"A Fatal Case"
 
 

By Irena Dawidson
 

 

 

Pairings: Julian /Caitlin story with a lot of other stuff thrown in
Warnings:   m/f, m/m, violence, rape
Rated NC-17/Adult for explicit m/m relationship
Legal disclaimers: Spelling Television Inc. (A subsidiary of Spelling Entertainment Group
Inc.) owns some of the characters in the following story. Vampire: The
Masquerade is owned by Mark Rein- Hagen/White Wolf Publishing. My use of
them is in no way a challenge to their copyrights.This story, however, is mine.
It starts immediately after the last scene of the final episode faded
away.Mark Frankel, the actor who played the principal character Julian Luna
in “Vampire: The Masquerade”, died in a motorcycle accident in London on
September 24, 1996. His death was the inspiration for this story. It
began as a short story, written for fun, but developed into a
full-length novel on request of my friend, Sofia.
Mark Frankel is dead, but our Prince lives forever.
Archiving: Permission granted to archive at AAY site; others please ask
before archiving or reposting.
Feedback: Yes Irena.Dawidson@starport.se
 

Introduction

    This book is about Kindred. They live among us and most of them can
pass for humans. The Kindred can live for centuries; they are stronger
than men and have other powers that are beyond our understanding. In
order to maintain their lives and their powers, the Kindred must drink
small amounts of human blood. They keep their existence secret, abiding
by the rules of the Masquerade which has kept them safe through the
ages.
    New Kindred are created through The Embrace, through which a human’s
blood is exchanged with that of a Kindred. To do so, a Kindred must
obtain the permission of the Prince and the human he wants to Embrace.
The Kindred are divided into Clans and pay allegiance to the Clan
leader, a Primogen, and to the Prince of the city in which they live.
The Prince is the supreme ruler of the Kindred in his city.
    In the city of San Francisco Julian Luna of the Ventrue Clan is the
Prince. Recently, he has been involved in a struggle for power, and his
mentor and former Prince, Archon, has been killed by Cameron, the new
Primogen of the Brujah Clan. However, the attempt to kill Julian has
failed. Caitlin Byrne, a mortal woman, saved his life by feeding him her
own blood. After having disclosed his secret, Julian has made her forget
what had happened and what he had told her.
    Julian Luna has fallen in love with Caitlin. This is their story.
 
 
 

Chapter I
 

Caitlin woke up with a start. Disoriented, she looked around trying to
remember where she was. The bedroom was unfamiliar. The walls and
ceiling were white and bare, the furniture dark brown and sparse. There
was an open fireplace to the left, but the fire was dead. A little
morning light filtered into the room through the drawn curtains.  She
was lying in an enormous bed, half immobilized by rumpled, twisted,
creamy, silk sheets. She was alone, and felt quite cold and clammy.
After disentangling herself from the silky restraints, she found the
bathroom. It looked like a hotel bathroom to her. There were no personal
things there. The towels were new: the toothpaste, toothbrush and soap
still in their wrappings. Even the fluffy bathrobe had that hotel look
about it, she almost expected to find the name Hyatt or Holiday Inn as
she wrapped herself in it. With a pang of disappointment, she realized
that she had spent the night in a guestroom. This was the first night
that she had ever spent in Julian’s home and he had not taken her to his
own bedroom, only to a guest room!
    The hot water revived her spirits, and she tried to sort out her
feelings and memories. The weekend at Manzanita had been a disaster. It
had started out pleasantly enough, although Julian seemed so tense, and
then... then she remembered nothing but nightmares. This was a new
experience. She had never taken any drugs, and she had never been drunk
enough to lose track of time. But there, a couple of days were lost to
her. Come to think of it, she had lost quite a few hours that day when
the kidnapped baby had been recovered. And on both occasions Julian had
been there when she regained her senses. Strange... Was he involved
somehow? Well, she would just have to look into that mystery later.
Right now, getting herself to work was the first priority.
    She got out of the tub, and returned to the bedroom to find that a
breakfast had been brought in. The curtains were open. A fire was
blazing merrily in the fireplace, and the bed had been made. But still
no Julian.
    She sat at the table, and poured herself some coffee. Her memories
returned to the previous night. She had come to Julian’s home late, and
had been admitted without questions. As a reporter she was no stranger
to death and the gloomy atmosphere which greeted her here was
immediately recognizable. She had come to demand some answers, but, when
she saw Julian, all her resolve had left her. She had never seen him so
miserable. Someone had died and from the look of him, she gathered it
must have been someone very close to him. The name Archon came to mind.
That was the name he had called out when he had heard her steps. But
when she questioned him about it, all she got was denial. He had averted
his eyes, even as his hand searched out hers. It seemed like he had been
on the verge of crying, and was fighting very hard to keep the tears
back. Her heart had gone out to him. She wanted to comfort him, to take
care of him, to hold him. But when she leaned towards him, he turned his
face away. She stood up then, determined to leave and that was when it
happened. Never, in her wildest dreams, had she imagined it possible. As
she was turning away, trying to free her hand, instead of letting go as
he had always done in the past, his grip hardened, forcing her to turn
back. Surprised, she could only stand there, looking at him, saying
nothing. After a moment that felt to her like an eternity he slid slowly
from his chair and, kneeling, put his arms around her.
    “Cait...  Caitlin,” his voice broke, “please, don’t go. Please,
don’t leave me!”
    Her own reaction scared her. She felt triumphant.
    “So, you are human after all, Julian,” she whispered. The shiver
that went through his body told her that he had heard her. He hadn’t
been supposed to. She went down on her knees too and hugged him.
    “I love you Julian,” she said in a steady voice. “I won’t leave
you.”
    They hadn’t said or done much more that night. A part of her was
disappointed that he hadn’t tried to make love to her, but another part
reveled in his need of her presence. He held her in his arms, in that
big bed, and she woke several times because his grip was so tight. She
tried then to fight her way out of his embrace, but there was no way she
could budge him even an inch as long as he was asleep. He was absolutely
still and as responsive as a stone. Finally she had to wake him, shaking
him and calling his name. It seemed to her that he was more unconscious
than asleep, but when he did wake up, it was with instant alertness. She
asked him if he had taken any medicine, but he denied it. She had to
explain that she could not breathe because he held her too tightly, and
he apologized for that. He looked pale and vulnerable. Whatever he used
to do in order to force his dark hair into the severe lines he always
showed in public was no longer working, and it was now in disarray of
curls. He looked younger and weaker than she had ever seen him, and he
refused to break the physical contact. His need to touch her made her
heart break and sing at the same time. It was so confusing. Part of the
fascination she felt for him had been aroused by his inner strength.
Could it be so simple? Had she somehow broken through that rock-hard
self-sufficiency?
    After several bouts of his suffocating clinging to her, she made him
let go of her and put her arms around him instead. That seemed to
satisfy him. He relaxed slowly; she felt his muscles slacken. But when
she thought that he had gone back to sleep, he turned suddenly and,
taking her face in his hands, said in a clear voice:
    “I love you, Caitlin. You’re like the air around me. Without you I
will die.”
    That made her tighten her grip around him. Nothing more was said
that night. Caitlin was awake for a long time, thinking hard. A feeling
of guilt crept over her. During all these months, she had been so
preoccupied with her own feelings and desires that she hadn’t stopped
once to consider Julian’s feelings. He had obviously been interested and
attracted to her. He graciously accepted her every turn and move. He
never showed any frustration at her erratic behavior. Here, in the
darkness at his side, she had to admit, at least to herself, that she
had acted like a capricious teenager. Leading him on and than stepping
back when he responded: when his desire became apparent, his kisses hot,
and his hands greedy. She felt her face become warm at these memories.
Every time it happened, he showed nothing but patience, he would look
away for a few seconds, and then he would be his calm self again, a
smile on his face, reassuring words for her. Also, that time when she
broke up with him, he had been so calm, no smile, but his lack of
reaction had hurt. She had been disappointed that he hadn’t tried to
make her change her mind. He never tried to force his will on her. Why
not? Men usually do, one way or another. She thought then that he didn’t
care enough. But now, she saw it in a different light. Maybe, because he
knew how forceful he could be? The word ‘enforcer’ came, unbidden, to
her mind. She smiled at that.
    I don’t believe that Julian is involved with the mob, she thought,
or maybe he understood that if he tried to force me in any way, I’d
fight harder.
    She smiled again, because she suddenly remembered that the only time
he had showed any hesitation at all was the first time they made love.
Well, I had to force you, Julian, she thought. The memory made her blush
again. She had never imagined that such ecstasy was possible. No
stories, no books, no films, and certainly nothing in her own experience
had prepared her for that! The desire felt like physical pain. She
screwed her eyes shut and worked hard to banish it. This was not the
right time. Let him sleep. Tomorrow.... Finally, she slept.
 

