A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 09

Feeling Ragon pull away Bell flinched.

Before Ragon could explain anything, Bell interrupted, "Wait, I need to know something. Before, when you were with Kiara, what were you like?"

Ragon stopped holding Bell instantly, his hands falling purposelessly at his sides. His gloomy eyes, which had only moments ago been so contented, locked onto Bell's in misery.

"She created me," Ragon said, moving back to the table and sitting down, "and I did whatever she wanted. It doesn't make it right but..."

Bell cut him off asking, "does that include murdering fat stock brokers?"

Empowered by the alcohol, she had spoken her mind so freely that she forgot to conceal that she had read his diary; instead selecting a few choice words to throw accusatorily at him. Now as she looked at Ragon's horrified glare, she saw that he knew what she had done.

He did not berate her, as she though he might, but looked guilty as he said, "It was a time in my past that I am not proud of. I was a young vampire and blood was the closest thing I could get to happiness; so I took it. How much did you read?" Ragon asked.

"Enough," Bell responded.

She had only read the first page, but took advantage of his unknowing, desperate to know everything about him.

"Then you already know that I am a monster, why did you come here tonight?" Ragon asked.

"I wanted to know, I needed to know who you are," She replied.

"And so now you know," he said sadly, "the diary was mine, my hands wrote it."

He left her no chance to respond, simply retrieved her coat from behind her chair and moved over to the door.

"Wait," Bell cried after his retreating back.

Ragon turned to face her.

"Please tell me, I am so confused about all of this. I don't know any better than to be horrified," she said sadly, "it's always someone else who tells me about being a vampire and what it all means! I have been living with you for ages, I don't contact any of my friends; there's basically nothing left of my old life. All I want is to talk to you; for you to treat me like someone other than a person you are stuck with."

"If you knew more you would hate me," Ragon said flatly.

"Maybe," Bell replied before adding, "But at least I wouldn't sit here wondering what the hell is going on half the time. Do you know right now that there are ten bodies in the morgue and police are looking for their killers? Half of them you killed! You can't just keep me away from everything I have ever known and not expect me to ask questions. I want to know you, to know about what it is to be you. I can't just be your pet for the rest of my life."

"You think yourself as my pet?" Ragon asked incredulously, and when Bell didn't respond he continued. "There are things in my past, things that I can't change, but anything you ask me I will tell you. I will be honest; I won't lie to you."

Bell resumed her seat next to Ragon. Now was her chance to find out everything she had ever wanted to know about him and his being a vampire. Bell pulled out the mental list she had been editing since first she had met him.

"When did you become a vampire?" Bell asked, thinking a nice easy question would be a good place to start.

"In 1815," Ragon replied.

"And Kiara turned you?" she asked.

He nodded.

"How?" Bell asked curiously.

"It's relatively simple actually. Any mortal at the point of death can be changed; although it doesn't work every time. Sometimes, for whatever reason, vampirism doesn't take. To be changed a mortal must be so close to death that only becoming a vampire can save them. That is that medicine will have little effect. Basically they must be dying; a run of the mill flu isn't going to cut it. And because the mortal must be close to death, then if the vampirism doesn't take, they are likely to die, which is probably why so many losses ensue," Ragon replied.

Bell considered his words, "So anyone can become a vampire?" she asked.

Ragon nodded, saying, "Although few would choose it if they knew the cost."

"You mean having to drink blood?" Bell asked.

"Yes that, and the other requirements of immortality," he said, and seeing Bell's curious look, added, "such as intolerance to sun and having to remain in the shadows for all eternity as well as the inevitable loose of humanity."

"And your diary," Bell asked sheepishly, "Were you really that cruel?"

"I hunted almost anything with a pulse," he said, "but I couldn't kill children; it seemed I still retained enough of my mortality to keep that one quality."

"So why not stay with Kiara, killing everyone but children, why not continue the life you were living?" Bell asked.

Ragon had been waiting for this question, fearing it above all others. This was the confession he had meat to make to her when he had broken off from kissing her. He decided now that he would only tell her as much as she needed to know. He couldn't lose her; he wouldn't lose her.

