him, but he did not give me the opportunity. He turned his
back on me and went to his room without even wishing me a good night. This was not normal.
He had served me a whole argument to convince me to sleep with him in Scarborough, insisting
that as a master, he must be able to prevent me from going to drink at any neck if the urge
suddenly caught me, and there he planted me in the middle of a luxuriously beautiful suite, at
the top of a tower where I could go to chew who I really wanted. Why didn't he want to sleep
with me? Did I make him angry? And for what reason? I was tired of his mood swings! - But
finally, what have I done again?! I cried, knowing that he could hear me perfectly at the other
end of our two hundred square meters of relaxation area. If I displeased you, it seems to me
that I have a right to know why! I didn't get an answer. Phoenix had once again erected a wall to
block my access to his thoughts. A wave of despair invades me. I was thinking back to what had
happened in the elevator and my bitterness spoke in a whisper of loneliness: - When are you
going to stop brandishing these barriers between us? I'm waiting for you... Wounded by his
incomprehensible belligerent attitude, I carried out his order and joined the play he had
attributed to me. I did not even pay attention to the decoration, entangled that I was in my
doubts and my resentment. I simply undressed, slipped under the blankets after ordering the
shutters to protect me from the June sun and without waiting for its first rays, I fell asleep
without remorse.
*
- Sam, will you finally stop sulking? I'd rather hear you yelling at the pilot than endure this
deafening silence again. Please, please, please Apart from the fact that I had not digested his
behaviour the day before, I had raised my left foot when I woke up so that even after we took off
in the private jet that was to take us back to Kerington, I had not said a single word to my
companion. Obviously, he had had enough and I relished giving him back the change of his
coin, he who, very rudely, had planted me in the middle of a grandiose room of a mythical city,
thus preventing me, because of a morale at half-mast, to enjoy it fully. - Sam! he was. The air
hostess saw fit to come on these in between to ask us if we wanted refreshments and turned to
scarlet when she was dryly sent back to her homes by my bubbling neighbor. - Well I see that
you have lost none of your friendliness during your sleep. I thought it was reserved for me! How
lucky to see that everyone enjoys your aura of love and kindness! My reply sank like acid
unfortunately, it did not have the desired effect. He smiled and it made me even more of a ball. -
There's nothing funny! - Yes, I managed to get you to talk. - Humpf! I got up and went to sit on
the couch behind our seats. - You are unbearable! He laughed. - And completely whimsical in
addition to being rude! He was by my side in a quarter of a second, the wild expression of
someone preparing to pillory me. - I can claim to be a model of good manners, the same cannot
be said of you who miss the head of a poor helicopter pilot whose only wrong was in the end to
have agreed to let you get on his plane. Stung to the brim, I raised my chin: - I would never have
climbed into it if Batman hadn't been afraid to spread his night bird wings! I replied. - And I find it
hard to believe that I have before me one of the most powerful and dangerous creatures on the
planet, if not the most powerful and dangerous by counting your origins. - Leave my origins and
my vertigo out of it! Yesterday you were wrong with me. At least have the honesty to admit it if
you don't apologize! His eyes flashed, his previous good humour had just soured. - What did
you want me to do?! That I'm hugging you and kissing you on the forehead? I want you to
overflow me and kiss me, you moron! howled my devilish mini-me, accompanied in his
vociferations by his angelic alter-ego, as outraged as he is. I ignored them to focus on my
anger: - At least you explain to me why you left me in the elevator after our meeting at Robins!
He re-sprayed himself so that no thought could be read on his face. - I was asleep and you were
wiggling in your sleep. I squinted as much as I could. " You are lying, Mr. MacKinley. - And you,
did you not lie when I found your head in the refrigerator of the kitchen? You certainly weren't
doing your deal like Angela said. Whoa! Minefield! Seeing where this confrontation would lead
me if I continued this path (to my stinging humiliation), I decided to declare the cessation of
hostilities. - Well, I'm going to have to. It's true that I tend to move when I sleep... A flash ran
through his sparkling irises of humor. - And I should not have interrupted your quest for the
perfect blood packet. On the face of it, we had just agreed on a status quo. I had no desire to
discuss this episode with him in the kitchen before telling him about the feelings he inspired me
and obviously he wanted to keep to himself the motivations of his unpleasant behavior of the
day before. - Hm. Ok, a change of subject is needed. - Yes, I do. What do you want to talk
about? - You still haven't explained to me how the masked ball will be organized and unfolded. -
For the organization, I won't tell you anything, it's a surprise. As for the modalities, you'll like it,
there are collective dances including a very codified and above all very obligatory. - Oh no!
Phoenix chuckled. - I knew you would like it. - Why didn't you tell me about it before? The ball's
in three days! His amused air gave way to an embarrassed expression. - Um... I forgot. - Have
you forgotten?! My accusatory squeak seemed horribly panicked. - I'm sorry, I have no excuse.
- At least explain to me what it's all about! He passed a hand in his hair. - It's not that bad.
These will be ballroom dances, mainly waltzes, in this case. - But I don't know anything about
ballroom dancing! - It's not that complicated. - For someone who has had five hundred years to
train, that's for sure, but I'm only thirty years old and not a partner on the horizon of my short life.
- You forget our dance in the nightclub. And your little one-on-one with Hedayat Javan at
Talanus and Ysis. I bit my lip. How can I forget? The first one had made me forget my mission,
the second had made me disappoint when my boss had surprised us with Hedayat as he tried
to teach me the basics of salsa. - It's not the same. Now everyone's going to be looking at us! -
But no, since you will be masked. You can make a fool of yourself as much as you like! - There
are times when I want to give you a good kick in the lower back fat! He burst out laughing. Even
though he had just made fun of me, I couldn't really blame him because more than anything, I
loved to see him leave out his ruthless angel mask to show the more tender and spontaneous
side of his personality. I looked at him and he surprised me. Immediately, he regained his
seriousness and stared at me intensely, as if he wanted me to confess all my secrets. - Will you
dance with me? breathed, I panted, under the weight of his curious gaze. He changed his
attitude again, backing away with his face closed. - I don't know. I felt a huge wave of sadness
invading me. I was willing to risk making a fool of myself in front of a crowd of other vampires if
he had promised me at least one dance. - What for? I say, trying not to seem too disappointed. -
I will make sure that the evening goes smoothly and watch over some of the guests present. I
will not have much time for you. I made a disgruntled pout that made him smile. - Are you
disappointed? I shrugged. Oh boy! We might as well be honest. - I would have liked to dance
with you. My god... Thank you for making me unable to blush, otherwise I would have turned
scarlet, that was for sure. - So am I.... (I felt my bowels clench) But we can fix it right now. Like a
tornado, he rose, smiling to the ears, and disappeared into the hostess's lobby only to return a
few minutes later, sporting a triumphant expression magnifying him to such an extent that I felt
for a moment admiring the sun. He grabbed me by the hand and forced me to get up. - We're
going to dance. -Well? What? A sweet music, Mozart it seemed, rose around us. Phoenix drew
me to him and passed his other hand behind my back. - But what did you do? I'm glapis I. He
looked up at the sky without them losing the humour and cheerfulness that shone there. - I'll
teach you the waltz. The time of this flight will not be too much to make you acquire the basics.
"Hey, hey! He smiled and pressed me even more against him, causing me an electric shock of
at least 50,000 volts. - Count 1, 2, 3, each time, following in my footsteps and you will get there.
He did not allow me time to remind him that we did not have enough room in the jet to evolve
serenely without fear of grating the fangs on the cabin and took me with him in the first
movements of this European dance that I had never dared to practice. At first, I kept getting
tangled up and tended to walk on his feet, but as I understood the sequence of steps, I was
doing better and better, even allowing myself to smile at the man who kept encouraging me by
guiding me. Only, after a series of air holes that failed to knock me down, I asked Phoenix to
stop the exercise there. He did not listen to me. When Tchaikovsky's Waltz of Flowers rocked us
with its soft sounds and a new, more violent air hole, due to the turbulence of a storm zone we
were traversing, shook us again, I frowned, no longer feeling the ground under my feet, and
uttered a little cry of surprise when I noticed that it was several centimeters below us. - But...
The hostess will surprise us! The Secret! I said, looking in a panic, towards the place where she
was hiding. Phoenix grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. My mouth dried up all of a
sudden. His irises were always the same blue as deep as the ocean and contained a particular
glow as they hypnotized me. - Nothing to fear on this side. - Do they know about it? I murmured,
caught up in the obvious. - Their family has worked for us for three generations. Children are
assured of the best education and outrageously well-paid job upon their graduation from school,
so these people fiercely watch over the secret that allows them to live so well. Always dazzled
by its beauty, I replied: - Vampires and blackmail... His little throat laugh made me melt. - You
are one of us now. I'm yours... was I tempted to whisper, but he made me forget all coherent
thoughts when he dragged me into a magical whirlwind that finally gave me the impression of
being Cinderella dancing with her prince charming in her great castle. The journey to Kerington
then seemed much shorter than to the driveway and on my way back to Scarborough,
comfortably settled in the Camaro, I still dreamed of this moment of magic shared with the man
who would soon know as I loved him. Patience... whispered to me the voice of my conscience,
in angels after these two days in the company of Phoenix, while I still lazily sang the notes of
Tchaikovsky's music without worrying about the modern rhythms that escaped from the car
radio. At the ball...
 *
On the evening of the party, Talanus having asked Phoenix for help to regulate the flow of
guests, we had agreed that I would join him there with François, who had made his Porsche
Cayenne 4x4 shine for the occasion. Although it cost him to leave his young wife all night since
she was human, she was not allowed to attend the festivities, my musketeer friend gladly
agreed to serve me as a driver and bodyguard during the evening. I had tried to negotiate with
Phoenix to give him the opportunity to stay with Angela in Scarborough, but he didn't want to
know anything and explained to me that anyway, if his master couldn't keep a baby alive,
another vampire appointed by him had to take care of it. - But I don't need a chaperone! I'm
emancipated! I had cried, outraged at being so infantilized. His gaze had softened and he had
pushed a strand behind my ear, causing me an involuntary shiver. - And very few of us know. In
fact, if you want to keep it that way, you need an attendant. - But François... - Can do without his
dulcinea for one night, he had cut me. Plus, she won't be alone since he told me that she and
Matthew had organized a video game night. I had straightened up, terribly vexed. Not only was I
obliged, as a student of the angel of the area, to attend a masked ball that I would easily be
recognized for my clumsiness, but friends were going to stuff themselves with popcorns while
having fun playing Mario Kart without me! It wasn't fair! My boss knowing me as he had, (by the
way he had made me a vampire) had surrounded me in two seconds. "Come on, it won't be so
bad. A few politeness to the other area leaders present and one or two dances are not going to
kill you. You said yourself that François was a good teacher, and he told me that you didn't do
so badly. As the masquerade organization was delayed, Phoenix had to travel to Harper Hill for
several days to terrorize the team that was in charge of it so that it would get active faster.
Meanwhile, panicked by the kind of codified collective dances that would be performed there, I
had called François for help to teach me in record time. - Not so bad?! You're joking! It will be a
miracle if I remember a single sequence! I'd rather hide in the bathroom and wait for it to
happen! - And what excuse would you have given to your disappearance? A sudden urge to
pee imaginary? - Don't make fun of me! This time, Phoenix had burst out laughing, singling my
anger at being exposed to ridicule in this way. - In any case, if I spread out in front of all the
vampires present, it will reassure me to know that I would not be the only one to be covered in
shame! He had grasped my hand to carry it to his lips and before leaving me for the final
preparations before the start of the ball, he said to me: - I know you will be perfect, as you
always are. I can't wait for this ball to start just to have the pleasure of seeing you in your
costume. When the front door closed behind him, I was still in a state of shock, not yet
recovered from the fire he had transmitted to me with his eyes and above all, from the intense
burning of my hand, where his mouth had landed. So it was with a little more spirit that I had
started to prepare, starting by enjoying a good hot bath to relax. I then went to my wardrobe to
take underwear, without the slightest remorse for choosing a white bra with finely sculpted and
overpriced lace, paired with matching panties, the lace disappearing at the hips to leave visible
only its elastic finish covered with satin. I had accepted for some time the idea that my
transformation had made me a fan of luxury goods and I was no longer trying to correct myself
when I drooled in front of a river of diamonds in the large jewelry store of the Pembroke
shopping center. After this operation, I went to open the protective cover containing my
costume, sent at the expense of Talanus and Ysis. After seeing the curious swag Kerington
County masters, I was ready for the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sobriety of the
costume in question. It was an antique Greek-influenced dress, slightly pleated, and with a belt
under the chest to highlight it. It went down to the ankles and would therefore not be a problem
to move me. When I put it on, I felt like I was draped in a cloud. It fit me perfectly, showcasing
my curves where it was needed, without it becoming vulgar because the cleavage, although not
negligible, stopped in exactly the right place. I thought it wasn't that bad actually, when I had the
idea to go check that I hadn't forgotten anything in the cover. Ah... There were two things left: a
wide red velvet case and the final touch of my disguise: the mask. It was a dark blue wolf that,
although it covered only the eyes and nose, did well to honour its function since, with the
magnificent peacock feathers that overlooked it, my face could not be recognized. Rowing and
very beautiful. At other times, I would have hated it, but now I found it the utmost elegance. I sat
on the bed, and put my hand on the velvet case unintentionally. What was that? I grabbed it and
opened it. My phantom heart failed to flow from my chest. First, there was a small note written
from Phoenix's hand on which I could read this: "To find my Helen more easily among the other
Greeks... » Helen of Sparta, daughter of Zeus, was the most beautiful woman in all of ancient
Greece... But it was not the comparison of my beauty to his that troubled me the most, it was
the way he had mentioned it: "My Helen." Did the possessive adjective again emphasize the
fact that I was his property or was his motivation deeper? Maybe I had an answer in front of me.
The brilliance of the precious stones almost blinded me and with infinite care I touched the river
of diamonds wondering if I was not dreaming. It was the one in the mall. How did he know? The
only time we'd been together lately, I'd waited for him to be busy paying for our purchases in the
movie store to go rinse my eyes in the window where it was on display. I was careful, though.
There were also two earrings to go with the necklace, and that competed brilliantly with it. My
god... How much could it have cost him? Did this gift show a different feeling than that of a
teacher concerned with the well-being of his student? For the first time in months, I removed
Keira's necklace. When I wore it, I felt like I was saying to Phoenix every day implicitly that I
loved him with all my soul and that I would never leave him. Yet, at that moment, I felt no guilt at
depositing this treasure in my jewelry box. It was not because of its pecuniary value or
magnificence that I smiled at the idea of carrying this river of diamonds, but because of the
possibility that Phoenix had offered it to me as a possible token of affection that went beyond
friendship. I didn't intend to disappoint him, and most of all, I was going to ask him. From that
moment on, I was no longer afraid to go to this ball, on the contrary. I couldn't wait to find the
one who gave me this gift and check for myself what was really going on between us. Too many
clues led me to hope: this gift, his behavior so sweet of the last few days despite his rare
presence at the castle because of the latest adjustments of the party, his way of looking at me in
the elevator of Las Vegas ... It was time to keep the promise I made to Angela and to myself.
After an hour of intense and fully successful make-up, as well as various final preparations, I
admired the result in the mirror of the entrance while waiting for François to ring the doorbell. My
degraded silver and black eyeshadow added a touch of mystery to the bewitching black of my
eyes, enhanced by the volume given to my lashes thanks to professional mascara and a touch
of eyeliner at the bottom. My bright red lipstick contrasted with the white of the dress and the
dark colors of the mask while I had gathered part of my hair into a simple but high hairstyle, a
thick curly lock in English deliberately escaped from it to descend on my shoulder. It was when I
saw François appear in the hall, and then freeze, astonished at my appearance to the point of
not being able to utter a word for ten seconds, that I knew... I was ready. Tonight, I'd play my
future happiness. After congratulating François on his elegance (his costume consisted of a
tuxedo and a mask identical to mine in addition to the masculine, therefore without the feathers),
and after once again apologizing for forcing him to play chaperones, we set off on our way to
the villa of the county district chiefs. I expected to see a lot of people so I didn't formalize the
influx of luxury cars that were all heading to the same place, catching the eye of curious and
admiring locals at the sight of this incredible parade. Even though I knew that between the park
of several hectares and the huge building covering the vampiric activities of the region, there
was enough to accommodate the occupants of a football stadium without problem, I could not
help but push an incredulous exclamation seeing all the cars occupy the space. The driveway
leading to the villa was illuminated with white lamps arranged on poles installed for the
occasion, and connected by immaculate sails that traced a path to the entrance. "Ysis must
have ruined Talanus' bank account," I murmured for myself, more than for my neighbor, who,
without being jaded by the ambient opulence, seemed indifferent to it. - It is not Ysis to blame,
but Talanus himself. - Right?! I cried, turning to François, busy parking beside a bright orange
Lamborghini. - He has a nostalgic side and it is a way for him to remember the grandiose
celebrations that were given in Rome. I refrain from commenting. If already the gardens were
decorated with so much beauty and attention to detail, I wondered what was inside. If it wasn't
replicating an arena with gladiator fights! My questioning was quickly swept away at the sight of
the white hangings, statues, feathers, vases, and rose petals that littered the ground. "It was
great... - But the courtroom will never be able to hold so many people," I whispered to my
companion. - For this kind of event, they have built a removable pavilion in the garden on the
other side, capable of accommodating a little less than a thousand people. "You're making me
walk!" I cried in a low voice, completely hallucinated by these proportions. They issued the
invitations just four weeks ago! It would take months to organize such a thing! François
chuckled. - You still have a lot to learn. Among other things, our capabilities allow us to reduce
the time of our tasks to ten times that that a human would have put in our place. Still in shock, I
didn't answer anything. - Talanus and Ysis are not obliged to do so in such excess, but as with
the games in the arenas of the Colosseum, this ball serves above all the economic and political
interests of our masters, at a higher level than usual, that's all. - Great how? I was afraid for a
moment that his answer would also contain the word "Great" but with an "s." If that were the
case, it was not a good idea for me to participate in it given the common past of my ancestors
with the ten oldest and most powerful vampires in our community. - Some leaders from Europe
and Asia. You'll be happy, there will certainly be a lot of French in the square tonight. "Ah? - The
taste for dance, free buffets and especially for women who would like to discover Paris. I
imitated his smile. "I see. - There will also be the head of the Beijing sector with whom Phoenix
told me that they hoped to forge commercial links for their textile companies. He is a great lover
of fresh blood (he pressed this last word to make me understand the idea: fee meant taken from
a living and non-consenting person) so the new decree taken by the Greats imposing a rapid
passage from China to the Great Change has annoyed him a little. - Angry how? - Oh, nothing
to worry about. We know that he loves above all power and his life, so if he wants to preserve
both, he has no choice but to abide by the orders of the Greats. I was going to ask another
question, but it died on my lips when we arrived at the back room next to the wall of the villa, as
an extension of it. I looked, amazed, at the immense space devoted to the already black
rejoicing of the world, and contemplated with a mixture of amazement and humility all those
faces that I could not see, but which, by the fluidity of their gestures and their grace, let me
assume that they belonged to figures of history centuries old, and which recently welcomed me
in their incredible world. An ice cube ran down my back when many of these heads stared at me
as I tried to identify myself, and I remembered in time to stop behaving like an idiot and to prove
to the present assembly that I had a worthy place among her. Nodding as soon as I was
greeted, that is, every second, I made the effect of one of those ugly animals that were put
before on the back beaches of the cars and which foolishly moved their heads at the slightest
bump of the road, yet I continued in this exercise, until I found myself in a quiet place, where,
after a few more salutes, I could have the impression. "You were very good," François
whispered to me. Not a misstep. Catching two cups of blood on a tray handed to me by a waiter
out of nowhere, I handed him one and replied: - You shouldn't compliment me right away, the
ball hasn't started yet. He toasted with me and swallowed the contents of his glass, puffing. I
was about to do the same when a huge vampire at least six and half feet tall made his way to
me and greeted me. - Greetings lady, if your companion allows, I would like you to write me on
your dance card, if it is not already full. Uh? This guy with a very pronounced Romanian accent
did not know what I looked like and invited me to dance, while making sure by his question
whether François was a jealous lover-style companion or understanding friend. It took a back
elbow to get me to answer. - Uh... He's a friend (better be honest) and um... I don't have a
partner yet. The man stood up, proudly bulging his chest and snapping his heels. He then bent
down to give me a kiss hand that brought me to the height of embarrassment. - You have one
now. The beauty I suspect behind your mask makes me have the audacity to ask you to grant
me the first two dances. Great. I had the knack for getting into trouble! - Uh... Ok. He gave me a
new kiss and walked away, much to my relief. "I forbid you to laugh," I said in a menacing voice.
I heard coughing, proof that this was already the case, and then: - I have no intention of doing
so. I looked up at the sky when suddenly there was a crowd movement, which left the passage
to three people, two men and a woman, who advanced majestically among all. Were they our
hosts and their angel? - Brothers and sisters, children of the Night, welcome to this humble
reception... A little pompous as hangs ... "Humble reception" ... No, but what a vain lie! The guy
who played Talanus didn't go there with a dead hand with the style effects! In a flash, I
understood that these people were just actors, there to play the game of the theme of the
evening. It was also very clever on the part of the masters of the place since, without being
identified, they could evolve freely among their guests by listening to their conversations and
spying on their opinions about them. It was therefore better to hold one's tongue if one had the
hope of keeping it. - ... You are our guests so consider that you are at home. Entertain yourself
at leisure, tonight, the pleasure of dancing is as much the pleasure of the senses. Seeing the
two vampires who were already licking their faces by fiddling around the door, I tell myself that
some people wanted to start with the pleasure of the senses before the pleasure of dancing.
Every time it must have been Javas and Cassie, those two obsessed that Phoenix had already
made go away in front of me because they had the unpleasant tendency to like to start foreplay
in public. In fact, a moment later, the door opened and then closed at breakneck speed, and no
matter how much I looked, there was no trace of the two drooling. My field of vision,
embarrassed by the number of vampires in place, had not allowed me to see the scene
correctly, but I was pretty sure that Javas and Cassie had just been thrown out by the angel of
these places. Immediately, I forgot what was going on around me and set out to find him in the
crowd, playing a "Where's Charlie?" life-size. I was about to walk to the door, but the musicians
of the philharmonic orchestra playing on the stage at the end of the hall began a polka. So my
gentle giant did not fail to remember my good memory and when I informed him that I could not
dance that, he burst out with a thunderous throat and told me that it would not be a problem
since he would arrange for my feet not to touch the ground. I just had time to turn to François
and show him the fangs when no longer holding on to it, he twisted to laugh at the hilarity
caused by my humiliation. My partner took me with him to the center of general attention,
however, it was out of the question to let him carry out his plan. I rolled up my lips as I stretched
out my canines when he approached his hand from my hip. "If you lift me even a centimeter, I
will bleed you out in front of everyone. Despite the mask, I clearly saw the glimmer of surprise in
his green look. " And I'm not kidding. If he believed otherwise with the way I stared at him, i.e.
as with the urge to rip his head off with my teeth, he was completely stupid. I had been careful
that only him could hear me, but if he continued to be nailed on the spot with that air of fried
whiting, it might be talking around us. "I underestimated you, I think," he said. - Indeed, I replied
with a smile as affable as mortal. He nodded respectfully and held out his hand to me. "I give
you my word that I will guide you without lifting you from the ground. He kept his promise and
managed to make me twirl among the hundreds of guests who were at our side. He was an
excellent partner who gave me instructions whenever he felt I might be wrong; my distrust of
him diminished and I finally found him sympathetic. Traian, since that was his name, confided to
me that he loved to dance and regretted that the current generation considers the polka to be a
has-been dance. After all, it was on this occasion that he met his wife. - What's her name? I
asked, curious as to whether his wife was as tall as him. - Her name was Narcisa, she was
beautiful. I noticed that he was talking about her in the past. It was better not to commit an
offense. - You must have loved her a lot. He burst out laughing again. - Miss, I've never hated
anyone as much as that damn good woman! I cried with joy when I heard that bitch was dead.
Besides the shame of having once again said a stupidity, I was outraged at the way he spoke of
the woman who had shared his life. She was stronger than me, I was aggressive. - What had
she done to you? She hadn't asked permission before serving herself a glass of wine in your
drinking barrel?! Traian laughed so loudly that this time the other dancers looked at us with
curiosity. I was mortified. - You know how to wield your tongue like a sharp blade, Miss. I like
that. Some of our vampire women are even worse than humans when it comes to being afraid
of the big bad wolf. You're a warrior, I feel. I didn't understand that avalanche of compliments
anymore. Didn't I just insult him? - Narcisa and I did not choose each other. Our parents had
decided our union while we were in the cradle and unlike me, she was not dazzled by my
beauty. I gave her everything I had, but it wasn't enough for her. Not only did she not fail to
deceive me with all the men passing by, but she also plotted against me. I was still human at the
time, so I didn't have the courage to put her to death. I locked her in a tower from which she
could no longer get out, but she seduced her jailer and convinced him to murder me. He failed,
of course, since, in the meantime, I had become a vampire. It was one of my first meals. (The
nostalgic smile he sported as he spoke of it made me cold in the back) But when I wanted to
find my beloved wife to make up for lost time, I learned that she had preferred to throw herself
off a cliff rather than fall into my hands. As he smiled at me with all his fangs, I thought it was a
good thing to say something kind. - It's a very nice um... History. To my relief, the orchestra
completed the last note of the piece at the same time and my rider took me back to François. -
Thank you for this lovely moment, Miss Jones. I did not have time to ask him how he had
recognized me that he was already walking away with a mysterious smile on his face. - Traian
recognized you? my musketeer was astonished. - You know who it is? -Of course. The giant
Romanian vampires with good manners do not run the streets. He's the area manager of
Bucharest. He usually stays with his lieutenants and mixes very little with the Americans. I think
he's heard of you. Congratulations, Sam, you just put one of the most senior officials in Eastern
Europe in your pocket. This whole thing was too weird for me. I needed a drink. I left towards
the waiter who zigzagged with his tray and caught one that I bused at a stroke. Hey! It was a
hemoglobin cocktail, in which I also recognized rum, cane sugar and a hint of orange juice. A
punch in blood! Delicious! I caught up with the waiter and had two more drinks. I was sure
François would like that. - Would you like to grant me the next dance, beautiful unknown to my
heart? I stopped when I heard that voice behind me. - Useless, I know who you are and it would
not be a good idea. The voice took on a falsely vexed tone. - But why? I laughed and started
moving again, without worrying about him. - Because it would be another provocation towards a
person you don't really want to off. The sensual laughter of Hedayat Javan accompanied me as
I joined my thirsty musketeer friend. "Who was the guy you put back on?" asked François, who
emptied his glass in two sips. - It was Hedayat. Oh... You did the right thing by turning down his
invitation. - As you say. - It cannot be said that he is afraid of danger. If he continues to want to
seduce you in this way, he will end up with one less fang. - He finally understood that I belonged
to Phoenix. - That, my friend, everyone has known for a long time. The amused brilliance of his
eyes did not escape me. - Shut up, François. The orchestra finished its music to applause, but
there was a real uproar in the following notes. The whole room was getting ready to hit the
track. Phoenix had explained to me that the collective dance, a joyful variation of several
rhythms and choreographies dating from the 16th century to the 19th century, was a tradition in
a vampire ball, and that those who did not participate were rather frowned upon. For my part, it
didn't really bother me, but I didn't want to put it in a cantilever by staying behind. Besides,
where was he? There were so many people in this place that it could be anywhere. Praying
silently so that I would not make a fool of myself, I joined my group of Greeks, who were eagerly
awaiting the signal of departure by checking their bet. The way they frantically dressed or
looked at each other in their pocket mirror made me wonder if I had fallen in the middle of
teenage girls at their prom. What was heard in the background was only the mouthful before the
beginning of the melody, which allowed the dancers to divide into the space in groups of fifty
people arranged in several large rows, with men on one side and women on the other. Because
of the number, as soon as a movement of the melody ended, one group left room for the next
and so on, in order to allow everyone to pass. I also knew that several times I would change
partners before finishing the melody with the last of them, in a kind of improved slow. With the
luck I had, I was still going to run into a pervert, I knew it! I had only practiced with François and
the idea that I was in danger of making a blunder in front of a parterre of characters who had
had centuries to refine their technique undermined my morale. My state of mind did not improve
when I saw all the rows preceding mine perform each step with relentless precision. I belonged
to the last group, the one that would close this important moment of the evening. When my turn
came, I tried to draw courage from the eyes of François, whom I knew to be in front of me, and
set out to implement the hours we had spent reviewing all these sequences. Extremely focused,
I don't say a word to him, not even when he discreetly congratulated me. It took all this
concentration not to panic when the notes suddenly accelerated to signal us the change of
partner. I found myself the first time with a little mustachioed vampire who appeared to be in his
sixties, but whose protruding muscles betrayed the vigor he possessed at that human age, and
then, the second, I missed spreading head first, understanding that I was dancing with Talanus
in person, who, without making the conversation or making the effort to be kind, nodded silently
every time I was in control , a sign that I was doing well (he had recognized me, in fact). The
tension that inhabited me rose to its climax when it was necessary to change partners one last
time because it meant that I would soon be released from this obligation. This was not the time
to make a mistake and I redoubled my concentration when the characteristic notes were heard.
Only this time, if I almost tangled my heels, it had nothing to do with a forgetfulness of step or
fear of Talanus. No, I was facing my last partner... Phoenix.
*
My whole universe suddenly summed up the man I had just touched by standing in front of him,
and the brief contact from which I had felt this electric shock that occurred only with him alone.
The moment our eyes crossed, I had to mobilize all my self-control to continue dancing without
betraying the earthquake that shook me from the inside. - It's you... I murmured blissfully, taking
two steps towards him as the dance intended. - Sam... You're wearing my necklace... If his
velvet voice made me feel like a sensual caress from the top of my skull to the tip of my toes,
his gaze on me was so burning that I thought I could feel my body catch fire. With my mouth
suddenly dry, I could not detach myself from his two azure eyes, which surely reflected what
mine had to send him back: the warmth of my desire. I couldn't help it, all my cells were burning
one after the other in this new way that he had to stare at me, as if at last he saw the woman I
really was. My god... He was so handsome and so sure of himself that I could not stop my
instinct from yelling at me that this man was destined for me. I'm yours! I could not decently
pronounce it out loud in front of the audience, but I hoped to infuse my eyes with all the strength
of the love I felt for him. I don't know how he interpreted it, but still I saw his lips shudder and a
white flash cross his irises as he took advantage of a new dance step to brush my cheek with
his fingers. - Aydan... I blew by closing my eyes, carried by this simple contact to the point of
stopping moving. Fortunately, the music had just made one last movement signalling the
moment to move on to the last stage of the dance. I would have sworn to have sighed with
happiness when I felt him grab me by the waist with an incredibly possessive low rumble, while
he managed to lead the dance for both of us. I was no longer able to think of anything but his
arms around me, his intoxicating smell, the delight of feeling his chin rubbing against my
forehead as he shook me harder than he had ever done. I barely held back from letting my
hands rise to forage in his hair, just as I had to bite my lip so as not to let slip the few fateful
words that I now burned to confess to him in private. I love you so much... Lost in this thought, I
had let my fingers follow their own will and I trembled when I realized that they were slipping
naturally between those of my partner. I stiffened, lest he escape, and then sighed with relief
and intense euphoria when, on the contrary, he tightened them with such vigor that a little more,
he would have crushed my bones. On my cloud of fullness, I didn't care and relished this
moment of absolute grace. The acceleration of the following notes then seemed to me like a
torment since to the sounds, I understood that Talanus and Ysis had asked the musicians to
extend the exercise with the variant of which François had informed me: the men of the last
group had to dance with the women of the first. The pain of separating me from Phoenix was as
much physical as emotional because by forcing my body to back up where it didn't want to go,
namely in the mass of spectators, all my muscles had stiffened to the point of being painful. But
what warmed my heart was that my partner had a hard time letting go of my hand and that his
ever-burning gaze followed me to my place, completely ignoring the vampire woman who had
just appeared before him. It was with great emotion that I joined François, who greeted me with
an affectionate smile that seemed to tell me that he had lost nothing of what his friend and I had
shared during the dance. I was still dreaming about it when the music resumed, and eagerly
awaited the precise moment when with this variant, the last dancers would remove their masks
to know the identity of their partner. Personally, I didn't care a lot about the blonde woman with
whom Phoenix danced, if I could admire her and have the hope that soon he would belong to
me at least as much as I already belonged to him. If I had been less intoxicated by his behavior
towards me, perhaps I would have paid attention to my internal alarm system, which advised me
to look better at what was going on. I could have seen the terrible tension of my employer's jaw,
a sign of anger about to win it. And I would have paid more attention to the blonde curls of his
partner, whose beauty I suspected, was as familiar to me as her hair ... That's why the shock
was so overwhelming at the time of the masks, to the point of freezing me whole ... Why, also, I
thought that the earth opened under my feet to suck up the last trace of joy that had inhabited
me before, leaving instead only the pain and despair of seeing the man I loved to hold in his
arms his former mistress and the woman who wanted me dead... Miss Engara.
*
- Damn... swore François in a low voice in his native language, discovering, like me, the identity
of the person in the place I had occupied a few minutes earlier. I was so horrified and hurt by
what I saw that I couldn't even take my eyes off. Everyone had taken off their mask and I could
now admire Phoenix as I had hoped earlier, but also his busty and demonic partner, who,
knowing that her angel could not push her away in the immediate future without creating an
incident spoiling this crucial evening for the politics of Talanus and Ysis, clearly relished her
triumph. I had said obviously... I should have said ostentatiously and above all, in a way entirely
directed towards me. Every time Phoenix found himself with his back to me, she would manage
to stick to him and whisper things in his ear with a smile that was clearly addressed to me. As
soon as she could look at me with disdain, she did not deprive herself of it and displayed on her
face an air of victory that stabbed my heart, literally. However, I didn't know what was hurting
me the most. Seeing Engara remind me with infinite cruelty that she and Phoenix had been
lovers, or that on her side to him, I saw no reaction of rejection against her. His expression had
become unperturbed again, and every time he found himself in front of me, he made sure that
our eyes never crossed. How could my dream earlier have been able to fall so quickly into this
excruciating nightmare? How can I sit there and watch the man I loved with all my soul
reconnect with his former mistress? Suddenly, an emotion of phenomenal violence and power
erupted in me, like a volcanic explosion of extraordinary force. My vision sharpened even more
than with my usual vampiric abilities and above all, was tinged with a red as deep and intense
as the blood that now boiled in my veins like molten lava. Engulfed by this tsunami of
sensations, I still managed to identify the emotion that was transforming every fiber of my body
into an incandescent blaze eager to reduce to ashes all that surrounded me: it was hatred. A
pure hatred, based on the disgust of this slave girl, arrogant, self-centered, cowardly enough to
pay hired killers rather than confront me loyally; a hatred based mainly on her way of reminding
me of the intimate moments she had tasted in Phoenix's arms while I had always denied me
access to his heart... This relentless, infernal hatred was ravaging my body and mind as I tried
desperately to channel it and if I did not react immediately, it would fully consume my last
abilities to be rational in a crowd where the slightest misstep as a newborn would condemn me
as much as the one I had to protect from the madness that was eating away at me. Sam?
François anxious murmur to my right was the key element that took me out of my personal
apocalypse enough to try to find a way out. Already, the signs of my inner disorder were
beginning to show up outside. I didn't need to be told that my pupils had turned red, even if
luckily they weren't yet shining, but in trying to control my emotions, I had started a totally
absurd relaxation exercise causing me to shrug and lower my shoulders and clench and loosen
my fists. - François... (My dreadfully hoarse voice sounded like a growl in my ears) I'm losing
control. That was the whole truth. Even when we were assaulted in the alley after our outing to
the Sanguin, I had not had this feeling that in the seconds to follow, my personality and my
reason would fade to leave all freedom to act to the wild beast that was hiding deep inside me.
François, fortunately, reacted immediately and drew me by the arm away, in time so that no one
knew from which came the guttural rumble that escaped me. In spite of this, I could, thanks to a
free space among the spectators, always see the object of my rage evolve, ostensibly curled up
against his partner whose lips pinched to the point of whitening, testified to a contained anger
impotent to match mine. In fact, despite the advice of my musketeer friend, I almost leapt
forward all fangs out when Engara had the audacity to raise her hand to caress Phoenix's
cheek, the latter stopping him by brutally grabbing her arm and forcing him to leave it in place.
François reflexes saved me because with a hard push, he placed me against the wall and
obstructed my field of vision by facing me. "Let me go, I'm going to kill her," I said. His pupils lit
up. "Look at me, Sam. If you do that, you'll accomplish exactly what Engara wants you to do. A
new rumble, more furious this time, echoed around me, turning a few heads in my direction.
Luckily, I hadn't taken off my mask. "I know you understood that too," he said, without taking
care of the witnesses. If you attack Engara now, you'll only prove to everyone that you're not yet
capable of dominating you, just as you'll prove that Phoenix didn't guide you properly. For
spoiling the party, Talanus would be forced to punish you in public, which would more surely
discredit your creator, who would automatically see the number of his enemies explode. Even
as I felt my muscles howling the desire to throw myself into the arena to shred my enemy, the
last bit of reason I had left managed to regain the upper hand thanks to François' speech. If I
played Engara's game to satisfy my revenge at the wrong time, I risked losing everything. I
couldn't allow it. - I have to get out of here. François nodded. "I'll take you home. - No, it's going
to be okay. I think it's best if I go home alone. Give me your keys and tell Phoenix that I stained
my dress and had to go home. Anyway, I have fulfilled my obligations here, I am not forced to
stay. - You're not going to make him swallow that. - I don't care. You must work around to find
an excuse that keeps him far enough away from me for me to calm down. There was a silence
during which François had to weigh the pros and cons. - Very well. I'll give you a little head start
and then I'll let him know why you're leaving. I kissed him on the cheek and after throwing my
mask in one of the garbage cans near the exit, left the premises as soon as possible, with the
desire to never return. Foot to the floor, it took me only an hour to get to Scarborough Castle.
Once inside, as if sullied by what I had witnessed, I had rushed to my old room to shower,
before coming out in combat gear, ready for the training session that would serve as an outlet
for my hatred. I passed from swords to knives, from knives to guns of all calibers, from guns to
sandbags, which I sprayed again without it being enough to calm my nerves. I decided to take
back three silver blades. A whiff of rage linked to a flash of remembrance of the previous hours
made me send them with such force that they all passed at the same time through the target
suspended from the ceiling and didn't care in the back wall. I had just ordered my canines back
to their normal size when I heard my name being pronounced in the lobby of the entrance.
"Downstairs," I said simply, knowing that the voice would also hear me. Indeed, less than ten
seconds later, Phoenix appeared in the door frame, his face not expressing the slightest
emotion. How could he seem so calm, so neutral in that same tuxedo where just now he was
smoldering at me with a look that had made my soul vibrate? For my part, even if the crisis had
passed, I was still bubbling with anger and to make nothing worse, with the training I had
inflicted on myself, I had to look like a witch. I turned away, more to avoid his gaze than to fetch
the broom to which I was heading. - Leave that. The authoritarian intonation of his voice
stopped me cleanly. I waited for him to speak first, but he didn't seem to intend to, merely
staring at me without me knowing what he was thinking. "There is sand everywhere," I said, to
furnish a silence that was becoming unbearable. - Tell me what happened earlier, Sam. Always
this authoritarian note in the voice... Normally, I would have rebelled and kept silent, just to
annoy him. But tonight, something in the air, something in his eyes prevented me from doing so.
It was a serious time. - Nothing happened. I stained my dress and preferred to go home rather
than ridicule you in public. He rolled up his lips in a bad grin. - That's not what I was told. A
furious hiss came out of my mouth. - I don't know what told me to believe that François would
hold his tongue. A white flash ran through my boss's irises. - For once, I'm glad that's not the
case. I couldn't suppress a sneer of spite. - I don't see what makes you happy. I almost ruined
everything you've built in the last fifty years in one night just because I hate a woman more than
reason can allow me to do. Phoenix remained silent and stared at me harshly. Damn it... To say
that two hours back, I would have sworn that something had just happened between us and that
he had finally lowered his guard with me! Everything was ruined by now. He was going to
distance himself and finally deny me his heart. Phoenix suddenly found himself in front of me
and forced me to support his gaze by placing his hands on my cheeks. I thought I'd jumped in
time. His eyes were no longer hard or cold, but with a brightness of the same intensity as I had
seen during our dance and which had transported me to Paradise. - You have never
disappointed me. Lost in the ocean of its eyes, I could no longer think properly. - But... Engara...
The brilliance of his eyes increased in intensity. - Tried to harm you, but you were stronger than
her. - I.... He interrupted me for good, placing a light kiss on my forehead that made me shudder
to the depths of my being, while he kept me tight against him. It's time... whispered a voice in
my mind that I did not recognize, but which made me aware of our closeness. All I had to do
was raise my head and invite him to kiss my lips... Would he? What would I do if I didn't? My
questions were brutally swept away by a wind of invincible determination. As the voice said, it
was more than time. Slowly, I raised my face to his and thought I could feel my heart pounding,
staring it straight in the eye, unequivocally as to my intentions. Immediately, his eyes lit up with
this particular hue between blue and white that, with his strength and intelligence, made this
vampire one of the most respected members of our community. But for now, he was no longer
an angel, no master, no vampire. He was just a man facing a choice.
*
In his eyes, I felt like I was diving into the heart of an oceanic abyss as magnificent as it was
terrifying and the more the seconds stretched between us, the more I felt that I would eventually
drown there if nothing happened. Phoenix always looked at me with his steely eyes, he did not
make the slightest gesture towards me suggesting that he was going to end my ordeal and kiss
me as all my being hoped. His jaw, tensed to explode, proved to me that an inner torment
tortured him, was it hesitation? With my nerves alive, I felt that my pupils were coloured red.
