Page 22 of Illuminated

“Your mother? From one-point-five millennia ago?” I put the wine glass on the table and stared.

He nodded. “Yes. She told me the night I was to be turned into a vampire. Remember, I told you some witches gain divination? My mother was one of those. She took me aside before it was time for me, and she told me I’d know random passions for a long time, but never love until a man cut me off a cross in a place of worship and thus saved my life. That would be the only man who would ever own my heart, she said.”

I reached for the wine again, took a bigger swig, put it back down. That story was clearly why he’d suggested a drink in the first place.

“That,” I said, “sounds like even more bullshit.” But there were goose bumps all over my arms and up my neck. Something about this… but no. Prophecies were not real.

“I can see how it would, but I can’t deny what I feel. And I won’t deny you the truth.”

“I don’t think I’m drunk enough to be told I’m supposed to be the centerpiece of a prophecy.”

He sighed but said nothing.

“What did you have planned, then? If you don’t want to turn me, and you don’t want to fuck me just for a little while. What was your plan?” Even as I said it, I regretted it. It was mean, it was hurtful, and it was most certainly petty.

To Auris’s credit, he never allowed himself to be baited. He didn’t snap at me, just looked into my eyes with unabashed longing in his.

“Believe it or not, I didn’t think it would ever happen myself, and I hadn’t thought about what my mother had told me in years and years. I didn’t think about it as I was on that cross. Then you showed up. And note I didn’t say I would never turn you into a vampire, I said I will not turn younow. Even if you change your mind about wanting to become like I am, I’ll have at least one lifetime with you. It beats never having met you.”

That almost… it left me dumbstruck. I licked my lips and ran my fingers through my now-dry hair.

Auris reached for my hand, tugged. “Come here, my sweet,” he said, wrapped me in his arms and hugged me to him.

“I’m sorry for being confrontational. I don’t know. I didn’t want to argue either, but I just…” My voice drifted away.

“You are forgiven. And might I assure you, you were nowhere near as confrontational as a priest with an intent on murder.”

I giggled, and we moved so that we could sit next to each other, his arm around me, the ocean and the dusk-painted sky our entertainment while the fire provided the music.

“It’s still weird,” I said. “Love. And a prophecy of love. I honestly don’t -- you know. I don’t think I can believe that.”

He sighed, and even his sighs sounded good. “My life has often been weird. And you don’t have to believe anything just because it’s nominally a prophecy. It is something told to me a long time ago, and yesterday, we met. We can just take it from there.”

“You’re being very pragmatic. For a vampire. What will my cult followers say if they learn you are so down-to-earth?”

“My sweet, just because I confessed my feelings to you does not mean I am allowing you a cult. Stake that idea and rinse your mind with holy water.”

My laughter rocked me, and his hand in my hair soothed me.

After a little while longer, he said, “Ethan, while you had some exercise in the bedroom earlier, I had noticed that you barely ate some toast and fruit all day. I’ll call Gloria to make you something to eat, if you don’t mind.”

“Gloria?”

“The housekeeper. Stay there, have more wine, enjoy the sunset. Oh, and what kind of food do you like? So she can just pick something up in case she can’t make it.”

“Vegetarian,” I said, possibly tanking my case toward applying for vampirism.

* * *

The silver of Auris’s eyes had faded with the sun, and as soon as only the stars were out shining, his eyes had become an almost solid darkness again.

Gloria, the housekeeper, had arrived about fifteen minutes after Auris had called her. That had given me just enough time to put on more than my editing shorts, and the long jeans had earned me a playful, disappointed groan from Auris.

Gloria called Auris “Mr. Salek” and wore a mask the entire time she cooked dinner. I expected her to be older and motherly, but she was actually just ten years my senior, at most, and instead of motherly, she gave off a fun aunt vibe, complimenting me with a very much unsubtle wink for getting such a good-looking man as Auris to spoil me.

She left once the cooking was done, and Auris sat next to me at the counter while I ate.

“You’re watching me,” I said, shoving a forkful of pasta with the best homemade tomato sauce I’d ever had in my mouth.

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