"Because she did something, something that broke me from my blind obedience to her and let me see what a monster I had become," Ragon said.

"What?" Bell asked curiously.

"In the early 1930's I left her once, and lived with Sandra, Thomas, Larissa and Cambridge for a time. For decades I did not speak to Kiara, never sought her out. Then one night many decades later I came across her. She promised me that things would be different. She remembered that when we'd been together I had craved humanity. It wasn't until I followed her back to her residence, that I her cruel plan was revealed. When I got there, there was a child that she had taken. I think she thought, that by stealing the babe we could be whole once more; like a family," Ragon said.

"And that didn't work?" Bell asked.

"No. It was probably the only thing that she could have done to ensure I left her forever," Ragon replied.

"You know," Bell said, "it's nice just talking to you. Not having to wonder which crazy person you will have to save me from; just having a somewhat regular conversation."

Bell smiled then, it was a warm smile; a smile which portrayed her contentment. Ragon had been honest with her; he had talked to her and at this thought she laughed, comparing this first date to her other experiences with men. Though she was 24 years old, she had been on only a few first dates; and even less second or subsequent dates. The last date she had been on was with Michael, a boy from her uni, who was in the year above her. He had taken her to dinner and then to see a movie. They had watched some boring romance, 'He likes me', and spent the entire film trying to shove his tongue down her throat. She had not phoned him back after that; but laughed fondly at the memory, comparing Michael's actions to Ragon's.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ragon asked, but not waiting for Bell's reply said, "What happened to your parents?"

Bell blinked a few times at this question. It was so far from anything she might have expected that she found herself completely speechless. The smile from only moments ago was now completely absent from her face.

After hesitating for a moment she said, "I suppose it's only fair that I answer your invasive question after you have answered mine." Bell sighed and said, "not much, they died when I was a baby, and I had no family to take me in and tell me about them. I went into foster care and spent the next sixteen years jumping from family to family and living out of a garbage bag. When I turned 18 I moved into my own place and applied for college."

Bell didn't find the conversation involving her parent's particularly enjoyable. The truth was that if she stopped and thought about them for too long it upset her. Their lives and deaths were a complete mystery. When Bell was old enough to ask the foster families who had taken her in what had happened, they all told her the same thing. She had basically been dumped on the doorstep of an adoption centre.

"Why are you so afraid of the vampires who invited us to their Halloween party?" Bell asked, wanting desperately to change the topic.

Ragon looked at her concerned. He didn't like that Bell thought of him as being afraid. It was true though. He was terrified, not for himself, but for her. Still, he didn't want to alarm her, his answer must be honest but not too honest.

"William and Nikolas are elders in our world. They are basically like royalty. They are in charge, or rather if someone does something wrong than they are responsible for overseeing any punishment," Ragon replied.

"Punishment?" Bell asked, gulping.

As she spoke, she had reached nervously for her glass and sipped from it, before remembering that it had been empty for ages. She must be drunk! Ragon had noticed her movements, and quickly raced towards the roof exit, pushing the door open and disappearing through it. A moment later and he had returned; a new bottle of white wine in his hands. He opened the bottle, smiling down at Bell and poured a mouthful into her glass.

"Iz et to Mademoiselle's liking?" Ragon asked, imitating a French accent, and waiting eagerly for Bell to try the wine, as his hands imitated curling a moustache.

Bell picked up the glass and held it up to the light cast down by the stars. She then smelt the liquid, breathing in the slightly intoxicating fumes a little too deeply and coughing. Finally she took a mouthful of wine, swished it around, and then swallowed. She smiled up at Ragon in response, and he filled her glass to the rim.

The light-hearted moment had almost completely expelled Bell's thoughts about Nicholas and William. Yet as she took another sip of the delicious fruity wine, the phrase punishment, came swimming back into her mind, and their previous conversation came flooding with it.

"You were saying?" Bell asked.