    And in the morning she woke up alone. Last night there had been talk
of love and need, and now, this disappearing act!
    “Julian, where are you?” she embarrassed herself by asking aloud.
There was a knock and, as she turned around, the door opened and a young
girl walked in.
    “Good morning,” she said smiling. “Before he left, my uncle asked me
to take care of you. I waited till I heard the water running in the
bathroom. He specifically told me not to wake you or he would have me
for dinner!” She laughed and continued: “I thought you would never wake
up. It’s almost eleven, and Uncle Julian was supposed to be at a meeting
at eight. He stayed around waiting for you to get up, but by nine the
phone was ringing continuously, so he gave up and left. He said that he
would call you at home or at work.” She had run out of breath and
Caitlin was at last able to say something.
    “How was he?” she asked. The girl seemed to give the question
serious thought. At last she looked up and said:
    “He’ll live.” Then she laughed again. “And so will you, from the
look of things.” She pointed to the empty plates on the table. Caitlin
had helped herself to a hearty breakfast, but now she stood up, looking
for her clothes.
    “Did you say it was eleven o’clock?” she said. She was supposed to
have been at work two hours ago. By now they were probably wondering
what she was up to. She looked back at the girl. She was so young,
probably not yet twenty. Suddenly, something the girl had said came back
to her.
    “Did you say Uncle Julian?” she asked. The girl smiled again.
    “He is my uncle, really,” she said. “I’m Sasha. We’ve never met, but
I know who you are. That’s why Uncle Julian asked me to look after you.
He is so protective of everybody. Sometimes, he is worse than both my
parents put together were, but I still like it better here than in the
country.” She looked away for a moment, before returning her gaze to
Caitlin. The movement was so like Julian’s that in Caitlin’s mind, it
confirmed Sasha’s statement of being related to him. The smile became
sly.
    “Why don’t you join me in my room. I’ll get us something cold to
drink and tell you all I know about my uncle.”
    Caitlin realized that she was being made an offer she could not
refuse. This was too good to be true. She steeled herself. What would
Julian say if she pumped his niece for information about him. On the
other hand, he had left Sasha in charge. He must have known that this
might happen. Caitlin decided to ask as little as possible and let the
girl talk.
    “I’ll just call my office and tell them that I’ll come later,” she
said. “Won’t take a minute.”
    They sat in comfortable chairs in Sasha’s room, sipping iced tea.
What Sasha had to tell about Julian was not very exiting, but it did add
some information to the little heap of knowledge that Caitlin already
possessed.
    As it turned out, Sasha had seen her Uncle Julian only a few times
during her childhood. All she remembered from that time was that her
parents and other relatives always showed him great respect. He was very
kind, quiet-spoken and brought nice presents. He was always well
dressed, very handsome and extremely polite. By the time Sasha turned
sixteen, she had decided that it was time to lose her virginity and
thought that her well-mannered uncle from the city was the best
candidate to help with that task. She had made a complete fool of
herself when, during one of his infrequent visits, she had sneaked into
his bedroom. He had put away the bookkeeping papers he had been working
on and asked what he could do for her. Nervous as she was, she had
blurted out her proposal and then thrown herself at him and kissed him.
He had let her do that: he had even responded to her kiss in sheer
surprise. But then, he had disengaged himself from her attack on his
virtue, as he called it later, and made her sit down and listen to him.
They had talked for several hours that night. He had explained to her
that, apart from being too old for her, he was also a relative, and
incest was a horrendous crime; a crime that he, Julian Luna, would never
commit. He was quite upset that she could even suggest such a thing. He
was even upset about the kiss. She had had to apologize to him. When he
had calmed down, they talked about sex and love, and he had  suggested
that  she should  wait  until she loved somebody, and really wanted to
have sex, before she got rid of her virginity. He had promised her that
he would never tell anybody about that incident if she promised to take
care of herself. He had kept his promise better than she had hers.
    Caitlin was deep in thought. How many men were there who would turn
away a beautiful, sixteen-year-old girl, niece or no niece? Any decent
man? But this story only confirmed her image of Julian. He was a man of
power, no doubt about it, but intimidating women was not part of it. If
anything, it was the other way around. Caitlin had seen women watching
Julian. He was an attractive man, and that aura of power and mystique
that surrounded him was almost tangible. Usually, he had to go out of
his way to avoid the hunting ladies. Take Lillie, for instance. No
matter how much she denied her desire for Julian, her eyes followed his
every move. Caitlin had seen that and, being a woman, would not be
fooled by anything Lillie said. No, this was at least one thing she
could be absolutely sure of; Julian would not abuse a woman, and that
included a young niece. If anything, he seemed rather shy. She
remembered how nervous he had been when he had brought her that
telescope as her birthday present. He wanted her so much to like it.
And, when they made love, he was so much more eager to please than to be
pleased. Put together, all those pieces created a picture of a very nice
person. So why did she find him so dangerous? Why was she so afraid? Of
course, there was his business, his fortune, his bodyguards, his shady
associates, but no matter how much she tried, or how objective she set
out to be, she could not imagine Julian as some Cosa Nostra Mafioso. His
past might not be lily white, but he was not a thug like Eddie Fiori had
been, although he had admitted to knowing Fiori. Caitlin was confused.
There were also the pictures of Julian and the assassin, a knife in his
hand. He had told her that he had been shot and stabbed several times
but, as far as she had seen, there were no scars on his body. Well, a
man as wealthy as Julian could afford the surgery necessary to remove
scars: he seemed quite particular about his appearance.
    The rest of Sasha’s story did not add very much. She knew that he
had spent a lot of time in England when he was young. She had come to
San Francisco only a few months ago and had fallen in love with Cash,
Julian’s bodyguard. Uncle Julian accepted it after some initially
disapproving noises. She was quite happy to be here and Uncle Julian was
very generous, although he still made noises whenever she stayed out too
late. Fortunately, he stayed out late quite often too, so he didn’t
notice all her absences.
    At lunchtime Cash arrived and was quite surprised to find Caitlin
with Sasha. Caitlin said a hasty farewell and left. She decided to go
home first and change her clothes before going to work. While she drove,
she went through the information she had obtained from Sasha. That part
about England would explain Julian’s old-fashioned manners and his
precise speech. She laughed out loud recollecting Sasha’s seduction
scene and decided to ask Julian about it.
    He will probably be more embarrassed about it than Sasha was, she
thought. How could that policeman, whatever his name was... oh yes,
Kohanek, Frank Kohanek, how could he believe that Julian was a dangerous
man, telling her to stay away from him! That was preposterous! Aw...
watch it, Caitlin, she thought to herself, Julian only had to say, ”I
love you”, and you’re ready to believe that he is a saint. The truth is
that you still don’t know anything of value about him. Well, you know
that he wouldn’t sleep with his own niece, which in itself puts him
among the better part of the male population, and that he’s playing an
Englishman. That will not be held against him, unless he tries that
contemptuous ‘my dear’ criticism on me.
    She arrived at work when people were returning from lunch and had to
put Julian out of her thoughts. She didn’t realize that she had
forgotten to ask who had died.

    Julian Luna spent the better part of that day trying to create some
order to the mayhem caused by Archon’s death. He was an able
businessman, but Archon had always been there: to help him and to guide
him. His affairs among mortals needed to be put in order, but that was
not the biggest problem. His affairs among Kindred, that would come
later. Nevertheless, there were scores of executives and lawyers, male
and female, who demanded his attention.
    Archon’s will was clear, everything belonged now to Julian, and
Archon had left no blood relatives who might contest his last will. But
after a few hours of reading and signing piles of papers he’d had
enough. As the afternoon hours crawled slowly past, he found it more and
more difficult to concentrate. He was tired and thirsty; he had not fed
last night, and the hunger for blood gnawed at every cell in his body.
At last, he decided to call it a day. He called a meeting of the Seniors
and delegated further tasks to them, silencing their protests.   They
saw how unwell he looked and let him go.
    He sat back in his car and tried to rest. Under any other
circumstances, a missed meal wouldn’t affect him that much. But he had
been badly injured recently and had used a lot of energy in order to
heal himself. The emotional turmoil he found himself in worsened his
state. The loss of Archon, and finding out about his betrayal at the
same time - it was more than he could bear. It was as if the very
foundations of his existence were crumbling. What if everything else in
his life were as false? He had always believed that he had been doing
the right thing, but now, he wasn’t so sure. A dull headache reminded
him of the violent attacks of migraine that used to plague him during
his childhood and early adolescence. He needed rest, a good feed and a
clear mind in order to deal with Archon’s legacy.
    He put his sad thoughts of Archon aside and conjured up Caitlin’s
face in front of his closed eyes; the way she looked when she said she
loved him. Well, he had lied to her too. Not about his feelings, though.
In fact, the only truthful thing he had told her was that he loved her.
But that melodramatic statement about breathing air! The fact, the real
fact, she would never know was that he didn’t need air to be able to
breathe. His body was just as capable of extracting the required amount
of oxygen out of water or

