“It was Halloween,” Jasper mused with unbridled confusion. “I thought they were in costume. Who knew those things were real?”
“What better time to walk in the open without fear of discovery?” Rowan said as he inspected the color and shape of Jasper’s eyes and his mouth’s interior. “You have experienced mild alterations, but nothing severe. You still show signs of being human.”
“Alterations? In what way?” Jasper asked with concern as his fingers roamed over his facial features. “I don’t feel like I look different. I don’t look like a zombie, do I?”
“Would you like a mirror?” Bess asked as she moved out from behind Rowan to produce a small, hand-held mirror. “You are still a handsome man if you must know. The significant change that I see is the color of your eyes. They are much darker. In fact, they are close to being black now and, I think, more deep-set. When you arrived, they were a light blue that bordered on grey.”
Jasper’s concerned expression froze as he eagerly grabbed the mirror from Bess’s outstretched hand. Inspecting his face, he saw that his once pale blue-grey eyes were now a dark brown that leaned toward black. There was a slight difference in the prominence of his brows that made his eyes appear more deep-set. Finally, the definition of his lips had changed. They were thinner, but the difference was so slight that he doubted most people would detect it. He guessed that they would notice that there was something different about him without understanding what it was.
“I look a little different, but, other than the color of my eyes, not too much,” he said with a sigh of relief.
“It looks as if you are developing impalers,” Rowan explained. “They have not dropped yet, but I expect they will soon enough.”
“What?” Jasper exclaimed with dismay. “I’m a vampire?”
“I am still trying to determine how to describe what you are,” the vampire admitted while ignoring the distress in the man’s voice. “You appear to have taken on werewolf traits as well. The shift in your eyebrows tells me that.”
“What about the zombie bite?” Bess asked with open curiosity.
“That is difficult,” Rowan mused. “His skin tone has changed, but vampires are also quite pale. The zombie bite was small and shallow. The wounds from the werewolves were far more imposing. I question if the zombie venom took hold like the vampire and werewolf venom did.”
“It is amazing that they do not war with each other inside his body,” Bess mused as she took hold of Jasper’s chin and pulled his face in her direction so that she could get a better look. “Have you ever seen such a mingling of species before?”
Rowan kept his eyes on Jasper as he slowly shook his head.
“It is a first,” he softly admitted, “and a mystery.”
“Or a miracle,” Bess offered.
“Am I a werewolf or a vampire?” Jasper asked with agitation. “Do werewolves have fangs or impalers or whatever you call them?”
“Before we get too deep in concern, let a few days pass to see what more occurs with you,” Rowan suggested. “You have had nothing but broth and my blood since you arrived. Would you care for a solid meal?”
“I crave meat,” Jasper said with emphasis.
“That is not a vampire trait,” Bess said with a chuckle. “That is a human trait for sure.”
“Or a lycan trait,” Rowan said with a tinge of concern.
“What is a lycan?” Jasper asked.
“It is another word for werewolf,” Bess offered.
A low moan of despair escaped Jasper’s lips as the impact of what was happening sank in. Was he really turning into one of those creatures? Or, worse, a mixture of both?
“Don’t zombies eat meat too?” he softly mused, more to himself than to them.
Other than feeling an unusually extreme hunger and craving for rare meat, he felt normal. He slid his tongue over his teeth. He could feel nothing different. Where were the impalers that the vampire spoke of?
With Rowan making his excuses and leaving the room, he accepted the assistance of Bess’ surprisingly powerful arm to aid him in walking across the room to a table and chair. He’d lain on that cot for so long that the sensation of sitting up felt foreign and his legs struggled to obey his command to carry him forward.
“Take it easy today,” she warned with a gentle and nurturing tone. “You were on death’s door. Do not expect too much from your body for a few days. A day, at the very least.”
Jasper took in his surroundings. It was the first time since he’d awoken in that cot that he’d had the opportunity to truly see and study the room.
