Future Mortality

Part 12/?

By Christine Hantzopulos

Nicolette’s heart began to pound, though she couldn’t quite attribute it to fear. She reached out with her senses to this gorgeous stranger, searching. But no. He was not a vampire. Of that there was no doubt, or she would have sensed him before he’d even approached her. Yet there was something she felt, something much more than just a physical attraction to a handsome boy. He wasn’t just a boy. He was different, but not in a threatening way. Could it be? Could it really be that she was not the only one of her kind?

Snapping herself to her senses she pulled him by the arm into the corner between the Twilight display and the wall, glancing around quickly to make sure that there was no one nearby. Luckily, it was late, and the store was almost empty. A lone salesgirl was at the counter, yards away from them. She looked into his eyes, trying to look beyond the mesmerizing blue. “I want the truth. How do you know what I am? You’re definitely not a vampire, but you’re different.”

“I’m not different from you,” he responded. “We’re the same. I could sense it, and so can you. You can’t deny it.”

She couldn’t. “My name is Nicolette.”

“I know. And you don’t know how long I have waited to meet you.”

This took her by surprise, though he seemed sincerely—would impressed be the right word?—to meet her. “How did you know about me?”

Dimitri smiled as if thinking her naïve. “Do you really think there are so many of us? To my knowledge, we’re the only ones alive. If the Enforcers didn’t kill the others, then frightened vampires did.”

It was a chilling thought. But one question came to her mind. “Then how did you survive? You look at least a couple of years older than I am.” Discreet way of asking his age.

“I’m fifteen,” he told her. “Almost sixteen. And my father has kept me well hidded since I was four. So well hidden, in fact, that I’ve felt like a prisoner.”

She could relate to that. “I know. I didn’t even know what I was until last year. Things were pretty normal. Except I didn’t even meet my father until almost a year ago. He and my Mom had separated to keep me safe.”

A strange sadness seemed to pass through Dimitri’s eyes. “My mother took me away too—but the Enforcers in Eastern Europe found out about me. When my father came after us, it was already too late for her. She died trying to protect me.”

“I’m so sorry,” Niki said, touching his arm. “That must have been awful. But at least your father has protected you since then,” she said, pointing out the bright side.

“Over-protecting, or suffocating, would be more like it,” Dimitri told her bitterly. “For the past two years I’ve begged him to bring me across, so that I could protect myself. He’s a very old vampire, and his blood would make me stronger than even the Enforcers. But he refuses.”

“Why would you want to be a vampire?” she asked in wonder.

“To live forever? To be stronger than everyone around me? Aren’t those good enough reasons?” he asked.

“Not for my Dad,” she said, smiling fondly as she thought of him. “He’s very glad to be human again. That’s how he and my mom were able to be together again. They’re even having another baby.”

“Yet he still needs his old vampire friends around to protect him?” Dimitri challenged. “The woman with you and your mother. She’s a vampire. I could tell.”

Niki’s eyes darkened. “My Dad can take care of us just fine. Janette is just visiting. She’s like my big sister. She’s family.” A thought struck her. “Your father, he’s here with you, right? He must be the vampire I sensed! That’s great, that means it’s not anyone dangerous! I can’t wait to tell my parents—“

“No, Nicolette. You can’t tell anyone about me.” His eyes were so intense that it almost frightened her. “My father doesn’t know I’m here. He’s still in Europe, but I’m sure he has people looking for me. I stole away during the daytime.”

“You ran away? But why?”

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” he told her sourly. “I couldn’t take being his prisoner. I wanted to see the world—people—I wanted to bask in the sunlight. Can’t you understand that? Haven’t you ever felt in the least bit restricted?”

Of course she had. Her inability to go out with her friends at night, the months they had hidden away on their greek island…

“Yeah, I guess,” she said, looking down. “But you know, if you’re all alone, you would be safe with us. There is a vampire in town. Haven’t you felt it?”

If he heard the question about the other vampire, he pointedly ignored it. “You’ve got two vampires staying with you,” he told her, unnerving her again with his knowledge. “They may consider you ‘family’, but I’m a dhampir to them—a threat, that has to be destroyed. For my safety, I beg you, please, don’t tell anyone about me. I just wanted to—meet you. You can’t imagine how good it feels to know that I’m not the only one.”

She smiled. “Yeah, I can,” she said truthfully. “Okay, I won’t say anything.” She looked at her watch. “I’d better pay for these shirts. My mom and Janette are going to meet me here in a few minutes.”

“Aren’t you going to take the ring?” he asked, looking down at Bella’s ring that she was still holding.

She looked at it for a long moment, then turned it over to see the price. $49.99. “Uh, no, not this time. It’s a little too much. I’ll just get the T-shirts for now.”

“Allow me,” he said, taking the box from her hand.

“Oh no, I couldn’t,” she protested. “I couldn’t let you.”

“Sure you could. Come on, you buy your T-shirts, and consider this a friendship ring.” He took her hand and led her to the counter, plopping down a hundred dollar bill.

Her own things paid for, she turned back to the handsome dhampir, still finding it hard to believe that she had found someone like herself, and that he was so amazing on top of it all. He took the ring from the box, gently took her left hand and slipped the replica of Bella’s engagement ring on her ring finger. My God, he really was like her own Edward.

“Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked, melting her with his eyes. “Can you get away?”

“During the day, sure,” she told him. Janette and LaCroix would be asleep. But did Mommy and Daddy have any plans? It was Sunday, after all. They usually did something together. “I’m just not sure when.”

He pulled out a slip of paper. “Here’s my cell phone number. Just give me a call when you’re alone. I’d really like to spend some more time talking to you.”

“Okay,” she said smiling. “And thank you for the ring. I really love it.”

“I’m glad.” He smiled back, releasing her hand. Then he turned and left the store with as much stealth as a vampire.

Her own Edward.

End part 12