Ouch... Immediately, those in Phoenix returned to normal and the wonderful azure they
contained was filled with concern for me. - Sam, are you angry? I wanted to scream my
frustration. He thought that the color change in my eyes had something to do with my emotions,
and rightly so, except that in his case, anger was far from the real trigger for that. Why didn't he
want to understand it? Had he ever forgotten the episode in Talanus and Ysis' office? I bit my lip
so as not to roar with pain, but the result was that I hurt myself with my canines and spilled my
blood, a few drops of which came to stain my tank top. "I've had enough," I said. Phoenix took
another step backwards. - I think it is better that I leave you alone, my presence does not seem
to appease you. - Yes, I do. Although he was clearly offended by my somewhat frosty reply, he
did not seek to go any further. - I'll wait for you in our room. When he disappeared, I smile. He
had said our room... It was good that he left me alone, it would allow me to do what I had to do
before I joined him and to make his room, which I was temporarily occupying, finally and
officially ours. I had a plan. In fact, after a quick storage of the cellar, I went upstairs to my old
night resting place to take a shower. I had not sweated, but after a sporting exercise as
intensive as mine, it seemed necessary, as much to free myself from the last tensions that
inhabited me after the episode with Engara, as to give me courage to implement the project that
had come to mind. Thus, after a little bit of preparation time, I admired my reflection in the large
mirror in front of me. Dressed to sleep, I had opted for a long night dress never before used, in
ivory-coloured satin, which reached my ankles and whose neckline, although generous, was of
a classic and sober elegance. After drying and smoothing them, I chose to let my hair cascade
freely over my shoulders and enjoy their raspberry fragrance, which, mixed with the scent of
wood from my shower gel, dispensed me with spraying perfume on my body. I was ready. The
distance between my room and the office was not huge, of course, but at that moment it
seemed endless as I was anxious while looking forward to it. I remembered on the evening of
my thirty years, when, with the same purpose, I had taken the same path, radiating confidence
in myself through the effect of my employer's imprint in my body; confidence that had shattered
when the latter had ruthlessly repelled me. Tonight would be different... I was different. I was
me, for starters, and above all I knew what I wanted: the man who was waiting for me behind
this sliding panel... Without any hand tremor, I operated Candide and kissed the secret room of
the gaze. Phoenix was there, of a relentless and absolute perfection that caused my soul to
capsize once again. He had got up from his chair when I arrived and placed his copy of The
Heart Catcher on the dresser to his right, before coming to meet me, right in front of his bed. I
had particularly appreciated the shudder of his lips when he notified my outfit. I remembered the
conversation we had about his criteria for good feminine dress; he had told me that he regretted
that my generation shows so much skin through his miniskirts and his sexy undresses. There, I
knew I had just scored points; the proportion of what was hidden in relation to what was visible
was ideal to seduce him. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him check in my eyes the state of
my mind. "They are not red," I said simply. He stepped back, a little embarrassed by his
gesture, inexorably recalling the stinging memory of my birthday party. - Um... I wanted to make
sure of that, after what happened earlier. I smile softly. - Even if you did, you wouldn't have had
anything to worry about because every time it happens when I'm near you, it has nothing to do
with anger. He frowned, not daring to understand what was as clear as rock water. I had to get
him on the track. - Earlier, in the cellar, I was not angry with you. I had uttered these words with
all the tenderness I felt for him, which did not escape him. - Sam, it's not that... I gently put my
hand on his lips to intimate him with silence before staring at him with the same burning gaze
we had exchanged during the ball. It's time, whispered again with his voice in my head. I didn't
need her to tell me again... - Phoenix... First of all, I want you to know that I love you... (His
pupils widened on the spot) It's been a while now that I've loved you deeply... In fact, since the
night of our meeting, but it took me a long time to understand it. Then I tried to hide it because I
knew that the feelings of an overly emotional human would never be shared. I tried to move on,
but nothing worked and then... I became a vampire. Today everything is clear, I love you with all
my soul and I will never love anyone else, should I live a million years. I took an inspiration,
astonished and at the same time intensely relieved to have finally opened my heart to him. For
his part, the fire of his eyes dazzled me with his intensity and his whole body had stiffened like a
piece of wood. I continued: - Now I leave you the choice. Either I go back to my old room and
despite what I have just told you, we continue to live under the illusion that we are only friends
who work together, or you take the risk of allowing you to see me differently. In the first case, I
will be unhappy, but I will still be by your side, in the second... Well, you'll let me know. It was at
this moment, at the end of my speech, that anguish made me clench my teeth to break them. I
had said it all, I had laid bare in front of the one in whose hands my future happiness rested. He
had only one word to say to tip me to one side or the other of the scale, from the deepest abyss
of Hell to the highest peak of Paradise. But he still didn't say anything... As before, in the
basement, he could not resolve the conflict that was devastating him, he could not make his
decision. The silence went on and as before, fear made my pupils turn red. All my confidence
had vanished and I was beginning to feel my legs trembling while waiting for the outcome of his
inner debate. What was he going to choose? When he bowed his head and looked away, I
realized that the wait was over. He rejected me... Once again. Swallowing a tsunami of suffering
even worse than the one I had experienced during the transformation process, I stood up and
whispered: - I understand. ... before I turn back to the exit. Phoenix didn't want me, he didn't like
me... I had just told him I'd be miserable in this case, you're talking! I was rushed into the
darkest room in Hell to be endured by the worst tortures for eternity. For what would my eternal
life be without his love? Nothing but a path paved with suffering that would leave me no respite.
As I raised my arm to grasp the opening mechanism of the door, I expected the despicable pain
that would surely overwhelm me in the solitude of the first floor. In any case, I did not expect
Phoenix to stop my gesture by grabbing my hand in his. I froze, he was right behind me. That? -
Stay. One word. One word. And hope, that feeling that I thought I would never feel again,
suddenly surfaced, panting, waiting for an explanation that still did not come. I had to know. -
Why? There was a silence, heavy, hesitant, terrible. Then: - Because I will not be able to hide
one more minute that I love you like crazy from the moment my gaze landed on you that night in
the alley. Upset as much as in disbelief by the meaning of a statement to which I had never
dared to aspire, I always fixed the door through which I was supposed to leave the one who had
rejected me a minute before. I was so shocked that I wasn't sure I understood, or heard his
words correctly. Phoenix wouldn't let me ask him for confirmation. In a flash, he turned in front
of him and I had just time to see his eyes become luminescent, before his mouth crashed on
mine into a hard kiss, which had nothing hesitant or timid, but which, on the contrary, was of
such fire and passion that I had a moment of floating before understanding what was happening
to me. Phoenix took the opportunity to force the barrage of my teeth and wrap his tongue
around mine while placing me a little more against him thanks to the hand he had slipped
behind my neck, the other radiating into my back, where my nightgown was attached only by
two strings of satin so thin that they seem to me nonexistent in contact with his skin on mine. My
body was the first to pull itself together by turning into a spontaneous blaze, and it only took me
another moment before returning his kiss with all the violence of my own emotions, which
swirled so quickly in my mind that they intertwined into a totally incomprehensible imbroglio:
love, fear of the future, happiness, disbelief, remnants of suffering when I had believed that he
did not want me... Among all this emotional cluster without tail or head, however, I remembered
only one thing, the one that finally mattered the most: the immeasurable joy of each of my
fibers, those of my body as much as those of my soul, to be at last in the place that was theirs.
The time for explanations would come later. That night, I dreamed that the man I loved, too,
loved me.

Chapter V: I belong to you

Consumed by The desire that Phoenix inspired me, I had started by touching him in the face,
shoulders, arms, as if to verify that it was real. He had to understand my intention because with
a sudden he pulled his head back through my hair and, letting out a dull rumble, he kissed me
even more savagely. Far from hurting me, his reaction triggered a first whiff of voluptuousness
so intense that I passed my arms around his neck to prevent him from claiming any retirement.
It was my turn to grow a rumble of primitive satisfaction. I was going to allow myself to undo the
buttons on the jacket in his pajamas, but Phoenix grabbed my arms. Not knowing what he
wanted to do, I did not resist it and immediately regretted it. Indeed, he put an end to our kiss by
gently removing me from him, something which, in addition to bruising my flesh, made me fear
that he regretted what had just happened between us. Not! I was mentally yelling at the idea.
Fortunately, I thought I was failing with relief when his eyes met mine. He didn't seem to want to
reject me, on the contrary. The fever I was reading there was more of a blow to my stomach; I
was the origin of it... - Tell me you're mine. The tone of his hoarse voice reflected the mood of
his eyes. There was only one possible answer to his request. - Forever, I say in a breath. It was
then that the fever of his gaze suddenly disappeared, replaced by a stunning innocence
reinforced by a smile expressing only the purest joy that was. Never before had I seen him so
beautiful, so wonderful, so close to the figure of a heavenly angel. With infinite sweetness, he
rested his hands on my cheeks to slowly draw me to him, offering me the most perfect kiss one
can imagine, both sweet and deep, a guarantee of a bond between us that nothing could ever
undo. My love for this man radiated around me in waves so powerful that I could have
enveloped the world and I returned his kiss with all the strength of my feelings for him. The earth
could stop turning, I didn't care. All I wanted was for that moment when I felt the fusion of our
two hearts like never before, lasts forever. At least I thought I wanted to... At one point, I had to
realize that this piece of Paradise was not enough. For me, Paradise was Phoenix; and I totally
wanted it. I break the contact by backing up slightly. His eyes questioned me, but I didn't need
words... When I changed the color of my pupils, he understood. He pulled me up by the waist
and drew me all against him. His other hand then slipped into an exquisite caress from my
cheek to my chin, then from my neck to my shoulder. His eyes lit up at the same time as mine
as his mouth regained possession of mine, gently first, then more aggressively. At the same
time, his fingers undoing the back ties of my nightgown triggered in me a shiver of
voluptuousness as well as anguish as to what would follow. When the cloth slipped along my
naked body to fall to the ground, I could not suppress a reflex of modesty and seized by the
embarrassment of being so offered to the eyes of a man, whom I loved yet, I awkwardly crossed
my arms on my belly. Phoenix gently pushed them away and grabbed my hands and put a kiss
in each palm. - You're beautiful. He kissed me again on the mouth before taking care of my
neck, while hugging me against him. Aware of my nudity, I began to gasp under the combined
effect of his lips and fingers running through my back. I was in the situation I had been wanting
for months, but suddenly a whiff of anguish competed with my desire in my mind, reminding me
that despite my thirty years and my transformation into a powerful and domineering creature, I
had never had sex before. I stiffened myself after a shiver that shook me entirely. My
companion immediately stopped devouring my neck with kisses and looked me straight in the
eye, to my great shame. Mortified by my ignorance, I bit my lip, which bled again. Phoenix
kissed me to make the wound disappear before looking at me again, a strange gleam in his
azure eyes. - Don't be afraid. I closed my eyes, excruciatingly embarrassed. - I... Don't want to
disappoint you. I felt his hand caressing my face. - You give me the most precious gifts a
woman can give to a man. I'm not disappointed, but honored. Surprised by his vision of my
virginity, I did not react immediately when he removed his pyjama top, releasing a sublime torso
with silk-smooth skin and steel abs. My body recovered faster than my mind, yet, and when
driven by a will of its own, my hands landed on my boss's chest, my previous doubts were swept
away like dust in the wind. Phoenix had to feel him because he smiled and lifted me up in his
arms to carry me to the bed. There, taking advantage of the fact that he was overlooking me, he
began by detailing me from head to toe, as if to forever record in his memory every detail of my
donated body. The mixture of desire and infinite tenderness that I could read in his eyes upset
my soul at the same time as it set off a new fire in every cell of my body. I had never felt as
beautiful as in that moment when I saw myself in the way he was devouring my eyes. "You
belong to me," he said multiple flashes zebraizing his already luminescent eyes, before coming
to make sure of it by possessing my mouth with a dizzying will. He was above me and I had
instinctively arched myself to let him pass a possessive arm under my back. The other had
slowly traveled the distance between my face and my thigh, clinging firmly, having in the
passage unbearably bypassed my left breast to frustrate me more. Made impatient as his
caresses made my desire to receive him in me, I rubbed my pelvis against his, savoring the
incredible sensation of his excitement through the thin fabric of his black pants. On the verge of
ecstasy, I let my fingers run through his brown hair, grabbing and releasing some strands at the
same rate as the waves of voluptuousness that attacked me in furious assaults. When his
mouth gave up mine to grab one of my breasts while his hand went to caress me where no man
had ever had access, I no longer continued myself and let out a first cry of enjoyment. However,
I was brought back to earth by the unbearable pleasure I felt when, without giving me any
respite, Phoenix no longer merely kissed my chest, but began to suck and suck the two spikes
made hypersensitive by the relentless and purely sensual treatment they were undergoing. I
didn't know if I was moaning or gasping, or if I was giving my companion's birth or vampire
name. I couldn't even see the white ceiling above me, only the incredible pleasure I was
experiencing existed. It was then that at the same time he thrust his canines into my right breast
and two of his fingers into my privates. I took off. I thought for a moment that my howl had
sounded up to Scarborough, as the ecstasy that indated me was extraordinary. And it was far
from over. Phoenix continued his tongue and hand movements without worrying about the
grunts holding more of the wild beast than the woman I was pushing. If I had been human, I was
sure that he would have pushed me to a heart attack before I had even gotten to the heart of the
matter. But I was no longer human... And Phoenix was known for being ruthless. When he
retired from both sides, I uttered a cry of protest, quickly replaced by a new howl of pleasure as
his hands held my thighs, which he had just raised on his shoulders to kiss my crotch. Under the
action of his expert language and his canines that invariably rubbed my most sensitive flesh, I
cambered to excess, clinging to the sheets of which I had just torn apart, and stiffened as my
whole body was covered with a vibration as mysterious as growing. Having reached its climax, it
exploded in my body with such violence that I thought I was also exploding into a billion small
fragments, and shouted endless words that I did not even recognize. As I gently regained
consciousness of what was around me, I saw my companion got rid of his pants with a grace
and fluidity that I could only admire despite the sudden tension that invaded me at the sight of
his nudity. Only once had I seen him without any clothes. It was New Year's Eve, when I joined
him in Pembroke to give him his phone back and I found him in the company of a brunette in a
thong. At this memory, my fangs rose at a surprising speed, as menacing as forced them to be
my sudden rise of jealousy. Mine! As if to prove it, I did not wait for my partner to come back to
me slowly and straightened me up to grab his lips and take mine as savagely as my dark side
demanded. Surprised, Phoenix had a time of floating before reacting. He laughed and gave me
back my kiss with the same spirit. But when my desire to prove that it belonged to me became
stronger to the point of making my eyes shine brightly red and want to push it back on the
mattress, he grabbed my wrists to prevent me from moving and without stopping to kiss me, he
turned my project against me, tipping us so that I would find myself under him. My animal self
did not hear it from this ear and pushed me to bite his tongue with a menacing rumble. He
strayed sharply, scrutinizing my scarlet pupils, blood flowing in a thin net on his chin. Half
horrified, half satisfied with what I had done, I was divided between the desire to apologize and
the desire to lick the blood on my lover's face. What I did, right after I said this to him: - You
belong to me. My sentence resonated in my ears like a beastly roar despite the low level of
sound with which I had uttered and displeased her, I waited for the moment when Phoenix
would stop looking at me with amazement and then tell me to go to the vampire asylum for
treatment. Again, his reaction astonished me. He let go of a new laugh, then stroked my cheek
with a gentleness and tenderness that caused my jealousy to soar and return my visual
adrenaline level to an acceptable level of red. He smiled again and murmured: - Forever. He
gently placed his lips on mine to prove it. Freed from all fear, I did not tense when he spread my
legs to take what from the beginning I wanted to give him. And it was by shivering against his
mouth that I felt him penetrate me, with all the sweetness he was capable of. He swallowed my
groan of pain when he ventured as far as he could, before coming to a stop to allow my body to
get used to this new sensation. He then looked at me intensely, as if to lay bare my soul in front
of him, looking for the slightest sign that he should stop everything. That would not be
necessary. In a smile, I conveyed to him this bliss that I felt in the depths of my being to be thus
in his arms, bound to him by this carnal exchange as much as by the love that was at the origin
of it. The anxiety that darkened his blue gaze faded immediately and without stopping to
contemplate me, he began a slow movement back and forth between my thighs. I also wanted
to get lost in his eyes as he gradually accelerated the pace, but I was overwhelmed by so many
successive waves of pleasure that I threw my head back, abandoning the idea of channelling
my groans, which grew as the violence of his strokes of the kidney intensified. No longer holding
it, I thrust my nails into his back and printed bloody marks on it. As I became aware of it, I
withdrew them with aghast, quickly suffocated by an incendiary kiss from the man who was
overhanging me: - "Repeat," he scolded, grabbing my hand and putting it back on his back
before stun me with a new kiss, even more electrifying than the previous one. I did not pray and
plowed his skin without worrying more about being careful not to hurt him, especially since he
arrived at an infernal cadence, his pelvis movements came to make me forget until my name.
Thus, after another assault deep in my flesh already at the top of the ecstasy, I uttered one last
long and powerful howl, at once grave and acute, hoarse and crystalline, which sent my
consciousness ravaged by the most extraordinary orgasm I have ever known, to the far reaches
of the universe. I was vaguely aware that another cry tore through the air as a wave spread
through me in a sweet and warm caress, before lips with the taste of Paradise landed on mine
in a kiss of a beautiful purity to cry about. I was happy. I had just had a daydream in which the
man I loved loved me equally and I had never known anything so good or so incredible in my
life. I would have liked to open my eyes to see the image of my dream again, but it was
impossible for me. It was only when I felt the lips brushing my forehead and then a sheet
covering my naked body that I realized that the sun was spreading its first rays over the real
world and that the beneficent darkness would engulf me in the seconds to follow. My dream was
not over, it could continue in the sleep of the newborn.
*
When I woke up the following evening, I first had the impression that nothing that had happened
had been real. It was not possible to experience so much happiness... Yet... With my eyes
always closed, I couldn't help but smile at the memory of the night before. Everything had
almost gone wrong because of Engara's presence, but in the end, the outcome of this masked
ball was as unexpected as it was extraordinary. Not only had Phoenix made me a woman, but
he also told me that he loved me. It was so amazing that I had to hear it again. Right now. I
opened my eyes and suddenly straightened myself in bed. The room was bathed in darkness,
but I didn't need light to see it as in broad daylight, so I noticed with enormous disappointment
that it was neither in the bed nor in the room. - Phoenix? He was also not in the bathroom. The
lead in the door and the walls prevented any communication with the outside, in fact, to find it, I
was going to leave the room. As I was naked, I challenge the sheet to wrap myself in it before
heading for the exit. I didn't want to run into François in Eve's outfit, it would be embarrassing
enough to let him know about the new turning point that had taken the complicated relationship
of his two best friends. Carefully, I ventured into the office, taking care to keep the sheet
wrapped around my body firmly. - Phoenix? did I call again. Nothing happened, except for the
immediate lengthening of my canines, reacting to the smell of blood I was picking up from the
kitchen. God it smelled good! I frowned, surprised by the devouring hunger that suddenly held
me and forgetting for a second the primary object of my research, I quickly walked towards my
prospect of a meal. Two packets of blood had to be heated in the microwave to be at drinking
temperature, which explained the smell that deliciously filled my nostrils, but by putting my finger
in it, I understood that this kind attention was not recent; my drink was cold. I felt the anxiety win
me over, but I knew it was useless for me to try to think on an empty stomach, I wouldn't be able
to. I also used the microwave and swallowed my breakfast greedily. I was vaguely aware that I
was not at all satisfied, however, the tension that was rising in me placed at the forefront of my
priorities. Where was Phoenix? As I searched the whole castle and saw his absence again and
again, my tension turned into fear, and after a quick shower, a sketchy clothing (leggings, t-shirt,
sweater), as well as another unsuccessful search in the garden and garage, the fear became
panic. He was gone. But where? And most importantly, why? In all the films I had seen, when
the man disappeared after spending the night with a woman, it was usually not a good sign. A
sudden outburst of anguish caused me to sit on the first step of the stairs in front of which I was
standing. I fixed the front door of the castle with intensity, hoping to see the chosen one of my
heart arrive, who would assure me that his departure was a horrible misunderstanding, to no
avail. I was desperately alone. I had to calm down and be rational: he wasn't there when you
woke up; What, you didn't want him to greet you on your knees with flowers and sweets, he, the
most respected vampire angel in the world? He was not at the castle after you gave himself to
him; he may have had an emergency... He had not even left you a note to tell you what he was
doing; Perhaps you were hoping for an essay on how that night had been the most beautiful of
his life? My god... He was disappointed. That was obviously it, he was disappointed and
regretted having taken the plunge with me! His absence was his way of telling me that I had not
been up to the task and that it was better to put distance between us. I'm holding my head in my
hands. That's not his style... He told me that he loved me... He told me I was beautiful... Phoenix
can't behave so excruciatingly... I was trying to reassure myself as much as I could, but when I
remembered my first meeting with Engara, it was impossible. The latter had accused her of
abandoning her without giving her any news for more than a year; he had never really been
explicit about his willingness to break with her. Was it the same fate he had in store for me?
Ravaged by doubt and sorrow, I let bitter sobs escape me. Why did he do that to me? Wasn't I
worth better than Engara finally for him to run away from me like her? I didn't want to know. I
could not bear to hear him tell me that we had made a mistake and that it would be better if we
left it at that. I could never forget that night... If he wanted to, then it was because we didn't see
each other anymore. Heartbroken, but determined, I rushed into my room and grabbed the large
suitcase I had picked up at Kentwood. I'd stuff it without looking at all the clothes I could take
with me, then all the memories of my parents, and close it violently before going down to the
lobby to pick up my jacket. The key to the Viper and my suitcase in one hand, the door handle in
the other, I was going to go out when the flapper opened, forcing me to step back. This is how I
found myself face to face with Phoenix, visibly surprised to see me behind the door as he was
holding two funny boxes at arm's length. Sam? What are you doing? He did not finish his
sentence. Indeed, the expression of astonishment that he displayed a second before faded
when he notified mine, and above all, the suitcase I was still carrying. His face went from
anxiety to icy horror in a brief instant. " Where are you going? Our abrupt encounter had shaken
me a little, but the dryness of his questioning reminded me of the reason for my resentment
while galvanizing it. "Let me pass. I'm leaving, that's all you need to know. My pupils were
colored red, making the man in front of me tremble, whose intention, after laying his burden,
was certainly not to move, as I understood immediately: - You will not go anywhere until you
have explained to me what you are doing with this suitcase. - I don't see how it's any, but I'm
going to tell you anyway so you can get out of my way. I'm going to find another master;
François will do the trick. - WHAT?! Impossible! yelled Phoenix, eyes bulging. My status as a
newborn prevented me from moving freely around the world without a master by my side to
channel my impulses. Finn, the creator of my mentor, had taken over Karl Sarlsberg after Ichimi
had abandoned him; so I could ask my friend to guide me on the path of vampires while
arranging me to never again deal with the one who had broken my heart. - It's possible and I
will! I'm not going to stay here another minute! I had raised my voice to make myself
understood, but also to channel a flash of infinite suffering that had made its way into my chest.
Phoenix looked at me with a mixture of anger and disdain that crucified me even more; -Tell me
why and I'll let you through. After what has happened between us, I have the right to an
explanation. Unable to do so, my voice broke as I cried: - After what happened between us?
How dare you take this pretext?! After your disappearance earlier, you have no rights! Even less
to ask me for an explanation, you who would rather run away like a thief than tell me in front that
you don't want me anymore! When I think that I sincerely believed that my hopes would be
fulfilled one day! I can only go after myself after all! I was warned after the way you treated
Engara and yet I had the idiocy to think I meant something to you! So I'm going to make it easier
for you and ask François to be my guide, so you won't feel guilty for long for having done wrong
with me! Goodbye! I wanted to pass, but he immediately blocked my passage, his eyes blazing
with a mortally dangerous glow that did not impress me enough to back off. Furious, I raised my
hand to hit him, and like the day before, he grabbed it in flight. The next moment, I found myself
in his arms, caught in a real noose, while his mouth seized mine with a strength and
possessiveness that destabilized me to the point that, at first, I returned his kiss with a passion
equal to my despair. Then I picked myself up and pushed him away abruptly. - Stop! Don't play
with me! I cried, my eyes burning with scarlet anger. In contrast to my fury, Phoenix showed
absolute calm. - I love you, Sam. Those words should have made me lucky, but on the other
hand, they were killing me. - Shut up! He wanted to approach me, but I quickly walked away.
Sam! Listen to me. - No! I cried, putting my hands over my ears and closing my eyes. Don't
come near me! - Sam... I made the mistake of... I would not have the strength to hear the rest
without collapsing in pain. I had to go now! I tried to catch him by surprise and rushed to the
door again, even if he was shoving him. Unfortunately, he had to anticipate my gesture because
he intercepted me and grabbed my arms to force me to face him. - ... to go out and get blood
urgently to quench your thirst without knowing if you'd wake up before I got back. I froze. what?!
Phoenix was staring at me hard now. - How could you believe that I had abandoned you? You
know that for me, you matter more than anything in the world! Paralyzed by the meaning of his
words, I could not pronounce a word. I was shocked by what I had just heard. He didn't leave
because he regretted that night? I heard him sigh. -I should have known that I would not be able
to convince you. It's my fault after all. Follow me. He picked up the refrigerated boxes and
waited for me to move a toe to drag me to the kitchen, where he took the time to put the blood
pouches in the refrigerator by peeking at me in between, as if to make sure I wasn't going to run
away. Would I have wished I had been unable to do so as I had cotton legs; and anyway, I
didn't want to. He had told me that he loved me. I wanted to believe it, but I was completely lost.
The day before he told me that he had loved me since the night of our meeting and then he left
me alone, without a word. As he worked his hand, I had the impression that my head was going
to explode because of all the doubts and hopes that were compressing it. It had to stop. - Drink.
This order, given in a strangely soft voice, made me realize that while I was trying not to go
mad, he had prepared me a large bowl of blood. - Thank you, but I... I did not have time to turn
down his offer. My canines went up and my pupils turned red just before I ripped the bowl out of
his hands and swallowed all its contents while he finished tidying up the pouches of the second
refrigerated box. Outraged by my own reactions, it was with extreme stiffness that I rested the
container on the worktop. Phoenix closed the refrigerator and took my hand. "Come on, come
on. I obeyed and followed him to our room where he invited me to sit on the bed. I hesitated
when I thought back to what had happened the last time we were in the same place. A soft hand
on my cheek ended my inner dilemma. I couldn't help but close my eyes to his contact. -
Phoenix... He drew me to him and laid a sweet kiss on my lips. When he left, I grabbed him by
his shirt collar and forced him to kiss me again, dogged that I was by a vital need to possess
him. - Sam... he said, walking away again, all smiles despite my rumbling of frustration. I'll gladly
spend the next few hours in your arms, but first, we must clear things up between us. I frowned
and was about to speak, but he put a finger over my mouth to silence me. - Sam, I'm sorry you
thought I didn't want you. With Engara, I gave in to an urge more than a real desire to make her
my mistress, which is why I regretted my weakness when I got to know her and realized how
she was not for me. I didn't give him any more news because, I'll be honest, I didn't want to
embarrass myself with an unpleasant conversation, but also because I knew it wouldn't get us
anywhere. With you... (His tone changed, he made himself much softer... softer) it was different
from the start. The night we met, I almost killed you. I stared at him, perplexed. This was not
what I expected, as a declaration of love, could do better. He continued: - According to our laws,
you had seen too much and as Heath said, I should have killed you to preserve the Secret.
That's why he used you against me, he wanted to buy time to be able to run away. I was about
to take your life and go after him when something happened. He took on a thoughtful air. -
What? I asked, curious to hear what happened next. It was strange to listen to the narration of
his own story from a different point of view, and at the same time fascinating, because Phoenix
was finally telling me about his feelings. - A ray of the moon illuminated you. - A moonlight? He
smiles when he thinks about it. - At the time, I thought that you were unreal as your beauty was
striking so bathed by the light of the star of the night. You may have blood on your face and
clothes, but you were beautiful and for the first time in fifty years, I hated my job. I had to
eliminate you to protect the Secret, so I put my hand on your neck to tilt it and have access to
your throat, but in doing so, you opened your eyes and looked at me. No matter how much I dug
in my memory, I didn't remember seeing Phoenix before I woke up at Scarborough Castle. -I
don't remember. "You weren't really conscious, but your gaze stopped me. I couldn't make a
move anymore, I was mesmerized by the depth of your eyes. (He laughed) As I am now when
you stare at me with that fire burning inside you, not because your pupils are red, but because
you are passionate and loving. He bowed and gave me another kiss that set my senses ablaze.
I wanted to pass his arms around his neck, but he dodged. - Wait. Let me tell you what's next. I
stood up, attentively. - In hindsight, I think Lethalée intervened so that I would fall into the trap
from the first moment. Although torn by the urge to pursue Heath, it was clear that I could not kill
you and I could not go looking for him by leaving you in the alley. So I made the decision to fly
back to Scarborough to treat you as soon as possible and decide what I was going to do with
you. Once I took care of your injuries, I tried to think about what I had done. At the time, I didn't
understand why I had done this and it drove me crazy because deep down, my instincts were
telling me it was the right decision. I was still trying to figure out how I was going to do it when
you woke up. I was on edge, I didn't know how you were going to react. In any case, I didn't
expect you to tumble out of bed like that (he scoffed as I bit my lip at that memory; he got
serious again) or that you would invective me as you did. No one had spoken to me in this way
for years, at least not without a violent reaction from me; I had to make a big effort to keep my
cool, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't hurt you the slightest. When I came out of the room,
I was boiling with rage and preparing your meal, I was starting to think that this was all
ridiculous. It only took me a second to change my mind... when I saw you enter the dining room
dressed in Ysis' dress, and stop you in front of the shop window at arms. You were
breathtakingly beautiful... On the other hand, seeing you admire my collection gave me the
inspiration I needed, I was going to make you my assistant. "You mean that you improvised the
task you entrusted to me?" I was stunned. Phoenix was a control freak, I understood why this
situation, unheard of for him, must have disrupted him. - Yes, and I have never regretted my
choice. - Not even when I kept complaining at first? Not even when you realized I had an
impossible character? - Know that I have not doubted you for a second. I had noticed your
stamina and your quick understanding of the sequences, you were gifted without knowing it and
I did everything to make you realize it; including pushing you to your limits when I made you
think I was going to kill you after our second workout. I was stinging. "Were you testing me?! He
smiles at me and grabs my hand and slips a light kiss into my palm. - You had to gain
confidence in yourself to help me effectively. I did what I had to do. I had always been grateful to
him for allowing me to discover the potential I had, and that was why I first went to him, ignoring
the feelings that were already in the depths of my heart. This confession surprised me, but in
the end, didn't change anything. Phoenix continued: - The weeks that followed were happy for
me despite the context of the blood traffic because I really appreciated your company, I who
lived alone for hundreds of years. As I got to know you, I realized that you mattered far more to
me than the usual humans who are left alive when they accidentally discover the Secret, and
this attachment to you left me perplexed, especially during our arguments. As I told you, I've
never been very sociable and I don't appreciate being mocked, yet you kept making me run
drunk with an almost unhealthy pleasure! More than once I wanted to twist your neck, but I
would not have exchanged these moments with you for nothing in the world because your
presence at my side clarified my sky of solitude. I had a hard time admitting it, especially since
your desire to learn more about me was ensuring me, not so much because I was afraid that
you would become too attached to me, but for fear of wanting to open up to you too much.
That's why I reacted so badly when you found out I could fly and that's also why as soon as I
realized that you had left me, I started looking for you. I think that admitting to you on the station
platform that I considered you my friend relieved my conscience a little. - A little? - Well after our
dance in the nightclub, it seemed obvious to me that I did not feel at all friendship towards you
and that if you had left me to regain your spirits in the toilet, I had tried to find mine sitting at our
table. I couldn't pretend I didn't want you to forget the original purpose of our mission. The idea
that he wanted me is enough to change my pupils color. He smiled tenderly at me, and then a
painful flash passed over his face. -I tried to keep you away for fear of my feelings for you after
our exchange of blood; it was one of my worst mistakes. His expression bent tense,
accentuating the suffering of his features. I worried: - Phoenix? - How many times have I almost
lost you? Karl wanted to kill you because he knew that the pain of your absence would more
surely overwhelm me than if he planted a stake in my heart... And this accident... We were
there, he was finally going to explain to me what had happened on New Year's Eve. Part of me
wanted to understand what had led him into the arms of this bitch in thong, another did not want
to hear about it, at the risk of wanting to find her and make her party definitively. - If I had
returned to Scarborough instead of being weak with this woman, none of this would have
happened. - I don't understand. -I already loved you, Sam, but I didn't want to admit it because
of all the obstacles and dangers that a relationship with you would have exposed us to. You
were human and therefore too fragile, I could not afford to love you at the risk of someone killing
you, so I repressed my feelings. On New Year's Eve, I had to settle a transaction with the
headmistress of a Pembroke bank that I had never met before. When I was directed to her, I
immediately started thinking about you because her features were reminiscent of yours. At the
end of dinner, we went for a drink at the bar to finalize our contract and as I was getting ready to
leave, she offered to take me to a room. I felt nothing for her, but this vague resemblance only
revived the desire that you inspired me, so I thought I could let myself go by imagining that it
was you that I was hugging. A voice in my head kept telling me that I was making a huge
mistake, but I did not listen to it, I was determined to have a pleasant moment and above all
without importance or consequence ... (He closed his eyes and breathed) I will never forget the
expression of your face when you arrived, or how you pushed me away because of the disgust I
inspired you. I will never forgive myself for what happened to you afterwards. His distress drove
away my jealousy, I had to reassure him: - It was an accident, it was not your fault. - When I
found out that you had been taken to the hospital and that you had almost died, I wanted to heal
you with my blood, but there was always someone to watch you. The wait drove me crazy, I
don't know what I would have done if Angela hadn't called me to tell me you were out of the
woods. When I got there, I couldn't wait to see you again and at the same time worried that you
would hate me, so when I saw Matthew at your bedside, holding your hand, it made me furious.
I may have wanted to put distance between us, but part of me kept trying to kill your friend to
prevent him from touching the one that belonged to me. On the other hand, I knew that if you
decided to make your life with him, I couldn't stop you. - So that's why you hated Matthew? - I
still hate him. - But why? For me, it's just you! Phoenix looked at me as if to lecture me. - Sam,
you are now as vampire as I am. What would you do if another woman tried to seduce me? My
canines came out immediately and I let out a deadly dangerous hiss. My companion nodded. -
You now understand why I will never be able to get along with Matthew. - But Matthew has
finally resigned himself, which is not really the case of Hedayat with whom you are, I think, more
forgiving. - It's not the same. Hedayat desires you while Matthew loves you. For a vampire,
knowing that another man desires his companion is enough to trigger his instinct of possession
so imagine what happens when that rival seeks to take away his heart... - I see. - After your
birthday party, I had a hard time channeling this instinct that yelled at me that it was my fault if
you found yourself in his arms. My birthday party... It had started so well before ending with the
darkest episode of my human life. - When you rejected me... I say. I turned away suddenly,
caught up in the past. I learned that all the suffering I had endured all these months could have
been avoided if Phoenix had had the courage to overcome his fears with me. I also realized that
the horrible depression in which I had plunged and which had driven me to want to leave him,
might have been spared if he had not been so narrow-minded. It was hard to take. "Forgive me,
Sam," said a velvet voice behind my back. At the time, I didn't know how you felt about me. If I
had known... He doesn't finish his sentence. Turning around, I take the opportunity: - You have
no idea what I have endured to keep my pain every day from being indifferent to you so that you
do not notice anything. I suffered martyrdom... Unnecessarily. Small flashes ran through his
pupils. - I'm sorry about that. Know that I have suffered too. Resisting you that night was one of
the hardest things I've ever done, and I almost let myself go. I picked myself up at the last
minute. (I smiled at these words and kissed when Phoenix had crushed his lips on mine before
pushing me away abruptly) As for your decision to leave me, it was the second biggest shock of
my life: I could not believe it and I always kept the hope that you would change your mind. That
hope was dashed when you let Matthew kiss you. At that moment, I felt a pain like I had never
experienced, and a willingness to break the neck of my rival passing over what common sense
dictated to me. I had pushed you into his arms, I could only take it from myself and accept, but it
was above my strength, so I let the rage consume me. If you hadn't been there, there's no doubt
that my instincts would have driven me to eliminate Matthew. Honestly shocked by his
confession, I'm not reacting. - However, the anger I felt was quickly showered by our
confrontation; I did have no right to you, as you yelled at me so well in the face. You were
absolutely right, and the worst part was that I was aware of it, but my jealousy prevented me
from admitting it. In the weeks that followed, I kept wondering if you were going to start a
relationship with your friend and not knowing was getting me into such a state of nerves that
when you told me about your initiative with the Mellindra Circle and why you had taken it, I
literally exploded. The living room table he had sent smashed against the fireplace came back
to me, as did his demeanor after that. - You hadn't spoken to me anymore. - I was consumed by
jealousy. My worst fears had just come true. "Is that why you hated me?" I thought you felt like I
had betrayed you for the benefit of humans. He shook his head. - I did not hate you, however, I
actually felt betrayed. - The way you made me pay for it was hard to take, even if I accepted it. -
I have no excuse. Ysis should have hit me, I deserved it. You had just learned that in other
circumstances, I could have been the murderer of your biological mother and yet you decided to
stay by my side to preserve peace between humans and vampires. You were much wiser than I
ever were. I leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. "Don't be too harsh on yourself," I said in
my ear. He shuddered. As I faced him again, I had the pleasure of seeing that his eyes had
become brighter than normal. - I told you earlier that your departure was the second biggest
shock of my vampire life... I understood why he didn't talk about his human life; his greatest
trauma had been the loss of his family, moreover, in atrocious conditions. - ... The first one
happened in this warehouse when Bruce Abard attacked us. My heart was shook with emotion.
Phoenix almost died. "I was ready to join my family," he said, his voice and my eyes fevered, "I
was ready to move permanently to the other side." I had no regrets except one: not having
confessed my feelings to you when I had the opportunity. And I had to realize it when all force
had abandoned me, to the point that talking became impossible... I was hoping, though, that
you'd understand it with Keira's necklace. For a long time I had closed my heart to any idea of
attaching myself too strongly to a person, at the risk that she would be snatched from me as my
sister and my parents were, but at the gates of death, I understood that from the beginning, from
that moment when Lethalée had revealed you to me in this alley, you were the woman who was
destined for me. The one I would love passionately and absolutely for eternity. For the first time
in half a millennium, I was afraid of Death... His speech stirred my soul so much that I found it
hard to believe that torrents of tears were not dripping down my cheeks at the moment. How
could I have imagined all this? Phoenix's joyless laughter brought me back to reality. -
Nevertheless, as I opened my eyes after your sacrifice, I never wished so much that She would
take me with her. (He closed his eyelids by frowning very hard) Even now, while you are
hereere, before me, I cannot forget this image: you, inert, almost cold, lying in my arms with my
throat slit, and bathing in your own blood. This nightmare will forever be etched in my memory. -
But you had nothing to do with it! I did it to save you and I would do it a thousand times if
necessary! And then the question no longer arises since you too have brought me back to life! -
As a vampire, Sam! I always wished you were one of us, but I would never have forced your
hand! There, I have not only taken your life but also your soul! - You don't know! Maybe my soul
is still here! You're the one who once told me that vampires aren't all monsters, I'm sure it tipped
the scales in our favor. - If you had let me die, you wouldn't ask yourself! - It was my choice! I
cried. When are you finally going to realize that I couldn't live in a world without you?! Death
was better than hell to live when you were no longer! Phoenix was silent, impressed by my
vehemence. It was my turn to be honest. - I did not understand my feelings for you until New
Year's Eve, yet it took me very little time to realize that these had nothing to do with a vague
attraction. They were too deep, too ubiquitous... I was not yet a vampire that you were already
part of me, hence my despair at having to leave you. I couldn't stand your indifference anymore.
I thought I had reached the height of suffering, but when I saw you dying in my arms, I realized
that I was wrong. To lose you was to say goodbye to the light and to be thrown into Hell; that's
why I didn't hesitate for a second. Vampires are not the only ones experiencing Absolute Love! I
breathed, as if to catch my breath. My tirade had exhausted me, I had just delivered everything I
had on my heart, leaving it now a blank and immaculate page testifying to the fact that from now
on I was at peace with what I had become. "I should have died, but you brought me back to you.
It doesn't matter if it's a vampire... if I can see you and touch you. His eyes burned all the cells in
my body, he still said nothing. I ventured to put my hands on his chest before getting closer. I
gave him a tender kiss which he gave me back immediately, but which had the effect of burning
my senses to a critical point. I bent off more and started unbuttoning his shirt while Phoenix
passed his hands under my sweater. - No, Sam! he exclaimed, abruptly backing away.
Hagarde, I was staring at him without understanding. - If you continue like this, I will not be able
to resist you... - So do not resist me! I growled, grabbing his lips violently. My romantic side
sighed with happiness after all these revelations, but my vampiric self was tired of words and
demanded deeds. He loved me, I loved him. That was enough. As I had just removed his jacket
successfully, I set out to take the task of the buttons where I had left it, at the same time as I
relished the touch of his tongue which rippled against mine in a caress that completed to ignite
all the pores of my skin. I finally had access to his beautiful chest, but no sooner had I begun to
run my fingers there than two powerful hands grasped my wrists to depart again from the object
of my desire. The scarlet pupils, the fangs out, I roared my frustration. "I want you! Phoenix
always held me, the obvious desire, but sporting a smile that made me want to curse him. - Not
as much as I can believe me. (I was going to say something well felt to him, but he covered my
mouth with his hand) Let me first tell you everything I should've told you a long time ago to
make sure that you have complete confidence in me when I tell you that I love you. - After all
you've just told me, how could I not trust you?! I was going to kiss him again, but he pushed me
away. - Sam, I need it. Defeated, I scolded in spite, just to make him understand my way of
thinking. - Good, good, good, After your transformation, in theory there were no more obstacles
between us, only I did not know how the thirst for blood would affect you and I did not want to
distract you from your training; the first few weeks are crucial in the life of a newborn. I wanted
you to know how to defend yourself so that you could impose yourself in our world, but I must
confess that this noble mission was also an excuse not to throw me into the water. I was afraid
of being rejected. He scoffed. Indeed, I had raised my eyebrows so much in the face of the
enormity that he had just thrown in my face that my expression must have been more than
comical. - You were not the only one who had doubts about the reciprocity of your feelings. Big,
big, big. As someone who thought I was an eternal fool, I realized that stupidity was a burden
that we had been two to share. - In short, I have come to understand to some of your reactions
that I did not leave you insensitive. I bit my lower lip, thinking about how I had provoked it
several times, intentionally or not, and how I had hugged him in Ysis' office. He pushed a strand
of my hair behind my ear. -It's about time you understood it... couldn't help but sting him. -
Indeed. That's why I wanted to break everything when I saw you with Hedayat during your
induction, my instinct for possession increased tenfold from the moment I realized that you also
wanted me. - So why didn't you kiss me in the library? He shrugged. - I think I was afraid to take
the first step. I almost burst out laughing, but I'm holding back. My lover may have been five
hundred years old and a lot of conquests behind him, but he had been afraid to cross the line
first that would change our two lives. It was silly and... Adorable. - You've wasted time... A new
flash of desire passed through his eyes. "I know that. I would have confessed everything to you
at the ball if... - If Engara hadn't ruined everything. My pupils were tinged with red, but this time
it was not the desire of Phoenix that was the origin of it, but that of gutting Engara as soon as
the opportunity a came. - She kept looking at me with disdain while laying her hands on you. I
was hoping you'd look at me to reassure me, but you didn't. - I saw what she was doing and I
understood why she was doing it. If I had looked at you and read on your face distress, anger or
anything else, my instincts would have taken over to protect you and finally, I would have
punished it in front of everyone. This would have signed our ruin to both, I could not allow it. -
François gave me much the same speech. I already knew it, fortunately he was there to prevent
me from committing the irreparable. I believe that after that night I will apologize to François; It
was perfect. - What exactly did he tell you after I left? - The truth. I sighed. -I was sure of that.