soil or anything that contained any oxygen at all. He remembered how he
used to hide under water, on several occasions, when he was chased by
humans and there had been no other escape. It had been unpleasant, but
not dangerous. But he couldn’t have told Caitlin that he needed her like
oxygen, or like human blood, now, could he? Apart from being quite
unromantic, it would have scared her out of her wits. She had been
frightened enough in Manzanita. He had taken her memories of what had
happened there and pushed them into her subconscious, as far as he
could. It was wrong to do so, he had been scared too, but there was
nothing else he could do, short of Embracing her or killing her. But
there were some mortals who had found out about Kindred and lived. Even
here, in his own city. Why couldn’t Caitlin know?
    You’re a coward, Julian, he told himself. You don’t want her to
know. He remembered how she had looked when he had lain injured in the
cabin in Manzanita, her face drawn and gray with fear and worry. And
yet, she had looked at him with love, even after he told her what he
was. No repugnance, which he had feared most. But what would she feel
when she had time to think and sort out her feelings? When he was no
longer weak and bleeding, no longer in need of her help and protection.
Would she see him as a monster, as others through the centuries had? He
remembered the revulsion he himself felt at what he had become during
the first months after Archon had Embraced him. Another memory came back
to him. There had been another human lover some fifty years ago, Helene.
When she had found out... he didn’t want to think about it. He never
wanted to live through that sort of nightmare again. She had gone quite
mad; called him the most awful names. Eventually, he had had to kill
her. No, he would never let anything like that happen again. So what
about Caitlin? The best thing to do, was probably to pretend that he was
a somewhat shady businessman, with an even shadier past. Let her believe
that he was fighting his way out of the criminal world, into the sunny,
beautiful, legitimate world of human affairs. For her sake he would have
to reconstruct his own house. Make a home for mortals and separate it
from the home of Kindred. Make sure that she would never notice his
nightly absences. Make sure that she would never know. Could he lead
that sort of double life? Many humans had, spies, bigamists, and the
like. He didn’t like to compare himself to spies and bigamists. After
all, he was the Prince of San Francisco. Would he step down as the
Prince for Caitlin’s sake? No! He would not! Especially not now, when
Archon was gone, and there was no one else to take his place. Oh,
Archon, why did it have to end this way? Why did you do this to me? So,
he was back to Archon. He realized that he was ranting and shut
everything out of his mind.
    Julian walked briskly into his house and, shedding his clothes on
the way, headed straight for his bedroom. Did Caitlin realize that they
had spent the night in one of the guestrooms? She probably did. He could
hardly have brought her down here. A windowless cell with a narrow cot
and nothing more than a bookshelf and a tiny reading lamp. She would
have found it quite odd. Before he lay down, he wrote a note to Caitlin
that he would call her later that night, and asked a servant to send it
to her, together with two dozen red roses. But first, he had to rest.
Then, when darkness enveloped his city, the Prince would go out and
feed. He stretched out naked on his cot, and within minutes his
breathing and his heartbeat slowed down to almost nothing. He slept
dreamlessly, because Kindred never dream.

    Julian Luna woke up hungry. He didn’t bother to put on any clothes.
He went out on the terrace and stepped into the garden. When he emerged
on the other side of the fence, he had already shape-shifted into a
wolf. He ran from one backyard to another, jumping effortlessly over
fences and bushes. The sounds and smells acquired new meanings. A
several hours old trail of a hare was uninteresting, but the smell of
humans who had been sitting in the grass just minutes ago, made him
stop. He followed that scent until his senses told him that it had been
left by playing children. He snorted with disgust and turned away. A few
fences later, he found what he was looking for: a big man was working
alone in his garden, in spite of the dark. He was humming to himself, a
shovel making rhythmic sounds. Julian stopped a few yards behind,
throwing up his head, tasting the air for the presence of others. But no
one else was around. He moved closer, his belly to the ground,
carefully, quietly. A shovel in a man’s hand could be a formidable
weapon. Like a released spring, he threw himself at the man’s broad
back. The victim lost his balance and fell forward with a surprised
shriek. Julian’s teeth sank into the sturdy neck before they both hit
the ground. At the same time he returned to his human form, one hand
squeezing the man’s throat, until the victim lost consciousness. With
his fangs, Julian opened a vein and started to drink the warm blood.
When he was done, he waited till the wounds closed and made sure that
the provider of his meal breathed easily before he left.
    On his way back, he changed again into the wolf. It was easier to
get around that way. He ran into a cat, a real cat, not a Kindred that
had shape-shifted into one, and gave it a chase just for sheer fun. The
cat escaped up in a tree and hissed cat obscenities at him. A more
enticing smell caught his interest and he turned towards the house. A
leap through an open window and he found himself in a woman’s bedroom.
She slept alone, a faint odor of alcohol lingering. How much had she
drunk? Julian was not very fond of alcohol-tainted blood. He was aware
that there were other people in the house but if somebody came in, well,
he would be just another naked man in a woman’s bed. He crouched over
her and tasted her blood. The amount of alcohol in her was minuscule,
and he drank freely. Just as he finished, the door opened and a small
boy walked in. Julian slid from the bed and threw himself out of the
window. He was a wolf again before he touched the ground. It was time to
go home.