Ragon frowned for only a moment, "They are responsible for certain law enforcement, although they are rarely called on, more than anything they act as a warning. Keep our existence a secret; or else," Ragon said dramatically.

Bell could sense that Ragon didn't want to elaborate; she wanted desperately to know more but not at the expense of him possibly clamming up. She made a mental note to ask Sandra or Larissa about the Elders; tonight was going far too well to ruin it with talk of punishments.

"So basically they are like really old policemen?" Bell asked jokingly.

"Yea, I guess you could say that," Ragon agreed, before adding, "although as you will most probably meet them in a few days, I would advise against it."

"Right," Bell said laughing a little.

It felt like a lifetime since her and Ragon had kissed. She could remember the moment, as though it was off in the distance, but too far away to focus on. Taking another large gulp of the wine Ragon had bought to her, she let the alcohol fuel her will, and boldly placed her hand on the table; hoping Ragon might interpret this as a sign for him to make a move.

A few minutes of silence followed this. Bell wanted to ask Ragon what he felt about her, why he had asked her on this date, what their kiss had meant... and so many other personal questions.

"So what happens now?" Bell asked.

She liked the multi meaning of her question, and sat waiting for Ragon to answer.

Ragon cocked his head to one side saying, "I thought that would have been obvious."

Bell was frustrated; Ragon had answered her question with an equally ominous response, leaving the interpretation back to her. She was instantly reminded of a tennis match; the ball was in her court.

In response Bell fluttered her eyelids a few times, hoping to portray a sense of innocence, but did not answer him. In truth she wasn't too sure what she would say if Ragon asked her to be his girlfriend. Did vampires date mortals? What happened if they broke up? Would she be disassociated or worse? So many questions; all of which were best to be asked, when Bells head wasn't floating around the night sky thanks to the bubbles from their first bottle of champagne.

"Well," Ragon said when it became obvious to him that Bell was not going to jest with him any further, "I think that it is getting late, the restaurant will be shutting soon, and I want to get you back to the safety of the house."

Bell nodded, and allowed Ragon to sweep behind her and pull her chair out. She glanced back at the large telescope that adorned the roof and then glanced up to the stars. Just off in the distance towards the West she could make out Grandor, and the five twinkling stars which adorned it, recalling the legend behind the constellation. As Bell walked down the steep roof access stairway, she realised how late it must be. Almost all of the previously full booths on the main floor of the planetarium were now empty; with their tables set anew for tomorrow night's guests. As they walked towards the grand staircases that lead to the car park, Ragon was greeted once again by the moustached man, who shook his hand again. Bell thought that there was a look of disappointment in his eyes, as he returned his hand to his pocket, this time with nothing in it.

***

When Bell and Ragon finally arrive home it was nearly 2am and Bell had fallen asleep in the car, her head slumped up against the window, partly cradled by her seat belt. Bell had been exhausted, having gotten up so early that day. When the car finally came to a stop inside the garage, Ragon gently picked her up and carried her inside. Expertly he opened her bedroom door and placed her on top of the bed, the large wooden four-poster barely creaking as he laid her under the crisp white linen sheets. Though he had seen her naked before, there was something sinister about removing her clothing without her permission, with this in mind he left her in her outfit.

His hands gripped tight at the white cover with detailed green leaf embroidery as he pulled it up to cover her. He wanted her desperately to take her, to whisper gently in her ear that he needed her, and to spend the rest of the night making love to her. Instead, still gripping the sheets overly hard, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. It wasn't the goodnight kiss he had had in mind half an hour ago; but in many ways it was better. It felt innocent and humbling in a way that Ragon hadn't felt since becoming a vampire. With that in mind, he released the bed sheets and left. Bell was so exhausted that she did not even stir when Ragon eased away from the bed. He smiled to himself, admiring how beautiful she was while she slept, then noiselessly closed the door behind him. As he did so he heard something in the house which caught his attention. He then then raced off to the library to investigate the foreign sound. If he had a heart beat it would have been pounding, if not screaming in his chest, urging him on-wards; there was another vampire in his house.

To be continued...