To what degree? - François and I have been friends for three centuries and yet I have never
seen him get angry as he was last night. Basically, after explaining your reaction to me, he told
me that it was time for me to stop being stupid and that if I didn't understand now that you
considered me your lover, I didn't deserve you. - François' sermons are always difficult to bear,
but there is no denying that each time they contain a background of truth. - Something we will
avoid admitting to him is more prudent. Short! Finally, I thought that this confrontation with
Engara had completely ruined our night, which made sense given the treatment you had
inflicted on my targets and my sandbag. I had resigned myself to postponing the confession of
my feelings... You surprised me by preceding me in this initiative. - Your reaction was not
encouraging. - I had a hard time assimilating your words. Knowing that you wanted me was one
thing, learning that you loved me was another. You thought I was rejecting you when I was just
taking the full measure of your feelings for me. I would never let you go... With a light heart as it
had not been for a very long time, I felt a huge smile on my face as all the doubts that had
undermined my existence until I woke up earlier flew away. Everything was clear from now on.
Phoenix had always loved me, and my happiness could not be more complete. I passed my
arms around his neck and looked him straight in the eye. - Aydan MacKinley, I love you and
would follow you to the end of the world if you asked me. I was drowning in the ocean of his
eyes when he answered me: - I love you, Samantha Watkins, and I belong to you. This time he
did not recoil when I kissed him and we forgot any notion of time, lost as we were in the ecstatic
exploration of each piece of the other's body.
*
- So that's why you left so quickly at the last sunset? Phoenix smiled as I rested my second
bowl of blood while catching the third. - I remembered that our reserves were almost empty. I
knew you'd be very hungry when you woke up, so I went to the nearest vampire clinic. I wanted
to offer you breakfast in bed, but on this one I was dismal. - Finally, I'm glad I didn't get it. I
clearly preferred what you told me... (I bit my lip, playful) and then made... New smile, charged
with a tenderness that gave me the impression of feeling butterflies in my belly. I would have
liked to take his hand, but a higher imperative made me give it up by scolding: I voraciously
swallowed all the contents of the bowl that I had just carried to my lips. Phoenix scoffed at me
for a new dose of my liquid drug. - Making love further sharpens our thirst for blood. Since your
appetite was focused on something else all last night, it made sense that when you woke up
tonight, your stomach would remember your good memory. I stared at him, outraged and
amused. - As if I was the only one at fault! Who followed me into the bathroom?! My
companion's pupils widened. Mentioning what we had done in his shower was enough to make
me forget my hunger, triggering other cravings in me than that of blood. I was wondering if one
day I'd be satisfied with Phoenix. Impossible. His eyes so blue and so deep made me capsize
my soul, I always wanted to drag my fingers into his silky hair and above all, to snuggle naked
against him to feel his skin so soft caressing mine. - Stop, Sam. His hoarse voice unleashed a
shiver of voluptuousness all over my body. -Stop what? - Stop looking at me like that or I'll take
you back to the room immediately without waiting for you to finish eating. A little puzzled by his
way of telling me that he desired me, it nevertheless had the effect of delighting my vampiric self
who dreamed of an embrace no longer placed under the sign of tenderness and deep love as
we had so far shared them, but under the sign of the most brutal savagery that was. Of course, I
kept this part of me quiet; of course, I said: - I'm not hungry anymore. Immediately, Phoenix's
eyes lit up to their maximum and the next moment he carried me in his arms at an incredible
speed towards what had become, officially, our bedroom... I cannot say when it seemed
necessary to respond to the growing number of telephone messages left by our sector leaders,
François, Matthew, and Angela, who were beginning to worry that they had not heard from us
since the ball. Caught up in the whirlwind of feelings and sensations of my new relationship with
Phoenix, I didn't realize that we hadn't given anyone a sign of life for four days. I had just
deleted from my e-mail a well-smelling call from a very worried Angela after what François had
told her about the evening of the masked ball, when I sat beside her on the sofa. - It was
Angela. He put his phone on the coffee table. - It was François. There was a silence between us
where I wondered how to approach the inevitable discussion we should have about our friends.
To my astonishment, it was he who spoke ahead of me: - We cannot ignore their calls forever.
We're going to sort this out. Phoenix had told me that he loved me, but in private. Was he going
to take it in front of everyone? He got up and fetched something from the mantelpiece. I did not
have time to clearly distinguish what it was. - I'm going to Talanus and Ysis. I must talk to them,
it is urgent. I got up. - I'm coming with you. No, no, no Worried, I frowned. Why didn't he want
me by his side? Didn't he want his superiors to know about us? Was he afraid of betraying
himself in front of them if I accompanied him? His expression became softer as he grabbed my
hands. - I don't want you to come so that we don't notice a change in attitude between us...
Injured, I wanted to get my hands back. He did not allow me to do so. - ... because I want
Talanus and Ysis to be the first to hear that I want to make you my companion. Huh? Wasn't I
already after what we had just confessed to each other? - I don't understand. He let me go to
pick up the object that had been on the mantelpiece and which he had put in the pocket of his
jacket. - Because of our complicated conception of love, there is no marriage ceremony
between vampires as in humans. Nevertheless, we can, through the head of our sector, make a
statement in front of witnesses announcing that the partner of our choice becomes our
companion for eternity, without possible return. Stunned, I had some difficulty in measuring what
he was telling me, in fact, when he showed me the little red box he was holding in the palm of
his hand, I merely stared at him, his eyes bulging, his knees about to liquefy. When he opened
it, I saw a gold ring set with a sparkling diamond. - Samantha Watkins, do you want to be my
companion, in the eyes of all and forever? I missed failing. Phoenix thought it wasn't a marriage
proposal per se, but it looked very much like it. - What? I... You... But how...? I scoffed, too
hallucinated to put my head in order. Only four days earlier, I was still wondering if he would
ever feel for me the feelings, I had against him and there he asked me outright to engage with
him for eternity, and in front of an entire audience to testify! Did I really have the man I had
always known before my eyes? - I bought this ring in Las Vegas, while you were sleeping. You
wanted me to break down the barriers between us, you were waiting for me... (When my
eyebrows shredded, he smiled tenderly at me) I heard you... As I said, my decision was made.
Now I'm waiting for yours... I shook my head. He planned this request when I thought he was
mad at me? Before I even confess his feelings to me? It was not the kind of thing that was done
lightly, especially for him. First, he was not known to do in sentimentalism, and then,
announcing to all that he had fallen into the nets of Absolute Love would tempt all his enemies
to check if this was not going to be a weakness to exploit. It only meant one thing: Phoenix
loved me to the point of risking everything to be with me. One sob escaped from my throat,
followed by another, then another, and then another. Overwhelmed by emotion, I dared not
pinch myself, lest this beautiful dream fade away. - Uh... Sam? Is that a yes? Despite the fun
piercing in his voice, I still recognized a hint of anguish that I absolutely had to make disappear.
I threw myself at his neck and kissed him with a spirit that I never thought I could, to the point of
pushing him back a few steps. When I at last deigned to let go, he smiled like never before: - I
deduce that it is yes. - Of course it is yes! How could you doubt it?! I cried. The pure and
innocent joy of his smile transfigured him and I couldn't help but devour him's eyes as he
passed the ring to my ring finger. - It fits me perfectly! I said, admiring the jewel. - I gave the
jeweler your mother's ring, the one you put on from time to time. So she's your size. I rarely
wore rings. The only one I liked to see on my finger was the one my adoptive mother had from
my father as a gift for their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary. They had died less than a
week later. - This one will never leave me, like Keira's necklace. Phoenix took on a mysterious
air. - I was going to ask Angela and François to keep you company while I went to tell Talanus
and Ysis of my intentions. You could just take it off until I get back. I don't want to miss François'
face for nothing when we tell him the news. I burst out laughing. - Finally, you are the most
romantic and mischievous man I have ever met! You could say you were hiding your game! I
was still laughing when he grabbed me by the waist and by a kiss, he managed to make me
forget until the existence of the world around us. - Call them. I'll be back soon. Phoenix had put
an end to our embrace as brutally as it had begun, and he left me, his eyes as bright as mine
had to be, as I was recovering from the incredible desire that had failed, once again, to
consume me whole.
*
Sam! That's us! Since I wasn't sure I could stand in front of my friends for long without telling
them the truth, I had first decided to pass the time by watching a little TV, and then I had called
Angela's house half an hour earlier. I had stumbled upon François, who had immediately begun
to subject me to questioning in good standing, but I had stopped him in his tracks by offering to
come to the castle. He had accepted, growling and warning me that I had an interest in making
good excuses for keeping them away for so long. As I was about to greet my guests with an
apparent calm and a welcome smile on my face, inside, a hysterical voice that I was trying not
to listen to was screaming endlessly: - I am engaged!!!!! He wants to make me his
companionuuuuuuhhh! Tralalalèèèèère! I was exulting in the idea of telling my friends the good
news, but I made a promise to Phoenix and I was going to keep it. In fact, when I went to kiss
Angela and François, I had composed myself a totally neutral expression. "Are you okay, Sam?"
We've been trying to reach you both for days! I hope nothing serious happened to you?! I'm
holding a smile while getting my friend off her jacket. Her concern touched me and somehow I
was angry that I had to take them both by boat while my (it made me funny to say) "lover" came
back from Harper Hill. - We will be more comfortable chatting in the living room. I made us some
cold drinks. "Is Phoenix not here?" asked François, a crease in his forehead underlining his
desire to tell him his four truths. - He went to Talanus and Ysis, but he promised to return as
soon as possible. He should be here soon. They both followed me to the drawing-room. As
soon as she sat down, Angela went on the attack. - Well, what happened after you left that
damn ball and that rot of Engara?! And for God's sake! Why didn't you call us?! My friend had
obviously taken up the cause for me and I was incredibly touched by the concern I was causing
her. - I needed to put my nerves on something so I imposed myself a workout during which I
again broke the sandbag of Phoenix's. They were looking at me, waiting for the rest. Their avid
expression made me want to laugh. "That's all?" Have you been training? And then what did
Phoenix say when he came back? - Angela... She may not want to talk about it, François said.
Though... in the tone of his voice, I suspected that he too wanted to know the end of the story. It
reminded me that he had not kept his promise not to tell his friend of my condition after I left; it
deserved a little punishment. "I thank you, François, for respecting your commitment to me and
for unpacking everything in Phoenix after I left the premises," I said, icy. A little surprised by my
tone and uncomfortable, he tried to defend himself. - I said I would tell the truth. I bent down a
little to crucify him with my eyes: - It was a certain truth that I wanted you to serve him! Not the
truth! He stood up: - You can't blame me. It was the right thing to do. As a creator, Phoenix
needed to know why you were reacting. - It doesn't matter. You didn't keep your promise. There
was a heavy silence. I played my part to perfection and my musketeer lost his superb. His wife
gave him an elbow in the ribs which finally decided him to speak. "You're right. I had only good
intentions, but... You are right. I got up and went to the chimney, peeking at the little red box I
had placed on top. My heart swelled with joy. "Forget it, it doesn't matter," I said, hearing the
front door close. I turned around, as the sound of the footsteps of the man of my dreams drew
nearer. François misinterpreted my fevered expression because he asked me suspiciously: -
What did he say to you? The vision of Phoenix, radiating happiness in the frame of the door,
made me completely forget the presence of my friends. I already knew, but I needed to hear it: -
What did they decide? At the same time, François and Angela turned to the object of my
attention, which had eyes only for me. - They were not surprised, and they said yes. I closed my
eyes for a second, while I could assimilate his words. - Yes to what? asked Angela. A fabulous
smile was born on my face as I opened the box to hand over to my ring finger the ring he was
preserving, and then directed me to Phoenix, without paying attention to the beleathed glances
of our friends, who had not lost a crumb of my gestures. He had come forward too, so that when
I joined him, he lifted me up in the air, making me twirl. The next moment, we embraced
passionately, completely forgetting our bemused audience. Phoenix was officially going to make
me his companion, which was equivalent in humans to making me his wife. From what he had
told me, this commitment was very rare, if only because of its indissoluble nature, and it was
fine with me. I could not see myself facing eternity other than with this man by my side. After
one last kiss, we reluctantly parted ways to face our two spectators who were still in the making
as two idiots looking at us. Oh, oh, oh But... Wow! Eiii! Angela was the first to recover and
attacked our eardrums with this excruciatingly high-pitched cry. She threw herself at me first,
then on Phoenix, to hug each of us. - So that's it! You've finally made up your mind! For God's
sake, it took you a long time! she exclaimed, wiping a tear from her cheek while punching my
lover in the shoulder. The sincere joy she felt for us made her forget the fear she had confided
to me that she had always experienced in his presence, and it was with the greatest smile that
she had finally gone to the trouble. Phoenix laughed: - I have in front of me all the time it takes
to make up for my own stupidity. As Angela began to ask him a whole bunch of indiscreet
questions about his feelings towards me, I shifted my attention to François, who still seemed to
have trouble realizing that he was not in the middle of a dream. " Thank you, François. He
stared at me, stunned. - Thank you? But what's the point? - Earlier, I was giving you a hard
time. I am grateful to you for telling Phoenix the truth about what happened with Engara, just as
I am grateful for trying to open our eyes several times. You're a real friend. I kissed him on the
cheek. He then passed a hand in his hair, a characteristic sign in him of embarrassment. - Uh...
You are welcome... I... I'm very happy for you. Sincerely. If he wanted to say anything
afterwards, he was prevented by his woman tornado, who had joined him to show him my ring. -
Wow! she exclaimed, as François stunned my fiancé by taking him in his arms to congratulate
him. When are you going to set the wedding date? Do you already have any idea what kind of
dress you're going to wear? I in bed, a little embarrassed to refresh the enthusiasm of my
favorite bookseller. - Um... I wouldn't have a dress. (Immediately she looked up at me) It's not
going to be a wedding. Her gaze drifted towards Phoenix and charged in a hundredth of a
second with storm clouds ready to blast their target. - What is this story?! You're wearing an
engagement ring and you're not getting married?! I was going to answer, but François preferred
to take care of it. "It's just like, Angela. In vampires, marriage does not exist; fear of Absolute
Love and the loss of independence it implies. Nevertheless, it is permissible to formalize the link
between two people who declare themselves companions forever so as to strengthen their
status in our community. - If I follow you well, basically, it is a way to assume his weakness and
therefore not to lose face in front of other vampires. (François nodded as an assent) You're
talking about romance! There, François did not nod his head, he froze with horror. From this
perspective, I could only agree with Angela. Even if somewhere this public declaration
amounted to a marriage, the still remains that it was more of a rearguard value than a
sacrament of eternal love. As a result, my previous happiness was somewhat altered, and I
decomposed. "Oh, excuse me, Sam. I... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Phoenix was
immediately beside me and stared at my friend. - Well done! As for tact, I thought Sam was the
specialist to put her feet in the dish, but you dive into it all! Seeing her shrivel up on herself
when she wasn't trying to hurt me to defend herself. - Leave it. It's nothing. My companion
looked up at the sky. - No, it's not nothing! I also wanted to ask you to marry me in the human
way after we have formalized things in vampires, but the clumsiness of your best friend forces
me to change my plans and ask you now, in the least elegant way! I stared at him in disbelief. -
Do you also want us to get married? I couldn't believe it! Two requests for eternal commitment
in the same evening! It was more than anything I had ever imagined in my wildest fantasies. -
For me, one does not go without the other. You will be my companion on one side, my wife on
the other. In any case, we will be together forever, if that's what you want. - If that's what I want?
Are you kidding me? I had raised my voice, won by a start of hysteria. Phoenix did not
understand and his expression became uncertain. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and
crushed my lips on his. Then: - I marry you, no matter what. He returned my embrace so
strongly that I felt two of my ribs crack, but I had no cure. It would be over in seconds and I was
too happy to worry about the condition of my skeleton. I could't believe I'd been waiting forward
to see the surprise painted on the faces of our closest friends! For the time being, it had
backfired since I could not believe that so much happiness was possible. In a short time, I would
become Mrs. MacKinley… Angela hugged me, in tears, and kept apologizing for her
clumsiness, and congratulated us on our future union. François, also very moved, let himself go
to kiss me on both cheeks while he had again pressed his friend against him. We edging the
rest of the evening talking about the way our couple was formalized, since I only had seen this
practice a few hours before, so I needed to be briefed on it. So I learned that protocol was for
Phoenix and I to advance before our masters to question us about the depth of our bond and
make it clear that we were both subject to Absolute Love. Then we should utter the words that
would unite us for eternity in the eyes of all vampires, knowing that in them, divorce did not
exist. By this exchange, we would be considered husband and wife in the supernatural world
and it would therefore be up to us, then, to prove to all the witnesses present (who would
probably be several hundred according to my angel) that our acceptance of our loss of
independence did not make us less powerful and dangerous. I had some concerns, of course,
because by his hierarchical position, Phoenix had made many enemies who surely dreamed of
a moment of weakness on his part to kill him. This event risked making many of them want to try
their luck. Already I had a contract on my head ... With all this, I had left out Engara's will to be
murdered; sooner or later I would deal with this problem, on the understanding that it was out of
the question for someone else to take care of her for me. In my mind, the fact that she hired
hitmen to liquidate me was far less reprehensible than that of having succeeded in hurting the
man of my life, or above all, of having slept with him and of having taunted me with it. I couldn't
forget her behavior at the ball, at fault, my dark side that screamed at revenge. This time, I
would not keep it quiet, on the contrary; as soon as the opportunity a presented itself, I intended
to offer it a killing show that would please it as much as I did. Engara underestimated me
because I had pushed Phoenix to spare her when we first met. She knew, of course, that in the
meantime I had changed; but she didn't know how much... I forced my canines to retract so that
my friends would not realize that my mind had drifted towards other thoughts during our
conversation and it was as a good actress that I resumed its course. "Don't worry, Sam. I've
always had enemies, and I'm still here... Phoenix was trying to reassure me what I had already
guessed. - … And then look at Talanus and Ysis: their last ceremony was three hundred years
ago, and no one ever dared to call them weak. I was stinging. - Their last ceremony? "Oh, it
must be the fifth time they've renewed the experience," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
Ah?! Through Ysis's account and their behavior towards each other, I knew that the bond
between him and Talanus was very deep. However, I would not have suspected that they would
thus defy all the prejudices of our race to affirm in the eyes of all and on several occasions their
eternal love. On the other hand, it was rather well seen because it was at the same time a
reminder of their power and willingness to cough those who could have conceived doubts about
it. "And it seems to me that they are in their sixth human marriage," François said. Ah?! I cried
at the same time as an Angela as astonished as I am. Phoenix continued: - The last one had left
its mark because for the occasion, they had brought in more than three hundred singers,
dancers, actors, and other circus performers. Their domain was overflowing with people.
Fortunately, the camera had not yet been invented at that time. With today's paparazzi, re-
hosting such a wedding would bring the Secret to the open. "Were you there?" - Yes, they had
invited us with Finn. He was, like me, passing through the area. In fact, it makes me think; he
was at the ball the other night. - What?! And you didn't see fit to warn me? His master and
creator, the oldest vampire on earth, who also helped save his life last year, had been there
during the masked ball at Talanus and Ysis and he had not had the idea to tell me? - Sorry, but
I've been somewhat absorbed by something other than Finn since we returned from Harper
Hill... His sweet tone and smirk should have offended me, especially since he had just alluded to
our frolics in front of our friends, yet my fangs betrayed my state of mind since, as soon as they
went up, and my pupils became scarlet red. - Anyway, Finn wasn't there for us. The Greats
asked him to try to reconcile the Beijing district leader with the obligation for him to adopt the
Great Change. If the most powerful Chinese vampire manages to resolve it, he will emulate and
perhaps we can impose it everywhere without triggering a civil war. Finn being the most
powerful vampire in the world, he was the ideal man to convince him. Anyway, he had to leave
right after. Small flashes were already zebraling his azure eyes. He had perceived my mood... ...
And me hers: - For which destination? I asked the suddenly hoarse voice. - Africa. It didn't go
into detail, anyway, I didn't care. All I cared about was seeing that his eyes followed every
movement of my body and that his stiffened when, voluntarily, I let my tongue run on my lips to
lick the drop of blood resulting from the wound caused by one of my canines. - Um... Hum...
Maybe we'll leave you... I jumped up. Drowned in my hormones, my conscience had only just
remembered the presence of our two friends, who looked at us with amusement, their
expression softened by the tender smile they sported. "You're both really cute!" said Angela,
rising and heading towards me. But you will excuse me, Phoenix, (she passed my arm under
hers by forcing me to get up too) a best friend who has not fully satisfied her curiosity is a
priority over the fiance at the mercy. Come on, Sam, let's leave the men to each other; It's been
too long since we had a conversation between girls! A little seized, but finally enchanted by his
proposal, I offered him a big smile and offered to go for a ride with my Viper to be sure that no
indiscreet ear would hear us. Royally ignoring the protests of each of our lovers, she expressed
her agreement and dragged me with her to get our bags. We were still laughing like two
teenage girls when the door closed on two centuries-old vampires with the expression as
disgruntled as resigned.
*
I was thrilled. I didn't realize how much I missed our conversations until, in my beautiful Fast and
Furious gleaming car, we began to free our hearts from all that they were full of joy. With
Angela, we said absolutely everything and even if at the beginning of our friendship, I was re-
establishing certain confidences, it had been a long time, even before my transformation, that I
appreciated being able to open up to her by being sure that I would never be judged. She was
exactly what I had dreamed of in a friend when I had none. - So how do you feel now that you
know he loves you? I don't know how long it took me to answer her question, which I was so
shredded as I was to deliver her to the smallest piece of happiness I was experiencing. To say
that there was less than a week ago, I was afraid of being rejected by Phoenix! How could the
situation have changed so positively? - Even now, while I wear this ring on my finger, I
sometimes don't believe it and think it's a wonderful dream from which I'll wake up! And when I
pinch myself, it doesn't happen and I'm even happier! Angela wiped her eyes for at least the
twelfth time since the beginning of my speech. I scoffed: - Again! That, you see, I'm glad I'm not
subject to it anymore! There are good sides to being a vampire. "So you finally accepted it?" she
asked, serious again. "Yes, I am at peace with that. Phoenix did what it took to get us together.
Even if I had never considered this destiny, I accept it because it allows me to live alongside the
man I love. My friend suddenly turned her head to the window. Alarmed, I asked her about the
origin of her disorder. It stiffens. - It's just that sometimes I think it would make things easier for
me too if I became a vampire. I'm thinking about it more and more. Silence. The bomb she had
just thrown in my face had done her job well. I remained silent. - I'd like your opinion. Still in
shock, it was the sordid squeak that echoed in the air that made me realize that I was clutching
the steering wheel far too hard. - At this point? she laughed, nervously. What can I say? I
remembered only too well the suffering I had experienced during my transformation, I did not
want my friend to suffer it too. - I thought you weren't interested in this path? I'll dodge it. - It
terrified me, and still terrifies me today, yet when I watch you evolve so well, it makes me want
to try it. I clenched my teeth and said dryly: - I hope that this is not your only argument, because
it is rather lame, I want to tell you. I suffered hell and worse - you know, you saw it all - when my
body stopped being human to become a vampire. Then I had to get used to the idea of
everything I had lost: sun, food, friends... I don't know if I would have put up with the situation if I
had to walk away from you and Matthew forever so as not to kill you. - But you never felt the
urge! - Only because the desire to drink your blood is less strong than the one that flows
through my veins and makes me a phenomenon of vampire fair, whose slightest deviation of
behavior could make me lose my head and that of all those who have endorsed my
transformation! Believe me, it's heavy to carry. But you! If you become one of us, you will be
subject to your thirst and suffer martyrdom when François, your master to whom you will obey,
will prevent you, by virtue of his creative authority, from murdering humans whose irrepressible
need to tear the flesh! See you, sticking your fangs in Matthew's or Danny's neck? And even if
you didn't, you see yourself turning your back on them forever, you whom they consider a sister
to one and a girl for the other? Angela bowed her head as she bit her nails. -I've been thinking
about this, believe me. Why haven't I asked François to do it yet? I told you, it terrifies me.
However, I can't hide the reason he's immortal, and I don't. You were afraid that I would run out
of arguments, well here's the main thing: I don't want to grow old with François until my death
separates us! I want to live with him forever, like you with Phoenix! The steering wheel almost
crushed in my hands; I reflect on these words. Angela was the humblest and least vanity person
I knew. Her wish had nothing to do with the fear of getting old, no. She wanted to live her love
for Francis without time coming into play... How could I blame her? If I had been in her shoes
and Phoenix declared himself to me while I was still human, I would have ended up asking the
same questions. No doubt I would have asked Phoenix to transform me... And he would have
said the same thing as François: - François will not, at the risk that it will kill you. Not all callers
survive the process. Angela then looked at me, her eyes filled with fierce determination: - What
if your Viper wrapped itself around a tree now, what would happen? (She didn't give me time to
answer) You would survive and be able to hug the man you love again, while I, François, would
choose a beautiful coffin and weep me until the end of time. I can die tomorrow crossing the
road or... (she shook her head) and choked me stupidly with a chicken bone! I don't want that
sword of Damocles above my head anymore, I want to share François' destiny, completely! The
vehemence of her speech left me paralyzed for a few seconds. Her reasoning was more than
logical, proof that she had spent long hours reflecting on the subject. "I'm not trying to dissuade
you, Angela. You're my friend and I'll respect your choice, whatever it is. But you must know that
this road is one-way and that it can just as well stop abruptly, without you ever seeing François
again. "I know, Sam. That's why I'm asking for your opinion. As I took the fork that would take us
back to Scarborough Castle, I sighed. - I'll give you my opinion. You may live with François, but
he is far from representative of all vampires. You will enter a world of violence and deception,
where weakness is forbidden under penalty of death, where the slightest incarceration of the
law can earn you the most atrocious punishments. Think about this: if you survive, you will
certainly have eternal life alongside the man of your life, but also many opportunities to have to
defend it. - It's a very dark painting that you paint. - I am only portraying the world of the night as
it really is. Don't forget that because of him, I'm dead. She swallowed. I had deliberately been
brutal in reminding her that the path in which I had evolved as a human had had a price. It didn't
matter if it was I who chose to sacrifice myself to save Phoenix, the truth being that by
integrating the thread of his life, I had lost mine. - I'm lost. - It's a good thing, it's not a decision to
be taken lightly. We will discuss this at length with François jp. She nodded. - "It will be the most
difficult decision of my life," she says, losing herself again in contemplating the landscape
through the passenger window. I'm holding back from saying that this might be the last one, too.
I cherished Angela as if she were my own sister; even to think of taking the plunge terrified me.
Nevertheless, her arguments were quite logical and when the time came, if she really wanted to
join us, I would support her as much as possible in this business... ... Hoping that it is strong
enough to come back... Our return to the castle was less cheerful than when we left, which we
hastened to blame on the conscience of another future event that would certainly mark us by its
difficulty: the announcement of my engagement to Matthew.
*
Phoenix had offered to accompany me to support me in the execution of this task. I had refused,
arguing that it was up to me to assume this responsibility, without being fooled as to the deep
motivations of my fiancé: even if it was not his kind of swaggering at the expense of another, the
fact that he was at my side to announce our next marriage to his former rival would only
strengthen his victory over him. After our long discussion of his feelings towards me, I now
understood his attitude towards Matthew better, so I didn't really resent him for being so
possessive; in his shoes, I would have done the same thing. It was shortly after twenty o'clock
that I parked in front of my friend's house, alone aboard my Viper. It was crazy how I had
become accustomed to this car, just as I could only see with the greatest shame that I now
loved wallowing in luxury. Phoenix had burst out laughing two days earlier when, at the
commercial break of our film, he had changed channels and we had come across a
documentary about the Bentleys. At the sight of the black Continental GT that was presented, I
had straightened myself at lightning speed, my pupils dyeing a red of an intensity equivalent to
the irrepressible urge that had taken me to run to put on my jacket to go empty my bank account
and pay me this carriage. My companion then offered to leave me alone with the TV since
obviously my body reacted more quickly with it than with him. Combining the gesture with the
word, he had stood up laughing, but no sooner had he taken two steps than I scolded furiously
and pounced on him. Unbalanced, he had fallen to the ground, dragging me with him in his fall.
An hour later, as satisfied as he was exhausted, he easily admitted that he had made a mistake
and I made him promise never to provoke me like this again... Of course, he was not prayed to
when this spot came back a few hours later, which, of course, delighted me to the utmost. That,
too, was something I had taken a liking to... More than I can say... - Um... Sam? Why are your
eyes so red? Did I do something wrong? Lost in my erotic memories, I had forgotten that I had
pressed the doorbell and thus warned Matthew of my presence. - Uh... No, don't worry. It's just
that... I'm a little hungry. I saw my friend raise my eyebrows and stare strangely. I'm a little
furious hiss. "How many times do I have to tell you I won't eat you?"! - Sorry, but you're the first
newborn vampire I see and from what I know, you should be at a loss about liquid food, so don't
blame me if I feel uncomfortable when your eyes change color in my presence. I was careful not
to tell him that hunger had nothing to do with the change of color in question. I had just made-up
with him, and I was going to tell him that I was going to marry his rival; no need to mention to
him our sex life which, in thought alone, managed to boil my blood. " You're safe. - Even if I eat
in front of you? -Have you not eaten yet? - When you called me earlier, I had just finished
cutting the chorizo. But come on, come in. I followed him upstairs and let him take my jacket.
Although useless due to the mild summer temperatures, I really liked its indigo blue color and
the lightness of the fabric. As he put it away in his closet, I smelled the air and closed my eyes
as I savored all the delicious fragrances that my new hyper-developed senses recognized. -
Jambalaya? Matthew emerged from the closet and smiled at me as he disappeared into the
kitchen. When he returned, he was holding a full pot of this delicious chicken dish, the smell of
which was a spicy-sweet smell. - Yummy! I exclaimed to myself. He scoffed as he served
himself, and then handed me his fork with an air of defiance. - Without a way, I have already
seen the result that a piece of meat can cause to the dignity of a vampire who has forgotten the
basis of his diet. Matthew's smile suddenly froze, his gaze turned icy, pointed at my left hand as
I had raised to decline his offer. Damn it! The ring! I wanted to put it wisely against me, but it
was quicker. I bit my tongue in blood as he contemplated my ring finger without saying a word
or even taking any breath. I was terribly angry for being so inconsequently; to say that I wanted
to spare him first before confessing everything to him! - Does that mean that you and him, you
know? - That's why I wanted to see you. I wanted you to learn it from me. He had not let go of
my hand yet. I was extremely uncomfortable. When he looked at me, at last, I could clearly see
his struggle to compose a smile on his face and it saddened me. "You don't have to pretend to
please me, Matthew," I whispered. He shook his head. - What kind of friend would I otherwise
be? His bitterness was palpable even though he did everything to hide it. I couldn't blame him.
"The best you can dream of," I said in a soft voice. He carried my hand to his lips and closed his
eyes. "I told you that you could always count on me and I intend to keep my promise. (He
reopened them and tried a draft to smile) I guess I must congratulate you. "It is not necessary," I
said, embarrassed. I think it's been a long time since I've seen you so happy. Besides, no, I'd
say I've never seen you so happy. My answer was more like a brief scorn than a phrase of
thanks. "When?" he asked. I shrugged. - The vampire ceremony will take place at Talanus and
Ysis and will consist of a few ritual words designed to formalize our bond in front of the
community while protecting our backs. It won't be very long, so I guess it won't be long. "
Charming... - Angela said the same thing as you, more aggressive, I scoffed. There will be a
real wedding to which you will be invited, but this one, we will take the time to prepare it and
above all, we will limit the number of guests. "You've always hated the crowd," he laughed. Do
you see yourself on the front line? - I will do whatever it takes to be with him. I had sighed
blissfully, forgetting unluckily listener who certainly did not share my happiness. I stiffened
myself, horrified at the thought of having wounded him. - Excuse me. His face was only frank
when he said: - I am happy for you, sincerely. As he returned my hand, I took him by surprise by
suddenly rising to throw me into his arms. However, I had not properly measured my strength
and it took us both ashore. Oh, oh, oh I'm sorry! I cried, helping my friend to get up, seeing that,
half-stunned, he could not have done it alone. Suddenly he left with a great laugh and instead of
arguing with me, he drew me to him, on the couch. So we hugged for several minutes, hugging
me with all his might, trying to control mine so as not to break his bones. Finally, I took the
initiative to break this moment by getting up to get my jacket. "Are you free on 19th? - I must go
with Phoenix to Harper Hill. We are expected to work out a few details. He also got up and
accompanied me to the front door at the bottom of the stairs. " Thank you, Sam. I looked up at
him, perplexed. He gave me a meagre smile. - To have taken the time to come and tell me in
person. Not knowing what else to do, I kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back to see you soon. "
I'll be there. My heart swelled with tenderness for Matthew. He may have been unhappy that I
could never love him, but he was willing to repress his suffering to preserve our friendship. His
goodness of soul would never cease to amaze me, and I considered him at that very moment as
the most virtuous man the Earth has ever carried. "Goodbye," I said, moved, passing the door. -
Goodbye. With my mind still occupied by our conversation, I did not realize the landscape that
surrounded me until I returned to the gates of the castle, and no sooner had I closed the garage
door than a voice with a velvet stamp stroked my back with the softness of a feather. - How did
it go? I went back to Phoenix. He was wearing beige pants with a matching jacket, a black belt,
and a light black fabric shirt, the two top buttons of which were not put on. A few strands of her
brown hair fluttered gently in front of her eyes hidden by useless sunglasses, but which
nevertheless gave him a sex appeal as remarkable as the remarkably dangerous appearance of
his whole person. He was... Mine. My god... Although I had experienced a difficult confrontation
with my best friend a few minutes before, I still felt a certain guilt for the disappointment I was
causing him, it had all just been swept away in a quarter of a second, as soon as my gaze had
landed on the man who made my heart beat. He was so beautiful that I still wondered if I wasn't
dreaming of his love for me. And he was so handsome there, suddenly, nothing mattered except
my desire to snuggle up naked against him. Sam? Feeling the pressure of my canines in my
mouth and the painfully voluptuous pressure in my lower abdomen, I did not answer and
contented myself with advancing towards him, ordering my hips to make a swing motion at
every step that could not escape him. I hadn't put on sexy clothes (a T-shirt, jeans and red
sandals) but I knew that my gait would be enough to make his gaze drift on my curves. - Um...
(It worked) Don't you want to answer me? Did it go wrong? When I reached him, I raised my
hands to grab his sunglasses. Despite the perplexity in his eyes, I could clearly perceive the
suspicion in his way of detailing myself and it was with the most perverse pleasure that I saw his
nostrils shudder when I put his glasses on my face while caressing his torso, just before
heading to the castle. I did not have time to reach the last step of the porch which he lifted me to
carry me at a phenomenal speed to the key book that would open access instead of all
passions.
*
Talanus and Ysis didn't hold us accountable for our delay after my interview with Matthew. On
the contrary, Talanus showed me exceptional concern and was quite kind when he answered
my questions about the organization of the evening. Of course, his good humor should not be
exaggerated, for when one of the vampires who worked for him came back a second time with a
cup of blood at the wrong temperature, he began by sending the cup over his head before
getting up to smash his skull with his fist and threatening to empty him entirely of his own blood
if he dared to show himself a third time with an undrinkable drink. As the servant spun belly
down, and I contemplated the general with the urge to run out the other door as soon as he did
not look at me, Ysis and Phoenix continued to quietly discuss the ceremony as if nothing had
happened. "Are we obliged to send an invitation to the Greats?" asked the latter, visibly worried
about the idea. - We will not evade protocol; it would be the safest way to signal to them that we
are hiding something from them. Anyway, they are very busy right now with the transition from
China and Brazil to the Big Change, I doubt they come. "It makes me feel better," I said. - Don't
be too optimistic, their spies will be there and will report back, as usual. I'm stiffening up. I had
forgotten that the 10 vampiric intelligence services were the most efficient and discreet in the
world. - Do you know any of them? Ysis lit a cigar. This practice always shocked me at home. "I
suspected Hedayat Javan for a long time, but I finally realized that his loyalty was foolproof,"
said Talanus, sitting heavily in his chair. "It may sound crazy, but for my part, I have some
doubts about Javas and Cassie," Phoenix said. Talanus burst out laughing. - These two
obsessed?! You're not serious! My companion shrugged, visibly unwilling to engage in an
argument to convince his leader of what he himself seemed to find completely insane. - It's
them. Ysis's intervention stopped her husband's laughter. - What, you had a vision? - No, but
Phoenix's hypothesis holds. These two are constantly cooing in the corners, no one pays
attention to them and they sneak around. We don't take them seriously because everyone
seems to think that when they're together, all they think about is doing dirty things, so it's not
hard for them to listen to conversations that aren't meant for them. A long silence greeted his
reasoning. Wow! Decidedly, the power of Ysis was impressive and crazy was one that would
venture to underestimate it. Even Talanus still managed to be impressed! The yellow shards in
his pupils and his fangs already well out made me understand the thread of his thoughts. A
glance at Ysis' side showed me that she was very appreciative of the effect she was having on
her partner. Yuck! Imagining my area leaders in an un-Catholic position made me nauseous. It
was like I was catching my own parents in bed! It was strange because both of them, in human
age, seemed to be only ten years apart from me. Besides, I didn't take them for my mother or
father at all, horror! No, I had a deep respect for their function and personality and that was why
I was always destabilized when they behaved normally, either by smoking a cigar, or enjoying a
good drink (at the right temperature), or by staring as if they were going to rip off their clothes
despite our presence in Phoenix and me. My god... But that was what they were going to do!!!
Tic, toc. Phew! We were bringing Another Glass of Blood to Talanus. I sighed with relief as I
discreetly made a grimace in Phoenix, expressive enough for him to grasp my sense of what
had almost happened. He saw me, but he answered nothing since both of them were turned to
him. However, the way he bit his lip, I understood that he was repressing a laugh, and the way
he shot me with his eyes, well I understood that he would make me pay for it. We spent most of
the night discussing the organization of the ceremony and the reception that would ensue, and I
had all the difficulties in the world to keep my seriousness when Talanus, suddenly frenzed,
began to expose to me all the ideas he had had for the decoration of the place. I almost fell
apart laughing when I saw stars dancing in his eyes when, in the end, I told him that having had
every confidence in his tastes since the ball, I gave him carte blanche to take care of the
decorum. It wasn't that I wasn't interested, on the contrary, I was looking forward to it so that at
last I could live my love for Phoenix in the open among those of my new race. Yet it was not my
idea of a marriage, and in my mind, the ceremony in the human way mattered more because it
would not be intended to protect us from possible enemies, but simply to unite us in the eyes of
all our friends. I dreamed of an intimate wedding, with only my closest friends. I dreamed of a
starry night, a light breeze, soft and pleasant, a simple dress and above all, the smile of the man
who would become my husband when I walked up to the altar to say in a "yes" of the most
fervent, how much I loved him. - Miss Watkins? The dream gave way to reality. Talanus seemed
to be waiting for me to give him my opinion about something having to do with... in fact I didn't
know anything about it. - I'm sorry? I saw Phoenix flashing a soft smile as Talanus looked up at
the sky. "You were dreaming, my dear. I bit my lip. - Oops... - Some things will never change,
grumbled Talanus. Ysis approached him and kissed him on the forehead. - Fortunately... As if
by magic, the Roman general regained his good humour and began to embark on the planning
in writing and sketching of the smallest details of the evening to come. "One little thing," Ysis
interjected. The display of Absolute Love in public is already rare in itself, and all the more so
when it is an angel who is concerned... - Or area leaders... I interrupted him, kindly. She was not
offended by my rudeness, and offered me an accomplice smile of a woman in love. She said: -
That's why this ceremony must remain in everyone's minds. The more impressed the vampires
present, the more they will accept your situation and the less they will want to test your strength
at both by attacking you. - I guess to impress everyone, the beautiful decoration of Talanus will
not be enough. No, no, no We need a proper entry. I raised my eyebrows. - You don't want us
to arrive on tanks! We're not in the Hunger Games! Although given how your present things to
us, this ceremony will look more like a gladiator fight than a romantic announcement. The
analogy with the saga of Suzanne Collins made her smile, but it was with gravity that she
replied to me: - We must not be under any illusions. The public announcement of the bond that
unites you will create enemies for you, but depending on how you can prove to everyone that
night and the following that you are even more powerful than before, they will dare or not
declare themselves to you. So somewhere, yes, by sealing your two destinies, you enter an
arena where the games are deadly and sneaky. Phoenix came to join me as I took the words of
this woman who had been struggling for two thousand years to get her couple and her authority
to accept her peers. - There is no obligation, you can go backwards at any time if you wish.
"Because you would? If he agreed, I had no idea what my reaction would be. - Of course not! (I
suppressed a sigh of relief) But what matters is what you want. He looked at me with the same
intensity as on our first night together, seeming to want to bare my soul to force me to confess
my most secret fears. "I want you. Suddenly I pulled on his tie and brought him back to me to
kiss him, forgetting the presence of our two area chiefs. - To say that she almost killed you the
day she entered our world because you had chewed her job, Ysis! Talanus's line about the
episode of the torrid kiss imposed amused me more than it irritated me. "It wasn't her fault, if I
had been less stupid, she would have thanked you," Phoenix said, stroking my cheek. - You are
surely the most effective angel I have ever met, but indeed, on this occasion, you have been of
an unusually stupid. I've been tempted to shake you to make you open your eyes. Phoenix
stopped his gesture and looked at his superior with a mixture of amazement, amusement, and
horror. His expression was quite laughable. - Stop this childishness, let's go back to our sheep.
(Ysis's authoritarian voice had its effect, we were all serious again) I was talking about an
introduction to the subject... So if we leave aside the option of tanks, we still have... the effect of
surprise. I frowned. -It's a little risky, isn't it? commented my companion. - Hm... Not necessarily,
says Talanus. The sight of their reputedly ruthless angel advancing in the space left free in front
of our thrones will make a great impression, especially if it is accompanied by the one, he
transformed very recently. My friend, you will increase the power of your charisma to its
maximum and you my dear, avoid gutting all those who make comments that you will dislike and
that should be enough so that we do not all get killed. -I know how to stand, all the same! I was
offended. - We'll see. - Humpf! - Even though many vampires have doubts about why Phoenix
asked us to transform you, none will suspect that the link ceremony will concern you both. "I can
already imagine the jaws dropping as you pass by," Ysis said. - I would like to have your trust.