    Julian arrived at Caitlin’s home at half past ten. He had called
earlier and she had invited him to come. But now, she seemed nervous and
upset. She slid away when he tried to touch her and walked into her
living room, talking in a voice that was louder than usual.
    “Please, come in, Mr. Luna.” She turned back to him, her eyes
pleading with him to play along. Julian went past her and was faced by a
tall, white-haired man.
    “This is Mr. Julian Luna, our publisher,” said Caitlin, and then
turning to Julian, “my father, James Byrne.”
    They shook hands, mumbling polite phrases. But Caitlin’s father
coldly looked down on Julian, apparently enjoying the fact that he was
several inches taller. Julian took off his coat, handed it to Caitlin
and sat down in one of the chairs, thus depriving the man of his
advantage. There was no point in being tall in front of someone who was
sitting. James Byrne’s face turned red - he saw the insult and knew it
was intended. Julian felt his own rush of adrenaline. He was quite ready
for a fight, and this was the man who had hurt Caitlin. She stood there,
Julian’s coat still in her hands, looking at them, not knowing what to
do. The instant hostility between them hung in the air, like so much
smoke. At last, Caitlin’s father sat too, and immediately went on the
attack:
    “Isn’t it rather late to be visiting one’s employees, Mr. Luna?”
    Julian looked at the small table that had been set for two. He had
been expected, the other man hadn’t.
    “A business dinner, as you know news people work at night,” he said
lightly. “But tell me Mr. Byrne, what brings you to our beautiful city?”
Julian’s face showed nothing but polite interest.
    “I gave a lecture at a scientific convention,” Caitlin’s father
said. “Nothing to report about in your paper, I’m afraid.”
    “On the contrary,” Julian was giving him the most charming smile he
could produce, “a report on the latest progress in radio-astronomy might
make the front page. Had I known that my editor’s father was one of the
speakers, I would have sent her to obtain an interview. Unfortunately, I
wasn’t informed about the relationship between you two,” he almost
laughed at the surprised expression on her father’s face. “You wonder
how I know about it,” his voice became cold and hard as steel. “It’s
simple, I know everything that goes on in this city. There is only one
scientific convention in San Francisco at the moment and it’s the
American Astronomical Society that’s hosting it.”
    Byrne swallowed the bait:
    “My, my,” he said, “you must have a lot more people working for you,
apart from my daughter.”
    “You’d be surprised,” Julian answered, but did not elaborate
further. But Caitlin’s father prodded for more information:
    “So, beside the publishing business, there are other fields you’re
involved in?”
    Julian shrugged slightly at that.
    “Banking, international shipping companies, real estate, medical
facilities, you name it.”
    “That’s quite an accomplishment, considering that it has been done
within one generation,” Byrne said with mock admiration.
    “My family has been doing business in California for more than a
century and, before that, they lived in New Orleans.” Julian’s voice
became cold again. “I really don’t know when my ancestors first arrived
in America. Apparently, they escaped the persecution of the Huguenots in
France in the 17th century.”
    The old man was taken aback.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought that I detected a trace of foreign
accent. That’s why I assumed...” He was backing off.
    “Oh, that must have been all those years I spent in England,”
Julian’s smile was pure amity again, “although I wouldn’t consider a
British accent foreign, would you?” Julian was well aware of the WASP’s
fascination with everything British, some stupid inferiority complex, as
far as he understood it. Still, under some circumstances, it could be
used to his advantage.
    Caitlin’s father was quiet for a few seconds and then tried another
approach.
    “I’m surprised,” he mused, “that with all those different tasks that
occupy you, you still have time for nightly business meetings with my
daughter. He pronounced the word business as if he meant something else
entirely. This was a direct attack. Caitlin, who had been sitting apart
from them, quiet as a mouse, almost fainted now. She looked at Julian
pleadingly, her hands closing into fists. This was almost more than she
could bear. Her father had turned up on her doorstep unannounced, after
God knows how many years, and started questioning her about her private
life, as if she were still a teenager living in his house. Apparently,
rumors of her association with Julian had reached him somehow.
    But Julian rose to the challenge. He stood up, and now it was his
turn to look down at the older man.
    “You underestimate your daughter’s importance, Professor Byrne,” he
said. “Caitlin is my editor, and therefore my sole contact with the
reading population of San Francisco. Public opinion is quite important
for a man in my position.” James Byrne tried to say something, but
Julian wouldn’t let him. “Besides, I love her.” He made a helpless
gesture and stared defiantly at the sputtering man.
    “I’ll... I’ll...”
    “Mr. Byrne, please, don’t say anything you might regret later.
Frankly, you have nothing to threaten me with and, what’s more
important, you have nothing to threaten Caitlin with, either. So I
suggest that we end this unpleasant conversation and my driver will take
you to your hotel.”
    He led the stupefied man out while Caitlin watched with her mouth
hanging open. She had never seen her father so intimidated in her whole
life. It was... well, it was unbelievable!
    When Julian returned to the sitting room, he found Caitlin curled up
in her chair, her face hidden in her hands, her body shaking. He looked
at her, not knowing what to do. This was just great! A woman’s tears had
always rendered him quite helpless. He just didn’t know how to deal with
the situation. He immediately regretted that he allowed himself to get
angry with Caitlin’s father and cursed his famous temper.
    “Caitlin,” he knelt beside her chair and hugged her, “Caitlin, I’m
sorry, please don’t cry. Look, I’ll go to him tomorrow and apologize.”
    At that, she lifted her face and he saw that she hadn’t been crying,
but laughing.
    “Don’t you dare!” Her laughter almost choked her. “Don’t you dare!
That old goat got what he deserved! All my life he has been sitting on
me. It’s about time that someone sat on him. It was wonderful, Julian.
If this is how you conduct your business, no wonder you’re so
successful. I just hope that you’ll never get so angry with me.” She
couldn’t stop laughing.
    “I’ll never get angry with you,” he whispered in her hair. “Never!”
A funny thought surfaced in his mind, I should have bitten her ‘old
goat’. But he stopped himself right there. Personal vendetta was what
destroyed Archon. Besides, the man was still Caitlin’s father.
    “You know what I think?” he said aloud. “I think, we should run a
story on this astronomy meeting of his. Let him know that we hold no
grudge.”
    “That would be quite grand,” she answered. “Let him know that you
don’t kick a fallen adversary. Besides, how did you know about his being
an astronomer? Have you investigated my past?” A note of suspicion had
crept into her voice. He let go of her and raised both his hands in a
gesture of surrender.
    “Peace, I have done no such thing. You know that astronomy is a
hobby of mine. I have read several of his papers. Your name isn’t
exactly rare, so I didn’t put you two together until you introduced him
to me. And knowing about that astronomy convention being held in San
Francisco, it all fell instantly into place. That’s how I could stun him
with my knowledge about his profession, as well as his title. And it
worked to his disadvantage. I knew at least that much about him, while
he knew nothing about me and all his assumptions were wrong. But enough
about your father. Wasn’t there a bottle of wine I spied on the table?
How about some?”
    They drank the wine, and ate a little. Caitlin had lost her
appetite, and Julian had no real need for human food. Caitlin got a
little tipsy. She tried to question him about his stay in England, but
his answers were evasive. She decided that it was because of Lillie and
gave up lest her jealousy would show. Instead, she told him about her
conversation with Sasha. As she expected, he became quite embarrassed
and told her that he was still ashamed about his niece’s behavior. She
was a wild thing and nobody could control her. He hoped that Cash would
have some positive influence on her. There was a sad note in his voice
when he talked about her, as if he were talking about a lost cause.
Caitlin didn’t understand that. The girl seemed so nice and cheerful. It
was past midnight when Julian decided it was time for him to leave.
Caitlin showed her disappointment.
    “Aren’t you going to stay with me tonight?” she asked in a small
voice. Julian smiled at her.
     “I’m not in a habit of taking advantage of intoxicated ladies,” he
said and then remembered the one he had taken advantage of earlier that
night. He looked away, acutely aware of the lie he was living. Caitlin,
of course, misunderstood his reluctance.
    “Oh, Julian, you’re being a prude,” she crooned, putting her arms
around his neck and kissing him. He took hold of her, meaning to stop
her, but his hands slid around her body as she pressed herself closer to
him. Drunk or not, her desire for him bound him to her. He lifted her,
and carried her to the bed. He might have been able to say no to
himself, but there was no way he could say no to her. He whispered her
name hoarsely as her roving hands removed his clothes. When their naked
bodies came together, Julian forgot about the fighting clans, about
Archon, and the whole mess of Kindred affairs.
 

    A sort of truce formed between Caitlin and Julian over the next few
weeks. He’d search her out every few days, either at work or at home. It
was quite obvious that he needed her company, but when they were
together, he seemed distant, his mind on other things. When she had
asked him outright, he had admitted to losing a close friend while they
were in Manzanita but would say no more about it. As time went by,
instead of getting over it, he became more and more morose. He’d take
her out to very expensive restaurants for a late dinner, order lavishly
for her but only a salad or desert for himself. While she stuffed
herself, complaining about getting fat, Julian just played with whatever
was on his plate, hardly eating anything. At last he told her that he
wasn’t used to eating solid food that late and stopped ordering anything
for himself but wine. Caitlin thought about other meals they had shared
and it struck her that he’d always eaten very little. She prodded him
about it and he told her that he had been forced to eat when he was a
child, often getting sick afterwards. He didn’t like meat. Come to think
about it, he didn’t like anything too much. He ate only because he had
to.
    “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “You’re missing a lot.”
    “There are other pleasures,” he answered, taking her hand and
kissing it. The smile he gave her made her blush. He continued drinking
his wine, but it didn’t worry her. He had never shown the slightest sign
of getting drunk.
    Caitlin tried her best to cheer him up, telling him what was going
on in the publishing business, joking and gossiping. Sooner or later
he’d start paying attention. He would go with her wherever she wanted,
escorting her to theaters, concerts, or the opera. He even accepted the
cinema, although he obviously disliked it. But when they went to see
some bloodthirsty horror film, he said that he felt unwell, and they had
to leave in the middle. He was pale and shaken, and Caitlin secretly
suspected that he couldn’t stand the sight of blood. She had taken him
to her home and made him lie down. It was hours before he calmed down.
On another occasion he refused to go with her to the Zoo, saying that
watching caged animals wasn’t his idea of fun. Finding out such soft
spots in him became a game for Caitlin. He wouldn’t tell her anything,
so Caitlin became an expert observer. She pounced on every piece of
information that he let her glimpse, collecting those scraps in a pile
of knowledge the way a miser collects his wealth. Just by watching
Julian, she found out that he was rather awkward around children, that
pets didn’t like him, that men feared him, and that women found him
fascinating. Being in his company made her feel secure. He had once
impressed her by staring down a not very sober man in a cowboy hat who
had tried to ask her to dance. The man had been very insistent, taking
her arm after she had said no and trying to get her off her chair. She
had looked desperately around for Julian, who had left her alone at
their table for a few minutes. In a moment he was at her side, his hand
on the cowboy’s shoulder, saying:
    “The lady said no!”
    Caitlin was afraid that there would be a brawl. The cowboy was half
a head taller than Julian, and looked twice as big. But to her surprise,
the two men only stared at each other for a few seconds and then the
cowboy hat backed off, his hand massaging the shoulder that Julian had
taken hold of.
    From that moment on, she watched his every move carefully. She soon
found out that he was extremely strong. It wasn’t the fact that he was
able to pick her up and carry her around easily. According to Caitlin,
any man should be able to pick up a woman without visible strain. But
once, Julian had brought a bottle of very expensive French champagne to
her home. He had opened it, and they had drunk a glass each. One thing
led to another and they had soon forgotten about the open bottle, but
after a few minutes Caitlin had said something about their champagne
losing its bubbles. Julian had then picked up the cork, and pushed it
back into the bottle, quite casually.
    “You’re showing off,” she had said, and he’d looked at her with a
frown, obviously not knowing what she meant. She took the bottle and
tried to remove the cork again, but didn’t succeed.
    “Am I not supposed to be physically stronger than you?” he asked.
    “You are stronger than anyone I have ever seen,” Caitlin replied.
“But don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you,” she laughed, trying to
make light of it because of the look of dismay on his face.
    “I... I know several people who are stronger than I am,” he
protested lamely, not looking at her.
    “And who might that be, Mr. Spock?” Caitlin retorted. He fell silent
and looked so bewildered that she gave up baiting him and demanded more
of the champagne.
    He  was very gentle that night, as if  he were afraid that he might
harm her somehow, and Caitlin promised  herself that she would keep her
mouth shut in the future. But later that night, when Julian was fast
asleep, she did something that she had never done before. She removed
the covers from him and looked him carefully over, from head to toe. She
didn’t find anything suspicious, however. He was beautiful, well built,
but no more so than any well trained man might be. His skin was
unblemished and there were no scars. She looked at him for a long time,
thinking this is Nature’s way of saying - I know how to do a good  job
with what  I’ve got. He moved restlessly, as if he were feeling cold,
and she covered him again. From that time on, Caitlin noticed that
Julian had become very careful about his behavior in her presence. Only
once, in her office, did she see him catch a heavy shelf that somebody
had overloaded, preventing it from toppling over. She pretended not to
notice when Julian looked at her apprehensively, after steadying it.
 