The walls had a formidability that one might attribute to a fortress. Although the interior was finished with whitewashed plaster that was covered by intricate woven tapestries of various scenes ranging from fox hunting to beautiful castles, he could see by the depth of the windows that the building was constructed of thick layers of stone.
The furnishings were of a period since past. Even the cot that he’d lain in spoke of a long and serious history. How many men had occupied it before him? There were a few oversized winged back chairs that were still in excellent condition positioned opposite each other near a well-used fireplace. Although it sported no fire at the moment, he could tell that it held one on a regular basis.
“You stare at the fireplace,” Bess observed. “Are you cold? Do you wish for a fire?”
He vigorously shook his head.
“Where am I?” he asked with a voice that was still quite gravelly but showing signs of clearing with use.
“You are in the home of my master, Lord Rowan Jules,” she replied.
“It looks like a castle,” he said with a mixture of awe and confusion. From what he could recall about the area, there were no castles.
“It is just that,” Bess said with pride.
“Where?” he asked with a tone that bordered on demanding. “Where is this castle? There is no castle anywhere in this county or the next.”
Bess chuckled.
“It would depend on what county you speak of,” she said with humor. “I am unfamiliar with where you came from, but I know very well where you are now. You are nestled in the Catskill Mountains just west of Monticello, New York near a little spoken of town called Honeyville. Master Rowan had this castle built well over a century ago as a place to lay his head when he was in this country. It is a lovely home with 44 rooms, 32 stairwells, 18 fireplaces and 21 chimneys, all hewn from hand-mixed reinforced concrete in a blend of medieval, Byzantine, and Gothic styles. When you are feeling better, perhaps you would like a tour.”
“I was in Philadelphia,” Jasper muttered with despair. “I belong in Philadelphia. My work is there. My home…”
“Your home is now here, dear man,” Bess said while placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It would be impossible for you to return to your normal life as a human since you are no longer human.”
“No longer human?” he choked out. “What am I?”
She looked at him long and hard before saying, “As the master stated, that remains to be seen.”
Two Weeks LaterJasper eased himself into the chair opposite Rowan. Slight waves of pressure from the intense energy being emitted from the vampire who had saved his life caressed his body. Although he’d come to no harm since he’d been discovered by the ancient creature and was saved from death, he couldn’t help the nagging, unsettled feeling that remained constant. He’d yet to discover Rowan’s plans for him. Was he to become a vampire? Or, was he being saved as a food source for the many vampires that openly roamed about the estate?“I see that you are finally feeling well enough to be up and around,” Rowan said with satisfaction. “This is good.”“I need to get back to my lab,” Jasper complained with a boldness that he didn’t actually feel. “I cannot leave my work.”“You do realize that you are no longer human, do yo
Although he’d been on death’s door while being rescued from the alley, Jasper had a faint recall of being draped over the vampire’s shoulder and flying through the air for a considerable period of time. Because of this, he naturally assumed that their mode of travel to retrieve his notes from his lab would be the same. His first response when he slid into Rowan’s limousine was to mentally mock himself for thinking that they would fly instead of drive.He said nothing to Rowan about his assumption. In fact, as time passed and the road took them closer to their destination, he questioned if he’d really flown at all. Perhaps it was simply some type of crazy illusion by a man who was barely alive.They drove the roads in what seemed like a normal fashion, yet time didn’t behave normally. The world on the opposite side of the windows whizzed by so fast that it was barely discernable. A trip that should have t
Rowan eyed Jasper’s young assistant’s curvaceous body with a mixture of lust and regret over inviting her along as he watched her help the scientist load their precious research records into the trunk of the limousine. He hadn’t considered that one of the factors that plagued a vampire was the need for a steady release of fluids. Just as a consistent intake of blood was necessary for the proper functioning of his body, so was the need for a consistent release of his bodily fluids. Although there were some vampires who would take in fluids that were not blood, such as alcohol or tea, and urinate them back out as would a human, he didn’t find this to be the most proficient for the balance of his body’s energy flow. Over the centuries of his existence, he’d discovered that a release through the surge of a powerful orgasm was far more effective as well as pleasurable. It was not only invigorating and satisfying, but it proved t