The Egyptian princess darted a piercing and mysterious look at me. -I have every confidence in
you. A strange shiver ran along my spine. She didn't tell the whole thing. "All right," concludes
Talanus. There is only one detail left to settle. When? It was Phoenix who answered: - The
sooner the better. That way, we can fully devote ourselves to the organization of our second
union, in the humane way. You're invited, of course. The embarrassment made me bite my lip in
my blood. My companion had a way of getting into the heart of the matter could not be more
brutal. - Well, congratulations, Miss Watkins. For Phoenix to get in the spotlight twice in a row
tells me that he loves you beyond the imagination. - Uh... Thank you. Ysis got up and walked to
the door. It was time to take time off. After gathering our belongings, we all left the office
together to reach the large room. Talanus and Phoenix had passed by and were quietly
discussing the future benefits that Carrick Anderpool's lease of their land would bring them. I too
was about to walk through the doorway when Ysis held me by the arm with a steel fist. Despite
the darkness of this little corridor separating the great hall from their apartments, I could see
perfectly, in fact, a new thrill, even more icy than the previous one, shook me when my gaze
met her, vague and inexpressive, as if her consciousness of all things had suddenly vanished. -
Uh... Ysis? I was beginning to wonder if she wasn't having vampiric stroke when a memory
came to the surface of my memory. I remembered the day we met, when she told me and
Phoenix that we were bound by the Night. She had the same strange look... At the time, I did
not understand what was going on, but in hindsight, the events she had announced had
occurred. So that meant she had a vision. And indeed: - Everything will accelerate soon. More
than ever, you must follow your instincts. Because it's you. Panicked by this assertion in a
cavernous voice, I swallowed painfully. "Me? Suddenly, the pressure on my arm diminished as
Ysis shook his head to regain his spirits. A second later, she stared at me mercilessly. - You
must absolutely listen to the advice of the Night. - But I don't even know what it's all about! It's
incomprehensible! - You have been chosen. - Chosen for what?! So far, neither you nor anyone
has been able to provide me with answers! I got upset. - Lethalée never revealed anything to
you? - Since I tell you no! Ysis re-turned and turned to the side to reflect. I was totally frightened
by what had just happened, but at the same time, frustrated by a strange sensation that I could
not identify... as if something essential that eluded me should have been said at that moment,
without knowing what. "There's no point in speculating," said Ysis, already with one hand on the
doorknob. We'll understand when the time comes. Lethalée never does anything randomly.
Time will tell what she has planned for you, and by extension, for all of us. "I have a strange
feeling," I murmured. Ysis opened the door by composing a serene face at lightning speed, in
total contradiction with his previous agitation. I wish I could have done the same, but with what I
had just heard, it was beyond my strength. The words that Ysis slipped in my ear as we entered
the great hall ended up leaving me a taste of ashes in my mouth. - It's all up to you, Samantha
Watkins.
*
When we returned to the castle a little before dawn, Phoenix decided to question me about my
silence since we left the office of our district leaders. He had clearly seen that something was
wrong and had at first wanted to let me speak when I was ready, however, after a while, he
exploded. His sincere concern led me to confess to him what had happened in the sound of his
own, and despite his confusion, he had, like Ysis, decided to wait to see the turn of events to
understand the meaning of her words. I suspected that he was hiding his nervousness so as not
to aggravate mine and even if it seemed selfish, I thanked him. Phoenix was my rock, I needed
his strength to mobilize mine. Thus, a week later, the long-awaited and dreaded moment
arrived. The proclamation of the link would take place in just two hours, François had already
arrived, all elegant and serious, and I was still fixing the doors of my closet to determine what
outfit I was going to wear. It was even worse than when I entered the vampire world. It was as if
my brain no longer had the ability to align two coherent thoughts. In despair, the phone rang. -
Hello? "It's us!!! howled two voices on the phone. I abruptly moved my cell phone away from my
ear, cursing my idiot friends for piercing my right eardrum. I recognized Angela and Matthew. -
What a pleasure to hear from you! (Despite the nagging pain in my ear canal, I was sincere) Are
you okay? -It's up to us to ask you that! Knowing you, you must be mad with anguish! "You
know me definitely too well, Angela. To tell you the truth, I'm so upset that I'm still in my
underwear in my room wondering what I should wear for the occasion. We leave in half an hour
and at this rate, I will finally make my entrance in bra! A burst of laughter followed my panicked
statement. - You're a funny vampire, Sam! (I sit on my couch, discomfited) Get on your thirty-
one without doing too much so that no one can suspect anything. - It doesn't help me much.
She sighed. - To say that you have made so much progress in dress! Finally... Good thing I'm
here! Put on your midnight blue-night strapless dress, the one that comes above your knee. You
make yourself a bun and accessorize with the Phoenix necklace, the earrings I gave you and
black pumps. For makeup, stay sober. The wind of relief swept me away in a second. - To say I
haven't even thought of calling you! - It's forgivable. Don't you remember what I was like just
before I walked to the altar? Yes... People react differently to stress. I was the lobotomized type;
Angela was more of a hysterical style doped with EPO. - I'm lucky to have a friend like you. I
heard a muffled noise and a beautiful "You broke a fingernail, heap of brainless bricks!" when
Matthew ripped the handset from our favorite bookseller. "And I, you forget me?! - Never. It's
amazing how happy I am to hear your voice! Indeed, I never thought Matthew would call me to
wish me good luck tonight. He was an extraordinary man. - I told you that you could always
count on me and since now I know all aspects of your life, I can support you properly. A strange
sniff escaped me. "Are you crying?' he was astonished. "You know I can't do it anymore! I
defended myself. He laughed. - I'm glad to see that your transformation has not erased the
funniest sides of your character! - Hahaha... How do you want me not to get moved when you
pull things like that out of me? - In any case, know that even if Angela and I cannot be physically
present for you, our thoughts will accompany you all evening. He laughs again when two
unsightly sniffles echoed into the device. - Thank you, thank you for everything. Both of them.
There was another wrestling noise and a "You scratched me with your nails, you bully!" and
then I heard Angela again. - Don't forget to call us as soon as it's over. We will wait all night if
we must. " I promise you that. After thanking them one last time, I hung up, more motivated than
ever to appear beautiful and strong on the arm of the most respected angel in the vampiric
world. Thanks to my super speed and my new reflexes, I was able to adjust everything in twenty
minutes and admire the result in my mirror as soon as finished. Angela was good advice. So
dressed, I was elegant and beautiful without being in the flashy. I was hoping to please Phoenix,
that was all that mattered in the end. In fact, after a lively and above all very useless inspiration,
I went down the stairs to join my future vampiric "prince consort" and his best French friend.
When he advised me and offered me a dazzling smile of tenderness and admiration, I felt all my
fears fly away to leave room only for an authentic and pure joy. I rushed to him and he received
me, twirling me in the air before kissing me, hugging me to break my ribs. I was relishing that
moment. - Um... And you're not kissing me? Phoenix let me go with a laugh and let me go and
make lipstick marks on François' cheeks. - Arghh! Samantha! - I find you even more beautiful
like that! I cried as our musketeer already earned the bathroom to wash. You're him, said
Phoenix with a smile that bemeaned his words. - It feels good to be bullied by a woman other
than Angela. - I believe that all men would dream of being abused in this way. - Flatterer! He got
closer and stroked the diamond necklace I was wearing. - I'm just being realistic. You look
beautiful. He kissed me in the neck, which made me shiver even in places too intimate to be
mentioned. - If we weren't in such a hurry... began, in a hoarse voice, causing my pupils to turn
scarlet. The little kisses he was making on my bun put me in all my states. - Far from me the
idea of bothering you again, but it's time to go. François stood in the door frame, slightly picked
up on himself, as if he feared an attack by one of us for his second interruption. "Are you
ready?" asked Phoenix. I nodded. - Let's go. A few minutes later, aboard the Camaro, we left
the peaceful Scarborough to join the tumult of a villa where the ambient curiosity at its height
would soon be contented ... - Ah... Ok. François and Phoenix didn't lead much further than I did
when they arrived on the scene. Indeed, the sight of so many cars, even more numerous than
for the masked ball, had something to stun. - Reassure me, there are always so many people to
attend a proclamation of the bond? - Uh... began François. Phoenix was the first to recover. -
It's just that the last time it happened here was for Talanus and Ysis and before them, no one
had ever asked for a link ceremony either in this area or in Springfield. Suffice to say that all the
vampires in the region are going to want to be in the front row. I sighed.
- Promise me our human wedding ceremony will be intimate. Phoenix stroked my cheek with his
eternal smirk. - Just two or three... hundred guests. - Hahaha... Laughing out loud! I retaliated,
as I spread his hand. "Do you think they suspect something?" asked François. - We'll see once
we get there. Let's go. We made the distance from the entrance to the villa. No sooner had we
taken two steps inside than a good hundred sharp eyes pointed in our direction. I had to
mobilize all my self-control to mask the horrible anguish that hugged me as we advanced head-
up into this human tide. Everyone strayed in our path and greeted us respectfully and I had a
good face by nodding here and there, I could not prevent my ears from catching some
comments that undermined my concentration. - I find this French really sexy. They say he
married a human? What a waste! I can't believe he never wanted to sleep with me! I bit myself
inside my cheek when I heard the remark of the great bald vampire I had just passed. - Phoenix
makes a funny face, it looks like he's going to swallow everything raw the first one who's going
to talk to him. It's stronger than me. Now I'm holding a smile. - It's funny, before, when I looked
at Phoenix and his assistant, I saw two separate auras. There, I distinguish a single one that
envelops them both with the same intensity. Either my power unlocks or my hand to the fire that
they are together and that it is their Absolute Love that we will recognize tonight. To the thrill of
horror that passed through me upon hearing this, immediately followed a more intense and
above all more dangerous emotion: - Did you see how they flank the news? It looks like they
want to protect her from us. She may be the weakest of the three. Those were the kinds of
things we wanted to avoid at all costs. If some of our fellows already doubted my strength and
the danger I represented, many enemies would no longer hesitate to declare themselves after
the public announcement of what they considered to be the beginning of decadence for a
vampire. I had to smother that in the bud. In a split second, I had joined the man at the origin of
this remark, had planted the knife that I had hidden in my bun right next to the heart, and held
him at arm's length about ten centimeters from the ground. Our direct witnesses had retreated,
but I could feel the presence of Phoenix and François behind my back. I assumed that they had
also heard the comment and that they were chasing me as I pleased. No problem. After what I
had done to the hitman sent by Engara, it was not this little comedy that would cause me
problems of conscience. - What were you saying just now? I was speaking in the direction of the
man with the face of ashes who was staring at me, terrified. - R... Nothing. I let him see my
fangs. - Lately, I killed a vampire in exactly the same situation that we are living now. He had
been wrong to think I was weak and seemed surprised when he saw the blade near his heart.
There was a great silence around me, everyone listened and analyzed the least of my words
and the least of my gestures. I was going to satisfy my audience. Crushing the trachea of my
grip a little more, I passed the tip of my fingers over the handle of the knife that protruded from
his chest, savoring his increasingly obvious panic. - The guy moved when I was torturing him
and turned into dust, fool. You're not an idiot, are you? (He shook his head in the negative,
completely panicked) You're not going to try to wrestle at the risk of ending up like the other and
imposing an unpleasant relationship on me when I came to attend my first bond ceremony? He
shook his head again, and managed despite the pressure on his throat to whisper: - Pi... It's all
over the place. - It will all depend on the next words you say. With a superhuman effort, he
continued: - I will.. Excuse me. In a flash, I retrieved my blade wiped off my victim's shirt, which I
sent crashing into the wall behind her, and left for the great hall with great strides. In my mind, I
had done what it took to secure our backs. However, I had no idea what Phoenix thought, since
to avoid another such remark, he had moved us ahead of François and I to open the door. His
stiffness did not tell me anything good, but under no circumstances would I apologize for
wanting to protect us. At last we reached Talanus and Ysis. "So that's a lot of people, eh, Miss
Jones? Talanus began smiling. - There are crowds, indeed. - And again, it was only a matter of
time before we counted one less vampire among the spectators, taunted François, in excellent
mood. I gave him a nasty elbow. - I'm sorry? surprised our sector leaders together. - Sam
stabbed Kagan Carpenter because she heard him speculate that she was weak. The tone of
Phoenix's voice was so neutral that I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not. Ysis spoke. - You
did the right thing. It is essential that both are taken seriously by our community by your
respective functions. As many ears listened to us, the Egyptian princess paid attention to what
she said so as not to spoil the surprise. On the other hand, even if we did not announce our link
in public, our duties as angel and assistant to him required that we would not let anyone
insinuate any weakness on our part if we wanted to keep our posts and our heads a little longer.
- Anyway, Carpenter is a dirty rat who spends his time plotting. This lesson will do him good,
says Talanus. I felt clearly relieved, but the silence of Phoenix at my side was anguished. Is he
mad at me? I didn't have time to ask him because Talanus and Ysis took him to see a vampire
who wanted to talk to him. - It's off to a good start... - Don't worry, Sam. Given the
circumstances, that was the only option. He knows that. - Hm... - Samantha Jones! How lovely
you are! This languid exclamation with a Persian accent on my back pleased me at the same
time as it infuriated me. Hedayat Javan would never change. I turned around. I could clearly
hear an angry tongue slamming from my French friend. He seemed to stand only on one line,
that of exasperation. "Good evening, Samantha," he greeted me. So this is your first link
ceremony? How eager you must be for this to start! The radiance of humor in his eyes and his
devilish smile no longer leave room for doubt. He guessed. A very low-sounding rumble
escaped from François as a warning. I turned to him and was surprised to find that he was
ready to jump at the throat of my Persian prince. - Calm down, François, I said. As for you,
Hedayat, I'm delighted to see you again, I imagine you've reserved a prime seat on the other
side of the room... I had insisted on geographical location to no longer have his insight in his
paws as much as to avoid that his compliments towards me would annoy a person who was
already coming back to us with a murderous brilliance in his eyes. Hedayat felt the danger and
hurried to greet me again. - But of course, it's the perfect place and besides, I'm going this way.
As Phoenix came close to me, he could only see him send me a kiss from afar, then head to
Steve whose expression suggested that he was wondering if his leader had not lost his head or
was not going to lose it in the seconds to follow. I couldn't help but laugh... ... Before holding
Phoenix by his jacket to prevent him from going to gut the day security chief of the villa. " Leave
me, Sam. This time, it's too much, he deserves me to rip off his fangs. Fortunately, he had the
idea of scolding low enough that only me or François could hear it. I stood in front of him and
looked him straight in the eye. - Phoenix. You know what's going on. He also stared at me, as if
to pierce me with his azure eyes. Then I know it. He relaxed, much to my relief, and I picked
myself up just in time before kissing him in front of everyone. In fact, he himself had almost
forgotten that we had to keep our distance at least while Talanus asked us to join him in the
center of the room. -Are you mad at me for earlier? I asked anyway. He had never really seen
me become violent. He knew that my transformation had uninhibited me, but I was afraid that
knowing how ruthless my dark side could be, he would be disgusted with me. - It was
dangerous, but you did very well.
It wasn't really what I wanted to hear, but I'd settle for it. - Doesn't that demotivate you? He
sighed. - Sam... You know what's going on. I smiled, again inflated to block for what would soon
follow. And by the way...
*
Talanus stepped forward to face all the guests, who, upon seeing the maneuver, ceased their
conversations in a perfect ensemble. A heavy silence had fallen on the villa, in a few moments,
our district leader would utter the words that would officially unite me with one of the most
feared and respected vampires in the world. - My brothers! (The voice of the Roman general
thundered in the air) Thank you for coming so many to our gathering, especially since tonight
will not be like other nights! Tonight, a unique event will take place, an event of which you will all
witness. (Whispers rose among the crowd) Silence! An impressive calm reigned again in the
room. - Among vampires, it is common to believe that the bonds between a man and a woman,
if they are eternal, are only degrading chains that abolish our free will and ruin our
independence. Ysis and I believe that, on the contrary, Absolute Love increases our power,
because in addition to multiplying our forces in half, it also allows us to see the world in a new
light, with a partner to share the riches and teachings that the latter can bring us. We have proof
of this again today with the will of two of our subjects to show the connection that unites them.
This time it was an explosion of voices that resented around us, all unubilled by the same
question: Who? Phoenix grabbed my hand and carried it to his lips to lay a sweet kiss. " Are you
ready? The thrill that ran through my body upon his contact and the red flash that ran through
my irises gave him the answer. He smiles at me, with a smile so brimming with love that the
shock wave almost knocked me back. My god... I was willing to do anything for this man... I
nodded. No one really seemed to have seen her gesture, therefore the hiccup of general
amazement that shook the congregation, when we advanced hand in hand in the space
between her and her master, could have made me laugh if my conscience was not fully
absorbed by the perfection of my angel of the night. We did not care about the new hubbub that
had exploded behind us, we were lost each in the eyes of the other while waiting for Talanus to
finally decide to ask for silence. I was vaguely aware that Ysis was watching us with a smile of
intense satisfaction on his face and a burst of pure tenderness in his eyes. - SILENCE! Since
my bubble of absolute happiness, I was still admiring the charisma of this Roman general, able
to render mute in a second, an audience composed of creatures whose thirst for blood equaled
that of gossip. This one then rivals his gray gaze on us. Serious things were starting. - Angel
Phoenix! You have asked Ysis and I, as your area leaders, to proclaim before all your love for
the woman who is at your side. Is that true? Phoenix respectfully bowed his head. "Yes, master.
" Do you recognize, in front of the assembly here, to feel absolute Love for the one you
transformed into a vampire after choosing her as a human assistant?" "Yes, master. "Do you
consider, in fact, that you belong to her?" A new incredulous murmur rose behind us. No one
would have thought that their angel could have fallen into the net of this terrifying feeling. "Yes,
master," he said louder, "to silence the crowd." ... Forever. The whiff of love that invaded me
when I heard these last words, the very words we had exchanged in intimacy, carried me to the
highest heights of joy. I felt a huge smile cracking my face as I looked at the one who shook my
hand to crush his with the desire to grab his lips for eternity. - Samantha Jones! I was startled
when I heard my name and rushed to turn my head towards Talanus, tilting it to show my
respect. - Or should I say, Samantha Watkins. This time, my attention focused solely on my
area leader, whom I stared at with amazement while after uttering before all the vampires of the
region my true identity, he regarded me with a severity belied by the brilliance of deep respect
that I could read in his eyes. Incredibly moved by his gesture, namely that of allowing me to be
accepted in all that I was, I thanked him by simply wiggling his lips, so that only he understood
my feelings. It worked; he imperceptibly tilted his head towards me before returning to the floor.
- Do you recognize being under the influence of Absolute Love in the relationship that binds you
to your creator, the angel of our county? "Yes, master. - Being new among ours, you must know
that the proclamation that your lover asks before all is one-way. You will be his companion until
the end of time, without going back. Are you aware of that? "Yes, master. And that's what I want
most of all. My last line was not very official, but I didn't care, just as I didn't care about the new
whispers behind my back, some of which were admiring exhalations of vampire women who
dreamed, not so secretly, of meeting Absolute Love as well. All that mattered was how Phoenix
couldn't help but caress me, as if it were just us in this room. Talanus's voice became softer. -
Does that mean you belong to him? - Forever. Our area leader then focused on the crowd: -
You are witnessing their connection tonight! Do you recognize him? As I could not hear
anything, I took the risk of turning around to see what was happening and received a blow to the
stomach when they saw these hundreds of faces bowing to mark their assent. It was amazing. -
By my position as head of the Kerington and Springfield sectors, (I looked again at Talanus) I
proclaim, this day, ... - WAIT!! This howl, loud from the mass of the guests, froze my blood. A
horrible foreboding insinuated itself in me as the memory of that voice revived in my mind the
features of the one to whom it belonged. Even though everyone was walking away, the woman
was still not visible, however, a glance at Phoenix, whose jaw was contracted to explode,
confirmed my suspicions, as did her arrival a few meters from us a moment later. Engara Rowe-
Harrell, richly dressed in a long haute couture dress, spoke to us with a contempt far below the
deep and cruel madness that could clearly be read in the fire devouring her eyes. - What does
this interruption mean?! yelled Talanus, whose clean fire was much scarier than that of our
adversary. - YOU'VE BEEN FOOLED! cried again, as if she were not perfectly audible from the
entrance to the villa. Engara did not seem impressed by the flamboyant anger of her area
manager and merely pointed at us with a finger that I had a sudden urge to reduce to ash, just
like the rest of her body. I gave her a low but ferocious rumble, to which she answered me by
showing me the fangs. I was sketching a first step towards her when Phoenix blocked my path
by standing in front of me. - Give me one reason not to be to pieces, Engara, for interrupting our
proclamation of the bond! She ignored him by sniffing with disdain and advanced towards
Talanus, in defiance of all protocol. - This ceremony must not take place! "It's not up to an
abandoned and jealous ex-lover to decide!" said the latter, triggering a few laughs and giggles
in the audience. Engara stood up with dignity and shoved her interruptor with his gaze (not a
very intelligent thing) before turning to the guests to take them as witnesses. - This decision
may not be my, yes, but it is up to you to enforce the law of the Greats in your sector by
punishing any incarceration, regardless of your links with the one who is at fault! A frightening
roar echoed near me, preceding a position of attack foreshadowing future murder. Talanus
seemed ready to dissect Engara piece by piece and I was looking forward to it. - What are you
insinuating? Have you forgotten what treatment I gave my best friend, or do you want to taste it
to pass you the desire to question my loyalty to the Great?! At that moment I swallowed my
saliva, imitating my enemy who had suddenly lost her superbness. She understood that directly
accusing Talanus was not the best tactic, so she changed the angle of attack: - It is not your
loyalty that I question, Talanus! But your angel's! The din that suddenly rose in my ears.
Everyone spoke at the same time, with astonishment or howled at scandal in a complete
conundrum. It was Phoenix's turn to come forward to settle his account with his former mistress,
and therefore for me to hold him back, although it cost me. If he killed her without any other form
of trial, he would only confirm the suspicions about her treason. He had to prove his innocence.
- You better explain yourself or I will make you taste my torture rooms! threatened Talanus.
Silence, all of you! When the calm returned, all the heads were turned to my rival, who stared at
me with a savagery matched only the insanity readable in her eyes. I must inform you that I
have discovered that Phoenix has taken intolerable liberties with the powers you have granted
him, since in this matter he felt the right to transform his human slave before he had even asked
for the official agreement; something he did, not because she was dying because of a serious
illness, but because her weakness for her led him to flout our laws rather than accept that she
would die like all those of her race! Made silent by the shock of his speech, I couldn't even open
my mouth to defend myself. How did Engara find out the truth? No one had witnessed what had
happened in the warehouse. Was it the bluff of a bitter woman in a last stand to drag as many
people as possible into her misfortune or did she have evidence of what she was saying? In
which case, the outcome was clear: Phoenix would kill me to guarantee the law and suffer the
consequences itself. It was intolerable. - LIES! I cried, feeling my canines coming out, ready to
slice the disgraced face. She stared at me, her nostrils quivering. "Do you dare call me a liar?"
Know that my family has forged its honor on its honesty! A Rowe-Harrell always! My hatred rose
at that moment to levels I never thought possible. It was time to react. - Oh yes?! And you might
dare to argue that it wasn't you who paid two hitmen to kill me? A huge "Oooh!" was raised
around us. I saw Phoenix stiffen and watch myself with suspicion. I ignored it and crucified with
the look of the one who, suddenly uncomfortable, had turned to see people pointing the finger at
her. Obviously, many of them didn't seem to like her very much. - So? pursued me with snarl.
Dare to tell me that I am wrong by thereby flouting the beautiful reputation of your name! Dare to
tell me that Victor Haggis was not acting on your orders! (New cries for this former employee
banned from the region) The second guy who tried to kill me clearly identified you when I
questioned him. The tingling on my neck signaled that someone was furious behind me,
someone to whom I was going to be held accountable for my silence on this vital information. -
And where is this vampire who accuses me?! she spat; her pride again found. I can't see it! You
have no proof! It seems to me that these are the desperate accusations of a death row convict!
The rumbling I addressed to her were so violent that I surprised myself. - Because you may
have proof of what you are saying. Excuse me! I don't think I saw you on my deathbed or
around when Phoenix transformed me! (I gave her a mocking smile) It seems to me that these
are the accusations of a hysterical ex who cannot understand that she has been dumped! New
sneers rang out behind Engara, whom I would have sworn to have seen blush under the affront.
- That's enough! Talanus exclaimed to silence everyone. This charade has lasted long enough!
Whether it's either party, you have no way to prove what you're telling us! A new tingling in my
neck made me turn, but this time towards Ysis. She stared at me strangely, as if she wanted to
send me a message. Her almost imperceptible nod allowed me to understand her. - These
accusations are very serious and... - I claim the right to wash my honor in a fight to the death! I
cut Talanus in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear me in the villa. Win. A deafening din
exploded between the walls. What I had just done was highly risky, but also highly legal, I knew.
I had not spent so much time assisting the vampire angel of the surrounding area without
studying the workings of the legislation of his kind. In a dead end like the one we found
ourselves in, the good old methods of uncivilized brutes could be applied, namely a fight to the
death where all blows were allowed. I glanced at Ysis; she did not look at me, but a new nod
finally reassured me as to the merits of my initiative. "Are you crazy?! What's the matter with
you?! the Phoenix was the one grabbing my arm. Looking completely furious, his eyes
expressed nothing but a horrible anguish about the events I had just provoked. "This is the only
way," I said, taking my arm back. Even though she has no evidence of what she is saying,
Engara has tried to discredit us. How many others will try to do the same if we don't show them
that in return there is a price to pay! What happened earlier with Carpenter proves I'm right! - It's
up to me to settle this case in this case! scolded him. - No! She's mine! I answered him by
showing him my fangs. He grabbed me by the shoulders. Sam! She's over two hundred years
old! I strayed sharply from him. - So as to you and to all those here, I will prove to her that I
should not be underestimated! His eyes ignited with fury and anxiety. - It's a fight to the death,
Sam! If you lose, not only will you not have regained your honor, but you will also have lost your
life! Is that what you want?! "You told me not so long ago that you had always trusted my
abilities, and now you doubt me?" - You know it has nothing to do with it! - Listen, Phoenix! You
have long proved your worth and your strength in front of our fellow human beings, but it is not
the same for me! If you want me to stay alive as long as possible without trying to paint a target
in my back to reach you, let me win this fight! Ysis intervened. - She's right, Phoenix. You must.
In any case, now that she has asked for it loud and clear in front of the whole assembly, she can
no longer back down. I turned to Engara, who was in great conversation with Talanus.
Obviously, she had not expected this reversal of the situation since the latter was in the process
of assuring her that I was fully within my rights in requesting a formal settlement of accounts. -
She won't refuse either. It's the only way she can get out of here without tarnishing her name, I
said. - She will never come out of here alive! the fire of my companion. I turned to him; our eyes
clung. In a second, I filled the distance between us to give him an incendiary and devastating
kiss in order to reassure him as much as to show everyone and especially to a particular
person, that he and I were the same two halves of a whole, more powerful than they could
imagine. And in a few moments, I'll give them a mortal glimpse. Phoenix hugged me more, in an
embrace that would have delighted me if it did not remind me of all the worry, he was doing for
me. I departed from him with regret, to focus on my enemy. Like everyone else, she had
witnessed our display of affection and it was by ruthlessly tossing her that I walked towards her
and Talanus. - What do you decide? Either you confront me, or you leave here, proving to
everyone your cowardice. She offered my sight her sharp and cruel fangs. - And miss an
opportunity to slaughter yourself in front of Phoenix?! You're dreaming! I felt all the hairs of my
body bristling with jubilation. My dark side was already taking over all the fibers of my being to
ensure victory in the coming confrontation. Oh, that wasn't arrogance, believe it. I did not
underestimate my opponent at all and even dreaded from him sneaky blows, however, my
instinct told me that despite its two hundred years of existence, it would not be big against me. -
All right, it's settled. How do we do that? I asked Talanus. - Let everyone step aside to make
way for the female fighters! cried this one. Immediately, a very large circle formed around us. I
could hear perfectly the words that some whispered among themselves, whose recurring idea
was that they were unable to predict the outcome of this duel. Some imagined that Phoenix's
training would tip the scales in my favor, while others pitted them against the two centuries of
my rival's life, ensuring her a superior skill and experience to mine. Our sector leader continued
by bludgeoning the assembly with his imperial gaze. - A fight to the death was requested
following the charges without evidence infringing the dignity of each of the parties present. To
decide, it will be established that the remaining vampire will be washed of all suspicions and her
honor will be safe. (He turned to us) In the silence imposed by your struggle, know that no help
will be allowed, nor any mercy will be granted. If one of you falls, it will be final. Are you still
confident? I just nodded. "More than ever," enraged Engara. - So be it! He retreated to Ysis,
François and Phoenix, leaving us alone in the middle of the improvised arena to gauge each
other, the hatred we felt for each other almost palpable in the atmosphere. - Let the fight begin!
Thus, in the face of the woman who wanted me dead just as I wanted hers, and in a silence
announcing the tragic outcome to come, I gave free rein to the powerful and bloodthirsty
creature that I had become, marrying my powers as the dark part that lay dormant in me from
the beginning and which, for the first time, I gladly allowed to take full the reins of my deeds.
*
Using the close combat techniques Phoenix had taught me, I began by observing my opponent.
As we turned around, I was looking for a loophole in his guard that I could exploit. - Oh, boy! Do
you want to play in the big leagues? I'll teach you what it's like to stay in your place! At first
glance, Engara wanted to provoke me to push me to the fault. I might as well turn that against
her. - I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in your own court. I don't see the point of staying cloistered
in my home for centuries with only my company, my mirror, and my ego! Some people puffed.
She whistled with rage, but soon resumed a countenance with a dreadful smile. - I really like my
mirror, it's a gift from Phoenix. I frowned as a taste of blood filled my mouth; I had scratched my
tongue again with my fangs. Her bad laugh made my fists clench. - Hahaha! So your boyfriend
didn't tell you about it? This mirror is not the only thing we've shared both of us for that matter,
he gave it to me after one of the many times he shared my bed! Here, a bad rumble eluded me.
I was going to cut that woman to confetti! Satisfied with the effect her speech had on me, she
continued: - He was insatiable! Every time we had sex, we broke furniture! I don't know how
many items I had to buy because of his passion! But you don't need to know that, do you? I
clenched my teeth so tightly that they creaked noticeably. I knew that Phoenix and Engara had
had an affair, only carnal from what the first one had told me, however, I had no idea that it had
been so steamy. My enemy had managed to find a fault in which she had just poured a most
corrosive acid. Since we confessed our feelings to each other, my companion and I could not
pass each other's arms and had consumed our love many times. Even if I was satisfied, this
dark part of me, laden with violence, could not be completely satisfied with our embraces,
incredibly romantic certainly, but not as passionate as they could be, as if Phoenix were holding
back. I had already thought about the question and concluded that he did not want to rush my
young experience in this area, but rather to give me time to develop desires that he would work
to fulfill later. What he did not know was that my desires for him had already developed to their
fullest and that I dreamed of an embrace in which we would each put aside our apprehensions
to live this experience as fully, and as savagely as possible. As my hatred climbed to a
paroxysm so far unmatched, I felt something strange, as if the air was waving around me,
waiting to obey my orders. - I hit a sensitive point, it seems! snickered Engara. You may have
replaced me in our angel's bed, but it seems that there wasn't really a change! Forgetting this
strange feeling to refocus on her, I rolled up my lips, without stopping to turn around her. Nor do
I react when a menacing rumble rings out behind my back: my lover oversaw informing his
former mistress that his attempts to destabilize me made him furious. She was going to pay...
Patience... - You see, our mutual friend confirms what I just told you. Too bad he had to remain
silent otherwise, he could have told you about the beautiful river of diamonds that he offered me
one evening... I suddenly thought of the gem necklace he had bought me for the masked ball
and which I was wearing tonight. Engara had seen it and was therefore deliberately provoking
me on it. Patience... She sneered again, shaking her gorgeous blonde curls. - You should have
seen the way he ordered me to undress after I had put it on! For him, I didn't need any clothes
other than this jewel; I'll let you imagine what we did afterwards. Patience... I had the impression
that a real wild beast roared its frustration in my mind, despairing of waiting again to be able to
leap and shred its prey. - You will laugh less when I have ripped out your tongue ... I say all the
same. My voice, derailed by the tension I was in, impressed me with the promise it contained.
Engara made no mistake because she lost her beauty for a moment, before recomposing a
degenerate Barbie face that grated me with a horribly disdainful smile. Patience... I chanted
again, to calm the beast that was now howling in my skull. " Oh, I'm sorry I offended you, little
girl. I thought you'd have enough confidence in your um... beauty, to support my little anecdotes
of living together with Phoenix. It seemed to me, however, that he liked self-confident women,
didn't he? She made the mistake of turning her head towards him. Right now! I heard vociferous
in my mind. Immediately, my body reacts to this order and with a dazzling relaxation, I pounce
on my enemy, uttering a terrible roar. The impact caused us both to roll to the ground and it was
only with a huge stroke of luck that she managed to free herself from me while I was about to
behead her. She immediately rose, her eyes ablaze with fury, but also, something that satisfied
me greatly, by fear. It had only been a matter of time before it had ended up in dust. I did not
wait for her to take the time to counter-attack and ran over her again, all fangs out. Only her
reflexes saved her from the ventration and she was left to fight with the bra in the air. After
kicking her in the ribs followed by a masterfully executed uppercut, I jumped on her again at a
speed impossible to follow for the human eye and by the hair, a handful of which remained in
my hands, I worked to smash her head on the tiles of our guests. I painfully punched Engara in
the stomach, then bit Engara in the neck, spilling her blood into my mouth. Revulsed at the
thought of absorbing even a drop of her vital liquid, I did not swallow, content to tear her flesh by
preventing it from struggling. Suddenly, a terrible pain radiated all over my skull as I collapsed
on my side, the vision becoming blurred after the blow I had just received on my left temple.
Engara had taken advantage of the fact that she had managed to free one of her arms to send
me to the mat. Without waiting to be fully recovered, I immediately got back on my feet to face
my opponent, her white dress Dolce and Gabbana totally covered in her blood, her beautiful
cascade of Venetian blond hair reddened by the treatment I had inflicted on her. - I'm going to
make you regret being born, bitch! cried, she staggered slightly. Apparently, it was no longer the
time for "babies" and "little girls", Engara had moved on to the stage where insults were made.
Good! - And you, I'm going to send you to tell your salacious stories in Hell, you filthy slut! I said,
shaking my head to chase away the dancing bright spots before my eyes. " You'll precede me,
bitch! - What if you stop talking a little bit so I can kill you, bitch?! This time, I was really tired,
this woman had to disappear from my life, forever. I re-adopted an attack position by picking up
on myself, and then, at lightning speed, I struck with my fists my enemy who went to crash a few
meters further, the fall cushioned by the vampires on which it had landed. It was time for this to
end. With a determined step, I filled the distance that separated us, and after unceremoniously
pushing the annoyances who had not yet strayed, I caught by her hair an Engara still groggy by
the shock. Ignoring her protests of pain, I dragged her behind me to bring her back to the center
of the circle. At the prospect of the eventual killing, the exaltation of the beast in me was
reflected in the appearance of the scarlet glow that gained in intensity as the seconds paraded.
Engara made an attempt to stand up, but with a single kick that broke her ribcage and snatched
a horrible cry, I held her firmly to the ground. - Please... she moaned weakly, and everyone
heard her. Ignoring the tense faces around me, I focused on her while kneeling on the ground.
Her gaze begged for mercy like Kagan Carpenter earlier. I offered her a smile imbued with
compassion... Misleading. - I leave pity to God. The next second, I placed my hands on her
head and pulled it from her pedestal in a sonorous and infamous crack of broken bones. I had
won, my enemy was defeated. It was then that I stared at the mass of spectators, whose
horrified attention was turned to the dazzling decomposition of the last representative of the
Rowe-Harrell slave lineage. Always picked up on myself, clothes and faces dripping with blood,
the fangs showing with a deadly threat, I stared at the audience, the glowing fire of my eyes
mercilessly pointed in his direction: - Is there anyone else to challenge me? I was loud so that
everyone could hear me. In the general silence following my question, I understood that I had
just taken a new step in my new life as a vampire. In defeating one of my elders, I had not only
washed my honour and that of my boss after the accusations against us, but above all, I had
just sent a strong signal to the whole community: those who would try to attack me or the angel
who shared my life, were exposed to perish in excruciating suffering. Human, I would have been
appalled by what I had done... It was the first time I was happy that I was not.
*
- Um... Without any possible challenge, Samantha Watkins is declared the winner of this fight,
on the understanding that Engara Rowe-Harrell's muddy accusations have died with her.
Talanus, though a little shaken, had the merit of breaking the unbearable silence that had
reigned in the room for a minute and which weighed down the ambient air. His intervention also
allowed me to bring my eyes back to normal, finally... simply to a non-luminous red coloration. It
was already good given the state of nerves I was in. Still tense to the max, I had some difficulty
in regaining a normal posture. I was still waiting for the slightest sudden movement coming from
the assembly that could have been synonymous with attack. Of course, nothing happened
except the attempt to retreat somewhat panicked vampires. I turned to Phoenix to look for the
support I needed on his perfect face. Unfortunately, I thought my heart was liquefying in my
chest when I saw the expression it was: it was a mixture of anger and disappointment of
someone who witnessed, aghast, the worst show of his life. I wanted to see in his neighbor the
comfort I had hoped for, but François did not seem to come towards me and was content, like
the others (except Ysis who was trying to use champagne with a smile at the Mona Lisa), to
look at me as if I were a strange and horrifying creature. I didn't understand. Wasn't I right with
Carpenter? How was what I had just done so terrible? Incredibly wounded, I swallowed a sob
that had made its way to my throat, and set out to pass through the crowd too happy to stray
from my way to safety and especially the tranquility of room number eighteen. As soon as I
walked through the door, I hurried to the bathroom to wash my blood from all the blood that was
soaking my skin and clothes, avoiding thinking as much as I could about what I had just
experienced. It was difficult in the sense that I kept seeing my companion's accusatory face
again. It was as if he was discovering me. Until now, I had always re-maintained in his presence
the impulses on my vampiric side, demanding more violence on a daily basis, whether in the
training that Phoenix imposed on me, or in my frolics with him. Somehow, I had always been
afraid that his love for the woman I had been was now spoiled by the vampire I had become. I
had confirmation after what he had shown me earlier... A long dark red satin nightgown hurriedly
strung, I sat on the bed, with my back to the door, to take stock of the distress that this anguish
caused in me. What if Phoenix didn't want me anymore after what I had done in Engara? After
he finally saw me in my true light? A horrible pain, worse than the white-hot blade that had
gnawed at me after my birthday, pierced me from side to side. I let out a barely audible groan as
the suffering compressed my chest. This is when the door opened. Samantha. He had not used
the diminutive he normally used to name me. He was angry. I closed my eyes... - It's my fault. ...
And then reopened them, astonished by this introduction. - If I had known before what you had
in mind, I would not have let you expose yourself like this. That was it, I was right, he was
horrified by my behavior during my fight with his ex-mistress, and he was going to leave me. I
bowed my head, trying to channel the terrible pain that had pierced me again. - The information
concerning the red glow of your eyes will spread like wildfire and it will not be long before the
Greats come here to demand an explanation... I stiffen, suddenly realizing the implications of
my confrontation with Engara. I had absolutely not thought of the risk that my eyes would betray
me, causing a new intervention of the Greats in our lives. I had acted stupidly and my stupidity
was going to cost the life of the man I loved. How could I have done such a thing? This time I
folded in half under the blow of suffering. - Samantha? Phoenix worried. Without turning around,
I reached out to prevent him from approaching. I didn't want him to see me like that. - Let... I am
fine. Not a rumor indicated to me that he was ignoring my request. Somehow, I wish he had. "I
am aware that I have put us in an intense situation," I said, to break the silence that was
dragging on." If I hadn't wanted revenge on Engara, none of this would have happened. - So
that's why you hid from me that she was the one behind the assassination attempts against
you? His dry, bitter tone made me shudder. "Yes. "You should’ve told me. The observation was
simple and... impossible to contradict. I had this information for my own benefit because my
jealousy and my protective instinct towards Phoenix had pushed me there. - I know, I feel guilty.
After a new silence, he sighed, then: - You don't have to feel guilty for killing Engara. A sneer
eluded me despite myself. - This is not the case. It was time to tell Phoenix the truth about me. I
got up and went to face him, trying not to tremble before his hard look. - There are some things
you need to know. He frowned; his muscles stiffened even more. - Since I woke up as a
vampire, I'm not the same person you knew before. Although I try to channel some of my
instincts, I can't always referee the violence that inhabits me, especially when it's you that we try
to reach. Engara may have wanted me dead, but she also wanted to see you suffer and
humiliated. I couldn't allow it because... You belong to me. What you saw earlier has nothing to
do with a sudden outburst of anger, it was rather the expression of an aspect of me, darker and
more brutal that I have tried so far to hide from you, but which cannot have been taken away
from me. Even if this side sometimes frightens me by the abruptness of its reactions, I accept it
because it is a component of my new self, more ruthless, more dangerous than I can say. I've
changed, Phoenix. The emotional and caring human being of others you loved has nothing to
do with the vampire woman I have become. (Flashes appeared in his pupils) Yet I love you,
even more than before my transformation, to the point that if you told me now that your feelings
for me are dead tonight, I would let you go without reproaching yourself. The fire of his eyes
died immediately. Phoenix looked at me with a mixture of amazement and dismay. - Do you
think your fight with Engara has decided me to leave you? I did not answer, merely nodding my
head, closing my eyes to curb a sudden surge of suffering, which would end to devour me with
its flames when the love of my life would end our relationship. -How can you believe that? I
opened my eyes, a little disturbed by his question. Phoenix always stared at me angrily. - Did
you not understand that the bond between us and the other was beyond our nature? He shook
his head when he saw me staring at him like an idiot. -It was not your humanity that attracted
me, Sam, but you! And no matter how much you say, you're not so different as a vampire than
you were as a human; the same stubborn-headed, the same follower of old-fashioned TV
series, the same loyalty to your friends, the same ability to love! Your blood has nothing to do
with that of your ancestors, it does not make you power-hungry, and in many ways you are
much wiser than many century-old vampires I know. The Greats will admit it! - But earlier, when
I looked at you, you... - I understood that the power you showed us to hold would push the
Greats to visit us faster than expected. But anyway, I think that at some point they would have
known. At least then we'll be prepared for it. -I thought I disgusted you. - Sam, when will you
really trust me? I must admit that on my side, I am not a role model because I was terrified that
you would lose this fight. But as I went along, I realized that my fears were not justified, and I
knew you would win. You impressed me. You already impressed me as a human, but since
you've been a vampire, you've gained confidence and your courage has attracted me more.