    Julian Luna realized that his mind was running around in circles.
There was no way he would work it out by himself. He needed help, and
now, with Archon gone, there was only one person he could confide in.
But the basement of the gatehouse was deserted. He walked around,
admiring Daedalus’ paintings and then sat down, determined to wait for
his friend. He closed his eyes and his thoughts started to race again.
    Archon’s death was a blow that was difficult to put behind him, but
the reasons for his destruction were even worse. He, Julian, had always
believed his Sire to be a just master. Archon could be harsh at times,
but that convinced Julian even more. Archon could, of course, make
mistakes,  but what he had done wasn’t a mistake. It was an outright
crime! Archon was no longer the father figure that Julian had always
admired and respected. So, if Archon was bad, what was he? Did he differ
in any way from Eddie Fiori or Cameron? That night, that terrible night,
he had almost ripped Cameron’s throat out without asking for reasons. If
Daedalus hadn’t stopped him...
    Well, Caitlin, his thoughts jumped in another direction, there’s one
who is stronger than I am. On the other hand, the Nosferatu Primogen is
no more human than I am.
    He was acutely aware of Caitlin’s watchful eyes. How long, before he
would make a fatal mistake in her presence. His skills at pretending to
be a mortal were formidable. After all, he was a Ventrue. He could make
his heart beat at the right rate, his breathing and body heat normal. He
could hide his strength and other powers, he could pretend to eat. What
else was there? Maybe he should invent some human weakness like smoking
or biting his nails. No, that would be ridiculous. It was fortunate that
she couldn’t know what was going on inside him, that she couldn’t watch
him when they made love, that she couldn’t feel the ferocity that
overwhelmed him, together with the passion, when he would bite the
pillow instead of biting her. Once, he had got hold of a mouthful of her
hair and bit it off. Luckily, she hadn’t noticed. The women had always
been there. Before Archon embraced him, there had only been his wife,
and Eve, of course, but afterwards... He had discovered the double
pleasure of seducing them and then feeding from them. Sometimes
simultaneously. Archon had been displeased.
    “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you had Toreador blood in
you,” he would say. “If you’re not cautious, some day a lady will be
your downfall.”
    Eventually, he had been proven right. That young beauty from a
wealthy Boston family. Was it really more than a hundred years ago? A
servant had seen them in her bedroom. There was a scandal and that
stupid brother of hers had challenged him to a duel. Archon had been
furious, accusing Julian of endangering the Masquerade and banished him
from San Francisco.
    Officially, Julian Luna had died in that duel and had been whisked
away to England. There, he had met Lillie. Lillie, who had taught him
what it meant to be a Toreador; Lillie, who had taught him what Kindred
could be to each other. When he was allowed to return, decades later,
Lillie Langtry followed him to America. And now, Lillie was becoming a
burden. Julian was aware of the threat a woman’s jealousy could be, but
he had never imagined that Lillie would do anything to endanger the
Masquerade. She posed a danger to him and to Caitlin. Was Archon’s
prophecy about to repeat itself?
    Suddenly, he became aware of another presence in the room and
snapped his eyes open. Daedalus was standing in front of him, a worried
expression on his face.
    “Julian, what’s wrong?” he asked.
    “Nothing is wrong, yet.” And then, “everything!”
    Daedalus pulled up a chair and sat down facing him.
    “How can I help you, my Prince?” he asked. Daedalus was never the
one to beat around the bush.
    “I don’t know if you can help me. I don’t know if there is any help
for me at all.” Julian sounded tired and depressed. “Archon has betrayed
me, and I can’t even ask him why; Cameron wants me dead, and the
Gangrels and the Brujahs are constantly at each other’s throats,
creating a danger to the Masquerade; my own niece has been Embraced
against my wish, and I have reason to believe that Lillie has tried to
get rid of both Caitlin and me. Tell me Daedalus, have I outlived my use
as the Prince of the City? Should I step down?”
    “And who would take your place?” Daedalus demanded. “If you leave,
the Clans will tear each other to pieces fighting over your position. It
might very well be the end of us all!”
    “You could take over, Daedalus,” Julian answered. ”You’re wise, and
they respect you.”
    Daedalus stared at him in disbelief.
    “Are you mad!?” he exclaimed. “Even if I coveted that position,
which I don’t, the Clans would never accept a Nosferatu as their Prince.
If you really want to step down, then you must prepare. You must find a
Kindred who may succeed you in the future. Preferably a Ventrue. You
must find someone who will prove himself worthy of becoming a Prince.
You can’t do it now, and you can’t do it in the near future. It takes
decades.”
    “I was afraid that you would say that,” Julian responded, “but it
doesn’t help me right now. I just don’t seem to be able to handle
everything anymore. If Archon hadn’t... And Caitlin, you know, we almost
died in Manzanita.”
    Daedalus looked at his discouraged friend. For the first time he
felt fear creep inside him. The Nosferatu do not scare easily.
    “You really love that mortal women?” he asked. Julian sighed
heavily.
    “I do,” he said. “I don’t think that I could bear losing her.”
    “Well then,” Daedalus stood up, “I think the time has come for me to
tell you what you should do. First, you must get your priorities right.”

    Julian looked up, surprised by the sudden change in his friend’s
voice. Daedalus regarded him sternly. The countless ages of Nosferatu
authority were suddenly quite visible.
    “To start with,” Daedalus was saying, “forget Archon! He was just
another Kindred and as fallible as any of us. What’s done is done and
can not be changed. I know that you loved him, but you must let him
rest. Whatever wrong he has done, the fact is that, together with you,
he brought peace and prosperity to the Kindred of this City. You must
fight to keep it. Next, separate the Gangrels and the Brujahs. There is
enough to occupy both Clans without their getting into each other’s
way.  Keep Cameron under surveillance; use Sasha if necessary.” He shook
his head at Julian’s gesture of protest. “She’s a Brujah now, but she
will always be loyal to you. What has happened to her saddens me as much
as it does you, but take advantage of it. Remember, Machiavelli was a
Ventrue too. Call a meeting of the Primogens tonight. Let your will be
known. Demand order and keep them busy. Cameron will probably try to
kill you when he sees that you’re getting on top of things. Let him come
close, but be careful - he’s much more dangerous than Eddie ever was.
When he makes his move, you’ll be able to hit him so hard that it will
take him years to pull himself together.” He bowed forward, taking hold
of Julian’s arms. “But you must act now!” he said with emphasis. “Don’t
wait until it’s too late.”
    Julian smiled at his friend. He no longer felt helpless. With the
Nosferatu Primogen at his side, he knew he was invincible.
    “You’d make a great Prince, Daedalus,” he said. “I’ll do exactly as
you have advised me.”  But he didn’t move yet, his mind still occupied
by something else. Daedalus folded his arms across his chest, frowning.
    “Well, what are you waiting for?” he inquired. “Let’s call the
meeting.”
    Julian raised a hand.
    “Just a moment,” he said laughing. ”You’re so good at this, why
don’t you advise me more. What should I do about Caitlin? And Lillie,
what about her?”
    Daedalus let out an exasperate sigh.
    “I’m hardly the right person to give advice on matters of the
heart,” he said with disdain. “I suggest that you consult an appropriate
column in that paper you’re publishing.”
    That made Julian laugh out loud.
    “Daedalus, I’m quite serious!” he said. “I might not take your
advice, but I certainly want to hear it.”
    Daedalus’ features softened. Julian had always had a way of getting
into trouble with women. With his good looks, it was no surprise.
   “Frankly, Julian,” Daedalus decided to keep it light, in spite of the
Prince’s eager expression, “you’ve had more experience with women in
your hundred odd years of being Kindred than I’ve had during my
centuries. Women equal trouble, whether they are Kindred or human.”
    “I didn’t know that you disliked women, Daedalus,” Julian mused
quietly.
    “I don’t dislike them,” Daedalus answered. He felt uncomfortable
with this part of their conversation. “I just don’t trust them. Whatever
you do,” he continued, “just make sure that you don’t expose the
Masquerade through your association with that reporter woman.”
    “Her name is Caitlin,” Julian retorted, somewhat hurt by Daedalus’
attitude, “and she is very important to me.”
    “In that case, I think you should make sure that she is protected;
that you do everything you can to keep her happy and unsuspecting, and
get Lillie as far away from both of you as you can.”
    “Why? Do you think that Lillie will do something stupid again?”
    “Julian!” Daedalus was showing impatience, “you need to reread your
Shakespeare.” He shrugged at Julian’s blank stare. “You know, the play
about the fury of the woman scorned.”
    Well, so much for that advice, Julian thought. But if Daedalus was
right, and he usually was, Lillie would have to go. It pained him
because he didn’t want to hurt Lillie, but flaunting his liaison with
Caitlin in front of Lillie was cruel enough. He remembered how awful it
felt when Alexandra took up with Frank Kohanek. Yes, Daedalus was quite
right in this as in other matters: get rid of Lillie, and protect
Caitlin. Right now, he couldn’t manage much more. He pushed all thoughts
of Caitlin into the back of his mind and returned his attention to
Daedalus.
    “You’re quite right,” he said. “But let’s forget about the ladies
for the moment. We have a meeting to organize.” He got up and walked
briskly towards the main house, his back straight, his movements full of
energy. Daedalus followed him, smiling to himself.
    That’s my Prince, he thought with exhilaration.
 