The apartment provided to Jasper was located in the far side of the vampire’s castle. The awe that he felt as the limousine drove high above the clouds up the winding mountainous road toward the enormous stone structure that looked as if it was floating in the sky still lingered. Had he not been so angry with his recently acquired benefactor, he might have been better able to appreciate the awesomeness of his new home and situation. As it was, he was having difficulty moving past what had happened to his assistant during their drive home.He battled with his guilt. Just as Rowan had assured him, Lila remembered nothing of what happened. She wasn’t even aware that there had been a gap in the drive from his home office in Philadelphia to their new home hidden deep in the tree laden forest of the Catskill mountains. Unfortunately, he was very much aware of it. Now, he tortured over whether he should inform her of it or keep quiet and hop
Lila paced the bedroom that had been assigned to her just down the hall from Jasper’s suite. She’d inwardly questioned why she wasn’t simply given one of the smaller rooms within his suite but said nothing. She’d had a secret crush on the handsome scientist ever since she joined him as an intern five years earlier. She’d hoped that, after her internship ended and she was placed on the payroll as his assistant that things between them might advance. Sadly, he seemed to have no interest in her other than for the contributions to his research that she was able to provide.Although she was living in an age of freedom of expression and had the fact that she was a good-looking woman proven to her over and over again by the advances from men who she met during the menial hours away from work that were afforded to her, she’d decided to save herself for “Mr. Right”. Every fiber of her being told her th
Rowan stretched his long legs in front of him in a casual manner as he watched his ward enter the room. Cora had matured into a fine specimen of female humanity. On more than one occasion, he’d considered taking her to his bed, but worried about her becoming too clingy and dependent upon him. It was bad enough to have a vampire cling to him without having to endure the emotions that a human projected. He could ensorcell her, but he cared too much about her to use her in such a way.Greeting her with a warm and tolerant smile, he asked, “To what do I owe this pleasure.”Annoyance was written all over her face as she blurted out, “What is that young woman doing here? Lila, I believe is her name. Why are we housing her?”The mention of Lila brought forth thoughts of the unbelievable sexual release that he’d had with her on the hood of his limousine, and he shuddered with inward delight. He couldn&rsq
“What do you know about these vampires?” Lila asked as she settled onto the end of the cozy overstuffed circa nineteen-twenties sofa in Jasper’s suite. She took a moment to note that, although dated, the suite was tastefully decorated while she waited for his reply.“I didn’t even believe in vampires until recently,” Jasper replied. “Rowan is their leader or perhaps he is better considered their king. I’m not sure. He rescued me from an alley and saved my life. That’s really all I know. That and the fact that he has a keen interest in developing longevity of life for humans and wants me to shift the genetics of the vampire to closer resemble that of a human.”“If you believe the folklore, vampires live forever,” Lila mused as she curled her legs and tucked her feet beneath her. “Imagine them being more human. I wonder what that would be like.”&ldquo
Lila’s nerves felt frazzled with tension as she listened to the activity on the opposite side of her bedroom door. She’d secured the lock and turned out all of her lights before crawling into bed. If she were in her apartment, she’d have been snuggled beneath her thick comforter while watching a little television to help her to unwind. To her disappointment, not only was there no cell phone service in their monstrous stone prison, but there was no television or internet either.She supposed that she should be grateful for the electricity that was supplied. Research without it would have proved difficult. Even so, she occasionally used the internet to assist with their research. Where television might be considered a luxury, if they were to work efficiently, the internet was a necessity. There was also the matter of no cell phone service. She needed one or the other in order to connect with the leader of her coven, Da