Understand me, when you killed Engara, it was not disgust that I felt, but admiration and...
desire. Stunned by his speech, I also staggered, feeling the pain that had been oppressing me
since my return to the room disappear as if it had never existed. Phoenix still loved me, even
more! On top of that, he admired my abilities and the way I had been ruthless with his ex-
mistress. My eyes suddenly became red. "Do you want me now?" Those in Phoenix lit up at an
unmatched intensity. - Like never before. The smoldering flame behind my pupils set them
ablaze, my canines all singed. - What are you waiting for to prove it to me? My hoarse voice
perfectly reflected the wild desire I had for him. In fact, going to meet him, we threw ourselves
purely and simply at each other, scolding me fiercely while plated to the ground by his titanic
force, I scrambled like crazy to regain the upper hand without really wanting to. What I wanted...
... Had nothing to do with the romantic images that can be made of an embrace with the man
you love. I didn't care about candles and sweetness, no, I was hungry for him, hungry for his
hands on me, hungry for his bite... I wanted to dominate him just like I wanted him to dominate
me, I wanted to make him mine like vampires. My desire for him was so violent that if he
decided now to stop everything, I would have been ready to break everything so that he would
come back to me. A sudden movement of legs and Phoenix found himself on his back, me
sitting on him, ripping off the buttons of his shirt without any other form of trial. Eager to explore
every square inch of his skin, I kissed his belly, going up to his chest, and then stopping on his
nipples which I titillated with my tongue each in turn. A minute after this operation, I heard a
growl before feeling lifted by my shoulders so that my lips were at the right height to be taken
prisoner of those of my partner. He then straightened up so that he could take off his shirt better
at the same time as he gave me a kiss that was both hard and incredibly possessive. Delighted,
I lent myself even more against him, taking advantage of my position to stick my nails in his
back and savor against him the ecstatic sensation of his growing excitement. I almost choked
with pleasure when he lifted us both up to carry me by the buttocks to his dresser, from which
he dropped with a backhand everything that was there, namely books, several folders and a
lamp that went to break into pieces on the floor. There, between my thighs, he again launched a
furious assault on my mouth, which he ruthlessly explored with his expert tongue, while he tore
my nightgown up and down and in a single gesture. Then he set out to make me scream with
pleasure by taking possession of my breasts first by his hands, then with his mouth, which he
used to suck and suck the two pink spikes that stretched with delight at his touch. My desire
became so urgent that my fist left alone and passed through the wood of the dresser without me
realizing it, digging a most unsightly hole. Phoenix scolded with satisfaction. But I wanted more.
A pressure of the foot later, I had pushed him back to the other end of the room, against a wall
from which a painting fell to smash to the ground. I was truly jubilant when he showed me his
fangs and his eyes wided again as he looked at me, with only the little pink panties that I had
hastily donned after my shower. -You're mine... his women, as if I were a prey on which he
intended to pounce. Which he did, knocking over the sofa in passing. So I found myself lying on
the ground again, arms above my head, held with an iron fist by the one who dominated me,
pressed against me at the same time as his mouth fell on mine to show me who his master was.
Responding furiously to her kiss, I spread my legs and pulled them over his hips, squeezing. - I
could break your bones by squeezing more... I murmured after he let me catch a breath that I
did not need. This sentence, a perfect echo of the one I had uttered during my first vampire
training sessions, made him smile. " I should have made you mine at that moment, I was stupid.
- Let me show you how much! growled as I managed to get him under me. In a flash, his pants
and boxer were no longer an obstacle between us, the only barrier between our two skins
remaining my panties. So I placed myself above him, and after kissing him on the face and lips,
I went down to his chest, which I could not help but taste again, before continuing my
exploration of his belly to his flesh as a man. Despite my inexperience, I let myself be guided by
my instincts and by the gasps of pleasure of my partner and gave myself to the voluptuousness
that enveloped me to direct my actions towards him. A moment later, without my time to realize
anything, I was thrown on the four-poster bed, totally naked. Phoenix did not let me understand
how he had done it, since he spread my thighs sharply and made me grow my first howl of
ecstasy when he visited my intimacy with his tongue. Stunned by the orgasm, I did not measure
my strength and crushed in my hands the wooden studs of the canopy, which collapsed on the
ground having bounced off the two night tables that followed them in their path. I was going to
apologize, but a new orgasm made me forget to the slightest bit of coherent thinking. When my
lover then lay down on me, imprisoning my mouth with his lips as he penetrated me, I felt as if I
was swept away by a tsunami of pleasure and I thrust my heels behind his back as he began
his back-and-forth movement, a slowness that made me want to howl my joy and frustration at
the same time. As when we first met, the bed sheets did not resist the treatment I was inflicting
on them and by shooting at them, they tore themselves apart in several places. As Phoenix's
pelvis movements accelerated, I still felt the curious sensation that had taken me when Engara
provoked me. The air vibrated around me, as attentive to grant a possible order that I would
give and... My god! A new orgasm made me lose the thread of my reflections and I closed my
eyes, imagining that I was flying to the highest peaks of voluptuousness. Sam! The glare of
Phoenix and the sound of broken plaster made me open my eyelids and imitate it. I was no
longer lying on my boss's soft mattress, the cold I felt was explained by the ceiling on which I
was resting and several pieces of which had come loose after our collision. Stunned, I had no
opportunity to say my surprise because immediately, the strange force that kept us in the air
disappeared, and we both fell like stones. Fortunately, Phoenix had the reflex to use his
levitating powers to stop our dive and rest gently on the bed. The terrible crash of many objects
crashing on the ground indicated to me that they had not been so lucky. - You're the one who
did this? I asked. - No, Sam, you're the one who took us up there. Frowning, I looked at the
damaged ceiling, and then the man who, always on me, stared at me with a stupor that could
not compete with the force of his desire. Immediately, my eyes ignited. - We'll see about that
later! He offered me a devastating smile before putting his arm under my back to resume our
embrace where we had stopped it, but this time at such a high rate that I lost all sense of time
and space around me. So much so that when I removed a piece of plaster from under my hips,
and threw it away, I did not even hear him explode the mirror he had struck, littering the floor
with countless small pieces of glass. Finally, at the height of my desire, the vital need was
imposed on me to bite the flesh of my lover, as had happened before my transformation. The
brief flash of hesitation that passed through me was quickly swept away by the memory of our
last exchange of blood, therefore I had no remorse in sticking my fangs into the tender flesh of
Phoenix's neck as he kissed my hair. The groan of pleasure that eluded him made me suck
even more the precious liquid that flowed from his wound, but soon I had to stop, unable that I
was to concentrate on my task when the cadence of his strokes of the kidneys began to bring
me closer and closer to the pinnacle of ecstasy, which was reached in a howl holding more of
the roar of a tawny beast than a cry of a woman filled , as soon as he planted his canines in my
skin. When Phoenix joined me in the seventh heaven, enjoying in me, I was vaguely aware of
the sinister cracking of the bed's wood before it simply collapsed. It took me a few minutes in
the arms of my angel to be able to utter a word again. - Wow... I blew. It was... Wild. Phoenix
scoffed. -You were wild... This is the first time I find myself having sex in the air before cutting
the bed to pieces. For the first time, I looked at the consequences of our frolics. - Oops...
Everything was upside down. This time, Phoenix burst out laughing. - You can be proud of
yourself, on the contrary. I'm sure even Javas and Cassie, with the best will in the world, have
never achieved such results! And you were afraid that I did not like this new facet of your
personality?! I punched him in the ribs before grabbing his lips for an incendiary kiss that he
gave me back with gusto. - You can't imagine the sensations you awaken in me, Sam... he says
in a passionate voice. At these words, my desire immediately awoke, to believe that it had not
been fulfilled just before! My pupils became scarlet again. - Show me. It was only two hours
later, after we had finished shredding the mattress, that we decided to return to Scarborough.
After a shared shower that lasted a good half hour, we were ready to leave the premises.
Phoenix had donned black jeans, a simple white T-shirt and an ivory sweater, while I had to fall
back on the only remaining dress in his dressing room, the tight one I had put on when Hedayat
had served as my guide on my tour of the villa. To the greedy look that my companion
addressed to me when I put it on, I was finally satisfied with my outfit. He opened the door...
And came face-to-face with Talanus, Ysis and François, whose scowling mines indicated their
bad mood to all. - We live one of the most dramatic moments of our millennial existence and
you, you find nothing better to do than to lock yourself up for hours, in defiance of us as guests
who came to attend your failed ceremony of the link, all to copulate like rabbits?! The dark voice
of our Roman general did not bode well. He continued: - We ordered everyone to leave. We will
hold a second proclamation ceremony later, if we are not all dead by then. We need to talk
about what we're going to do before the Greats come in and behead us. Phoenix looked at me,
then turned to Talanus. -You're right. We need to talk. - Well then, let's go in my bur... - But not
now. Talanus was stunned. - My proclamation of the bond with Sam could not be validated, she
fought before my eyes against a formidable adversary, and the sword of Damocles above our
heads may soon slice them. We have had our share of concerns and I feel I have the right to
take advantage of my partner in the safety of what is left of the night before being consumed by
anxiety about our future tomorrow. Totally stunned by this speech to which, of course, I was a
member, I was waiting to know what our interlocutors would say. François was the first to react.
- Phoenix is right. We'll have plenty of time to strategize tomorrow, tonight, it's no use anymore.
What is done, is done. "What do you think, Ysis?" asked my lover. Phoenix knew that her
husband would agree with him. Ysis was serious and this was felt even more when she spoke,
giving me a series of chills frozen down the marrow of my bones. - Everything is accelerating.
We will know soon enough if we will survive all this. The silence of death that followed his
assertion, the implications of which we had clearly grasped, enveloped us with his horrible
shroud. Then... Phoenix took me by the hand and passed me in front of him to go towards the
exit. - Excuse us, but we have a castle to devastate... I felt tingling with embarrassment on the
top of my skull and a new thrill, more voluptuous this time, much lower. And while we were
already going down the stairs leading to the ground floor... - Jesus! ... We heard perfectly the
mutually frightened exclamation of François and Talanus, as well as the joyful laughter of Ysis
as they had to satisfy their curiosity by looking at the state of their angel's room. So despite the
horrible situation and the new dangers that loomed for all of us, despite the possibility that I saw
losing the love of my life, I laugh, tasting with delight the lips of the man of my dreams on my
hand. The night was not over. For a few more hours, it belonged to us.

Chapter VI: Closed Camera

- Concentrate, Sam. - What do you think I'm doing?! - You were able to do it once, so you can
do it again. Just focus. - I'd like to see you there! And already, stop telling me to concentrate
every five minutes! You're distracting me! I could clearly hear Phoenix sighing with frustration.
What was I supposed to say? It had been at least the thousandth time since the beginning of
the night (which was coming to an end) that I was trying to move a poor spoon on the new
kitchen table, and it had not sketched the slightest move! If we were not to anticipate the
greatest threat to our heads with the coming of the Greats, I would have already sent this spoon
through the window! Indeed, the day after our failed proclamation of the bond and after falling
asleep in each other's arms after a carnal union as savage and brutal as it was grandiose,
Phoenix and I had woken up in a much darker state of mind than the day before. First, it was
now clear that the scarlet glow of my pupils was going to reach the ears of the Greats in Eastern
Europe faster than a supersonic, and therefore that they would panic and verify for themselves
that these rumors were true. After all, had he not made sure to eradicate the entire lineage of
the De Castelcourt brothers to prevent another vampire with demonic power from being
spawned among their descendants? It obviously smelled very bad for my survival and that of
the people I loved, but Phoenix seemed confident about our ability to prove to them that I didn't
have the same thirst for power as my terrible forefathers and that therefore I didn't pose a real
danger to our community. Finally... that was before we really started thinking about what had
happened in Harper Hill's room, when, at the height of the ecstasy, I had sent us both to the
ceiling, as well as all the objects in that room. There was no doubt, we had a big problem. -
Come on, Sam! You're certainly the first and last telekinetic I'll encounter in my life. Talanus and
Ysis said they gave us a break here so you could practice. Show us what you're capable of! I
showed him my fangs. He was seriously starting to annoy me. Not only did he remind me that
my power was so rare among vampires that it was almost unique, but it also reminded me that
those who had been endowed with it had all ended very badly, as did those around them! I
didn't need Phoenix to tell me again that once our leaders arrived and saw my power, he would
no longer meet other telekinetics since he would be dead. - Telekinesis is not necessary for me
to tear your eyes out if you continue to harass me like that! I cried, furious. It was his turn to see
red. - If you want us to survive this, you're going to have to stop and follow my advice a little
more! You're telekinetic, it's sure not going to encourage the Greats to keep us alive, but you at
least can defend yourself if you have enough control over your gift. - Defend me? How? I'm not
going to rip their heads off for a single thought! As for running away! Where do you want us to
go? They will hunt us down until the end of time and will not hesitate to torture our friends to
make us come to them! - There is no question of running away, it would be useless. But as with
yesterday's crowd, you can impress them with your strength. If they are aware of your power
and your ability to master it, they may give us a chance, if only to study you. - Study me? - Egire
seemed very curious about you. If we can convince him of your good faith, he may be able to
bend the other members of the board. His word has a lot of weight in their circle. - Maybe, but
he did not live the episode with my ancestors. They will not give him a voice. Phoenix shrugged.
- There is no point in speculating, it is better to prepare as much as possible. - Hm... - It means:
shut up and make me move this spoon. I shot him with my eyes, mentally urging me not to get
up to make him swallow his fangs. - Do you think being enraged is going to get me there? It
seems to me that this is not how it happened last time. Despite my annoyance, the glimmer of
desire I perceived over that of exasperation in my partner's pupils caused mine to turn to red. "I
see what you're getting at, but if you must, we'll deprive ourselves of that until you've
succeeded. Now I live red, but for another reason. - Wait. Are you blackmailing me about sex?! -
If you must go through it so you can defend yourself, yes. The dark beast in me roared with
anger. Ever since we demolished the bathroom earthenware, two mirrors and two consoles at
the entrance, a section of its ground floor library and its rare wooden desk, it purred like a
contented cat after the best meal of its life. There, my companion threatened to stop giving me
what illuminated my sad respite while waiting for the arrival of the Greats: the possibility of
snuggling in his arms and more so affinities. I may have been his companion, but I was also a
free woman to revolt against his stupid way of trying to protect me against my will. He went far
too far in the power over me that I was willing to grant him. It was unacceptable, I couldn't
tolerate it. Slowly, I rose, crucifying the person concerned with my rabid gaze. The rumble of my
beast managed to sneak out of me, causing a tremor of unease in it. "I forbid you to blackmail
me, much less in this way. I am not one of your human slaves. "You know I never looked at you
like that!" he said, outraged. I walked two steps towards him, slowly. - You disrespect me by
treating me as if I were a nymphomaniac unable to think beyond the belt of her pants! For your
information, I still have my two daggers hanging on to it! I think I remember that you are not
immune to silver. "Because you're going to pierce my heart, I suppose? Phoenix sneered, which
insensed me. -I may well pierce you somewhere else! That way, you'll have a good reason to
push me away! - It will give you time to practice moving this spoon. If you'd been under my
control, like any normally made-up newborn, we'd have already gotten out of this impasse. Did
he really want me to lose control? Because as it went, it was likely to happen. - Sorry to be such
a big disappointment for the star you are! It's true that I don't have this huge melon that makes
me believe that I'm the best at everything. Far from seeming affected by my remark, he crossed
his arms and tossed me with all his height. - This discussion is a waste of time. You're wasting
my time. I felt like I was getting a monumental slap in my face, but this one, instead of hurting
me, galvanized the genuine rage that swept through me with these words. I didn't even feel the
air waving around me waiting for the order I would pass on to him, all I could see was the man
who fanned the fire of my fury. - A thousand apologies, Your Majesty. I know that your time is
too precious to be excused from my well-being, so I do not hold you close to the embarrassment
I represent for you. Phoenix looked up at the sky, displaying an expression of deep
disappointment on his face. - If it's to hear this kind of stupidity, I prefer to leave this room. You
remind me of Engara. He had not yet sketched a step that he suddenly found himself a good
meter from the ground, his back glued to the wall of the back of the kitchen, against which he
had been brutally tackled by an invisible force holding him in an embrace impossible to escape.
This time, I could feel the air waving around me in waves as black as the anger that had
consumed me since he had compared me to his former mistress. - How dare you put me on the
same plane as this bitch?! Phoenix, unable to speak, tried to move an arm, but no sooner had
he lifted it a few centimeters than by the force of my will, it found itself again glued to the wall.
Even though I was at the origin of this phenomenon, it was as if I was not aware of it. All I was
focusing on was his attempt to deprive me of him and his comparison with his ex. - If that's how
you want to make me progress, you're the dumbest teacher I've ever known! I stepped forward,
with the impression that claws had grown in place of my nails and that my fangs had lengthened
by ten centimetres. Yet, when I came in front of my companion, I smiled at him... kind of like an
animal that's going to bite another. - You deserve a punishment... and when I'm done with you,
you'll never threaten to blackmail me again and you'll beg me to end your suffering. A glimmer
of fear lit up in the eyes of Phoenix. I think for the first time since we met, I was scaring him. He
feared that I had lost my mind like my ancestors and that I would torture him... He was right.
*
In a flash, I planted my nails on his shoulders. The next quarter of a second, I made a brutal
gesture down, resulting in the whole front of his black shirt being ripped off at the same time as
the furrows drawn by them were imprinted in his bloodied flesh. Ten small red rivers flowed over
his bruised torso and already stained his black jeans. Phoenix then looked at me wide-eyed
when I pulled my knife out of my belt and after collecting some of that precious liquid from my
blade, I began to lick it under his nose as slowly as possible. Then: - You have bad manners,
but you have good taste. I licked his torso. - Too bad... Your wounds have already healed.
Indeed, his regenerative abilities had closed his wounds just after I had done them to him. -
We're going to fix this. Despite his forced immobility, Phoenix shuddered at the threat. He
seemed afraid that I would gut him... Ha! He sneered in pain when I used the knife to make a
new gash on his chest, deeper than the previous ones. - Sm....Mmh!! he struggled, a desperate
accent in the gurgling sound he made. He had no way to free himself from my hindrance.
Without looking at my victim, who was to expect me to rip his heart out with my bare hands, I
placed my hands against his skin before bending over to run my tongue and thus recovering to
the last drop of his blood from which I feasted without restraint until the well dried up after his
healing. Slowly then I went up to Phoenix's neck, which I annoyed with my fangs without
piercing his skin, before heading to his mouth in which, without preamble, I slipped my tongue to
share with him the flavor of the nectar I had just taken from him. As I gently distanced myself
from him, I had no apprehension about how he would look at me. As I rose greedily from his
torso to his lips, I had seen his chest rise and lower violently, a sign of a clear distress. I was
just hoping that he would be as powerful as I had dreamed of. I was fulfilled beyond my
expectations. If I had ever seen the desire burn in Phoenix's eyes when I kissed him, I had to
admit that what I had just given him had caused him an otherwise more explosive reaction.
Although I had nothing to appear to show that it was I who had all control over him, his more
than primal way of staring at me and the unrivalled intensity of the light of his pupils made me
tense with a visceral thirst for him. Indeed, in history, I was in no way invaded by an outburst of
violence like the one that had taken away my ancestors, and of which Phoenix must have
believed that I was the victim. At least... there was nothing negative about this violence, for my
part at least. I wanted Phoenix to pay for what he had dared to offer earlier, and he would pay
for the treatment he had wanted me to do. As I had told him, at the end of our sensual torture
session, he would beg me to give him thanks. I licked my lips ostentatiously, enjoying his almost
beastly way of following my every move. However, immediately afterwards, the way he fought
his desire to regain control of himself deeply irritated me. He was going to see that in my hands
there would be no more control that stood. I gave him a carnivorous smile. - Just like the
vampires of Harper Hill, you underestimated me. You were wrong to provoke me. He tried to
speak, but the invisible barrier still prevented him from doing so. "What did you say?" I asked at
the same time that I was cutting him a second time. He grimaced as he felt the sharp, if fleeting
pain I had inflicted upon him, but soon seemed to forget it when I noticed that I was allowing him
to express himself. - Samantha! He inspired as if he had run out of air: - I said that I apologized
for making you angry and that I should never have pushed you to the limit. The fact that he
didn't use my diminutive made me cringe. His formal way of addressing me, as a negotiator in
the face of a hostage taker, was more than annoying. - Your power is impressive, and we must
talk about it calmly, don't you think? (Pfff... what a bore!) I would like us to take the time to
understand your power and for that you would must let me go me first... Oh!... Its! As he spoke, I
began to lick his torso again, this time lingering on each of his nipples that I was biting one after
the other. Sam! he exclaimed in a reproachful tone spoiled by the gasp that eluded him. I stood
up briskly and kissed him with a voracity that I did not know myself, even after what we had
shared the day before, which was already, in terms of unbridled love games, totally outside the
usual notations. I didn't give him time to return the favor and played with my blade a third time. -
For God's sake, stop with that knife, Sam! His voice was sharp, but he only galvanized my
tongue movements on his wound. - You're not yourself anymore! Please, Sam! Stop it... it! What
you're doing to me! I could not contain a delighted smile when I heard him lose his mind after I
took care of his navel and then his pants and his boxer, which were no longer an obstacle
between the object of my attention and me. - No, Sam! It's not that... Argh! Yes! Don't stop!
Placing small kisses on each groin, I reveled in feeling him tender with an increasingly crazy
desire in response to the treatment I inflicted on him. Then going back to his face and placing
me so that my thighs ensnared him without more pressing contact, I almost burst out laughing
when I saw the glimmer of disappointment in his irises. "What did you expect, my great man?" -
I... Again, I caught him off guard by deliberately injuring the tongue of my fangs, then putting my
hands on his face to grab his lips and explore his mouth. Our teeth clashed under the violence
of the attack, but I did not care because under the effect of the exchange of blood, the language
of Phoenix came to the assault of mine with an uncontrolled fury that almost made me lose all
common sense. To regain the upper hand, I strayed slightly from him and began to unbutton my
blouse with unbearable slowness. - What a pity you can't touch me... I say, throwing my
garment further and letting my fingers run from the hollow of my neck to my navel. I saw
Phoenix swallowing and trying to free myself from my grip, which of course I was not willing to
let him do. In fact, with a harsh invisible thrust, he was entitled to a first reminder to the order
which tore away a growl of anger... - Be a good boy, I died at the same time as I took off my
pants and let him admire my red lace underwear, a true call to sin. His grunt became a
desperate groan when I set out to remove my bra: - Let me touch you. In response, I made sure
that his arms were above his head and I would whisper in his ear: - This is your punishment. I
intend to make you climb the mountain of ecstasy without ever allowing you to reach the top.
(Speaking, I had placed myself against him so as to be able to brush him with my breasts and
feel between my thighs, through the thin fabric of my panties, the touch of his excitement now at
its climax) I'm going to bring you to your knees, dear angel, metaphorically speaking... He
looked at me, his eyes bulging with an irrepressible urge to twist my neck and take me on the
tile in the second. I was exulting. - Unless I'm the one who gets down on my knees first... Just
before I performed and carried him in the throes of unsuspected pleasure and heightened
frustration, I reveled in his frightened and impatient expression when he understood where I was
coming from. The rest was as I had promised. Phoenix gasped, growled, cheered me,
cambered, shouted my name, then scolded me before finally begging me when I systematically
abandoned him at the frontier of enjoyment. I think it was the first time in his life that he was so
vulnerable, that he had no control over the situation. And it was the first time in my life that if I
had been called loose, I would have taken pride in it before bowing to the man who would have
called me one... It was only after an infinite number of entreaties that my victim was released
from his invisible prison without me really deciding, since my power disappeared when my
desire became more burning than my will to punish him. Therefore, no sooner had Phoenix
regained his freedom of movement than he threw himself upon me at breakneck speed and
knocked me over on the kitchen floor, roaring. There he no longer behaved as the passionate
and loving companion I had always known, but as the mirror of the rabid beast that I had
become myself. After tearing off the last piece of cloth that separated us, he took me exactly as
I had seen in his eyes that he envisaged him earlier when I was torturing him: brutally, savagely,
madly. With each assault in my flesh, he thrust his canines into my neck and yearned, yearned,
as if he wanted to bleed me. It was my turn to scream. Far from hurting, I felt that this embrace
was the apotheosis conclusion of the one we had shared the day before, the final explosion that
ended up irretrievably linking us to each other, both in our most positive facets and in our
darkest corners. I realized that we had to pass on it so that our two essences were definitely
intertwined, without anything ever being able to separate us. We had each tamed the shadow of
the other, we were now one being in our own right. It was by apprehending this truth that I
uttered the most deafening cry of ecstasy that had ever been uttered since the world was world,
before letting Phoenix grab my lips as he gushed deep into me in a last and oh how powerful
stroke of his shaft. Past the long silence that surrounded us while both we found our minds
catapulted to the four corners of the galaxy, Phoenix wrapped me in his arms and without a
word, without a look at the lint clothes still scattered on the floor, he lifted me up to take me into
the tranquillity of our daytime retreat. Between the explosion of my power and our uninhibited
embrace, I would not have had the strength to stand up anyway and my head was already
dodelin against his shoulder, caught as I was by a sudden urge to sleep for at least a full year. I
was still aware of the sheet he was covering us with as he lay naked beside me and squeezed
me against him so that his chin would brush my hair, as I positioned my head in the hollow of
his neck to breathe his soothing smell. "I love you," I murmured, swung into oblivion. I heard it
nevertheless: - You have no idea how reciprocal it is.
*
When I woke up at sunset, I was surprised by two things. First of all, I had never been so
hungry in my life, even if it was human or vampire. Then Phoenix always slept next to me. Until
now, I had never managed to wake up early enough to enjoy the enchanting vision of him, the
facial features relaxed by a peaceful sleep, giving him a childish and innocent air that upset me.
How I wish I could have watched it like this for hours! But my companion had been right the day
before. If I did not try to understand the workings of my power, I was doomed to see him suffer
the punishment of the Greats without being able to defend it. It was unacceptable. As I got up
and prepared for the program I had in mind, I resolved to do everything I could to save my great
love, including fighting the ten most powerful vampires in the world. I didn't care about my own
fate, my friends said, but I had little hope of my survival. The De Castelcourt episode had been
too much of a trauma for them to spare me, their sworn enemy. It was unfair, of course,
because every time I had lost control in favour of my dark side, I had never taken advantage of
my power to show gratuitous cruelty. Each time I tried to defend a loved one, each time I was
only losing myself in the desire I had for him. But the Greats would not know that I had no
intention of carrying out a coup d'etat, just as they would not know that my actions were guided
only by feelings of friendship or love for those around me, no. They would only see the danger
that my blood represented and after the way I had defeated Engara, they would never believe
that I was not a threat to them. I accepted my fate, as Phoenix had accepted its own last year
when we had not yet been able to determine the thinking head of human disappearances in the
county. He had negotiated with the Greats to save me; I would do whatever it took to return the
favour, including asking Francis to chain him while I would voluntarily sacrifice myself in
exchange for his life and that of my friends. He loved me... and I understood too well the
implications of this love to let him brave the Greats for me. After swallowing a record number of
fresh blood pouches, I went out into the garden and took the time to enjoy the pleasant breeze
that caressed my skin, as if to reassure myself in the merits of my previous reflections and
resolutions. I looked at the Moon, which seemed to shine brighter than usual, and I smiled. It
was time to get to work. I went down the steps of the porch and walked down the gravel
driveway to settle on a blanket in the grass. Once seated, I closed my eyes and cut myself
completely from the outside world, ignoring all the parasitic noises that my vampiric hearing
could catch: birds feeding their offspring in a tree of the forest bordering the property, the
rustling of the leaves caused by the wind, the flow of the tiny stream that snaked five hundred
meters from the road , the hooting of an owl that was hungry... I was trying to determine what
emotion was the trigger for this power of telekinesis inherited from the most powerful and
dangerous of my ancestors. I told myself that by remembering the times when it had manifested
itself, I would be able to identify the key that would allow me to use it as I pleased, keeping my
lucidity. See... I remembered the strange sensation that I had felt several times and which had
challenged me because of its strangeness and its sudden appearance. I had the impression,
during my battle with Engara, that the air around me had suddenly vibrated with my inner
emotions and that it was waiting for my order to deploy where I would tell it. It seemed totally
crazy at the time and then I was too absorbed in my struggle to care about it. However, a little
later, as Phoenix and I hugged, subject to our respective instincts, I had both sent us to the
ceiling and all the objects in the room after imagining that I was flying to the seventh heaven. It
was clear to me that this same strange feeling had enveloped me before this phenomenon
occurred. As for what happened last night... Extraordinary thing, I thought I was blushing. Not a
little red embarrassed and embarrassing after a slightly embarrassing event ... rather a furious
scarlet coloration marking an excruciating sense of confusion as I saw myself behaving like a
dominatrix adept of punishment through frustration. My god... What I had said and (oh, there,
there)... Done... If I wanted to lie to myself, I could have said that the anger that had exploded
inside me, when Phoenix had compared me to its demonic ex and who had been at the origin of
the first concrete manifestation of my power, had taken away all awareness of my actions. I
could have pretended that my behavior had nothing to do with the person I was really... It would
not have been credible. On the one hand, because I had already told Phoenix that I was
completely assuming that part of the shadow in me that pushed me to overcome my taboos
related to my human upbringing and that I had given him a glimpse when, in his own words, we
had tried to devastate the castle after we returned from Harper Hill. On the other hand,
because... I loved it... and that despite my embarrassment at the memory of all the un-Catholic
things I had done to him, my whole body was on fire at the thought of starting over, at the
thought of shouting my name again to my partner as he had done the day before, totally subject
to the use which I decided my body would make of his own. In fact, I realized that I was proud of
myself. Although I knew that Phoenix loved me deeply, his old demons were not forgotten so
easily, and despite all that we had already shared, I could not help but fear that I would not be
up to the task of not being able to live up to everything he had known in five hundred years.
There, I felt that I had definitely imprinted my mark on him, that I had sealed our reciprocal
belonging for eternity. Then I felt no shame that I had let myself be carried away by this need for
him, as if the very idea of being separated from this man could reduce me to dust on the spot.
Phoenix was the center around which my existence revolved. He was the key... Taking a deep
breath, I let all the emotions concerning him flow into me in a thousand torrents, swelling and
inflating as they grew in their infinite number and power. Mobilizing an image of him in my mind
helped me to swell again this flood of the senses: his face with voluntary features, his beautiful
blue eyes, his hair rebellious and silky, his hands so strong and yet so soft that stretched
towards me as if to draw me to him and forget me in the soothing scent of the scent of his skin
smooth as silk ... The night breeze stroked me again, making me smile as the surrounding air
warmed strangely to wrap me in fluffy waves, in a cocoon of well-being. I reached out as if to
catch Phoenix's and imagined that we were back in the Harper Hill ballroom, alone, and dancing
with each other without anyone interrupting us. The strange rustle that ensued made me open
my eyes and widen them with wonder at the spectacle that was playing out in front of me. Many
petals had detached from the flower borders at the foot of the perimeter wall of the property and
mingled with all kinds of leaves to form two undeniably human silhouettes, which rose in the air
from right to left, following a melody known only to them. I might have thought that the wind was
the cause of this phenomenon if the previous breeze had not, for some reason, suddenly
stopped blowing. So there was only one explanation. I had managed for the first time to control
my power of telekinesia. I would have cried with joy... until: - My God... Sam. It's so beautiful. My
concentration bubble exploded when I heard Phoenix a little further behind me and all the petals
fell to the ground. I didn't know what to think when I saw them scattered like this, with no
apparent order, whereas a second before they formed a magnificent colorful ballet twirling on a
beautiful summer night. On the one hand I felt the regret of the sudden disappearance of so
much beauty, on the other, the bitterness of understanding that this feat would not be so
obvious to repeat if I had to achieve the same state of concentration as at the moment. In any
case, I didn't blame Phoenix for joining me. The Greats would soon give their news so I
cherished every moment spent with him. - Why are you staying away from me? I asked,
suddenly fearing that his withdrawal would be explained by the disgust of what we had shared
on the kitchen floor. Something's wrong? - Apart from the fact that your extraordinary abilities
will precipitate our death to all?! A pungent taste pervades my mouth. His sarcastic and sharp
way of throwing me in the face that I was going to be the one that would cause the end of all my
friends stabbed me much more than if I had been tried to push a hundred blades into my chest.
He shook his head and took my face in his hands gently. - Excuse me, don't misinterpret my
words. I just think I was definitely born under the star of the curse. By the time I manage to
reconcile my life by meeting an extraordinary woman who has taken possession of my whole
being, at the moment when I finally find happiness in her arms, I must live with the idea that
soon it will be taken from me because of the chance of a family tree and the wanderings of two
ancestors who signed the death sentence of all their descendants. I'm scared, Sam. It is not a
feeling of which I am accustomed and when it concerns you, it terrifies me even more. I don't
want to lose you; I've never been so scared in my entire life. My sense of guilt subsided
somewhat. Phoenix was right, in history, I had not chosen my family tree, just as I had not
chosen to be endowed with such great and terrifying power. We were both cursed, believing
that at the top we were considered not entitled to our share of happiness. My pupils turned deep
red, as did the depth of my distress at the thought of the coming deadline. I snuggled up in his
arms. - You and I are bound by a bond more powerful than Absolute Love itself. I know it, I feel
it," he said, clutching me. The Greats can't take that away from us. I closed my eyes, happy to
breathe its reassuring scent. - I will be able to convince them. If he was still trying to persuade
himself that he had a chance to spare me, free to him. For my part, I preferred to feel the wind
envelop us by imagining being with my lover in a beautiful clearing at sunset. - Wohoooo... Sam!
I suspected what was happening, therefore, to avoid repeating the fall of Harper Hill without
mattresses to receive us, I huddled more against Phoenix by surrounding his neck with my arms
and buried my nose in his neck, mind turned towards my clearing. Feeling his caresses in my
hair and his sweet kisses on my cheek, I understood that he too had abandoned himself to the
magic of the moment. It didn't matter if my power suddenly ceased, since his could take over
and make this moment last indefinitely... - Sam... You are the most precious thing in the world. If
something bad happened to you, I... - Chhhht.... I didn't want to hear what he would do if I was
executed. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. When my power gave me up without warning and
Phoenix pressed me even more against him as he took care of keeping us at a reasonable
altitude, I smiled. I wasn't the only one... We remained entwined for several more minutes, until
our phones ring to put a definitive end to the peace we had found.
*
Arriving at Harper Hill, Phoenix and I were surprised by the calm at the scene. Usually, there
was always a crowd of passing vampires who animated the corridors of their eclectic
conversations, ranging from the level of democracy in Russia, to the best color to adopt for
garter belts, but here it was as if a lead cap had fallen on the villa, at the same time that it had
fallen on its leaders. - Do you think they know? I asked Phoenix looking around, having trouble
masking my nervousness. He took my hand and shook it. A familiar electric current passed
through me from side to side. This is not the kind of thing that is announced without a minimum
of preparation. I glanced through an ajar door giving access to the pool room, which is normally
crowded. Person. - It's still curious. Phoenix did not answer me, his clenched jaw clearly
indicated his state of mind. I wasn't leading it wide anyway either. So it was in silence that we
joined the private apartments of our area chiefs located behind the great hall. As I was about to
knock on the door to announce our presence, I was stopped in my tracks by my companion who
suddenly grabbed me by the arms to stun me with a kiss that would have carried me with
happiness if I had not felt the desperate taste. With a sudden compressed heart, I returned it
with the same ardour, my mind having already accepted that there would be no acceptable
outcome for either. - Um... Phoenix let me go with regret when Talanus, tired of waiting for our
entrance holding the door, decided to interrupt us. - Sorry, but the situation requires us to meet
immediately. Without letting go of my hand, my angel placed us on the sofa of our guests and
stared unhingedly at the Egyptian princess, who faced us with a gravity in her features that I had
never seen before. Talanus came to sit next to her and took her hand in a possessive gesture.
All of us in this room had everything to lose in this story. I hadn't forgotten it and I couldn't help
but feel horribly guilty. The Roman general was right, the situation was serious, even worse: -
The Greats are coming, he repeated himself after telling us the information on the phone, asking
us to come to Harper Hill as soon as possible. "When?" asked Phoenix, his neutral voice even
scarier than the icy intonations he took when he was angry. Ysis's shoulders fell. - In two days. -
So early?! I cried. I naively believed that we would still have a deadline to train enough for me to
control my power of telekinesia. I had achieved a feat in the gardens of Scarborough Castle, but
I doubted that I would be able to repeat it without the concentration it took me to achieve it. And
then I could not see how to protect myself from the power of the Greats with twirling flower
petals and a levitation ability prone to repeated crashes. I should have put more heart into the
work rather than persisting in wanting to take advantage of Phoenix to the end. I had been
selfish and he was in danger of paying with his life. Again, it was my fault. How could I not have
foreseen that the trauma of meeting my ancestors would not cause them to jump on the first
plane to Kerington to check out the horrific rumors about a newborn vampire with pupils as
demonic as the shadow they hid? I had veiled my face, and that is the result. - I hope Finn finds
the words. I frowned when I heard Phoenix pronounce the name of its creator. - Finn? - I called
him. - When? - When I woke up earlier. I thought back to what happened last year and thought
that a strong ally would not be useless against the Greats. I quickly explained to him what he
was getting into and he told me that he had quit all his activities to join us. " Why didn't you tell
me about it? My accusatory tone made his voice lower. - Because I didn't want to spoil the
progress you were making with your power. I reflected for a few moments and then the light
became. "I see. You were still hoping for a chance to convince the Greats of my harmlessness
before my power developed, but after what happened at the castle, you realized that it would be
almost impossible. He was silent. I got the idea. - And you think Finn can help us? - It
represents a hope that should not be overlooked. His loyalty and trust in the oldest vampire on
earth was touching, but not being part of the Greats, I could not see how his adoptive father
could tip the balance of their decision in our favor. However, I was careful not to comment on
the subject. - Miss Watkins, have you managed to control your power? Ysis suddenly seemed to
be getting back on his feet. I shrugged. - I do not master it yet, some attempts have been
successful for a very short time, that's all. - There may be hope at the end of the day. We must
follow Lethaleus's plan by following you. - Even if it brings us to the end? Talanus growled, not
at all convinced, as did I. Ysis stroked his cheek and closed his eyes, plagued by pain and well-
being. - Have faith in the Night, Talanus. "I have faith in you and that's enough for me," he said,
grabbing her waist to bring her against him and kiss her passionately. - Um... It was my turn to
shorten their kiss with embarrassment. They were still beautiful both. - What do you think will
happen when they get there? Ysis replied: - Given the seriousness of the situation and the
secrecy associated with it, I would lean for a closed trial under the guise of a bogus pretext to
prevent other vampires from asking too many questions. Phoenix chuckled. - The fact that they
all arrive in force is an exceptional event, especially after only one year since their last visit.
Questions will be inevitable. - It is up to us to manage them as best we can so that we do not
suspect anything until the Greats decide what they will do with us. - Are they going to lock us up
in the dungeons? I quivered. They had spent some time in these places where Karl and Ichimi
had been tortured before being executed. They didn't have a very good memory of that
experience, of course - Phoenix had told me - and it convinced me that it was a place I had to
avoid as much as possible. Of course, it wasn't going to be possible to escape it! Doubt creased
into me; what if they tortured us too? Ysis took my hand. "If we cooperate, they will not torture
us," she said, as if she had read my mind. - In any case, if they want to preserve appearances,
they have every interest in leaving us free of our movements... At least, at least, Talanus went
on. It was holding up. The Greats had done everything for centuries to hide the beating that my
ancestors had administered to them and which could have undermined their authority over the
world of the night. - What will we do? "You're going to be persuasive," said the Egyptian
princess. I know that at least three Greats still practice the worship of the Night. If we tell them
about our experiences with Lethalée, they will certainly grant us a reprieve. Unfortunately, the
decision is collegial. Let's hope Finn can sow trouble in the minds of others. - It seemed to me
that Egire was the leader of the band. "If we can convince him, the others may follow," Phoenix
interjected. Ysis shook her head in the negative. - It won't work for two reasons: first, Egire did
not experience the battle with the De Castelcourts. Second, he is not the ringleader of the
Greats. I raised my eyebrows in amazement. - However, last year, it was he who addressed the
assembly and announced the final decision to spare us. - It's a façade. The Greats prefer not to
know who the true strongman of their group is in order to preserve the sense of unity they
exude. Talanus and I finally found out after six hundred years, and again by accident. - So who
is this man? My curiosity had been aroused. Was it the red-voiced vampire who had answered
the silence to the crowd who came to witness the execution of their angel last year? Or the big
bald guy with the sullen expression? Or the little boy with the head of mice whose nickname I
had heard in the corridors of the villa twice? (Some had found it funny to find him the nickname
Mickey Mouse) Still not the one who looked like a twenty-three-year-old student! I didn't need to
ask myself any more questions. - Not a man, a woman. There, I widened my eyes. - The red-
haired teenager?! Talanus sputtered. - I have already seen her slit the throat of a man who had
called her that. No one ever ventured to say the word "teenage" in front of her again. "Miss
Watkins," said Ysis, "Blodwyn is about four thousand years old. After Finn, she is the oldest
vampire to tread this earth and no one ever really knew what her power was except the other
Greats themselves. I shudder when a memory rose to the surface of my mind. - She looked me
straight in the eye last year. It was only after she had gauged me that the other Greats
announced their verdict on me. Maybe she already knew who I was, like you, you guessed it,
and she didn't want to turn me in... Ysis frowned and maintained a heavy silence between us as
she reflected. - I suspected your parentage only by approaching you very closely and again, I
was not sure of anything until I saw your eyes change color as I explored your mind. I know a
little bit about Blodwyn and I can tell you that the reason she dominates the group is because
she lives only to enforce the law and as a result she is the most ruthless of the ten. What
happened in the Middle Ages almost destroyed the work of several millennia, it could not
tolerate it happening again. On the other hand, she is as demanding of herself as of her
collaborators, so I think that missing out on your ancestry when she personally surveyed you will
make her furious. In conclusion, without his support, we leave with a major handicap. I wanted
to applaud my sector leader. She had, like no one before, managed to bring my morale below
zero. Not that I had high hopes before, but this was "the end of the beans" as the French said. -
Blodwyn is uncompromising, but fair. She will listen to our arguments. I looked at Phoenix at the
back door. Ysis's speech had visibly shaken him, but he still wanted to believe in the leniency of
the Greats. The weight that was already on my shoulders seemed to suddenly crush me by an
extra ton. Fortunately, Talanus was wiser than us. - There is no point in speculating on what
they will say. It is better to organize to prepare for their arrival. You never know, if they see that
we are behaving as dignifiedly as usual, it may put them in a good position for our trial. "You're
right, my beloved. All we must do is let the noise that they have come to watch the renewal of
the Phoenix-Samantha bond ceremony. People will stop asking questions and will not mind
being excluded from the villa. It would not be the first time that the Grands have arrived at a
sector leader's house demanding to be the only ones occupying the premises. Phoenix nodded.