   Caitlin gave up trying to get some sleep when it was long past
midnight; she was too worried and too upset. Also, she abhorred sleeping
pills. She got up, showered quickly, put on a dress and ran to her car.
It was rather quiet in the city; she could only hear police sirens
wailing in the distance. She had already started the engine when the
phone in her home began to ring. She parked her car as close to Julian’s
home as she could and walked the rest of the way. There were several
cars outside the gate, two of them police cars. She stopped, unsure of
what to do next. Some men were standing there, talking. She would never
get past those guards! Well, the least she could do was to try. She
walked resolutely towards them and, to her relief, recognized one of
them. It was Cash, Sasha’s boyfriend. Caitlin called out his name, but
before he turned towards her, she felt her arm grabbed from behind.
    “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” a man’s voice hissed in her
ear. She turned around and saw that it was the policeman she had met
before - Frank Kohanek.
    “It’s not safe to be near Julian Luna nowadays,” he continued. “You
could get hurt.”
    Before she could react, she felt somebody taking hold of her other
arm. It was Cash.
    “Ms. Byrne, please come with me. I’ll take you inside,” he said. The
two men faced each other. After a moment, to Caitlin’s surprise, the
policeman let go of her and backed off from the younger and smaller
Cash. She was led past the other guards and into Julian’s home. An
elderly man ushered her into a library, and she was left alone without
any explanation. At least she was inside! She looked at her watch - it
was two o’clock in the morning. She shivered. Has it really been six
hours? Six hours, since her world came crashing down around her.
    She had casually turned on the tiny TV-set that sat on a shelf in
her office to watch the eight o’clock news. There had been a reporter
standing in front of a big building in the city, babbling something
about an explosion. She hadn’t paid much attention, but had started
thinking about sending somebody out there, to cover the story. Several
people had been injured, maybe even killed. There was a lot of smoke
welling out of the partly demolished building. Policemen and
fire-workers milled around. Caitlin was just about to turn away in order
to find somebody to send to the scene when the reporter mentioned
Julian’s name.
    “Mr. Julian Luna, the co-owner of the bank,” he was saying, “had
been stabbed or shot by at least one assailant. Several witnesses had
seen him being whisked away by his aides, covered in blood. The
ambulance people who had tried to take care of him had been sent away
and he had been driven to his home.”
    The image faded away, and when it returned Caitlin recognized the
street outside Julian’s mansion. Another reporter was standing in front
of the camera talking in a breathless manner.
    “... A lot of people have come and gone since the injured
businessman, one of the owners of the devastated bank, was brought back
to his home some forty minutes ago. Ominously, no doctor has been
called. The police have tried to get inside, but they have been told
that they will be contacted when Mr. Luna is ready...”
    Caitlin realized that she was holding her breath; somehow her heart
was blocking her throat. Slowly, she returned to her desk and picked up
the phone. She dialed very carefully, her fingers trembling. The line
was busy. She waited five minutes, which felt like an eternity, and
tried again. Still busy. For the next hour and a half she tried to call
Julian every few minutes. She became numb, convinced that Julian had
been killed. Several people walked into her office during that time and
tried to talk to her, but gave up and left when they saw her face. At
last the line was free. The phone was picked up momentarily and a man’s
voice said:
    “This is the Luna residence. No interviews will be granted... ”
    Caitlin didn’t allow him continue.
    “It’s Caitlin Byrne,” she said. “Please, I just want to know if he
is all right.”
    There was silence, and when she was almost sure that she would not
get any answer, the voice continued.
    “Julian will be fine. He will contact you as soon as possible.”
Another silence. “He will call you. Please, be careful.” The phone went
dead. Caitlin stared at the phone for a few seconds and then stood up.
She picked up her purse and coat and walked out of the office. Outside
her door, all her co-workers were standing in a semi-circle.
    They’ve gathered here like so many vultures, she thought, but Julian
is alive! At the same time, he’s as much their boss as mine. They want
to know.
    She squared her shoulders and looked straight at them.
    “I was told that he is all right,” she told them. “Will somebody get
out there and find out what has happened? I’m going home.” She left
hurriedly, not wanting them to see her cry.
    She sat in her car, her vision blurred by tears. But they were tears
of relief.
    She picked up her phone several times during the evening, making
sure that it worked. Every time it rang, she jumped. It was the paper,
one of her friends; even the police called. To them she said that she
knew nothing. But no call from Julian. As the hours crept by, she became
more and more scared. What if that man had lied to her? What if Julian
were badly hurt? Or dead? What was it that reporter on TV had said? No
doctor had been called! For all she knew, Julian could have a physician
of his own in that enormous house of his. For all she knew, he could be
dead. The dead don’t need doctors! She was driving herself mad, thinking
like that. It was past midnight when she tried to call again, but the
line was busy.
    And now she sat here, in this beautiful library that smelled of
leather and old books. She was in his house but she still didn’t know if
she would ever see her lover again. Suddenly she heard steps outside the
door. As the door opened she heard Julian’s angry voice.
    “... No hunt will be declared without my agreement! I want to know
who sent that stupid human after me! And make sure you find Caitlin!” He
came in and stopped, staring at her.
    “I didn’t know I was lost,” Caitlin said, taken aback by his anger
and cold stare. “I tried to call you, but I couldn’t get through. I just
wanted to find out...” She started crying unexpectedly, and turned away
to hide it. In a few strides Julian came to her and took her in his
arms.
    “Caitlin,” his voice was tender, the anger gone, “I called you just
half an hour ago. There was no answer and I was afraid that something
had happened to you. That someone had harmed you in order to get at me.”

    But Caitlin’s relief at seeing him alive and well was so great that
it was her turn to get angry.
    “I thought you were dead,” she sobbed, hitting his chest with both
fists. “I thought you were dead!”
    He held her tight, preventing her from hitting him again. After a
moment, when she was a little calmer, he took her face in both his hands
and kissed her.
    “I am quite all right,” he whispered. Then he lifted her and carried
her out of the library. The room he took her into was only lit by the
flames in the fireplace. She had thought before that it was odd that
there were fires blazing away in almost every room in his home. He had
once told her that he detested being cold. She had then commented that
she didn’t find San Francisco a very cold city. He had laughed at that
and mumbled something about his very low blood pressure. When she
continued making jokes about his not having to worry about heart disease
or strokes, he had avoided the issue. Maybe there was something wrong
with his circulatory system? But now she was grateful for the fire. It
made her feel cozy and secure.
    Nevertheless, she continued to sniffle a bit, just to make her
point. Julian placed her on the bed and lay down with her, holding her,
trying to comfort her, kissing her. After some time she gathered her
wits and started questioning him about what had happened. But he didn’t
tell her much more than she had already heard on the news. There had
been an explosion that caused a lot of damage. There had been injuries
and deaths. Somebody had attacked him with a knife. No, he was not hurt.
He protested feebly when she started taking off his clothes. Caitlin
quieted him with kisses and caresses. There was a bandage around his
left elbow and upper arm. When she tried to ask him about it, it was his
turn to silence her with kisses. In a few moments she forgot about
bandages and explosions. The way he made love to her this time was more
urgent and violent than it had ever been before. His skin felt hotter
than usual, and his eyes seemed to glow in the dark. He sent her body
into an ecstasy that she found difficult to bear. In the final moment,
she clung to him and bit the side of his neck. She heard him gasp, and
it frightened her because he had never made a sound during their
lovemaking before.
    “Oh, Julian, I’m sorry.” She was trying to catch her breath. “I
didn’t mean to hurt you!”
He’d stopped moving and looked at her with shining eyes.
    “It’s all right, Caitlin.” His husky voice was barely audible. “It’s
all right,” he repeated. “I enjoyed that.”
    Then he pressed her down, immobilized her hands by holding both her
wrists above her head, his other hand beneath her lower back, raising
her body towards his every thrust. It hurt, but it was also deliciously
stimulating. His breathing became more and more uneven and labored until
it stopped for a few moments, and his body started to shudder
spasmodically. It was then that Caitlin felt his teeth sink into her
shoulder. She cried out, but he didn’t let go until she said that he was
hurting her. He released her hands then, but was still weighing her down
with his body. Covering her wounded shoulder with his hand, he pressed
his forehead against it.