- That's a good idea. That way, our reputations wouldn't be jeopardized in case we got out alive.
Ysis got up, we all did the same. - Talanus and I take care of putting everything in place here.
You go back to Scarborough. While Phoenix prepares with Finn his plea, you, Samantha, will
continue to train to control your power. - In such a short time? It won't be enough. - That's the
time we have. I sighed. - All right, but one last thing. What will happen to François and Angela? I
don't want to be harmed because of me. - We will say that they did not know the implications of
your family tree. In a sense, this is the truth since Francis only learned it very late. Anyway, the
Greats have always had a lot of admiration for him, I doubt they want to kill him. For them, it is
an example that other vampires should follow. Therefore, his human wife will also be safe
provided they stay away. Phoenix sighed in turn. - I know François, he will want to support us in
this ordeal. "If you insist on the danger that his wife will run if he persists in wanting to protect
us, he will give up," said Talanus. Despite this dangerous situation, I felt a little relieved. If
François, Angela and all my friends in Scarborough were spared, I would at least have a clear
conscience on that side. Phoenix took my hand and dragged me to the door. It was time to get
going. "Good luck," he said simply, looking at each of his superiors. Talanus nodded, Ysis
spoke: - Luck has no place here. We must follow the path planned by the Night. Phoenix
answered nothing and pulled me after him. As for me, this curious impression of having crucial
information but impossible to determine took over my mind again, just as time that another,
more unpleasant sensation had imposed itself on it: a ball of pure anguish that lodged in my
belly and in my throat, and which, if I had been human, would have consumed me, inevitably...
For the rest of the night, I live very little Phoenix. Indeed, as I was desperately trying to move
some objects that I had taken out into the garden to enjoy the space and the calm of it, my
companion had hastened to call Francis to inform him of the latest events and advise him to
stay away from us until the conclusion of this case. I don't know how long they stayed on the
phone, but I guess their conversation lasted several hours. Our French friend had been difficult
to convince, especially since I later learned that Angela had meddled in it and that she had
entered a real crisis of rage by learning about our future destiny. My sweet and kind best friend
had turned into a rabid tornado screaming the worst insanities against the Great and my horrible
ancestors. It could have been funny if it didn't show how touched she was by what was
happening to us. Angela was like... Not. She was my sister, I loved her as if she were of my own
blood and I knew it was reciprocal, so I suspected that she was devastated at the thought of my
imminent death. As for Francis... Phoenix told me, when I went to meet him in our room before
sunrise, that for the first time in his life, our musketeer had begged someone: him. I had had a
hard time being told what had happened during their conversation because my angel of the
night had fallen into a kind of discouragement close to depression. He didn't want to talk about
it, it had shaken him too much. Fortunately, I finally convinced him and he explained that this
was the first time they had talked about the depth of their friendship together. Francis had given
himself up like never before and told Phoenix that he considered him his twin, even more so
since they had met at Scarborough, and that he would do anything for him. Phoenix had been
totally dismayed by this admission. Not that he did not share the same feelings, but he never
thought they would be formulated one day. He had never been accustomed to opening up to
others, not even when he was human, not even with Keira, whom he had been closest to. In his
family, life was too hard to dwell on the love one felt for each other, and later Finn had regarded
him as his son, but he had never manifested him to him other than by a cold and gruff affection.
My entry into his life had turned everything upside down. He did not understand why I cared so
much about him, who did not think he was worthy of it, so to be told that he was loved for what
he was had been a real shock. While he still had trouble believing it, his best friend, to whom he
had always preferred Karl (which still made him feel guilty today), confessed to him that he saw
him as a brother admired, as much for his flaws as for his qualities... To understand that he had
finally found a family united by bonds stronger than steel, a family he had never dared to dream
of having for five centuries, had filled him... then desperate. Because in two nights, he was in
danger of losing her forever. For my part, in my list of the first times, added that of his
vulnerability at that moment. Phoenix had always been my rock and seeing it so, devoured by
anguish and sorrow, triggered my instinct for protection. As a mother would have done, I had
lured him against me and cradled him against my breast, whispering soothing words to him.
How many times had he held me like this before I fell asleep since we knew each other? It was
normal, if not necessary, for us to reverse the roles this time. That is why, with infinite patience, I
waited for sleep to prevail by caressing his face and hair and continuing to reassure him about
our future with words I didn't think. I was lying, I knew it, and I think he knew it, too.
Nevertheless, at that moment, we needed both to forget the truth… So in spite of the time that
was running away, inexorably, getting closer to the dreaded deadline, we let ourselves be
carried away by Morpheus, under the one and only condition that he allow us to remain so
entwined.
*
When I awoke, I was relieved to see that my companion had regained some semblance of
optimism. Although I did not share the hope of my survival, I preferred to see him focused on his
argument, sitting in his office, a cup of blood still full and already cold placed next to him, than
depressed as the day before. I quickly kissed him on the forehead so as not to disturb him and
hurried to prepare to train outside. On the porch, I looked badly on the side of the Moon, cursing
it copiously to strive for my existence and to appear so late in the summer. With the luck I had,
all this had to happen in the middle of July, when the days were getting longer, thus depriving
me of the opportunity to practice at best to master telekinesia. - Pff... My anger turned into
discouragement once in front of the pots, broom, and various and varied objects that I had
selected for my outdoor work. Not! I had to shake myself if I wanted a chance to save the loved
ones I was most dear to. I always had the idea of forcing the Greats to promise to give life to my
friends in exchange for mine. I wanted, as a last resort, if the word could not convince them,
impress them with my talents, even if they threatened them with slaughtering them all if they did
not satisfy me. They would have everything to gain from it; the greatest threat to their authority
who agreed to be executed on the condition that the people she loves are spared... it was an
honest deal! At least I hoped that they would see it as such and, above all, that they would keep
their word. Finally... if I couldn't move that damn one-centimetre broom, I wouldn't impress
anyone and there, farewell my plan! Name of name! I don't know how many hours I had been
there, opening and closing my eyes to check that my gift was acting. At one point, I had caught
the broom, broke the wooden handle on my knee and threw so much and so well the pieces that
they went to care deep in the bark of the weeping willow at the end of the property. It didn't help
me, but I felt a little better... except I'd have to buy a new broom. A shave of blood later, I got
back in shape and tried to repeat my last feat. Phoenix being the key, I visualized his face in my
mind, tracing the outline of his chin with my fingers, caressing his hair waving in the night
breeze. I felt much calmer and surprised to see the effect this man had on me, even in thought.
When a brush of air made me shudder, I felt the ghost of my heartbeat with anticipation. I was
there. Slowly, I stopped representing myself in Phoenix to visualize in my mind the cover on
which I had arranged all my tools. A new brush made one of my strands flutter, I had to
persevere. After the cover, I relive each object: a vase, a sports shoe, the famous little spoon
that had annoyed me so much the other time, a bucket, a kitchen knife, two pans of different
size. I was knife-shaped when a new draft hit me. I react to the quarter of a second. With a
terrible roar, I leapt like a rabid fawn on the foreign presence that my instinct had felt behind my
back, and whose movement of air without any measure with the waves heralding my power, had
revealed. I had just positioned both my hands on my attacker's head to snatch it from him when
a spark of reason made me stop my gesture for two reasons: the first was that the vampire who
had surprised me made no attempt to defend himself, the second was that I knew him. - SAM!!!
I heard howl as I became aware of the identity of the person I was riding, my eyes burning a red
more demonic than all the flames of Hell gathered. Phoenix had just arrived on the porch, with a
gun in his hand, ready for slaughter to protect me. Like me, he was shocked by the situation. -
When you are done, who look at me with the eyes coming out of his head, who hold my
compressed face in a vice and crush my knees, you may be able to behave like guests worthy
of the name! grumbled Finn, displaying an exasperated, rather comical expression. - Oops! I
exclaimed, emptying the place immediately to allow my creator's creator to stand up. In doing
so, a choked cry eluded me. I had just seen the handle of the kitchen knife protruding from his
ribcage. - For God's sake! But what is that?! Phoenix exclaimed as Finn took off the ten-
centimeter blade that had been in his heart. - Well, fortunately for me, it's not silver, says the
latter flatly. Congratulations, Miss, no one before you had managed to put a knife in me there, a
knife that, I believe, was not in your hands at the time I landed behind you. Even though he
complimented me and I should have been glad I was able to move a small object, I was totally
ashamed of stabbing him. What if it had been someone else? Matthew or Angela? I hadn't
thought about it. I reacted instinctively. As soon as I felt the presence in question, I considered it
a threat to Phoenix and before I turned around, I thought I would pierce the heart of anyone who
tried to hurt him. The result was there, and he looked at me with a funny air, half dissatisfied,
half admiring. Help. I saw Finn's return to Scarborough differently than by such a dismal
welcome. "I'm sorry," I said, pitifully. He considered me with a frank curiosity. - I confess that I
didn't really know what to expect after the phone call that Phoenix made to me, which didn't
really expand in explanations about what's happening to you. Therefore, after this little
demonstration, I look forward to listening to the whole story behind the red of your pupils, dear
friend. I don't know what to say. All my life, I had been terrified of being at the centre of general
attention, and the fact that this had happened to me several times in the face of a host of
nightmarish creatures had proved to me that I was capable of surviving it even though I hated it
every moment. However, I would certainly have been better able to bear to find myself in the
middle of a football stadium running naked, shouting songs, than to undergo the critical
examination of my "father-in-law", whose aura of power managed to make me tremble like a
little girl. - It would be more appropriate for the hosts than we are to be brought in to tell you
everything that has happened to us since your last visit. Finn scratched his chin. - Yes, I do. I
had to leave all my stuff in the plan to join you and these airport idiots forgot to replenish the
stocks of the jet I came in, so I won't be up against a bowl of blood and a fluffy couch to listen to
everything you'll must tell me. You know how much I like detailed stories, don't you Miss
Watkins? If I had forgotten? My burning throat at the end of the hours of the monologue he had
imposed on me so that he could understand why the Greats had intervened last year, was a
trauma firmly ingrained in my mind. Finn was so scary to me at the time that I didn't dare ask
him to go and drink water or go to the toilet! - Um. Please call me Samantha... Follow me. Once
inside, I took him to the living room where he settled down with Phoenix and asked him how hot
he wanted to drink his drink. - Well, normally I would say at room temperature of the human
body, but now that you are a vampire, the A - that you receive will not be able to serve me to
enjoy me. He scoffed. I imitated him, more to please him than because I tasted his sense of
humor. He had to get along with Talanus that one! I ran and came back with a big bowl for him,
one cup for Phoenix and another for me. Phoenix pushed hers away. - No, I'm not hungry. I
frowned and put the cup under his nose. - Eat. I'm going to need you to keep your strength to
support me tomorrow. It was a hurtful argument as it reminded us of our desperate but effective
situation. Phoenix looked at me, which did not prevent him from grasping the object and drinking
its contents with a stroke. - Satisfied? he grumbled. I nodded and sat in an armchair. Finn had
lost nothing of our exchange. - You ripped off the head of the last of the Rowe-Harrells because
she had interrupted your bond ceremony? On the face of it, Finn had decided to kill me. At will, I
would never dare return the favor. - We had to restore our honor and prove what it cost to attack
the angel of the county and his assistant. - Yet his assertions were true from what Phoenix told
me on the phone. He transformed you without asking the approval of his area leaders. You
broke the law. There was a silence showing a certain unease. In history, it was true that the
proponents of respect for the law had trampled on him themselves because it suited them. I had
no case of conscience since I was happy to have been resurrected in the end, but that did not
prevent me from acknowledging that we had acted improperly. - I did what it took to bring my
reason for life back to me. I will do it again, without hesitation, cut Phoenix in a cold voice. I was
amazed at the way he approached his adoptive father, as if he were challenging him to judge
him on his decision.. Finn seemed surprised too, then shrugged. "I'm not throwing stones at
you. I am simply taking stock of what led the Greats to decide to come back here after only a
year of absence. "It's my fault," I said. By letting myself be blinded by my hatred and letting my
legacy increase my blood rage tenfold, I opened the door to our destruction. It was only a matter
of time before the brilliance of my eyes and that of my vengeance reached the ears of the
Greats and convinced them that a descendant of the De Castelcourt family had escaped the
massacre that had occurred several centuries earlier in France. The glimmer of avid curiosity
was lit up in the eyes of my interlocutor: - Tell me all about it. It took us no less than three hours
to make the "summary" of everything that had happened to us after his departure, developing
on the Mellindra Circle, and more particularly on my origins and the event that had led the
Greats to decide that I should never have lived. Finn analyzed everything, asked questions
about everything and never seemed to want to take a break. It was like a hard drive that was
recording a huge amount of data. He swallowed, he swallowed, without ever stopping us,
without ever wanting it to stop. The only time he showed his feelings somewhat was when I
explained to him the suspicions we had conceived about the role of spies of the Great Javas
and Cassie. He really impressed me and I felt a real embarrassment when he looked at me from
head to toe once I got to the episode of my family inheritance. - When Phoenix told me that you
were telekinetic, I did not want to believe it at first because this power is exceedingly rare and
feared among ours since the dawn of time, but the memory that your knife left me is very
tangible. My dear Samantha, it seems you have become the most powerful woman on earth.
The Greats are right to fear you. I was not sure to appreciate his tone, half formal as if all this
did not matter, half admiring, as if there was something to rejoice in what was happening to me.
- Their fear is unfounded, I only aspire to live in peace, not to dethrone them. Finn raised his
eyebrows in amazement. - I am not like my ancestors. In any event, even if that were the case, I
do not see how I would do it because I am unable to control that power. What happened to you
was just an accident. Finn's expression became mysterious, indefinable. - We're going to have
to work on that. - What do you think I've been doing since it came forward?! That I'm turning my
thumbs? There was a silence. - I hope you'll be able to hold your tongue better in front of the
Greats. Despite the fear that this man inspired me, I was still going to answer him bluntly that he
was not in my place when a noise outside the castle made us all raise our ears. At the first
words exchanged by the intruders, I couldn't help but smile as Phoenix shook his head in spite.
"Who is he?" asked Finn. - They couldn't help themselves... whispered my companion whose
voice betrayed a mixture of exasperation and satisfaction. For my part, I could not afford to
remain so calm and I got up towards the entrance hall, the door of which would soon open
according to the voices I could distinguish. No sooner had the people to whom they belonged
crossed the threshold than I filled in a second the distance that separated us to hug them each
in turn, dwelling a little more on the blonde woman who lingered to keep me against her, crying
and repeating to me that "These bastards would do me nothing". Francis and Angela had
disobeyed Phoenix's recommendation to stay away from us. More than that, they had come with
Matthew, whose pale face and bloodshot eyes reflected his deep indignation at what was going
on. He also pressed me very hard against him and feeling the presence of my companion
behind my back, I was afraid for a moment that he would give free rein to his instinct of
possession by forcing my friend to depart from me. He didn't. On the contrary, he went to greet
each of them and even allowed himself a handshake with his rival, which made me gap like an
idiot. - Despite everything that has happened between us, I am glad that you are coming to
support her. I closed my mouth and observed them. Matthew seemed on his guard, but he
nodded, determined. As for Phoenix... I felt like I was falling in love with him again at the
moment. He had confessed to me hating Matthew because he loved me and only refrained from
killing him because it would have made me feel sorry. They had almost ended up in the hands
several times and had even ended up fighting (well... Matthew had been beaten), yet his
welcome proved that he wanted to bury the hatchet... For me. A whiff of love caused my heart to
swell so much I thought it was going to explode out of me. I was aware as never before that
Phoenix would be the one and only man, I would love in all my life and beyond, if beyond that
there were. He must have felt my gaze as he turned to me after falsely dismissing Francis about
his disobedience, and the way he smiled at me, I understood that he felt the same way and that
if we had been alone, I would have thrown myself at his neck to hang on to it until the end of
time. But for the time being, we had to enjoy the last moments we had left with our dearest
friends before the arrival of the Greats, which filled me with joy as well as the despair of sensing
that at the end of the day, I would never see them again.
*
It was already very late by human standards when François, Matthew and Angela joined us at
around three o'clock in the morning, on July 09. They had argued that from the moment Phoenix
warned them of what was to come, they considered it their duty to be with us. So they finally
broke their promise to stay away and took Matthew to whom Angela had told it all. He had also
become angry and threatened to go headlong into Harper Hill to tell the Greats of his way of
thinking. Fortunately, her best friend had a functioning brain and she was able to convince him
to calm down. They came to encourage me to lift my spoons from afar (after what had
happened with Finn, it was better to stick to the small harmless objects) and to help Phoenix
write his argument. Matthew did not give it up until he had to finally gave him his pen and
allowed him to write a letter on behalf of the Mellindra Circle in which he explained in an
effective yet irreverent style the reasons why my superiors and I should survive. He did not quite
threaten to break the fragile truce that we had found so hard to build between the Circle and the
vampires (we would not have accepted it) but he suggested to the Greats that killing us would
be tantamount to depriving the two groups of their best intermediaries. Phoenix didn't show it,
but I felt that he was starting to change his mind about Matthew and that, without appreciating
him, he respected him. You could tell by the way he spoke to her... He was talking to her...
without wanting to kill him, it was a clear progress. Finally! As Francis was more able to temper
Matthew's literary passion than Phoenix, he had stayed with them in the office and could not
resist the urge to write a kind word about me as well. Reading it later, I thought that all the saints
of Paradise had competition on earth, for my French musketeer was the most generous being I
had ever met. Angela had wanted to stay in the garden and stood behind me, three good
meters away in case I had an object stolen in all directions, and cheered me strongly. I could
have been bothered by this disorder in my concentration, but strangely, it made me feel good
and helped me relax. Finn stood by my side and was royally unaware of the risks of getting a
pot on his head. When I had offered to walk away for safety reasons, he had merely addressed
me with a smirk that bristled me far less than his answer: - Don't worry about me, just succeed
where until now you've only been trying. I could clearly hear my teeth grind when I clenched
them to avoid letting slip an unpleasant word. It took me a few moments to calm down, which
facilitated the encouragement of my favorite bookseller. At one point, my efforts were rewarded
by the flight through the air of the bucket and the sports shoe, which earned me a "Hurrah!"
sound of Angela and a wave "Finally... Finn. "Did you see?" I asked my friend, royally ignoring
my grumpy stepfather. "Yes! It's unbelievable! Where did you send them? I broke down abruptly
and looked up at the sky. Nothing. Flute! I was so happy to have managed to make them move
by being lucid and efficient despite the presence of spectators, that I had not thought to keep
control of the two objects. A mocking sneer made me turn around, my eyes already red at the
thought of the remark that I was not going to fail to hear. - Is this the way you're going to do it
with the Greats? You're going to send them into orbit around the Earth and turn your thumbs
until gravity makes them come back?" he said, scoffing. I showed him the fangs. Finn
Jorgensen was perhaps the creator of Phoenix and the oldest vampire in the world to whom I
owed eternal respect, but I still wanted to make him swallow his words. - I forbid you to... I did
not have time to finish my sentence that the man was lying on his back, totally stunned after
gravity had done his job as he had said, making sure that the metal bucket I had sent very high
into the clouds, fell on his head with the force of a cannonball. My first instinct was to go to his
rescue, but when Phoenix's sports shoe landed on the bucket in question which still housed his
victim's head, and whose fall had to stun him again because of the dreadful crash it caused, I
forgot my first intentions and fell to the ground screaming with laughter like never before,
followed by Angela who fell upon me with uncontrollable whining and which I had never Heard.
This is how Phoenix, Francis and Matthew found us when, as the dawn approached, they
headed for the exit to see where we were. Finn always lay stunned and I knew that he would
hate me when he woke up because when things were going, we would put him in our room
while the sleep of vampires would follow the unconsciousness however, I could only savor the
funniness of the situation, as ubiquitous as it was liberating from a nervousness and anguish
that I could not part with before. When my companion, who was still living in greater anguish
than I did, advised his master, he did not seek to lecture me. He laughed too... It was in good
spirits that we left, our friends and we. Angela still shed a tear that I hurried to wipe away before
hugging her, Matthew kissed me on the forehead and choked me, Francis surprised me by
bypassing his shyness with the women and hugging me against him for long minutes. When the
gates closed, I felt a huge brick fall into my stomach. I had just said goodbye to the people I
loved the most in the world. Crying would be useless, and I had the idea of spending the little
time left before sunrise to something else so without a word I went to Finn and lifted him with
one arm to put it on my shoulder. Phoenix did not seek to be gallant, I was a vampire, not a
woman, so he merely opened the doors for me so that I could lay my burden in our room,
making sure to tuck it properly. Once the door of the secret room was closed, I looked at my
companion, my eyes having already colored a red as deep as the desire of him that animated
me. "I hope you're not tired," I said, raising my chin to challenge him to say yes. Phoenix stared
at me, smiled, and then made me hiccup in amazement when he stooped down to submit me to
the same treatment as Finn, that is to say carry me on his shoulder to my old room where he did
not just tuck me...
*
When I woke up the next day, I felt a big smile on my lips. Not that I forgot that my trial would
begin in just a few hours; we knew we would receive a text ordering us to go to Harper Hill.
Not... The reason I smiled was that Phoenix had woken up before me... and that he looked at
me with a passion in my eyes that made me shudder as the day before when the mists of sleep
had not yet left me. "Hello," I said, passing my hand through her silky hair. He grabbed her and
brought her back to her cheek. He closed his eyes to his touch, then brought it to his mouth to
kiss his palm. The shudder became a bubbling tsunami inside me. " Good morning. His low and
sensual voice made every cell in my body vibrate and when he put his lips on mine, I was
completely awakened. Only the sheet between us separated our two naked bodies, which put
me to torment. Yet, was it wise to throw us into a new embrace when our phones could start
ringing at any moment or when Finn could come down anytime with the will to crush a bucket on
my head to avenge the one who had fallen on his the day before? Wasn't it necessary for me to
use this time of respite to train myself to control my power again? When my partner's warm
body replaced the sheet that covered me, which had been thrown in the distance, my questions
were forgotten. Thus, without stopping to kiss me and without more foreplay, Phoenix spread
my legs and worked to fill me with pleasure until my unbridled moans turned into a cry of
ecstasy at the moment when he too reached enjoyment by pushing a wild roar that made me
feel like a caress of an extraordinary sensuality. My lover's head resting on my shoulder, his
possessive arm around my waist, I felt surprisingly good for someone who was going to die. I
was... nirvana. At least until that followed: - I don't want to lose you. The feverish and desperate
accent of his voice caused my bubble of well-being to burst and to understand that the rage with
which Phoenix had made love to me originated from this fear that I would be taken away from
him. "You won't lose me. Not now, not ever. That was the truth. It didn't matter if I was
condemned tonight, I knew deep down that the bond between me and this man was more
powerful than death. He hugged me a little more and sighed as if to mentally order himself to
remember that he must be optimistic for both of us. "Sometimes I wish I was born in the 15th
century in Ireland," I said without thinking, "and instead of crossing paths with Finn or Lord
Carson, you meet me." He raised his head and looked at me, his zebra-like azure eyes with little
flashes. - What would you have done? I inspired and let my mind shape as I went along. - I think
for a change, it would be the sun that would have made you notice me on a beautiful summer
day. Of course, I would have dazzled you with my great beauty and my sweet character as soon
as your eyes landed on me... Phoenix raised his beautiful eyebrows and let his smirk appear in
the corner of his mouth. - Your sweet character? And how could I have realized this when I met
you, a beautiful stranger? - Shhhh Don't interrupt our first meeting! He scoffed, but he was
silent. I continued: - You would have done everything to make me fall in love with you, but I
would have resisted you because I am not an easy girl. (He scoffed again) All the other women
in your village would have tried to seduce you, but I would have been the only one who knew
how to capture your attention. - Apart from the date, that is the exact truth. I rolled up my lips in
a bad grin. - Okay, okay. I'm not going to say it. - Good, good, good, good, good, Where was I?
Oh, yes. After long unsuccessful attempts, you would have finally managed to win my heart and
my hand, and I would have made your life impossible with the greatest joy. (New laugh) Short...
(I closed my eyes, my voice became more distant) we would have lived to a very advanced age
for mere mortals, enough to see how happy we had been together, to raise our children who, in
turn, would have had their own offspring, which would tire us out several times a week running
around the house at every visit. And in the evening of our lives, we would have both settled on a
small wooden bench near the vegetable garden, and we would have tasted the caress of a
sunset by waving to Keira who, in the house opposite, with her husband Thomas, would have
had the same idea. My heart tightened as I finished this story. I wish it were true. When I
opened my eyelids, I realized that I was not the only one. My companion was always watching
me and for a moment I thought the glow of his irises was due to the accumulation of tears of
emotion. I suddenly felt ashamed: - Sorry. I shouldn't have told you about Keira. He fondled my
cheek tenderly. - Don't apologize. This image of all of us is much more beautiful to imagine than
anything I have been able to do so far to forget what happened to my family. - Really? He put a
sweet kiss on my cheek. "Thank you so much. I believe that the next time you imagine our life in
the 15th century, I will ask you to insist on our children. I admit I'm curious. My god... This guy
made me lose all common sense when he talked to me like that! I drew his face against mine
and dropped the sweetness to tip him over to ride him without stopping to kiss him. Far from
being fooled, he stood in a sitting position and grabbed my legs to pass them around his waist
while he was trying to bite my neck. With my head turned back, I expected from one moment to
the next to feel the benefits of sexual ecstasy for alleviating anxieties, when I stiffened myself
when I heard this: - Do you plan to have sex until we leave or would it be too much to ask to
have some company downstairs?! It seemed to me, Samantha, that you had to train you for
landings! A loud and exasperated rumble escaped me at the same time as tingling of
embarrassment ran through my arms. On the one hand I was enraged that Finn dares to
interrupt us by complaining like an ill-mannered tourist, on the other hand, I was embarrassed at
the idea that he had heard everything that had happened in this room from the ground floor.
Phoenix smiled, but I still read a hint of regret in his eyes. - Finn is right. Don't waste time. I bit
my lip. I didn't consider our embrace to be a waste of time! A little upset, I went to pick up a few
things before going into the bathroom. I was waiting for Phoenix to finish going down, since still
upset for earlier, I had not wanted to stand alone with its creator for fear of being rude. Well took
me because when I arrived in the living room, his way of scrutinizing me, like a dog in front of a
bone to gnaw, made me uncomfortable. Out of respect for Phoenix, who didn't seem to have
noticed anything, I kept telling him the incorrectness of his behavior, but I couldn't help but
shudder when his eyes landed on me. He didn't want me anyway! I had to keep my doubts to
myself, especially since it was more than time to train. For a while in the garden, I tried to renew
the sending of objects into the air, but it was clear to me that I could not find that point of calm in
me that had allowed me to mobilize my power, even for a very short time. What a beard! While I
was at this internal swear word, I was amazed to suddenly receive in my hand, one of the
spoons on the ground just before. I was so stunned that I could barely hear Phoenix
congratulating me. I had to push my advantage. Closing my eyes to concentrate, I imagined that
the spoon was slowly returning to its place of origin... and opened them as soon as the hand
holding her was empty again. - Well done, Sam! This time, I think you're on the right track! I
gave his smile back to Phoenix before I turned to the cover. But where was the spoon? At least
not where she should have been. - I would not like to be one of your enemies. I frowned. Why
did Finn say that? I wasn't going to pierce the hearts of my enemies with a spoon! I was not
Hannibal Lecter! A doubt invaded me, and I pivoted so as to have the weeping willow in my field
of vision. Ah... Yes... The spoon had joined the pieces of broomstick in the middle of the trunk. It
wasn't really the result I was hoping for. - If you control this power, you can be the master of the
world. He didn't have enough of reminding me every five minutes that I was too great a threat to
the power in place. And then what was this way of looking at me again? His adopted son was
right next door, for God's sake! There were limits to my tolerance! - No but, will you stop... I
don't finish my sentence, a ball of terror preventing me from doing so. Our phones had just run.
The time had come.
*
The journey to Harper Hill took place in the deadliest silence that was. We were all aware of the
sword of Damocles, which inexorably came close, at best to my neck, at worst, to that of the
people I cherished. How I felt... Could vampires be nauseous? Still, I felt like all my internal
organs were pushing up to escape from my suspended body. Phoenix was no better. I had
already seen his jaw contract through nervous tension, but then I wondered bluntly how his
bones managed not to turn into a small powder under pressure; just as I was wondering if we
would reach our destination before the steering wheel of the Camaro finally gave up the soul
after so much abuse. As for Finn... I would glance at him from time to time and what I saw left
me perplexed. I remembered the aura of anger he radiated last year when he learned of his
adopted son's death sentence: it was as if he were about to char the whole earth with the sheer
power of his fury. There, I captured nothing but a slight stiffening of the muscles, a sign of a
contained tension forcing admiration. It was strange.… Was his stated confidence simply related
to his belief that I would be the only one to die and that his son would be spared (if that was not
nice for me) or did he know something we didn't know? In short, this guy was a walking enigma
and I didn't intend to spend the rest of the time I had left to live wondering about his deep
thoughts. Especially since we were coming... Gulp... We were entering the secure area housing
the most luxurious and mysterious estate in the region, a mystery that thickens even when
instead of the tuxedo vampires who guarded the usual entrance, deftly concealing their arsenal
to passers-by under their clothes, we were greeted by a dozen giants with salient muscles,
wearing bulletproof vests visible under their long black coats all the same , giving their owners a
dark, almost macabre look. One of them, their leader, I suppose, beckoned us out of our car
and as a great professional, managed to mask in record time the amazement and admiration
that were painted on his face by notifying Finn of The Greats presence of us. The latter showed
no emotion, not even when one of the guards asked him more politely than we did to raise his
arms to undergo a full search. "Where have the members of the Talanus security service
gone?" he asked as if the situation bothered him to die. - Hedayat Javan and his men were
ordered to remain confined to their rest room, under guard. The Greats didn't go into detail.
They wanted a total lock-up and they had not hesitated to kick everyone out except the security
service (indispensable just in case), which had been sidelined. - What are you going to do with
our weapons? It was surely a stupid question on my part, but I had a special attachment to the
silver knives that never left my belt because they had been offered to me by my companion and
had saved my life several times. "It's none of your business," said the chief, who was observing
the sharp edge of my blade and whose voice masked the animosity towards me. Unfortunately,
my dark side took his answer as an affront to my person who, in other circumstances, and by
his duties, would have had every right to make him swallow his bad upbringing at the same time
as his fangs. The menacing hiss that escaped me made him startle less than the sight of my
glowing eyes with indignation when he again deigned to give me his attention. - You're lucky
that I'm in the mood to comply with protocol or I would have bled you to death before your
comrades even had time to understand what was happening to you...- Sam! Phoenix growled to
remind me to order. - I said I'd be cooperative, not that I'd let idiots disrespect me! I retorted. -
"Definitely, I admire you more and more, my little Samantha," Finn said in a paternalistic tone
that bristled me even more. The chief of the guards raised his chin in defiance and sneered, but
in his way of staying away from me to tell me to advance with my escort to the villa, I
understood that I had impressed him. No, no, no Fortunately, those who supervised us behaved
better and the walk to the vast home of our area managers went smoothly. Seeing the property
without a single car parked on the large esplanade used as a parking lot left me with a funny
impression that was reinforced once inside. The large hallway leading to the large hall, which
was usually crowded, was hopelessly empty. Never did it seem as long as when we crossed it
to join our court, the echo of our footsteps echoing like a funeral march in our ears. Finally, we
reached our destination... Would I have wanted to flee despite the futility of this option that my
legs, suddenly heavier than concrete blocks, would not have wanted to move, and anyway, the
heavy lead doors of the great hall were being closed behind us. In front, well... We were in a
courtroom. A large table had been arranged in length in front of us so that each of the Greats
could sit there and observe us as he pleased as we joined Talanus and Ysis in the bench of the
accused who did not exist. They both stood and were not chained like the last time we found
ourselves in this situation, however, they bore the stigma of long hours spent in the anguish of a
fateful tomorrow. They had had to endure the presence of our leaders for longer than us and
must surely have known the state of mind in which everyone had come. It wasn't too hard to
imagine. Dressed in the same red cloak reminiscent of those of the kings of the old days, they
nevertheless reminded me of the magistrates of the Inquisition, preparing to condemn to the
pyre for witchcraft the one they stared at with a barely masked hatred: me. It was looking good...
I stood near Ysis, who quietly nodded to greet me. No sooner had I shifted my attention to our
guests than a characteristic rattling made me startle. All the guards in the room had just put me
on the spot with their machine guns, in a perfect set. Egire stood up and appointed his men. -
You will understand that we must take certain precautions in case you try something against us.
In the tone of his voice, absent from any animosity, I understood that the spokesman of the
Greats was perhaps one of the only ones in this piece who did not particularly wish me dead.
However, for the good of the community, he would not hesitate to align himself with the opinion
of others and vote my end. In any case, the trauma left by my ancestors was too present for me
to be shocked by this welcome. I was going to answer that I didn't care when Finn came ahead
of me: - Don't you think if she wanted to try something against you, you wouldn't be here talking
about it? he laughed. I could clearly hear teeth squeaking among our audience. Finn was clearly
not unanimous in the group of sages. "What are you doing here, Finn?" The council did not
invite you to this court Finn. groaned Egire, who was by the center of the table. The man
crossed his arms in front of his chest, unimpressed by the magnetic charisma of the man he
should have worshipped. - Two members of my lineage are threatened with death. It seems to
me that this is an enough reason to enlighten my coming. I stared at him, surprised and a little
tender. I had never seen things in this way but having been transformed by the only vampire
Finn created, I was therefore part of his "lineage" and therefore his family. I liked to call him
"step-dad" in my head (he would surely have knocked me out if he had heard him out loud)
because I considered myself to be the one who shared the life of his "son"; it made me very
funny to realize that in fact I should have called him "Grandpa". The idea was enough to roll on
the floor screaming with laughter and despite all my desire to follow Finn's confrontation with
Egire to find out if he should stay in the room or not, I could see in my mind only successions of
images where the most respected vampire on earth walked around in a walker with a urine
pouch hanging from his belt , spitting with his toothless mouth insanities to motorists in a hurry
who would have had the misfortune to let him engage on a protected passage. I forced my
attention to focus on the Greats rather than my "grandfather" and thought I saw Blodwyn mask a
smile. It was so fast that I told myself that I had dreamed and as she was trying to unpleasantly
pass me X-rays, I deviated my examination of her male comrades to the one who was at the
other end of the table. He was a man of high stature, whose protruding cheekbones and heavy
eyelids made him look sick. His neighbour on the right was smaller and more muscular, and his
hands clasped on the table made me think of a butcher whose favourite pastime would have
been to snatch the limbs from the dead animals instead of cutting them cleanly. If I shudder, it
was not so much for the sight of his hands as for the sight of his spiked teeth, when he noticed
that I was looking at him and rolled up his lips for me. I observed more quickly the others to the
left and right of Egire: a balding redhead, a falsely sympathetic-looking slayer because I
remembered how he silenced hundreds of angry vampires last year, a model-like guy who didn't
seem to be more than twenty-three years old when he turned back more than ten centuries, a
tall bald African, shirtless under his coat, who wore a bone collar around his neck, an Asian
looking in his forties, another white-haired sexagenarian who was to be the famous Mickey
Mouse because of the size of his ears, and finally Blodwyn, the only woman of this G. 10 so
powerful. As his attention had shifted to Finn and Egire, I was able to detail it at leisure. Her
curly hair was a flamboyant red and went down to her waist, her green eyes like chlorophyll
gleaming with an intelligence and self-control acquired after too many centuries to tread this
earth and see all the horrors, her voluntary chin testified to her confidence as well as her royal
posture. While her slim figure and small size gave her at most seventeen years, some could not
deny in her the aura of incredible power that crushed that of Egire as one would an ant. She had
everything of a queen... ice cream, of course. The little fine lines between her eyebrows seemed
definitive, as if before her death, this young girl was already spending her time frowning on
them, lamenting the misery of the world. In fact, despite her apparent innocence, Blodwyn
exuded an aura of severity and coldness that would have made all the teenagers run away by
running around foolish enough to misunderstand her true age and wanted to start a
conversation with her. I don't know why, but I surprised myself to complain. She must have felt
lonely sometimes. Of course, I stopped complaining when she turned her head sharply towards
me and showed me her fangs as if with the intention of planting them all around my neck. - All
right, Finn. We accept your presence in this closed trial, provided you do not speak for the
accused. -Then I will speak for my son. - So be it. The question of the coming of my "father-in-
law" (it was better than "Grandpa") had just been resolved. Serious things could begin. -
Samantha Jones! yelled Egire. Step forward in front of us and reveal your true identity! I glanced
at Phoenix, who nodded to cheer me on, and then executed me. I should have been profiling my
judges and talking without looking them in the face, but my instincts told me that I would not
attract their respect by speaking in an unsure voice. Moreover, I was proud of my origins even if
they considered it cursed. Therefore, I raised my chin and looked at each one, giving my
answer. - My name is Samantha Watkins, daughter of Betty and Warren Watkins who adopted
me after the dying woman who gave birth to me and the co-founder of Mellindra's last Circle,
Vanessa Kane, asked them to take care of me while keeping me away from the night world
because of the cursed blood that had flowed through the veins of my souls since the Middle
Ages. There was a silence. No one should have expected this honest and fiery proclamation of
my belonging to the De Castelcourt lineage. - Did you know this before your transformation?
Egire already knew the answer to this question, it was obvious since he had to speak with
Talanus and Ysis, so I assumed he wanted to verify that our versions were consistent. "Yes. An
outraged murmur rose among our listeners. - Did your creator know? "Yes. - Thanks to whom? I
could see where he was coming from with his questions and it made me angry. I stared at them
all with disdain when my pupils turned red startled them in their seats. - If you want to hear me
say that Talanus, Ysis and Phoenix are responsible for the situation and that they must pay for
having turned me into a vampire with knowledge of the facts, do not count on me. In my eyes,
they showed kindness and gratitude to me when in any event, given my parentage with the
creator of the Mellindra Circle whose vocation was to destroy them, they should have hated me.
I won't let you smear their honesty. This time, a leaden silence fell on the room and I felt like a
burn the disapproving look of Phoenix behind my back. Everyone seemed suffocated by my
insolence. - How dare you speak to us in this tone?! Or talk about honesty when everything has
been done to hide in our eyes your demonic ancestry! spat out the shark-toothed guy. - It was
only time to prove to you that I had nothing to do with my ancestors! He got up and pointed at
me wickedly. -Oh yes? We have taken note of the arguments listed in the letter from your
creator and friends saying that you were more of the saint than the demon who infected your
parents. And it is because you have nothing to do with your ancestors that you massacred
Engara Rowe-Harrell in public, I suppose?! - I killed her loyally because she had made
accusations that could undermine the position of the angel I am assisting! I got upset. - Angel
who is by the way your creator and your lover! - It is precisely for this reason that I did not want
to see the number of her enemies multiply if the rumor she launched spread like the truth! By
the time Blodwyn got up, I knew of her frightening smile that I had blundered. The coldness and
calmness of her voice when she spoke made my hair stand on my head. - This rumor as you
say..., was not one, was it? The accusation against Phoenix, about having transformed you
without the consent of your sector leaders, was not unfounded, I am wrong? I felt it was moving
behind me. Damn it! Phoenix, Talanus and Ysis must now have wanted to kill me as much as
the Greats! The spell was cast, there is not turning back! Well, never mind! I decided to play fair
to the end; even if you die, it may as well be a clear conscience. No, no, no, not another murmur
rose, more aggressive than the previous one. "It's not the most important," I said louder to cover
their voices. Blodwyn smiles as she stares at me. It was crippling. Indeed, what is more
important than respect for the law? I left her sarcasm aside to organize my defense in my mind.
- This is not the most important because this authorization would have been given to me
anyway. -Oh yes? And why? I had to be careful what I was going to say and especially how I
was going to say it. - Lethalée. Everyone frowned, I really had to learn to speak in public. Ysis
took the initiative to take advantage of the general perplexity to get closer to me. - Can I
intervene, lords? Egire made a hand gesture to give her consent. - I know from my first meeting
with Samantha Watkins that she and Phoenix are bound by our mother to all to play a role in the
fate of our species. She whispers her instructions to me, and I try to honor them as best I can.
The assembly of the Greats seemed to be divided between the desire to laugh in her face and
that of satisfying her curiosity. The young blond spoke: - I have known you for a thousand years,
Ysis, and I do not question your divinatory talents. Unlike others, I have never forgotten the
worship of our goddess, so I want to hear what she told you about this woman. To my
astonishment, his companions did not seem surprised by his intervention and were silent to
respect his request. - She told me that she was important and that she absolutely had to live
until the fulfillment of what she was chosen to do. - Namely? - I don't know. The murmurs
resumed. - All I know is that Lethalée wanted Samantha Watkins to become one of us, despite
the danger represented by her blood. Yes, I knew she was descended from the De Castelcourt
family before she knew it herself and I killed this vital information. In your eyes, I am guilty of
flouting the law of our community, I understand it. For my part, I have a clear conscience to
know that I have respected that of our mother, whose will is more important than anything else.
Talanus joined her, draped in her wild charisma as a general leading the battle of her life. - I
have had blind confidence in Ysis for two millennia just as I have trusted Phoenix since our first
conversation two hundred years ago. It is not now that this will change. I saw what Miss Watkins
was capable of, and yet I don't feel in danger near her, because I know her. You would do well
to do the same before judging her hastily and displeasing the Night. Some Great seemed
outraged, others baffled, others nodded with conviction: those whom Ysis thought would win
over our cause? In any case, the blond belligerent was one of them. It was Phoenix's turn to
step forward. - I did transform Sam before the official agreement of my superiors, but that was
because, for the umpteenth time, she had sacrificed herself, human, to save me, the vampire
who had stolen her life. Despite her ancestry and not to mention my love for her, she deserved
to be saved from death in view of the courage she had shown in integrating our community of
which she earned respect and esteem. Not to mention yours... You cannot say otherwise, you
who were willing to hire her to help you serve the cause of the Great Change, you who knew the
crucial role of this woman in the historical agreement we made with the last Circle of Mellindra.
(He inhaled, his eyes sparkled) I did what I had to do to save the woman I love, of course, but
she deserved it more than so many others who were given this honour. Blodwyn looked at him. I
wanted to curl up in a corner, but Phoenix bravely confronted him. - Even if it risks at any
moment to destroy us, including you, since it is emancipated? - This will not happen, for the
simple reason that it would have done it for a long time otherwise. Rather, I see her
emancipation as a chance to be accepted, precisely because she does not feel the urge to kill
human beings to feed on them. She is not like her ancestors, she does not seek power. "But her
eyes... - Her eyes light up like ours because of violent emotions," he said, "which does not mean
that violence or hatred dominates her actions." I have never seen them brighter, more scarlet
than when they were inflamed by Absolute Love. I do not deny that my partner is powerful, she
is also telekinetic ... - WHAT?! they all strangled themselves. Oops. Apparently, Talanus and
Ysis had forgotten this little detail during their first interrogation. Probably to avoid a summary
execution as a precautionary principle. By the way… The guards around us tightened on their
weapons and I was certain that if one of them accidentally fired, the tension was such that all of
them would have started to shoot at us at the same moment. I had proof before my eyes that
vampires who had the chance to "be born" with my power were feared like the plague by the
rest of the community and that we preferred the knowledge of the dead than the undead. - I'm
not done! (Everyone was silent, as if Phoenix had taken precedence over the Council) Sam
does not yet master her power and I can attest that even with her amazing abilities, she only
desires the good. Give her a chance to prove to you that her potential is not destructive and
that, on the contrary, she can guide us to the peace of existence that we have sought so much.
Let her help you complete your work, the Great Change. I swallowed, feeling like my eyesight
was blurred with tears. Not for a moment had Phoenix tried to defend himself or his leaders. He
was trying the impossible to save me. His words touched me deeply and if the closed or even
overtly hostile expressions of the people who faced me did not dash any hope for my survival, I
might have thought that we both still had a future. Finn thought it was the right time to intervene.
- You have ordered me not to speak for Phoenix's girlfriend, but I can speak for this one. Five
hundred years ago, I had no plan to transform anyone. I had been walking this earth for
thousands of years and no one had seemed worthy enough to become the first of my lineage.
When my path crossed that of Aydan MacKinley, Ireland,(Phoenix shuddered upon hearing his
adoptive father use his real name) and saw with what courage and composure he suffered the
spectacle of his family's massacre, I understood that I wanted to make this man in the eyes of
the color of the ocean, my son. I have never regretted it and I will even go so far as to say that I
have never met since a vampire who arrives at his ankle, why? Because he knows how to make
the right choices when he has to and he doesn't let old, dusty laws blind him even though he
respects them. On the contrary, if one sings his angelic praises to the other side of the planet, it
is because his way of exercising the law is not frozen. That is why, instead of wanting to kill him
with his offspring, you should overcome your fears and follow the path that this man has
chosen, and that his own area leaders have chosen: this woman. He pointed at me. - I trust my
son to do the right thing. It remains to be seen whether you are capable of doing the same. A
great silence fell between us. Phoenix nodded gravely to Finn, his eyes creasing more
indicating his emotion at the same time as his hand that crushed mine. They had all defended
me, even Talanus, without trying to save themselves. It was more than kindness, but an act of
faith that amazed me at the same time as it made me want to cry in frustration. After a short
conciliabule in a low voice to be unheard of, the Greats each reinstalled themselves in their
seats, ready to announce their verdict, and the way of looking at me from Blodwyn and six
others, I had confirmation that the majority was not on our side. The words of my friends could
have convinced anyone, so it was that their decision was made before I had even met us, as I
had planned. In a few seconds, Egire would stand up and decide on our death at all. I had to
stop it. I was going to stop it. It was time for me to be able to align two coherent sentences and
for once I would find the right words to accomplish what I had promised myself: to save them. I
went so as to stop seeing Talanus, Ysis, Finn and Phoenix so that the shock they would feel
when I announced my proposal would not kill me on the spot. - Can I say a few words before
you put an end to this charade? The shark-toothed man was going to refuse, but Egire got
ahead of him: - We're listening. I took a deep breath to give myself courage. - I know that in your
eyes I represent an unacceptable breach of the law just as I am aware that the legacy of my
cursed ancestors frightens you. I just wanted you to know that I am and will never be like them. I
don't want to overthrow you, all I want is just that the people I love live by helping you to
implement the Great Change. I too was hoping to take part in this project that I believe in, but
(my voice has a little) I realize that this will not be possible. Hearing a warning rumble behind my
back, I swallowed. Phoenix didn't want me to go any further in what he suspected was my
intention, it wasn't for him to decide. So I raised my chin and stared at my accusers. - If you
must take a life to repair the harm done to your law, take mine, I offer it to you. This time, a roar
rang out behind me. I did not know, as I did not know the struggle that was taking place behind
my back; Talanus must have been holding Phoenix back from quieting me. I continued: - I do
not know you individually, but I have the utmost respect for what you are trying to implement
and if I know one thing, it is that alone, you will not succeed. This phrase had its little effect, all
the Greats stared at me, frowning, suspicious. - You know as well as I do that you need loyal
lieutenants who believe in their work and who would be willing to die by doing it properly. I
suspect you are aware that all area leaders around the world would rip an arm off to have an
angel like Phoenix at their service, and I have a deep conviction that if you did not intervene
earlier in our investigation into blood trafficking last year, it was because you did not want to
deprive yourself of excellent elements whose loyalty and person you have respected for several
millennia. Talanus and Ysis manage the Kerington area with an efficiency that has made it the
most powerful of all those over whom you extend your authority and that is why you entrusted
them with the Springfield area during your war with the first Mellindra Circle. If you kill them,
them as their angel, you will lose major assets in the power game that will lead you to the
advent of a Great Change applied worldwide. I saw with satisfaction the severity of the faces
turning into a more thoughtful expression, as if the arguments I was making finally opened a gap
in their armor. - Imagine the reaction of the vampires of the region when you announce our
execution? No one will understand and you yourself will have helped create the chaos you
dread. "It would be enough for us to let the sound of a dangerous mission that you have been
assigned and from which you would never return," said the mouse-headed man. An icy shiver
ran me back to this idea. It was indeed a solution to liquidate us in peace. Think... Think... A
look at Blodwyn gave me the idea of a counter-argument. - The authority of the Greats rests on
your ability to enforce laws relentlessly, but not only. The vampire community respects you
because you do not abuse your power, because you are righteous. Imagine the rumor
spreading that this mission was just a decoy masking our execution? As no one is aware of
what happened with the De Castelcourts and Talanus and Ysis have always carried out the task
assigned to them, we will not understand your decision and you will begin to doubt. I smiled with
satisfaction as I saw folds of annoyance and anxiety on the foreheads of all the Greats,
including Blodwyn. She seemed to be thinking at full speed, her eyes pointing to Egire, who did
not look more advanced than she did. Even "Shark Face" didn't look as assured as it was at the
beginning of our interview. It was time to give them the argument that would definitely tip the
balance on my side. - The law has been flouted, of course, and punishment is needed. But
rather than exemplary punishment, would it not be preferable in your pursuit to make it
something sensible? I offer you my life, voluntarily, in exchange for the life of my friends. The
fault lies mainly in my birth thirty years ago now. Kill me and this mistake will be fixed without
anyone being able to blame you. The struggle intensified behind me, I still dared not take a look
at it. However, I clearly heard a "No, Sam!" being yelled, the sound being attenuated by the
hand being crushed on the mouth of the one who had uttered it. While Talanus took care of my
companion, helped by Finn, and the Greats deliberated again, Ysis came to my side. - Sam... It
was the first time she called me that... I bit my lip, notifying her devastated expression. - I
promised her I'd protect you, I can't let you do that. Realizing that she wanted to talk about
Lethalée, I smiled nicely at her: - She also told you to trust my instincts. Now it's blowing to me
that I'm doing the right thing. She let out a big sob and before the shock of her emotion seized
me, she took me in her arms and hugged me very hard against her. At first, I was too ringed to
return the favor, but after a few seconds, I executed. It was strange... Ysis was only supposed to
be eight or nine years older than me, but I felt like it was my mother who rocked me and
reassured me... This sensation made me close my eyes and forget for a moment where we
were. For a moment, I was once again a little girl who regained her courage by inspiring the
most reassuring perfume in the world: that of her mother. For a moment only... - I never thought
I'd say that one day, but now I want to curse the Night for choosing you knowing where it's going
now. You deserved to live happily ever after. My smile in Ysis was this time largely forced. - We
have made our decision! yelled Egire to remind us of him and his acolytes. I quickly turned my
head to Phoenix. He no longer struggled, belted that he was by Talanus and gagged by Finn,
but he stared at me with such despair that I felt my heart crack in a million pieces in my ribcage.
It didn't matter what Egire was going to say now, he couldn't break me any more than I was after
betraying Phoenix's hopes of saving my life, making his a hell of loneliness. - Samantha
Watkins, for having been transformed outside the rules imposed by law and to be the last
descendant of a cursed lineage, you will die... I knew it, but the verdict knocked me out anyway.
I wanted to vomit at the thought of my head on the log before it was detached from my body by
a silver axe. Even though I was immune to this metal that could not pierce my heart, I could not
see how to survive a beheading. I had to inhale and exhale several times to make the bright
spots dancing in front of my field of vision disappear. - ... But after listening to your arguments
as well as those of your ardent defenders, and after seeing their accuracy, we decided to let
your co-defendants live. François Caron, his human wife and the representative of the Mellindra
Circle will not be worried either. (He stood up and bowed respectfully to me, in general
amazement) Although I would have preferred your survival to your death because of the many
qualities you possess, I accept the decision that has been made against you. I just wanted you
to know that this voluntary sacrifice on your part means that all of us here respect you. I marked
a time of surprise, increasing even more when all the other Greats nodded. Ysis took my hand. I
swallowed. - When? I couldn't say anything else, the ball stuck in my throat prevented me from
doing so. - We're going to take you to the dungeons for safety. The execution will take place in
two hours. I bit my lip so I wouldn't scream. My legs were cotton, my legs were frozen in my
back, my head was spinning and my heart was ready to explode; I would have thought myself
much braver in the face of death. There was nothing left to do except hope that the Great would
keep their promise by sparing the man whom I had finally decided to look at. A great guilt
crushed me when we stood up and when I signed Talanus and Finn to release their prisoner.
We were only a few steps away from each other, but it radiated such anger that it was as if he
were already far from me, as if I had already lost him. His shoulders were rising and bending, a
sign that he was trying to control himself... difficulty. - Phoenix... I missed failing when he
pierced me with his gaze marked by the pain of betrayal. - How could you negotiate such a
deal?! he spat. I scoffed at an unintelligible answer. - HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!
he yelled, not caring that we were the center of general attention. - I... I saved you! I end up
retaliating, though miserably. I thought I was going astray in the middle of a nightmare when my
angel of the night began a sneer that turned into a laugh of demented, much like that of Jack
Nicholson in Shining. Even Finn looked at him with astonishment, as if he expected to have to
force a straitjacket to take him to see an exorcist. - You always do it at your head... he resumed
in a strange murmur. You never listen to me, it is to believe that you have no confidence in me,
that you do not respect me. I took the fly. The Phoenix I had in front of me was bitter and hurtful,
I didn't want to die knowing that he thought that about me. It hurt too much. - If you remember
correctly, I trusted you long before you opened up to me. I would have followed you with my
eyes closed to the end of the world if you had asked me to. "And yet you refuse to believe in us!
-How can you say that?! I said, crushed by a new attack of the white-hot blade. Phoenix stared
at me mercilessly. - And you, how can you propose your life against mine by imagining that I will
accept this despicable market?! I frowned, a little lost. He continued; his eyes illuminated with
an apocalyptic rage of which I was originally. "You belong to me; I belong to you. Have you
forgotten it?! - Of course not! But unlike you, I did not harbor the hope of convincing the Greats
to keep me alive! All I could do was stop them from hurting the people I love, starting with you!
He shook his head. - You still don't understand. Suddenly he shifted his attention to Blodwyn. " I
know that among yours, you are the one who is listened to the most, so I ask you for a favor.
Blodwyn stared at him. A foreboding insinuated itself into my Mind. - Speak. - I would like you to
go back to the decision that was made. She laughs, with an unbearable squeaky laugh. - The
decision was collegial; your partner will die. Phoenix stood so upright that I felt like he had
grown another ten centimeters. - I do not question her execution... but my survival. Immediately,
a concert of shocked voices rose in the room, starting with mine and Finn's, who ordered the
Greats to ignore this ridiculous request. Forgetting his aura of fury, I rushed to him and grabbed
his shirt, conjuring him not to continue this path. I sacrificed myself to save him, if he died, it
would not make sense. -You must live! Please! For me! I cried. I expected him to toss me with
disdain as he had done before, but he took me by surprise by locking me up against him and
placing his mouth against mine with unheard-of violence. Despite the situation, I could only
return his kiss with a force equaling my despair and when he strayed from me, I felt like I was
out of breath. - For you I am ready for anything. But not to that, he says simply. By drowning in
his azure eyes, I realized that I had made a mistake in putting him as a done deal because I
realized that if our roles had been reversed, I would have reacted in the same way. I wish I'd
died with him. As he contemplated me with this unconditional love that bound us, I saw that he
had noticed my understanding of his position. I kissed him again and backed away to give him
free rein. - Your decision, Blodwyn? She had scrupulously observed us during our exchange
and did not seem surprised by my turnaround. - I have never experienced Absolute Love and
somehow, seeing your reaction tonight, I am happy. Nevertheless, I respect you, angel, and I
grant you your request. Finn was raging while Talanus and Ysis remained silent, their faces
grave. They understood better than anyone what Phoenix had asked for. - Take the accused to
the dungeon! ordered Egire. Hand in hand, ignoring the outburst of anger of the oldest vampire
on earth, we let ourselves be guided to the place of our respite, waiting to join that of our
destiny.
*
It was the first time I set foot in the dungeons of the villa. As I had imagined, they were dark,
unwelcoming (logical) and smelled of fear and blood. There were a dozen cells, some larger
than others, all decorated with silver chains and shackles, all with bars of the same material
allowing guests to have a grandiose view of all the instruments of torture hanging on the wall
opposite. I shudder when I think back to the treatment Karl Sarlsberg had undergone in the
cellar of Scarborough Castle, left in the care of his adoptive father, Finn, to make him confess
the name of his creator. I had been forced to run out of the premises after throwing up in a
bucket because I couldn't stand the screams and blood squirting in my face. Before their
execution, Karl and Ichimi, who were being held here, had seen up close the instruments we
were passing... - Come in there, said one of the five guards who were escorting us. I obey,
followed by Phoenix. The cell was empty. No bench, no bed, nothing, except the silver chains. -
I guess there is no need to tie you up. Phoenix looked at the man who had spoken, who
shrivelled over himself. - Would you doubt our word? The man lowered his head slightly as a
sign of respect. - Definitely not. - So leave us. We won't try to run away. The door closed in a
thud, and the guards walked away. I did not see them, but I assumed that several of them had
been stationed in front of and behind the entrance to the dungeons. - It's just us now. I didn't
know what to say to him, so I just sat in a corner, against the lead wall of the cell, raising my
knees to put my head on it and closing my eyes to imagine that all this was just a horrible
nightmare from which I would soon wake up. I felt him sit by my side, silently. So we sat there
side by side, saying nothing for a while, until the need for him became too pressing for me to
continue to ignore him. Without warning, I huddled against his torso, breathing in his twilight
smell so reassuring. He passed an arm around my shoulders and kissed my top of the skull. It
took many minutes before I finally decided to break the silence I had imposed on us to ask a
silly but necessary question: - Do you think we will have time to suffer? At this point, this kind of
questioning served only to anguish, but as all courage seemed to have deserted me, I had to
pronounce it aloud so I'm reassured. - It's very fast. -Do you think that? I'm silent. I was stupid,
or morbid... or both. -What do you want to know? - Nothing. I'm an idiot. - Sam... He had not
scolded or seemed exasperated. He was waiting... - All right. You think we'll be together...
After? I did not think it necessary to clarify things, Phoenix would understand the allusion. In
fact, I realized that I didn't even know if he himself believed in an "after" and if so, which side of
it would be sent to us. For my part, I doubted that we would be sent to Paradise and I dreaded
Hell if it was to suffer tortures even worse than the pain of transformation. And even if I wished
with all my strength that we would stay together on the other side, if there was any chance that
one of us would escape the devil's clutches, I would have liked it to be him. There was a
silence, then: - Forever, remember? I closed my eyes as I felt his fingers caressing my scalp. -
To say that we could not even get to the end of our bond ceremony. - I don't need a ceremony
to consider you my wife. His deep, hard voice made me shudder. It was still crazy to be able to
experience desire on death row! I stood up anyway. - And I don't need a ceremony to consider
you my husband. We kissed at length, as if nothing existed except our two melted bodies in
each other. I tasted the scent of his skin and caressed his fingers on mine, so that his touch
would be imprinted in my flesh so that I would carry it with me to the afterlife. At the same time, I
rubbed every detail of his perfect face in my mind so that it would be focused only on him and
not on the executioner's axe when he felled it on my offered neck. We also spoke at length
about our respective feelings, indulging in each other until between us remains only a blank
page of all the secrets that we had not yet entrusted ourselves. Thus, huddled together against
each other, Talanus and Ysis found us, when, believing that they had left us alone enough time,
they had decided to join us to support us in our last moments. Phoenix came to shake his hand,
which Talanus offered him, and humbly received the confession of friendship from his superior,
speaking for the occasion with an unusual warmth. As they spoke, I had once again
experienced, through the bars, a maternal embrace from my area manager whose emotion was
betrayed by the flashes of light that zebraized his emerald pupils. "This is all so unfair," she
sniffed. I departed from her, not only to check that I had of course sniffed her, but also to stop
her compressing my ribs to blow them involuntarily. "It will be up to you to make sure that you
help them make this world fairer," I said. I trust you'll make it. She stared at me strangely. - You
are one of the wisest people I have ever met, Samantha Watkins. This world won't be so
beautiful without you. I was extremely touched by his compliment. - Thank you, Ysis. This time it
was I who took the initiative to take her in my arms and she was taken by surprise. This woman
was as ruthless as she was mysterious, but she showed me that she could also be
compassionate and demonstrative with the people she cherished and loved. - Where is Finn?
The Phoenix question reminded us of reality. Talanus replied: - He was still trying to convince
the Greats to spare you both when we left the Great Hall. He was freaking me out, he was out of
it. If the vampire who frightened me the most in the world had the "fear" of someone other than
him, I really had enough to fuel my nightmares. - Blodwyn doesn't like it, there's always been
some kind of competition between them. "I doubt she'll be impressed, even if there's
something," Ysis says. Phoenix nodded. - That's nice of him, but it's useless. I put a hand on his
arm. - It only proves how much you mean to him. He said to me: - How much we mean to him.
You're part of his lineage now. I didn't care, but I smiled at him, to please him. Our last hour of
respite continued to flow, inexorably, and although I urged myself to calm down to die with
dignity, I could not prevent my hands from shaking. I'd put them in my pockets so it wouldn't be
seen., but Phoenix found a much more effective solution: he imprisoned one of them in his own
and held it until it was time to come and get us. When the door creaked to warn us that the time
had come to say goodbye, my tremors had calmed down slightly, even though my nerves were
still at the edge of the breaking point. While I expected to see one of the guards come to us to
open the door of our cell, it was Finn who found us, his face closed and the soft gait of a
predator ready to jump at the throat of any potential victim. Nothing in his expression suggested
him, but I thought I detected in him a mixture of anger and exaltation. My vampiric abilities
allowed me to better perceive the emotions of the people around me, but the ones I saw in Finn
were so contradictory that I thought that my inner compass must have failed, which would not
have been the first time. When he got to our level, he growled before speaking. - There is
nothing to do, they don't want to know anything. Rather than trying to overcome their fears, they
hide behind a frozen rule enacted after a tragedy that occurred hundreds of years earlier, and
which human evolution had largely helped to correct. You don't have to come out of a great
university to understand that genetics has made you more resistant to the call of blood than
your ancestors were! He was angry as he looked at me, as if I were at fault. Instead of making
you powerful allies, they'd rather kill you! What a bunch of morons! We all shuddered when we
heard him insult them; he was surely the only one in the world who had the courage to have the
courage while guards were listening to us fifty meters away. - This Blodwyn is so obsessed with
her laws that she would kill our entire race to enforce them. - Isn't that a pretty good sign? Finn
made a grimace that indicated to me that I was the last of the gourds for daring to utter such
nonsense. - And you're the one who's telling me that! - In any case, thank you for fighting for us,
My... (Phoenix took over) father. Its creator froze for a moment and stared at him without me
being able to capture any of his emotions. He was truly a master in the art of self-control. It
didn't matter, I captured my companion's and felt all the respect and affection he gave him by
calling him that, perhaps for the first and last time. Finn suddenly stood up and headed out. "
Where are you going? He did not answer his son and disappeared without a look back. -Do you
think he's leaving? I asked, forbidden. "I rather believe that he will isolate himself for a moment
to give himself the strength to endure the spectacle of killing his lineage without seeming weak
in the face of the Greats," reasoned Ysis. It made sense. Turning a person into a vampire was a
difficult act with a low chance of success, hence the importance attributed to him. In several
thousand years, Finn had had the opportunity to create dozens of creatures of the night, but he
had only done so with Phoenix. I could easily imagine how painful it must have been for him.
Unlike me, he would outlive him, and he must live every day knowing that he was no longer.
Although I was fundamentally less important than he was, the fact that Finn tried to speak for
me proved that he did not consider me to be a negligible quantity either. It wasn't much, but
already a lot for a vampire like him. I was just hoping that he would overcome this pain and
continue to use his wisdom to help the Greats implement the Great Change as he had done in
dialogue with the Beijing Area Chief. We could no longer say goodbye to him, but everything
had been said in those few seconds together. There was no need to do more. Moreover, as
soon as I had finished this thought, the door opened again. Several noises of footsteps
indicated that it was not Finn who came back to see us, but that it was two guards of the Great
who came to pick us up to lead us before the axes of the executioners. Phoenix had not let go
of my hand and I hugged my fingers in his. He looked at me and smiled at me with a smile
brimming with love, a smile I had never dared to dream of when I imagined that I would one day
meet someone who loves me and accepts me as I was. Phoenix had offered me more than that
and showed it to me at that very moment. I decided that this smile would be the image I would
take with me when I died. It was the last thing I saw before the world collapsed around me and
dragging me into nothingness.
*
A high-pitched ringing in my ears prevented me from regaining my footing, at the same time as
my eyelids suddenly seemed to have suddenly become too heavy for me to hope to lift one day.
Sam! I cried when I heard the voice trying to cover the buzz. She only managed to accentuate it
to the point of giving me the impression that my head was going to split in two. - Sam, open your
eyes! Had I gone back in time when I woke up after my transformation into a vampire? I could
hear the same words, the same velvet voice... - Phoenix! My own voice appeared to me like a
hoarse croak and when I wanted to grow a strand of my hair that had slipped from my cheek
into my mouth, I was surprised at the sensation of a sticky liquid covering my fingers. I opened
my eyes, more to spot Phoenix than to understand what was going on. He was kneeling next to
me, his white shirt stained with blood from a wound to his head that was already healing. - My
God! But what happened? Are you hurt? Phoenix helped me sit down. I had abruptly closed my
eyes to suppress a sudden nausea and to make the black spots that obscured my field of vision
disappear. -How do you feel? He asked me without answering my questions. - I... I was going to
say I was fine, but when I touched my face, I realized there was blood smeared. - I think
something fell on me and broke my nose. - We were lucky. The whole villa fell on us. -Well? I
opened my eyes and made sure that my eyelids remained in their place and did not fold down to
prevent me from seeing for myself what my companion had just told me. - My God... He was
right. The villa had literally fallen on our heads. The floor of the ground floor had collapsed and
had engulfed the cells at the bottom of the dungeons. Huge debris littered the ground all over
the place and I wondered how what was left of the ceiling still stood in balance above us. I could
even discern the base of the crystal chandelier that had fallen from the white ceiling of the top
floor! It wasn't an earthquake; we weren't in Los Angeles... I frowned as I watched Phoenix help
Talanus free Ysis from a large concrete block that trapped her legs. In history, we had owed our
release to this enormous mass that had come from its foundations by taking with it the bars of
our prison. But what had happened? Before everything fell apart, we listened to the guards get
closer to us. Not a crack had announced the arrival of the disaster. It was too sudden. - An
explosion... I murmured, struck by the obvious. I did not have the opportunity to think any longer
about the matter because a groan coming from the front door of the dungeons caught my
attention. Coming to the origin of the noise, I had a reflex of recoil when I noticed the awful
scene that was available to my sight. Of the two guards who had come to pick us up, only one
was still alive. From the first I could see only the trunk and legs protruding from a huge block of
concrete which, in the way the blood had splattered the wall opposite, suggested that he had
reduced his head to mush. The flash decomposition had already begun. The second writhed in
pain like one of the silver bars of the cell next to which he had passed, had impaled it in the
stomach before driving himself deep into a wall. The man was coughing up blood and although
he would not die in this way, the pain he was suffering must have been abominable. I felt my
legs whip, but luckily the adrenaline was too ubiquitous in my body for me to sit idly by. - I'm
going to get you out of here, but I'd rather warn you, it's going to hurt a lot. Indeed, I had no
choice but to "slide" this man along the metal bar that martyred him to free him. Because of the
weakness of silver and the suffering he would not have failed to experience, he had not been
able to do so himself. - Three, I'll straighten you up. Ready? He merely clenched his teeth. -
One, two, three! A chilling howl twisted my eardrums. - Put your arm on my shoulder.
Staggering, on the verge of fainting, he executed. - I think it's better to act as if you're being
taken a bandage. Remove quickly, so it doesn't hurt for as long. I said it like that, just when the
idea had germinated in my mind. The guy stared at me like I was crazy to bind. I didn't give him
time to insult me and with my super-speed, I made sure to reach the end of the bar in a second
at most. The injured man had not screamed, he would not have been able to do it anyway. He
collapsed on the floor, spraying me with blood, as he had brushed the whole bar, and leaving a
few pieces of intestines and other things that I did not try to identify. Phoenix had witnessed the
operation from afar and after ensuring that Ysis was safe and sound in Talanus' arms, he joined
me. "Are you alright?" he said, taking a brief look at the bar and the victim, whose disgusting
gaping hole was already closing. I shrugged my shoulders, a little confused by the way I
handled this carnage. Normally, I should have already been on my knees trying to vomit to
redact this vision of horror, but I could thank my dark side that mitigated the shock to allow me
to move forward. "It was an explosion," I said. Phoenix nodded. He had concluded the same
thing as me. - So, gas line or nightmarish option? His expression bewitched. He fully understood
what I was getting at. - I am afraid that the gas lines have been checked recently and that the
nightmarish option is the only plausible one. I sighed as I went to help the guard, who had just
regained consciousness, to get up. He was lucky, the soft tissues of the abdomen were the
ones that healed the fastest, unlike the bones. He wouldn't be in very great shape, but at least
he could walk. - You must go and see how they got out of there. Finn may be dying. A flash of
anguish ran through his irises when I evoked his creator. He meant a lot to him, we had to find
him. I told Talanus, who was approaching us carrying his companion in his arms. I had a bad
feeling. The latter had to see my anxious air and shook a little more the love of his life against
him. - The concrete block crushed his leg bones. It'll heal, but not for several hours. - I must... I
must... We all shifted our attention to the surviving guard. - I must protect... My... Masters. The
Greats had sentenced me to death without trying to verify that I was really a threat to them.
They considered me a dangerous tare for their species, a defect that had to be eradicated in
order to preserve the balance of the community, or theirs... I might as well have decreed that
they should be left to their fate in the end. "Let's go," I said, picking up his gun, "a large rifle with
a shoulder strap that would allow me to slip it behind my back." Phoenix had to use his strength
to get us through the big lead door that was already half deflated. Behind, we found several
charred corpses still smoking, confirming our theory of explosion. The dungeon door had saved
us from the breath of it. It took patience and flexibility to get up the stairs to the ground floor,
which had been half vaporized at the same time as our contemporaries. Arriving at the top of
the steps with my burden, I hiccupped with a horrified surprise. From the luxurious villa I knew,
all that remained were swathes of charred walls, watered by the pipes that leaked from all over
the place. The beautiful black-and-white tiling of our guests' main hallway was littered with
ceiling debris and various objects from all the rooms that had collapsed on top of each other.
You could clearly see through the holes of the partitions still standing the gravel driveway that
passed through the small wood surrounding the area to hide it from the outside world, and I
expected to hear soon the sirens of fire trucks and ambulances rushing to a place to which they
had never had access before, only to discover that it was a landmark of the creatures most
feared of human nightmares. The starry sky was above us, seeming to greet us with its
incredible beauty when no cloud came to hide it. The sailors of the Titanic had to admire the
same kind of sky before finding themselves nose in an iceberg. It would make hearts feel better
than dying on a beautiful starry night. Pooh! Phoenix opened the march through the rubble to
the great hall where we assumed the Greats were, stopping from time to time to pick up pistols
and knives from the corpses of the guards we met who were already withering. Armed with two
knives and my rifle, I watched any suspicious movement in the shadows to cover the backs of
the man who had mechanically regained the reflexes of his function as an angel. I couldn't help
but glance at him in the back door to admire him. His assured approach despite the danger and
the mortal grace he exuded impressed me as well as his natural way of taking the lead. Phoenix
was a leader of men at heart, he had that in his blood, and I would have blindly followed him to
Hell if I had to. Hell... Maybe we were already there. The whole villa had collapsed on its
foundations destroyed with explosives. - Are they only still alive? I did not expect an answer to
my question and no one answered me. We were all moving forward in anguish at what we were
about to discover. Vampires are extremely resistant, but when several tons of rubble fall on your
head when it hasn't already been reduced to dust in the initial explosion, you can't expect a
miracle. Just before we reached the great hall, we came across a survivor who scrambled to
point his gun at us without worrying that the arm that was holding it was attached to the rest of
his body by only a few tendons. - Stop, Milton! They want to help us! I kept pestering inwardly
against the weight of the man I was helping to walk since we left the dungeons, but in the end, it
was very useful to us to avoid being shot without warning when we had nothing to do with this
attack. The man named Milton accepted that Phoenix would help him get up by grabbing him by
the other arm, and engaged with us to our destination. It is not known how, the large lead gates
of Talanus and Ysis were still standing and we opened them carefully, asking the guards of the
Greats to pass in front to avoid being shot stupidly. Fortunately, this was not the case even
though the word "fortunately" was not really appropriate in the present situation. The wall
separating the large room from the garden on the street side was still complete, although it was
pierced with holes of varying size in several places, especially where there had been windows.
There was a piece of ceiling and wall left near the old apartments of my area chiefs and I
assumed that was what saved the survivors who were trying to free themselves from the debris
that hindered their movements. Among them, I counted three Great: Egire, the blond belligerent
and Shark Face, as well as five guards. Face of shark pretended to want to attack us despite his
broken leg whose bone protruded from the flesh, but our new companions prevented him by
assuring him that we had not come to finish them off. The young blond preferred instead to
inquire about Ysis' health and, reassured by his weak but determined voice, he listened as Egire
to the arguments of our saviors. "I stayed with them all the time, they couldn't set off this
explosion," defended the man I had de-almed and whose name I had forgotten. "Don't be
stupid, Eugene! Maybe they had accomplices! I let Phoenix and Talanus snarl at the stupidity of
this so-called wise man convinced of its importance. It was clear that we were of a rare
intelligence to want to kill the Greats by finding ourselves in a situation where we should have
died too. What a moron! So I didn't care because a movement on my right made me draw my
rifle in the direction of a pile of gravas as big as a car. Milton saw me and immediately placed
himself on my side to cover me. - Wow... I put my rifle back on my shoulder, and put a hand in
my hair to clear it from my face. I needed to have clear eyesight and mind to handle it. -
Mistress... Milton had emitted more of a choked sound than a real word. I could understand, the
show that was open to us was not beautiful to see. Blodwyn was stuck from the shoulders under
the pile of rubble that we had just bypassed, which led me to assume that if we could get her out
of there, she would have plenty of time to suffer when all the bones in her body took days to
heal. As for her head... In addition to being crushed, Blodwyn had taken a piece of debris to her
skull, which had opened her in half, allowing a few pieces of brain and cerebrospinal fluid to
escape to the ground. Yuck! Milton knelt beside her and with infinite care worked to bring the
edges of her cranial box closer to heal them faster. The process began immediately and even
though I did not carry this naughty redhead in my heart, I was impressed by its power. Every
teenager she seemed, she had a hard head... a bit like her heart... which would explain many
things... - You must get her out of there," I said, putting my hands on my hips to take stock of
the work to be done. Hey! My cry made Phoenix, Talanus and their opponents turn towards me.
- When you're done squabbling over our possible role in this, you might be able to help me save
Blodwyn. Egire was the first to react, followed by all the others. To all of us, in a few minutes we
were able to identify the only female element of the Greats group. - We must find the one who
did this and make him pay for it! enraged Shark Face. I gave him a goofy smile. - So that's not
us terrorists anymore? If he wanted to impress me with his eyes laden with poisoned arrows, it
was a failure. It didn't make me hot or cold. - Where is Finn? An icy shiver ran through my spine.
Phoenix's harsh but anguished questioning reminded me that we hadn't seen its creator since
he told us he hadn't managed to save us. Maybe he was dead somewhere under the rubble...
Silence was silenced, as if to silence the macabre evidence. Then: - I'm here, Phoenix. Through
one of the huge holes in the wall of the great hall, I saw my father-in-law stop walking in the
lawn of the garden from which he came. Our hearing allowed us to hear it despite the distance. -
You're okay? Were you ejected by the explosion? Even so far away, I saw his affectionate
smile. The bond of love and respect between Finn and Phoenix was very moving so he should
have warmed my heart with the paternal feelings he assumed... There, I felt a deep unease.
Finn had no sign of injury and his clothes were as immaculate as when he put them on at
sunset. Not the kind of someone who has just been blown up by an explosion... - I'm fine and
I'm glad to see that you and your partner have come out of it. It was too quiet, too... I do not
know. Phoenix took a step in his direction and, without knowing why, I blocked his way. - Wait.
He stared at me, perplexed. - What? I was always watching Finn, who had stopped at the edge
of the gravel driveway that surrounded the villa. -I don't know. Something's not right. "How many
Greats are still alive?" asked the latter, without seeming in the least affected by the situation.
"Don't answer," I breathed, "so that only Phoenix hears me." He frowned, visibly thinking I was
crazy. - Egire, Gant, Ferars and Blodwyn. Blodwyn is hurt. I clearly saw a pout of annoyance
affecting the neutral expression displayed so far on Finn's face. "Something is wrong," I said,
even louder. "You should all join me here," said Finn, without giving Phoenix time to talk to me.
A violent shiver shook me. He looked at me, then looked at his adoptive father. His expression
suddenly became suspicious. - Why? The other surprised him. - Why? "You heard me right.
Why do you want people to come near you? In the open, I thought. The wall of the room was as
much a threat as a protection for us and I did not know why, I suddenly felt much more
comfortable to stay behind him, away from the garden. - You still don't want to stay under a
ceiling about to collapse. His tone, which was meant to be sanctimonious but reassuring,
triggered in me an irrational fear that caused the veins in my neck to pulsate. I swallowed,
paralyzed. Phoenix noticed my trouble and in a second had dragged me out of Finn's sight,
where the wall was still full. "What is wrong with you?" he said, only to be heard by me. I
gasped, suffocating with a panic whose origin I could not understand. - This is not normal. -
You've said that before. His voice was dry, but I understood that he did not blame me. His
tension was due to the incomprehension of my behavior. I didn't know what to say to him except
that my instincts were telling me that we shouldn't set foot on this lawn. I glanced at our fellow
survivors. Everyone watched me with astonishment and bewilderment. Yet not one had
sketched any movement towards the exit, as if their own instincts were blowing them to follow
mine. - He is not injured, his clothes are not torn. Phoenix had to expect me to say more, but I
couldn't. He kissed me on the forehead. - Stay there. He then repositioned himself at the level of
the big hole to face his creator. - How come you are not hurt or even shocked? "What do you
mean, son?" - Where were you, father, when everything exploded? There was a silence. "What
exactly do you suspect me of?" Or rather, what does your partner suspect me of? His voice had
been hard and bitter, far from the affectionate tone borrowed previously. - Nothing. That is the
problem; like me, she can't figure out your intentions. - My only intention for you is to save your
life. I saw Phoenix tilting his head to the side. He was studying Finn. "Perhaps," he said at last.
And what about the others? Another silence fills the air. I felt my ghost heart beat like crazy in
my ribcage, filling my ears and mind with a brouhaha of panic. I had to shake myself, I had to
get to Phoenix. I put all my will in the company to force my muscles to advance towards my
goal. I got there just before Finn gave his answer: - It's time for them to pass the hand. I could
clearly hear the rattling of the weapons we were playing and the hushed steps of the guards
who were positioning themselves behind us to aim at him whose serene expression made me
cold in the back. Everyone had grasped the meaning of his sentence. Passing the hand simply
meant the transfer of power, and since it was foolish to think that the survivors of the Greats
would agree to give up their place, it was easy to conclude that they would be executed for this
purpose. - You want to take power, then. Phoenix's voice was neutral and calm. It was even
more dangerous than when it was freezing. I could not imagine how he must have felt in the
face of this adoptive father who simply asked him to condone murder. Once again, he had just
been betrayed by his closest entourage. He had had a hard time recovering from Karl's falsity,
which he considered a brother, so from Finn... - I want above all to save our world from the
destruction to which the Greats lead us. I frowned. His sentence gave me the impression of déjà
vu, or of déjà already heard rather: "You will save vampires from destruction." What was this
story? "But what are you talking about?"! Without the Council and their laws, it would have been
hundreds of years since we had all killed each other for human control! Phoenix was clenching
his fists as well as the knuckles of his fingers were all white. - Before maybe. But it is clear that
this time is over. - I can't believe you're saying that. You participated in their work, you got
involved in the drafting of their laws! I felt that my companion was losing his composure. So I
took his hand in mine and immediately he opened his fist to slide his fingers between mine. Finn
did not lose a crumb. - I suspected that the Council had become corrupt when it condemned you
last year. How could he decide to kill their best lieutenants?! It was unthinkable. - They could not
overstep their rights just to save them, they would have discredited themselves! I am a little
shocked by his reasoning. - It doesn't matter. There, is not the main thing. I was convinced of
their betrayal when they imposed the extension of the great change application area. It was not
necessary to be in their heads to glimpse the future: its global advent. Phoenix looked at his
father as if he had lost his mind. - A betrayal? It is the Great Change that has helped to ease
tensions between the factions, it is it that has allowed the Secret to continue to this day! - I do
not deny its usefulness. I only disapprove of his irrevocability. Its global application will trigger a
war that will destroy us. The leaders of the free zone are ready to rise, our world is about to
change because of the stubbornness of ten ideologues disconnected from the needs of their
subjects. Their obsession will lead us into a murderous conflict and by my position, I must
prevent them from doing so. I felt a wave of anger overwhelm me and my eyes turn red while
the light was finally in my mind as to the deep motivations hidden under this speech of holiness.
- And what have you just triggered there, now? You may think that all vampires will believe in
your baloney and kneel before you to offer you their freedom and conscience on a platter?
Ichimi was finally more lucid than us, he had pierced you up to date by saying that power only
attracted you to yourself! If you have always refused to be a member of the Council, it was
because you could not bear to have your decisions discussed, so you waited until your time.
You were waiting for the right moment to overthrow them, a moment like this, when tensions
were rising to their maximum due to the transition of China and Brazil to the Great Change. (At
the same time as I spoke, I was thinking at full speed to complete my accusations, which I was
certain of the veracity; everything was held) All these trips, these trips to Siberia, the Amazon
and elsewhere... You went to the temperature to find out if your coup would be accepted and
when Phoenix called you to tell you about our situation, you saw it as a unique opportunity to
get rid of your enemies without taking too many risks! In the Balkans you had no chance of
overcoming their fortress. You wanted an empire, you used us to get it here! A deathly silence
followed my words. Phoenix was grinding my hand without stopping to stare at his creator, jaws
clenched to explode. The pupils of the latter were pointed in my direction and zebras of
countless flashes to the point that I wondered when they were going to come out of their orbits
to attack me, so angry they were. Yet he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and it was with
calm that he addressed his son. - Join me. My companion shuddered, I felt it, but it was too
subtle for anyone else to notice. - Will you be our new leader? Finn seemed surprised by his
request, but answered all the time: - It takes a strong leader to save us from chaos. Power
requires wisdom and experience, and my age has given them both to me. So I'm in the best
position to make the right decisions. - What will they be? I urged myself not to let anything
appear of the tension that was starting to drive me crazy so that Phoenix's strategy would
continue to work. Already, taking advantage of the protection afforded to them by the armed
guards who targeted Finn and the screen of the remaining wall of the great hall, Milton and
Eugene had begun to open a discreet way to evacuate the Greats while he made him speak, we
learned as much as possible about his short-term intentions. - I intend to first make the rest of
the community accept the change of power. - By murdering your opponents, I suppose?
squeaked I, out of me. Finn continued to ignore me. Pissed me off even more. - I trust in the
intelligence of our fellow human beings. They will understand that my action was necessary to
save them. My rageometer climbed to shades of explosive red. How many dictators had
positioned themselves in history as the "saviour" of their people? How many had they eliminated
innocent people just to keep "saving" them? How I blamed myself for not having seen earlier the
true nature of this man whom only our worst enemy had managed to break through. Ichimi had
taken Finn's example to weave the canvas that would bring down his rivals. Only his model had
succeeded. - So that's your goal to save us. I risked a worried glance towards Phoenix. He
wasn't going to gobble up his lies?! - It always has been, contrary to what your partner claims. -
Her name is Sam and you can talk to her directly. Finn took a very convincing repentant
expression when he looked at me: - Excuse me, I did not want to disrespect you. Despite what
you seem to think of me, know that I don't want to hurt you, on the contrary. I value you and
admire your power. I will be very honored if you use your abilities to help me build a better world
where you and Aydan could freely love each other. I need your support to offer it to you... as a
wedding gift. Finn said his old age had given him experience. He was right about the art of
persuasion. Indeed, if my instinct combined with my dark side, who knew how to recognize evil
in front of him, did not yell at me inside my head that all this was just wind, and if that same
glimmer of greed that I had already seen in Scarborough did not have him in his eyes when he
had spoken of my abilities, perhaps I would have doubted my previous accusations. Moreover,
he played on the ropes by reminding us that officially Phoenix and I were not united with each
other and that if we let chaos take hold by not supporting him in his personal crusade, we would
have little chance of doing so, because for sure, if we relied on him, we could be together
without worrying about the next day. It was almost believable... If I had been tempted to believe
it, what about the man by my side who had rubbed shoulders with him for more than a hundred
years and who stood so stiff that it would seem that the pressure that his body was under would
eventually reduce him to dust. - You don't really need us. You have enough allies, otherwise
you wouldn't have risked revealing yourself now, I reasoned. I thought he was going to dodge
again, but Finn surprised me by offering me a real smile this time that terrified me. - You are
decidedly very perceptive, my young friend. Without a precise signal from him, dozens of
vampires came out of the woods that surrounded the villa. They were all armed to the teeth,
from the swords hanging from their belts to the bazookas loaded on several shoulders; and I
was not talking about the pistols and knives that these men, mostly of Asian and African
descent, were to carry on them. In the lot, I recognized Kambale Neto as well as Javas and
Cassie, the two lovers whom we had come to suspect that they were spying on our actions on
behalf of the Great. We got it right, except for the sponsor. I assumed we owed them the bomb
from the villa. They had had to pretend to copulate in dark corners to quel at the mistrust of the
men of Hedayat in order to install their explosives. Very clever... A hateful hiss was heard
behind my back. Like me, the Great Guards had taken the measure of our numerical inferiority.