    “You’re mine!” he said with emphasis. “Now, you’re mine!”
    Caitlin was too tired to dispute that. At this very moment, she felt
very much his.
    In the morning, she looked at her shoulder and, to her surprise,
found no trace of the bite she had received from Julian. There were
other bruises and marks on her body that witnessed about what had
transpired during the night, but there was no mark on her shoulder. It
didn’t hurt either. She turned to Julian. Well, at least this time, he
was still there. He was asleep; his face down, his left arm stretched in
her direction. For a few seconds she admired his beautifully muscled
back and arms. Then it hit her. Somehow, the bandage had come off during
the night. There was no scar, no wound on his arm. Neither was there any
trace left of her bite on his neck.
    Am I going mad? she asked herself. Either that, or something is
seriously wrong with my memory. She did not allow the thought that
something might be ‘seriously wrong’ with Julian to surface.
    There was a shy knock on the door and Julian was instantly awake. He
slid out of bed and, putting on a robe, padded to the door. Whoever was
outside was not let in. Julian went out instead. He returned after a few
minutes and sat on Caitlin’s side of the bed.
    “I must go,” he said. “I want you to stay in my house for the time
being.”
    Before she could start to protest, he continued:
    “That is, when you’re not at work. It would be one thing less for me
to worry about. Please, don’t get me wrong, Caitlin, but I’m afraid that
there will be a war in this city. I’m one of the intended victims and I
don’t want you to be caught in the middle. Your association with me
makes you another target.”
    He touched her shoulder lightly, right on the spot were he had
bitten her.
    “I’m sorry I hurt you. It won’t happen again.” His smile was
apologetic. “I got carried away. I’ll control myself better in the
future.”
    So, she had not dreamed or imagined things. She looked at the white,
unmarred skin.
    “It mustn’t have been so serious: see, there is no mark left.
Speaking of marks, what happened to your arm? There is no mark there
either. I thought you had been stabbed...” Her voice trailed off. “The
reporter on TV talked about your being covered in blood.”
    “Oh, no!” Julian exclaimed. “It wasn’t my blood. My elbow just got
twisted out of joint.” He raised his left arm. “Now, even the swelling
is gone. I had the bandage put on to stabilize it. It was rather
painful.” He smiled as she bowed forward and kissed that elbow.
    “It didn’t stop you from being a rather ardent lover last night,”
she mused.
    “When I’m with you, I tend to forget all pains.” He drew her closer.
Caitlin rested her head on his chest, and rejoiced in his slow caresses.
But just as his hands came to rest on her breasts there was another
knock on the door and his hands moved away.
    “Will you stay?” he asked simply. She nodded her head.
    “Be careful about what you ask for. You might get it!” she answered.
He gave her another hug and left.
 

    When Caitlin was ready to go to work, she found that her car had
been removed and a big, dark, European thing was awaiting her, complete
with an uniformed driver. It was a young, very fair man with an
incongruous Spanish accent. With a disarming smile, the young man
presented himself as Arthur and told her that Mr. Luna had instructed
him to be Caitlin’s driver, aide and bodyguard. When she protested,
saying that she had no need of a bodyguard, he responded plainly enough:

    “I’m responsible for your safety. With my life. My Sir… er... Mr.
Luna said, it’s your hide or mine.”
    “Did he tell you to inform me about it?” she asked.
    “He said that if you knew how serious he was, you would be nice to
me, not trying to get rid of me or run off.”
    It shocked Caitlin into silence. Certainly, Julian knew her well
enough by now. He understood that she would hate being watched, but also
that she was too kind-hearted to let the poor guard get into trouble
because of her.
    You are a manipulating bastard, Julian Luna, she thought, and
decided to let him know what she felt about the whole business. For now,
she would comply. A few
heads turned when she got out of the expensive-looking car outside her
office building. Arthur gave her the number of the car phone and told
her that she only had to call him and he would be waiting outside the
entrance at a moment’s notice.
    When she came inside, all conversation stopped and all eyes turned
expectantly in her direction. She couldn’t help blushing.
    “Caitlin, what’s happened?” She was barraged with questions. “Is Mr.
Luna all right?”
    “He is unharmed,” she told them. “As for what has happened, you
probably know more about it than I do.”
    The relief on their faces warmed her heart. As it turned out, nobody
knew much more either. The police didn’t have a clue. Nobody knew who
had planted the bomb in the bank. The city had been unusually peaceful
during the night. The person who had attacked Julian Luna with a knife
was still a John Doe; his throat had been torn open and he had bled to
death. It hadn’t been done with his own knife and no other weapon had
been found. Their contact at the forensic lab had said that they had
never seen anything like it. It looked as if somebody or something had
taken hold of the assassin-to-be and ripped his throat out. Also, there
had been a lot of heroin in his body.
    “Why would a drug abuser attack Julian?” Caitlin asked her staff.
“One thing I’m sure of is that Julian Luna doesn’t stand on the street
corner, peddling drugs.”
    “Eddie Fiori,” somebody said, “wasn’t he involved in drug
trafficking?”
    “Eddie  Fiori  is missing, if  not  missed by many, but somebody
might have got mad
when the source dried up. Somebody might have believed that Julian Luna
was responsible for Fiori’s disappearance,” was another suggestion.
“Word on the street has it that Eddie was no longer protected, and it
might have been Mr. Luna’s protection that had been withdrawn.”
    “It’s pure speculation,” Caitlin defended her lover vehemently. “I
want more than rumors and hearsay.”
    They looked at her silently, and suddenly she realized that she no
longer had their trust. It hurt, but she would be damned if she would
let them press her into something against her judgment. But she had to
be honest with herself.
    How good is your judgment when it comes to Julian Luna? she asked
herself.
    There was a knock on her door and Frank Kohanek came in.
    “May I have a word with you, Miss Byrne?”  he asked. Caitlin braced
herself inwardly. For some reason the policeman hated Julian, and it
scared her.
    “You saw Julian Luna last night.” It was a statement, not a
question. Caitlin nodded. There was no point in denying that.
    “And he was all right?” Kohanek continued. She nodded again. “Are
you quite sure?”
    “He said, that his arm had been twisted, but other than that...”
Caitlin didn’t understand what the man was driving at.
    “Are you absolutely sure? Did you see it?” He sounded very upset.
    “Yes, I saw it!” Caitlin exclaimed. “And no, there was nothing wrong
with it!”
    “We have three witnesses,” the policeman’s voice had become calm,
“three witnesses who saw the assailant stab Mr. Luna in the left arm,
just here.” His finger jabbed at her arm, just an inch above the elbow.
“A big, ugly cut; he was bleeding profusely.”
    Caitlin stared at him in disbelief. Suddenly, an image flashed in
her mind. Julian bleeding from several wounds and then, miraculously
healed, no traces on his body of the injuries he had received. She shook
her head.
    This isn’t happening, she thought, or I’m going mad.
   “You’re mistaken,” she said quietly. “There was nothing wrong with
Julian last night, however he told me that somebody had been hurt and
bled all over him.” She looked at Kohanek pleadingly. But the man was
relentless. He shoved a photo in front of her saying:
    “This is what was left of the alleged assailant on Mr. Luna’s life.”

   Caitlin looked at the gory picture, what she saw made her feel sick.
The head of the dead man was thrown back, his throat in shreds.
    “What happened to him?” she asked.
    “Your guess is as good as mine,” Frank Kohanek said. “I suggest, you
ask Luna. He refuses to speak to us.” He left the photo on Caitlin’s
desk as he stood up. “It’s possible that he killed that man in
self-defense, but wouldn’t you like to know how he did it?”

    Caitlin sat staring at the terrifying picture for a long time. Her
professional curiosity overcame her nausea. What could inflict such a
dreadful injury? A ferocious animal could have done that. It made her
think of inhuman strength and fury. Suddenly, she felt very cold. Julian
was almost inhumanely strong.
    It was difficult to concentrate on anything during the rest of the
day. In her mind she went through everything she knew about Julian Luna.
It was pitifully little. Could he have ripped a man’s throat out in a
fit of rage? No! He was kind and gentle. She looked at her aching
wrists. Dark bruises had formed there; the skin was abraded in several
places. Kind and gentle? She hid her face in her hands acutely aware
that there had been nothing gentle about Julian last night. He had hurt
her, she still hurt inside, and she had been bleeding in the morning.
Her period wasn’t due for another week. No! No! She had read somewhere
that men could become unusually passionate when their life was in
danger.
    Oh God, am I making excuses for him? she asked herself.
    She decided to confront him that very evening, but as the time
passed by, she was more and more apprehensive, delaying departure until
it was quite late. At last she called the number Arthur had given her
and asked him to come for her. The car was standing outside the
building, its engine running, when she came out. She went home first,
Arthur helped her pack and then drove her to the mansion. She didn’t see
Julian that night. After she had eaten all alone in the big dining room,
she waited for him, first in the library, then in her bedroom. She woke
up alone the next morning, relieved and angry at the same time. For two
days there was complete silence in the Luna mansion as well as in the
city of San Francisco. During those days Caitlin went through all the
motions of normal living, but she was numb inside. She was aware that
she, as well as the city, was waiting for something to happen. But what?
Arthur was discrete and helpful. He reminded her of a comment somebody
had once made, “When a perfect butler enters a room, that room becomes
emptier.” The memory made her smile.
 