If we faced each other, we had no chance. The help of the Talanus and Ysis security service
would have been helpful, but it could be assumed that he had been silenced forever, as were
the men of the Greats who were watching him. I had a pinch in my heart thinking that Hedayat
Javan must have perished with them. I suspected since a while ago that Finn had an asset up
his sleeve, otherwise he would not have presented himself in front of us as confident, but
there ... He had it all planned out. "Are they your new friends?" asked Phoenix, in his voice as
neutral as ever. - These men understood my struggle and decided to help me in my task. And
we lived in Mickey's wonderful land... No, no, no, Did he really think we were so naïve? - Are
you going to execute us, like the Great Ones? Finn seemed genuinely offended. "I've told you
before. I want you to join me. - Why? - You are the best fighter of all sectors combined and a
leader of outstanding men. As for Samantha, once she has checked her extraordinary gift, she
will put it at the service of my work. (At my service, I translated, furious that he thus plans to
instrumentalize me for his personal glory) The three of us will change the face of the world. - Is
that all? Phoenix always seemed so calm, but as I felt one of his fingers draw circles in the palm
of my palm, I realized that the storm would soon erupt. "What do you mean by that?" - Why do
you want me to join you so badly? "You are my son. I want you by my side. The answer was
clear, clear and precise, albeit short. Phoenix stopped his circles on my palm and crushed my
fingers by pressing my hand. Ignoring the pain, I emptied my mind of all its fears, let the
adrenaline rush into all my cells and contracted all my muscles while waiting to act. - You forget
one detail, Finn. The man lost his superbness. He seemed so sure that his arguments had
struck a chord with his protégé that his remark disconcerted him. Phoenix closed his eyes,
inspired them, and then reopened them, implacablly: - I have not forgotten that it was you who
killed me. No sooner had he finished his sentence than he grabbed me in his arms and set off
like a rocket in the direction the Greats had taken while their guards opened fire on our
assailants. A glance over Phoenix's shoulder allowed me to see that these brave men fell one
after the other under the silver bullets fired by their opponents. Other gunshots rang out further
ahead and I understood that the maneuver to keep the Great Survivors out of danger had been
anticipated. When we joined them, "Shark Face" was playing Wolverine with the blades that
came out of his phalanxes and cut to pieces those of his enemies who had decided to start a
melee with him. Talanus had positioned himself behind a large block of concrete and ducked
everything in his viewfinder successfully while Ysis covered him despite his broken legs by
throwing his knives into the heart or between the eyes of his opponents. Egire made a bulwark
of his body in Blodwyn, still unconscious. All that remained was them, Milton and Eugene, since
the young blond of the Council had ended up in dust at their feet. - We're going to get
slaughtered! I cried, aware that we would soon be surrounded, and began to fire with my rifle as
soon as Phoenix had dropped me to the ground. - The garage is on the other side. They're
blocking our access. We must push them back or we're lost. No sooner had he finished his
sentence than my eyes turned scarlet red and after a rumble of totally horrific fury, I came out
from behind the pile of debris that protected us and advanced towards the opposing side without
worrying about the silver bullets that whistled around me and some of which were already
reaching me. - Sam! I heard howl at my back. In the fog of my trance, I realized that Phoenix
was going to try to rescue me, even if he was getting killed. I was immune to silver, not him. It
was now or never. With a new ferocious rumble, I mobilized in a quarter of a second all my will
to carry out my plan. A further quarter of a second later, all the men who blocked our way to our
chance of salvation, about twenty to whom Javas and Cassie had just joined, found themselves
in the air two meters from the ground and had just enough time to see their own weapons turn
to their rib cages before they spit out their deadly fire to shred their hearts. Calm suddenly
prevailed over our area, allowing us to hear the last shots that were exchanged where we had
left the elite guard of the Greats and many of whose members were still giving Finn's allies a
hard time. "The way is clear," I said in a guttural voice that I didn't even bother to analyze.
Maybe I should have. As I turned to see the condition of my companions, I saw that they were
all looking at me with their eyes coming out of their heads. Well, it was true that I was covered in
blood because of all the bullets that had pierced my heart and that my pupils had ignited at their
climax, but that was no reason to gap like this! I was going in very rude terms to tell them my
way of thinking when the usual red veil turned black and my legs slipped under my feet.
Phoenix, fortunately, caught up with me before I hit the ground. - Saint Mary, mother of God!
Egire muttered. - Don't stand there! It has just opened a path to the garage, the least we can do
is hurry to enjoy it! my porter was. - Over here, follow me! My darkened vision had not allowed
me to see Talanus dart straight ahead, but I clearly recognized his voice. - I'm closing the walk!
exclaimed Shark Face. - With Eugene, we will protect you, Master! threw Milton. I felt, being
shaken in every way, that Phoenix was running and I couldn't help but come out with a horrible
swear word about being a burden to him. Since I had not anticipated using my power as I had
done, I had not thought about the dosage of it and I had gone at full power. Anyway, I had no
idea how I did it, so from there to control anything ... As a result, my nose and ears were
bleeding and the rest of my limbs were as strong as jelly. Fortunately, these negative effects
also seemed very ephemeral because my strengths were already tingling on my toes and
fingers. The spell had decided to be a gambler since my eyesight was returned just in time to
see my rearguard explode, the shock ejecting me and Phoenix, several meters away. Still
ringing, the angry howls that followed came to me in a hashed and buzzing manner. - You're
crazy! The master said he wanted these two, alive! - I wasn't aiming for them, so give me
peace! The echo of a fight ensued. Realizing that there were only two Greats alive now, I
managed to stand up ignoring the suffering protests of all my muscles. To save Blodwyn and
Egire, I could not afford to be weak, so I pulled on my companion's arm to help him get up. "Are
you going to be okay?" Phoenix asked me with round eyes, wondering how I had gone so
quickly from a state of extreme fatigue to that of a rabid brute. - My legs are still shaking a little,
but you'll be fine, and you? He glanced behind him, notifying the various and varied splashes
showing the presence of living beings behind us just before the explosion. - He will pay. He had
announced this without a burst of voice, without anything that betrays his inner torment. Our
bond was too powerful, however, for me to miss the wave of hatred that overwhelmed him by
thinking about what he who considered himself his adoptive father had just done. We didn't
have time to add anything else because other bullets started whistling around us. The last
guards must have fallen, leaving the field open to our enemies to pursue us in the remains of
the villa. Phoenix took me by the waist, pressed me against him and I had just time to crochet
my arms around his neck before he darted down the debris, trying not to offer himself as an
easy target to those who were waiting for a mistake on our part to drill silver holes in our body.
As Talanus and Egire were ladened with their burdens, they lasted their survival only by our
intervention on the wire. Indeed, while the Roman general was scrambling to open the heavy
door of the hangar adjoining the villa where many sports cars were stored, four vampires had
managed to slip behind their backs and had just put themselves in position to shoot them all in
one fell swoop. Fortunately, Phoenix was quick and, in a flash, he had let me take care of two of
them with my knives while he beheaded the other two with his bare hands (he must have lost
his weapon when Shark Face was dead). A kick later, we engaged in the garage, taking in the
key display the ones we supposed belonged to cars, since escaping in Rolls Royce would have
been elegant but inefficient speed issue. - They're going to pick us up like rats as soon as we
get out! Egire, quite rightly, was alarmed. It was clear that Finn's troops were going to regroup
and wait for us to point our noses out of this enclosed space to send us all their artillery. "We
must separate," Phoenix said. Talanus and Ysis, you will pass first to open the way for us out of
here. Egire, you will follow closely with your car, in the middle, you will have more chances to
survive. - Where will we go? - With Talanus, we have long been ready for such a possibility.
He'll get you to safety. I should have tickled on this information, but Augustus' former comrade-
in-arms would not have lived two millennia without a safeguard. It was quite reassuring to know
that a shelter was waiting for us outside here. Egire had to come up with the same reasoning
because he went on: - All right, and Blodwyn? I had no expertise in military strategy, but the
solution seemed clear to me. - We take her with us. At least one of you must survive. We can't
risk you going in the same car. This seemed horribly cold to me, but the way everyone nodded, I
realized that there was no other choice anyway. – Let’s go. Talanus installed Ysis in the
passenger seat of a Ferrari. Phoenix turned on the engine of our Porsche while Egire helped me
drop Blodwyn, still unconscious, in the back seat. At the door he stared at me for a moment, and
then, in a soft but determined voice, he said to me: - I trust you, Samantha Watkins. If
something goes wrong, save what we've built. He didn't let me answer him and hurried to his
black Lamborghini, which he barely started sitting inside. Just in time... Our enemies had just
arrived and were beginning to spray our bodies with deadly projectiles. Talanus didn't wait a
second longer, he pressed the accelerator pedal to start and demolish the electric doors of the
garage that prevented us from getting out. Egire immediately followed in his footsteps and I did
not need to listen to the shots of machine guns and heavy weapons trying to prevent them from
escaping. When Phoenix, in turn, rushed into the garden, I wondered desperately how we could
reach the street in one piece, and even after, how we would be able to sow our pursuers
determined to destroy us. Finn had the gift of finding any vampire in the world. In the end, our
meeting point would be a reprieve; we wouldn't be safe anywhere. I bit my lip as I held on to my
seat when Phoenix hit a steering wheel to crush a guy who was aiming at us with some kind of
rocket launcher. Baby! There was no need for me to worry about our future hiding place, since
we would never get out of there. As in response to my own doubts, the car nearly overturned
when one of the shooters just missed us and I thanked the Lord for giving my driver more
patience to learn to drive decades earlier than he had had to learn how to use a computer. I also
thought I was hallucinating when the guy who had targeted us was simply beheaded by a flying
figure who had landed next to him before taking charge of him. Why was Finn killing his own
men? Did he want it to make us alive? - They're coming to the gate! The tense cry of my angel
made me use my increased vampire vision to discern Talanus's car, which had gotten ahead of
him, dodge the shots to run through the gate of the entrance and flee into the night. Egire
followed closely and only a few tens of meters separated him from freedom. I was about to
express my joy when a new explosion turned my world into a hell of barrels, folded bodywork,
and pain.
*
- Phoenix! I howled, despite my broken jaw, whose bones were rising at high speed at the same
time as my ribs. I put a hand over my face to remove the clotted blood that was blurring my
sight. The Lamborghini of Egire had been hit head-on by a bazooka shot and as we had almost
caught up with it, the shock wave had hit us. During our series of barrels, I had banged my head
against the passenger window, causing me a very inconvenient skull fracture. In addition to the
sticky liquid that had poured on my face, I had gained a big migraine! All this was nothing but
nothing apart from the panic that compressed my limbs by realizing that I was the only one to
have regained consciousness in the Porsche. So terrified that my love had been fatally shot, I
didn't even bother to notice that neither he nor Blodwyn had become dust again and forgot my
wounds and rushed me out of the dented wreckage that used to be our car to go around and
pull the driver's door out of the cockpit. I almost fainted with relief when Phoenix opened his
eyes on the ground... But kept mine open when, sensing the threat coming around us, I reacted
instinctively to protect the one that belonged to me. In a quarter of a second, I took Blodwyn out,
throwing her to the ground to grab the bottom of the car of what, in another life, had been a
gleaming blue Porsche at night. The next moment I felt the tendons of my shoulders in agony
when I sent it into the air with incredible violence, so that it would finish its race on those of
Finn's men who had had the misfortune of not being fast enough to deviate from it. I had just
flattened about a dozen of our enemies, yet there were still about fifty who closed the circle on
our last chance to escape. All of us were aimed at and thus placed before the love of my life, I
no longer hoped to save him, but just to make sure that they would be attacked on me rather
than on him. After what I had just done, I suspected that they would hasten to annihilate their
greatest threat first, namely me. - Well, what are you waiting for?! I cried out in a furious voice,
disturbed to see them lingering to stare at us rather than shoot us. I thought you wanted to kill
us all?! None answered me. It was during this silence that Phoenix stood up, holding in his arms
the last of the Great still alive, and whose slow healing put me out of my mind. To say that with
her mysterious power, she might have been able to help us get out of there! Phoenix couldn't
carry us both so if Blodwyn had the gift of stealing, we could have left the premises without
another vampire on our tail than the oldest and most determined of them: which would not have
been an easy task, by the way. In short, we were at the mercy of our opponents. -How do you
feel? I asked Phoenix, whose blood on the clothes suggested to me that the episode in the car
had caused him a lot of fractures too. He gave me a faint smile. - Like someone who will die
with the woman he loves. I fixed it with the intention of engraving every detail of his features in
my memory. He was so beautiful and dignified, even knowing that he was doomed, that I could
not help but think that his love for me was unreal as it was unexpected that a man like him was
interested in me. I wanted to tell him that I loved him, I wanted to tell him that this time spent
with him since our meeting had transformed me forever and that I thanked every day the Lord or
the Night or fate or whoever, for having led us to each other. It was what I got up to do every
morning, the one with which I fell asleep, the sun around which my existence revolved. I'm not
saying anything. Someone needed my full attention. - Why so much pessimism about your
faces? It seems to me that you are still alive... thanks to me. I stiffened up and placed myself
next to Phoenix. Neither had weapons, and no matter how hard I tried to mobilize my will to
imagine the heads of my enemies coming off their bodies, no miracle was happening. I didn't
even understand how I had done earlier to turn the machine guns against their owners. - Finn...
squeaked my neighbour on the right between his teeth, seeing him come towards us. To hear
the hatred ooze of the simple pronunciation of his first name, it might have been hard to believe
that he had once loved his creator as a son loves his father. Moreover, he made no mistake and
his triumphant pout evaporated from his mouth like snow in the sun. "You carry a very heavy
burden, my son..." he said, pointing to Blodwyn from the chin. Phoenix strengthens its grip on it.
-I can free you from it. - Instead, say you want to behead her to eradicate the last person who's
blocking you from accessing absolute power. - Unfortunately, some decisions are necessary to
restore balance. Finn denied nothing and fully assumed his betrayal. The rage that held me up
again, yet I shuddered, feeling again the same feeling of having heard this sentence
somewhere, without knowing where. - The balance was not threatened, except by past
barbarians more interested in their personal power than in the survival of their community! spat
out my companion. "You see me as a barbarian pastist," laughed Finn, "which caused his son to
grow furiously." - I see you as a traitor and a murderer! "I'm sorry you see me like this. I
sincerely wish you would join me and my men. - Never! the late Phoenix with all the disgust that
his proposal inspired him. Oddly enough, Finn seemed genuinely affected. His mask of
impassiveness had faded for a few seconds, time for him to assimilate the shock of a refusal
that he had, it seemed, not anticipated. A true master in the art of concealment, he resumed
countenance at a dazzling speed, even impressive, from someone who saw his offspring turn
against him. "You are my son! he barked. I want you by my side, as well as your partner! As if
yelling at him was going to convince him! Phoenix was far more difficult to intimidate than a five-
year-old in front of his father figure! - You turned me into a vampire and taught me everything
you knew, but you never taught me to deny my loyalty! And this one, in this case, has not been
acquired from you since you have worked hard to destroy everything I have been fighting for for
fifty years! As for my partner, she has no intention of joining the ranks of those who condone the
massacres of humans! - Rather roast in Hell! I spit with snarl, my eyes turned red under the
blow of anger. Finn clenched his fists. - If you are not with me, you are against me! And I
couldn't do anything for you! Phoenix chuckled. - Don't play operetta saviors and don't expect to
beg you to spare us! As Sam said, rather roast in Hell than witness you in this madness! A great
silence suddenly invades our circle. The sirens of the police and fire engines could only be
heard in the distance as they made their way through the traffic of the city, which remained
dense despite the late hour. Neighbours had to alert rescuers to the collapse of the villa, which
had later become a full-fled shape as a war zone. It was not long before all the response units in
the county arrived. Therefore, Finn was going to have to make a decision. His shoulders fell and
he sighed. He had made up his mind. - Very well. Know, Phoenix, that despite your obstinacy,
you keep all my affection and you, Samantha, I respect you and I regret not having the
opportunity to see your powers develop, but you will understand that I cannot risk letting you go
and that you are using your gifts against me. I raised my chin, imitating Phoenix, who had begun
to yell at him with a most hurtful disdain for his recipient. If we die, we might as well do it by
showing that we were not afraid. Finn sighed again and turned to one of his men. - No silver
bullets, she's immune. I don't want them to suffer. Kill them fast. Without waiting for the other to
nod, or to glance at us one last glance, he walked away towards the villa. The man he had
appointed gave some orders and we saw all the vampires with heavy weapons put themselves
in position. It was strange, but I didn't feel scared. As if out of my own way, I turned to Phoenix
and smiled at him. "A little while ago," he said, returning my smile. Finn said it would be quick.
He had ordered our execution, but at least he allowed us to die together and without too much
pain; it was generous of him, in a sense. Finally, from there to say thank you ... you shouldn't
have pushed. When my former father-in-law's lieutenant raised his arm so that his minions
would stand ready to shoot, I had eyes only for my angel of the night. In a second, a new world
would open up to us, made of lights or flames or perhaps nothing at all... It didn't matter, we
would leave this world forever... My time had come again, but this time I had no regrets; He
loved me. I was at peace... The air crackled around my fingers like never... There was a loud
noise and the unbearable heat that enveloped me when the bombs exploded should have made
me scream… I felt it, but it didn't hurt me... Not because I was dead, no. But because on the
contrary, I was alive and determined to remain so that the man by my side, who kept turning the
head of me to our enemies, and then our enemies, completely stunned, was saved. Too
focused apply to his shock, however, I could only understand him. At the first shot, I had
instinctively passed in front of him, my legs firmly planted in the ground, the pupils shining
brightly red, and my arms outstretched forward as if to repel a particularly aggressive assailant.
Except that in this case, the assailant was nothing but an ocean of flames that sought to
annihilate us with all the power of his hatred, without succeeding because of the force field that I
had, we do not know how, made spring from my whole body to form a protective sphere around
us. Seeing the ineffectiveness of their first attack, our opponents managed to overcome their
disbelief to organize their shots in order to maintain a sustained fire. They must have thought
that the bazookas would not be enough then, disobeying the orders of their leader, they used
the machine guns. I'm holding on. Nothing went through. Sam! Phoenix cried out to cover the
deafening noise within our relative security bubble. He stood in front of me and took my face in
his hands. I assumed that he had left the last of the Greats on the ground, behind my back, and
despite the energy I used to remain focused to maintain what I had accidentally triggered, I
could not resist the temptation to admire the perfection of his features. He was so close to me
that if I didn't fear that changing positions would weaken our protection, I would have placed my
arms around his torso to encourage him to kiss me. Obviously, I was the only one who had that
kind of idea at a time like this. "You're bleeding! I really had a problem! Phoenix was worried
about me and I was only good at staring at his lips with the desire to drink the nectar of his
desire. Damn it! Concentrate! Concentrate! - I know, but I'm afraid that if I wipe my nose, the
force field will collapse! That's it! Concrete, nothing better to come back to earth! He looked at
me with round eyes; I read about it. Was he afraid of me? - It's not just your nose! Your ears
and... your eyes are bleeding too! You're crying blood! My god... This was what had happened
earlier at the villa when my power had suddenly manifested itself at full power; my strengths had
left me just after. It only meant one thing: I wouldn't last long. I was going to tell him, but all of a
sudden, a violent pain in my head made me close my eyes, moaning in pain. Sam! Phoenix
yelled as I fell to my knees in the grass. Immediately, the force field weakened, and it took a hair
to completely give way. By a supreme effort of will, I had managed to contain the pain to repel
the flames and bullets that continued to put it to the test. This time I could clearly feel the blood
flowing from my eyes and ears; I even had the taste in my mouth ... Everything became blurry.
That's when I heard the voices. - Soon you must play the role for which I have chosen you. -
What role? - You will save the vampires from destruction... You will restore balance and save
peace... But not before we have experienced the darkest period in our history... not before killing
him. I understood that the discussion that had just taken place in my head had really existed
and that the voice broken by shouting too much was actually mine, when I was suffering a
thousand dead during the process of my transformation into a vampire. Lethalée was with me
and despite her concern for the race she had created, spoke to me affectionately. From my fog
of reminiscence, however, I heard the howls of anguish from Phoenix who, not knowing what to
do, shook my shoulders to bring me back to him. - Opens... Eyes! Sam!! ... With me! My mind
was having a hard time assimilate two conversations at the same time, everything was getting
confused. - SAM! I startled, and opened my eyelids abruptly. Phoenix was leaning towards me
and his blue eyes were flashing with dread. The words came out before I could even put my
thoughts in order. - He will destroy us all! The chaos he has sowed will lead us to annihilation!
From the beginning she had told me! - What? But who are you talking about? A new salvo of
projectiles forced me to get up to strengthen the force field. My legs were threatening to give
way under my weight, but I was holding on. There was more urgency. - Lethalée! She came to
me during my transformation into a vampire, she predicted what would happen, but she made
sure that I forgot our conversation! Anger came to compete with the anxiety on the beautiful
face of my angel. - Why did she do that?! If we had known, we could have avoided this situation!
I shook my head. - I believe that this war was inevitable, even without Finn. The vampires
protesting to the Great Change would have finally come up and who knows what could have
happened? I think that Lethalée, among all possible futures, has taken the side of making us
face an enemy that we know! She wants to give us a chance! By killing him, we can ensure that
the rift between the vampire factions that are or are not subject to the rules of Great Change
disappears. -What do you know? Finn has already won the war by killing all the Greats! - Ysis
said you had to follow my instincts! And my gut tells me to trust Lethalée. Blodwyn is still alive
and alone symbolizes the hope of a return to justice. If information about her survival spreads, it
is hoped that vampires loyal to the Greats will rebel against the coercive regime that Finn is sure
to install. We must save her! - But how? We'll never be able to get out of here! A new flash of
suffering snatched another groan from me. Sam! Phoenix had caught up with me before I
collapsed a second time. - You will go through trials that will seem insurmountable to you... You
will make the ultimate sacrifice. An icy cold invades me, like a snake wraps around its prey
before devouring it. Looking at Phoenix this time, no whiff of desire overwhelmed me because I
suddenly realized that betraying him would be the last thing I would do in my life. My belly
knotted, my blood receded from my face and the taste of my saliva made me think of ash. The
last words of Lethalée had resonated in my head like the trumpets of the last judgment, they told
me how to save Blodwyn's life: by sacrificing mine... I was ready to die earlier, that was not the
problem since I was expected to leave this world at the same time as the man I loved. Thus, we
would not have to survive without each other in the pain of a life that would not have been one
without our soul mate. Only the situation had changed when the snippets of the conversation I
had had with Lethalée had come back to me. To restore balance, we must go through a
fratricidal war in which hundreds, if not thousands, of vampires and humans would lose their
lives. From this darkest episode in the history of the community should emerge a more lenient,
even radiant future... Provided you muster an army to kill Finn... It would take no less to
overcome a being like him, broken for millennia to all forms of combat, implacable and receiving
in him a power parallel to the immense knowledge he had accumulated over time. To win, we
would need courage and a symbol: Blodwyn would be the banner for which all would fight, led
by a Roman general of unwavering determination and encouraged by the visions of his
mysterious and charismatic Egyptian wife. Before, Phoenix was right, she had to get out of this
infernal circle and for that, I was ready to draw to the depths of my reserves, until I made the
ultimate sacrifice... It was necessary to be realistic: I was able to command the force field and
the flames to release a passage so that it flies away and flees the place as quickly as possible. I
could feel it, I could do it. The problem was that, not being able to carry us both, Phoenix would
necessarily want to come back and pick me up after dropping Blodwyn off in safety. If I told him,
in the event that he managed to sow Finn to hide our last hope of destroying him and rushed to
look for me, that I would not have enough strength to hold my protective bubble in place until his
return, he would not want to leave and all our hopes would be lost. He would die rather than
abandon me. There was only one way: to lie to him. - What?! What's the matter?! he exclaimed,
nervous. I swallowed painfully. "I can get us out of here. His face lit up. My heart broke. -
Really? How? I ordered my voice to cease it's tremor and to appear assured and sincere. - I
think I can open an exit corridor for you and Blodwyn. His expression suddenly became
suspicious. "But what about you?" Hold on, hold on! Keep looking innocent! - I will hold until you
come back to get me. Phoenix frowned. "You keep bleeding, are you sure you can wait for me?"
The way he looked at my eyes tended to prove to me that he had doubts about my intentions,
but the energy of despair made me sustain his gaze without blinking. - Trust me. I wish I'd
stabbed myself by uttering those words, and then seeing Phoenix nod. He believed me.
However, I had to make sure of one last point. - Swear to me to do everything to protect her
until she regains power. The last thing I needed was for Phoenix to commit suicide after my
death. I really wanted the coming resistance to triumph over the newly instituted oppressor and
it would only succeed with men like him at the helm. Unfortunately, it didn't matter what his duty
was, he'd rather end it than live without me. In the opposite situation, I would have made the
same choice; I could hardly throw the stone at him. There was only one way to stop him: to
force him to keep a promise he would have made to me. " Why are you telling me that? One of
the main qualities of a good angel was to be insightful, and Phoenix was the best angel of all
areas of the planet. His instinct must have blown him that something was wrong with my
attitude. - The future that Lethalée spoke of is only possible if Finn dies and Blodwyn survives. I
must know that I can count on you so that the nightmare we are experiencing right now is only
short-lived. Swear to me on your sister's memory that you will protect her! He doesn't say
anything for a few moments. My emphatic speech was somewhat exaggerated since the Night
had said nothing about Blodwyn, but in my heart I knew that it was the key that would allow us
to unite against the opposing side. I was relying on my own instincts. " I swear. He crushed his
lips on mine and offered me an incandescent kiss, even more burning than the hell that was
raging around us. Somewhere deep inside me, I felt something, maybe my soul, crack. When
he walked away to look at me one last time, I had to bite my lip so as not to confess everything
to him. He then took Blodwyn in his arms and rose a few inches from the ground. "Moreover,
baby," he said with a wink, "to defuse the horror of our situation." I smile for the shape. - Don't
be late. Our eyes clung to each other. I was inspired. - Ready? He nodded. I made sure to
silence my bad conscience to calm myself down and feel every fiber of my body in order to
mobilize all the power it could still receive. Thus, after a minute of intense concentration, the
sensation of crackling air at my fingertips appeared again, telling me that I could no longer turn
back. The fire of my eyes intensified as I raised my arms in the air and, as if by magic, the
flames receded sufficiently to let us see a piece of starry sky above our heads. - Right now! I
yelled. The sight of this angel reaching the sky through the flames of Hell, which had no hold on
him, seemed to me incredibly beautiful and sad. From then on, I was alone. I had no idea how
much longer I had before I ended up sprayed, but I decided that this delay, I would not spend it
waiting for my end. Combining the strength of my will with that of my dark side, I set out to test
my power by projecting it towards my enemies. An animal joy took hold of me when I saw that
part of the fire and bullets attacking my force field was turning around to puncture and incinerate
their original owners, thus creating panic in the remaining ranks. Twice again, I managed to
repeat this feat, operating a carnage that should have horrified me, but which, on the contrary,
only elated me. These men deserved to pay for their betrayal. The world of the night was falling
into a chaos from which it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to escape without
thousands of innocent people losing their lives. So even though I wasn't taking part in this war, I
was happy to be the first to be able to punish the culprits. Only... My act of justice had also
come at a cost: I had just drawn on my last strengths. The last moment had arrived, Death was
still going to open its arms to me, except that this time it would be final. Phoenix must have been
far enough away now, and he would live to protect Blodwyn and keep his promise. That was
good. "Goodbye," I murmured, closing my eyes, letting my arms fall down my body so that
everything would end here. The last thing my mind carried away when I left this world was
neither the cries nor the deadly heat of the flames that struck me, but the perfection of two
oceans of wisdom radiating a promise of eternity for the one who was just waiting to dive into it.
That was good.

Chapter VII: Phoenix

It took him a good minute to get his mind back and start by taking stock of his situation to
understand what had happened. No one was chasing him, and he had not received any gunshot
wounds, nor had Blodwyn. She lay about ten meters away, still unconscious and in good health
despite her scarring head injury and the multiple cuts she had on almost the entire body. He
himself was not spared. It had flown over the clouds at full speed and had not hit any planes,
which would have been a height! What happened? How did he crash into that cornfield he was
flying over after leaving the Harper Hill villa well behind him, rushing to the surrounding
countryside to find safe shelter for the woman he was holding in his arms? A freezing cold will
encased his bones as a fatal foreboding won him over. - Sam... His murmur was so low that the
wind had carried him away before it had even resonated with his own ears. For the past five
hundred years, Aydan MacKinley had learned to push his anxieties deep inside him so as not to
let anything appear before his enemies. Similarly, the loss of his family had convinced him that
his heart, already cold by nature, had frozen to the point of not being able to be touched by
anything or anyone. He had made a mistake almost two years earlier when he met the one who
would change his life. This young woman with such a banal look and so unconfident in her had
proved to be the only person able to pierce his cold armor to show her how happy one could
feel surrounded by the people we love. Samantha Watkins, contrary to what she thought of
herself, was nothing ordinary. To begin with, she had agreed to share the life of a man who had
stolen hers, and then, while her predatory nature and unsociable behavior should have repelled
her, she had struggled like a devil to gain the trust of the man she now considered a mentor and
friend. Phoenix had struggled with his feelings, but this woman had a power over him that he
could not explain and that he had finally accepted: he loved her. This heart, which he had
thought dried up after trying to break his loneliness by starting an affair with a woman chosen
out of spite, something he had later regretted, had suddenly woken up after five hundred years
of emotional absence for a fragile creature that left him no respite. Never had anyone stood up
to him so much, at least not without losing his own; no one had awakened this protective instinct
to such an extent as she took possession of her being; he had never been more aware of the
presence of another person than when he and that woman were in the same room. He couldn't
help but follow every gesture, every breath, every beat of eyelashes, and every time she
brushed him, all his senses were panicked. His heart, body and soul belonged to him. And he
did everything he could to hide it. He was just a fool. He had wasted so much time
procrastinating that he had not returned when she took the first step. She loved him too. He still
wondered if he deserved it. He had committed so many wrongdoings, so many heinous crimes
during the years when he was subjected to the thirst for blood. He had wanted to make amends
afterwards, a chance offered to him by Talanus and Ysis. For fifty years, he had accomplished
his missions in the hope of redeeming the past by trying to preserve human lives too close to
the Secret, as with Kiro, but sometimes he was obliged to apply the rule and these moments
reminded him of the growing weight of his conscience... Until she appeared in her life. Against
all odds, Sam had brushed aside his past crimes and hammered him all day long that he was a
good person. He thought she was crazy, but she was simply opening his eyes to her own
madness. Thanks to her, he had stopped grinding black and had stopped punishing himself for
what he had done centuries earlier. Thanks to her, he had become better. Contrary to what she
thought, it was she who saved him and not the other way around. She was the one who guided
him on the path of light. - Sam... This time, the sound of his voice reached him, tense and
unsure, as he was. In a flash, he tore as much foliage as he could to completely cover
Blodwyn's body in case Finn flew around in search of him. He could clearly see the walls of the
large estates of the wealthy owners who had settled there to enjoy all the luxury that their
position allowed them, as well as the security perimeter of this district, which was out of the way
compared to the rest of the metropolis. The vampire who created it and from whom he had
inherited the gift of flying was nowhere in sight, but Phoenix knew him well enough to know that
with him, it was better not to trust appearances. He was still so close! He knew that he should
have got up and continued on his way to find a more remote and effective hiding place than a
cornfield to hide the last of the leaders of his community still alive, but his instinct was to turn
around now. The risk of Finn getting his hands on Blodwyn was high, he was aware of it, but he
had to run it over to retrace his steps and look for the one that had allowed him to escape from
this massacre. He had no choice. It took off at lightning speed and pierced the clouds with the
idea of reaching its destination as quickly as possible. During the journey, his mind swung
between the fear of what was about to happen and the memories that were imposed on him.
Sam... His whole being was turned to her. He relives their first kiss, a magical moment whose
perfection had been forever inscribed in every fiber of his body. Despite his inexperience, she
was the passion embodied and had dragged him into a whirlwind of incredible sensations, more
ecstatic than anything he had experienced before, to the point that it was as if there had been
no one before her. He saw the happiness painted on his adorable face when he had clumsily
asked him to marry him and promised himself that he would ask Talanus to finish joining them,
even without witnesses, as soon as they met at the rendezvous point. To say that Engara had
dared to interrupt their bond ceremony! If Sam hadn't outpaced him, he wouldn't have bothered
to behead this bitch as soon as the opportunity arose to avenge this affront. He did not need it.
Again, Samantha had surprised him by requesting a fight to the death against his rival. Phoenix
had made a mistake, he had not seen the changes that had taken place in her after her
transformation, and above all, he had not grasped the extent of his hatred against his former
mistress, therefore he had not been able to prevent him from exposing himself to the otherwise
more deadly danger posed by the Greats. She had put herself in an untenable position. This
had not prevented him from longing for it. He had done everything to put this desire aside to
prepare her to face the coming of those who would be more difficult to convince of her survival
than the previous time, but he had failed... because he didn't really want to. What he wanted
was to take advantage of her to the end. He had to admit it, deep down, he had always known
that they would condemn her, but he did not want to hear about it because the truth was too
horrible to conceive. He could not envisage it when she had already accepted it. His courage
impressed him. Although she was frightened during her trial, she had forced the admiration of
all, including his, while she had put him in a black rage by offering to give her life of her own free
will to save that of her loved ones. He would have been able to kill Talanus just to stop him from
silencing her. Fortunately, she had come to understand that life without her would not be
bearable to her and she had accepted a compromise. They should have died together, but the
events had taken an even more dramatic turn. In addition to the end of a thousand-year-old
institution and the advent of chaos, he had to accept the fact that it had been orchestrated by
the one he had learned to respect instead of hating him for killing him in the 16th century.
Phoenix still had trouble thinking about Karl without still feeling the pain of having been duped
by his best friend, and there the knife had not only turned in his wound, he had sunk into it even
more deeply, combining the horror of the betrayal of the man who had taught him everything to
the suffering of having been stabbed again in the back by one of his relatives. Fortunately, there
were still some on whom he could count: Talanus and Ysis, François. He thought of his French
friend. He should be contacted as soon as possible to order him and all those who may be used
against him, namely his young wife, and his friends from Scarborough. He shook his head. This
was not the time to think of them, his priority was to save the woman who had not hesitated to
fight for those who had ordered her death. Indeed, Sam had shown all the Greats that she was
trustworthy, which even Egire had recognized before he died. She had tried to save them when
they wanted to see her decapitated, who else could have been so generous when even she had
been tempted to send them for a walk? The wind whipped his face and limited his field of vision,
but he accelerated again. How was she? Was she still safe under her invisible dome? He saw in
his head the two times his power had manifested itself. For each, she had responded to a direct
threat to him, he was convinced. As her powers were intimately linked to her emotions, the
violence of these had to trigger her telekinesis, which explained why she had always looked so
surprised by her exploits. Unlucky, this power had to undermine all its strength to the point of
pushing it to its limits. I can't believe she didn't even notice she was bleeding from her nose,
eyes and ears! Was she only alive? He would soon find out, for he was already flying over the
first villas of the hill, which was bathed by the ethereal light of the star of the night whose
surface seemed strangely zebra with reddish reflections, as if he too had cried blood...
*
Phoenix was now flying at low altitude, razing the roofs of the majestic mansions so as not to
be spotted. The foreboding that had previously held him became deeply uneasy as he
approached, for there was a strange silence at the scene. It was as if all Harper Hill had emptied
of its inhabitants, no panicked heartbeat was disturbing his concentration. Given the battle
there, it made sense in a sense that everyone evacuated the scene, but Phoenix should have
heard police sirens, or heavy weapons fire that would confirm that Sam was still fighting. But...
Nothing. He landed cautiously a few cables away from the property of Talanus and Ysis and
went out on the alert, watching for the slightest sound that he had been spotted by Finn's
minions. He had just passed the villa of the singer who had shaved her head several years
earlier and who had come to settle here to escape the paparazzi; there were only three villas left
before arriving in front of the one where he had officiated as an angel for fifty years. He stopped
abruptly. The second home of his nearest home had half-collapsed and all remaining windows
had been blown out. As long as there was no one inside... He did not have time to search the
rubble for survivors. With his mind paralyzed by anguish, he could not define the situation, even
when he saw the house next to that of his superiors and that opposite, totally destroyed.
Jugulating the dark panic that was rising in him, Phoenix was advancing straight ahead,
remaining on his guard. More than a hundred meters and it would exceed the property of the
neighbor to follow that of Talanus and Ysis. More than a hundred meters and he was supposed
to find the woman he had promised to come back for... Several police cars and four fire trucks
were lying across the road, with their occupants showing no signs of life. An invisible force had
caused the cars that had fallen to crash to the ground. The oppression he felt in all his muscles
was accentuated when he passed the wrought iron gates of the estate, which indicated that they
had been under terrible pressure. Moreover, the vegetation that had piled up there and half of
which was charred, did not suggest anything good about what it was hiding. Phoenix decided to
remain discreet by avoiding flying over these obstacles, simply climbing them and discarding
them with his strength to make their way. When he finally pushed the last tree trunk that blocked
his access to the gardens of the villa in which he had left his companion, he hiccuped in
amazement by realizing what he had before his eyes. Where for nearly a century there had
been a huge, wealthy house, surrounded by lush and carefully maintained vegetation, there
remained only a huge, still-smoking crater that left only charred grass around it in a ghostly
landscape of destruction that ran to neighbouring properties that had not been spared. Only an
explosion of phenomenal magnitude could have been the cause of this tragedy and this was
why it had crashed while he was running away with Blodwyn: the shock wave had hit him head-
on and caused him to lose consciousness. However, nothing that could have happened here
could be more terrible, more violent, than the horror that overwhelmed Phoenix at this moment.
The cause of the explosion had just been revealed. He had seen what armament his enemies
had and nothing could have caused so much damage. None of these bazookas were capable of
blowing an entire block, so only one person could have triggered such a cataclysm. The
vampire angel didn't even realize that he had started hurtling down the crater slope without
checking that no sniper could have targeted him. He didn't even see the desolate landscape
around him. All he could see was the place of origin of the explosion, a small area of darker
earth, the size of a human being. With his heart about to explode, he ran as if his life depended
on it; because his life depended on it... Arriving on the spot, and noticing the absence of being
alive in this perimeter of apocalypse, he lost all control of himself and began to call him again
and again, hoping that from where she had necessarily hidden, she would hear him and come
to him to reassure him that everything was fine and that she was not hurt. - SAM! He yelled.
SAMANTHA WATKINS! Sam! No one answered him. - SAM! SAMANTHA WATKINS,
SAMANTHA JONES, SAMANTHA! he was still singinging. But nothing happened... Mad with
anguish, he rose into the air and observed the surroundings, using his vampiric powers to spot it
to the fullest. Maybe she was unconscious somewhere! Exploding the entire perimeter had to
drain her from her forces and she had taken refuge where she could recover from the incredible
feat she had just performed! That was it, it was necessarily that! He was searching the whole
area with his piercing gaze, but there was no one there. He could only see, from a distance, a
multitude of lights heading towards the hill which he was overlooking; surely the reinforcements
of those he had met... He searched everywhere, searched every nook and crany, to no avail. He
eventually descends to the place of impact, unconsciously trying to establish a connection with
her by standing at the last place where she had stood before... Not! He couldn't tell! -
SAMANTHA MACKINLEY!!! His torn cry faded when his voice broke at the same time as he
realized what his mind had failed to formulate just before. The truth had just been revealed to
him in all its magnitude and atrocity. Phoenix was too down-to-earth to keep hiding its face.
Experience and reason had taught him that decoding oneself was only good to suffer more. At
that moment, he would have liked these two entities not to have manifested themselves to him,
for in this way he would not have stopped pushing back the truth, but it was too late, his brain
had started to function again to unravel the events that his heightened feelings tended to
confuse. Sam had continued relentlessly to use his reserves of power to give him time to move
away. Knowing her, she had certainly struggled until the last moment, to the point of no return
without knowing what would happen next, and this to allow her to keep her promise. This
promise... How could he have been blinded by the trust he had in him? Sam knew how it would
end from the beginning and she didn't want to let him know! As with the Circle of Mellindra, she
had hidden the truth from him; as in this episode, she had done so as not to lose him, even if he
hated her for it. His eyes drifted on the dark circle in which he stood. He had the impression that
his heart and soul were now two distinct entities and that each followed his gaze with the same
horrified lucidity. No one could survive this. She had sacrificed herself for the second time and
by committing his to keep his promise, she had made sure that he could not reach her where
she was. Where she was... Suddenly, the flow of data from his reasoning dried up and he came
to the conclusion of what he could not accept. Samantha had died in that explosion, taking with
her all those who had tried to destroy them, perhaps even Finn. Samantha was dead. He was
alone now, never again would he hear the sound of his voice, never again would he feel the
caress of his fingers on his skin, never again he could forget the horror of the world by getting
lost in his kisses. His lucidity allowed him to glimpse a new truth: he was the Phoenix of
Kerington's vampires, but from those ashes he would never rise. This apprehended, he fell to
his knees ... ... and howled.

END OF VOLUME III