    It was almost midnight of the third day of Julian’s absence. She had
returned very late and was lying in the bathtub. She looked at her
wrists again. The pain was gone and the bruises had turned light yellow,
hardly visible. She heard somebody knock on her bedroom door and then
come in. Her heart started to beat faster. Who but Julian would come
into her bedroom?
    “I’m in the bath,” she called out, turning off the running water.
Quickly, she got out and put on the bathrobe. Julian was sitting in
front of the mirror and their eyes met in the reflection.
    For a long time neither of them moved but then, slowly, almost
reluctantly, he turned and faced her. He continued looking at her until,
in spite of herself, Caitlin made a welcoming gesture, opening her arms
for him. He moved then, swifter than she could follow with her eyes and
she was literally swept off her feet. He turned around, holding her so
tight that she could feel her ribs crack. The next moment they were in
bed and he was kissing her and whispering silly things about how much he
had missed her, and how much he loved her.
    How could she distrust him?  Caitlin admonished herself.
    He kissed the inside of her palm and then her wrist and apologized
again for having hurt her.
    “I have felt like a villain these last few days,” he said.
    A wave of tenderness welled inside her as he continued to kiss her.
He opened her bathrobe, his hands moved slowly over her body and she
sighed in pleasure. Her nipples hardened under his touch. It felt so
good. His lips traced paths over her still wet skin and she opened her
thighs invitingly to his enticing fingers. Within minutes, his skilled
hands sent her into her first orgasm. She clung to him, gasping, her
nails digging into his flesh through his shirt. She made a small sound
of protest when he let go of her, but he only got up to be able to
remove his clothes. She watched him, her eyes wide open - he was so
beautiful. She stretched towards him when he turned back to her, eager
to touch him. They lay down together, side by side, just holding each
other, before resuming their lovemaking. Hours later they were still
going on. Caitlin was tired, and the pleasure was turning into a dull
ache. At last, she tried to push him away and he immediately stopped
moving.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, a worried expression on his face. She
smiled, her sore lips touched his lightly.
    “Turn over,” she whispered, pushing him on his back. “I want to
retaliate.”
    He obeyed, but didn’t let her slide away, his hands gripping her
hips in a steady grasp. She straddled him, pressing down on him. Then
she took hold of both his wrists, and entwining her fingers with his,
pressed his hands down on each side of his face. He understood then what
she was aiming to do and let her, although they both knew that he could
free his hands without much effort. Caitlin started to move
rhythmically, watching his face all the time. She saw him bite on his
lower lip until it started bleeding, his eyes never wavering from hers.
She felt a strange urge to kiss him and taste his blood. She bowed down
and felt the slightly salty taste on her tongue. She didn’t see his eyes
turning pale, shining green, but felt his hands move under hers.
    “Oh no you don’t!” she exclaimed, pressing his hands down harder.
She raised her head and looked at him again. His eyes were closed, but
his shudders and the way he breathed told her that he was on the verge
of an orgasm. She waited until his body started to arch against her, and
a muffled moan escaped his lips. Then, quite deliberately, she leaned
down again and slowly sank her teeth into his shoulder until she tasted
his blood again. This time he freed his hands from her grasp and took
hold of her head, but instead of pushing her away, he held her tight
against his shoulder as if urging her to continue. Of course, she
didn’t.
 

    Caitlin looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. There were bruises
on her hips and on the inner sides of her thighs again. Her breasts and
lips were sore, and Julian’s blood was smeared on her mouth and cheeks.
This time she had been the violent one. She washed herself and looked up
again. She saw fear in her own eyes.
    What’s happening to me! She stayed in the bathroom, reluctant to go
back and face Julian. She hoped that he would fall asleep. No such luck.
There was a knock and he came in, frowning against the bright bathroom
light.
    “Are you all right, Caitlin?” he asked. She noticed gratefully that
he had put on the bathrobe that she had left in bed. It was too small
for him, but it covered the shoulder that she had bitten. She ran to him
and, throwing her arms around his neck, started to cry.
    “Oh Julian!” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you.
Please! Forgive me. I don’t know what has happened to me. I have never
hurt anybody in my whole life.” She looked up at him, her face awash
with tears. He was pale, a worried look on his face. He forced himself
to smile.
    “It’s okay, Caitlin,” he tried to soothe her. “Nobody has died from
a small bite yet. Unless one of us has rabies, of course.” The joke
sounded lame in his own ears.
    “Or is a vampire,” Caitlin tried to keep up the light mood. But his
body stiffened and he let go of her.
    “Let’s go to bed.” Julian’s voice was suddenly distant, he didn’t
look at her. “You need to get some sleep.”
    After Caitlin fell asleep, Julian got up from the bed and sat by the
fire, watching her turn and toss in her sleep. She called out his name
several times in an anguished way.
    “Am I losing you, Caitlin?” he asked the night.
    “I can’t let it happen! I can’t! I won’t!” He could not imagine
continuing his existence without her. For a moment he entertained the
notion of Embracing her. She certainly had acquired a taste for his
blood lately! She could not know it of course, but what had occurred in
Manzanita had left its mark. She had fed him her own blood to save him.
Weak and half-unconscious as he had been, he had taken too much, almost
killing her. He had had to return some and thus their mixed blood made
her want more. It was far from an Embrace, but enough to kindle a desire
in her that she found difficult to withstand. But he wanted her alive,
warm, human. Would he love her as much if he turned her into one of his
own kind? He didn’t want to find out. For now she was here, bewildered,
suspicious and frightened, but alive and in love with him. He would have
to disappear for a few days again until her bite, which was gone by now,
‘healed’. He would have to prevent her from doing it again in the
future, no matter how much pleasure it gave him. Otherwise, someday he
might lose control and go too far. Nevertheless, the memory of the
explosive moment of the exquisite pain of that bite, combined with his
climax, made him shudder with delight. He wanted it again, and the
thought of having to abstain from it was painful. He sighed inwardly and
left, after having kissed Caitlin lightly on the mouth.
 
 

    The next day all hell broke loose.
    As Caitlin tried to stay awake behind her desk, reports started to
come in from all over the city that something was going on. There were
tales of shootings, police raids, much fighting and other violent
activities. But when the press got to the scenes, there was hardly
anything left to report. Bullet-holes in the walls, traces of blood, a
lot of destruction, but nobody was reported missing and there were no
complaints to the police except from concerned citizens who reported
gunshots and a lot of commotion. Nothing else. Caitlin spent the day
alternately worrying about Julian’s well-being and becoming angry at
him. Was he somehow connected with what was going on in the city? She
was still ashamed about what she had done to him but comforted herself
that it had not stopped him from reaching fulfillment. In the morning,
she had found a vase full of white roses beside her bed and a lovely
note from Julian. It said that he would be out of town for a few days,
that he loved her, and hated to be parted from her. She had touched the
white petals of one of the perfect flowers.
    How thoughtful of you, Julian, she smiled with amusement. Did you
think that red roses would remind me of the blood between us?
    Blood...
    A chilly shudder went up her spine. She tore through the papers on
her desk until she came upon the picture of the dead man with the
severed throat. She looked at it for a long time, fear penetrating her
whole being. Then, as in a dream, she slowly tore the photograph into
tiny pieces and threw them away.
    That evening, while she was eating dinner alone, she heard a
commotion in the hallway, an angry voice demanded to see Julian Luna. At
first, she thought that it was Frank Kohanek and wondered how he had got
inside the fort that Julian’s home had become. She looked outside and
found several people arguing in angry voices. However, they fell silent
when they saw her.
    “What’s going on?” she demanded. A young man whom she had never seen
before turned towards her. He scrutinized her for a long moment and then
bowed formally.
    “Madame,” he said, “will you please inform the Pri...” he stopped
with an awkward movement. “Will you inform Mr. Julian Luna, that Cameron
says ‘yes’?”
    Caitlin felt rather ridiculous but tried to be as formal as he was.
    “I’ll do so when I see him,” she said, “but at the moment, he is not
here.”
    Cameron moved a few steps closer and the others moved after him as
if they were afraid that he would attack her. He looked her in the eye
for several seconds until she felt like she was being hypnotized. Then
he said:
    “I believe you.” Then he smiled, and Caitlin felt as if he had
released her. “I’ll be in touch,” he said cryptically, turned back, and
left without another word.
    “What was that about?” Caitlin asked of the small congregation that
was left in the hallway.   But they only mumbled incoherently and
scurried away. Lillie was the only one left.
    The two women faced each other.
    “I hope you’re enjoying your stay here,” Lillie said. Caitlin almost
heard the unvoiced while it lasts.  She squared her shoulders and lifted
her chin high.
     “Oh, I’m enjoying it immensely,” she said in a high-pitched voice
and turned her back on Lillie.
    If you only knew how much, she thought to herself. Then she
remembered that both Lillie and Julian had admitted to being lovers in
the past, realizing that Lillie must know perfectly well how enjoyable
being with Julian could be, and she felt a pang of retrospective
jealousy. As she walked away, she heard Lillie chuckle.
    I don’t want her around, she decided. I must ask Julian to get rid
of her. In her mind, she repeated what Julian had once said to her:
“Now, you’re mine!”
***
 

 
 

 

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