Sips of Blood.

MARY ANN MITCh.e.l.l.

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Yes, John, there are vampires. And thank you for loving me in spite of it. Some historical facts have been altered to suit the needs of the Marquis de Sade.

"To instruct man and correct his morals: that is our only purpose in writing this story. We hope that reading it will make one keenly aware of the peril that always dogs the steps of those who stop at nothing in satisfying their desires. May they come to realize that a good upbringing, wealth, talents and gifts of nature are likely only to lead one astray unless they are supported or made effective by self-restraint, good conduct, wisdom and modesty. These are the truths we are going to ill.u.s.trate. We ask to be forgiven for the monstrous details of the abominable crime we shall be forced to describe: it is not possible to make others detest such wrongdoing if one does not have the courage to lay it bare."

Eugenie de Franval.

by the Marquis de Sade.

Prologue.

19th Century.

The silk material tickled her flesh as she tossed the robe off her shoulders. She shivered, smiling while savoring the pleasant sensation. The paisley robe was now wide open and was draped across the crooks of her arms.

Liliana looked at her neck in the mirror and saw how pale it seemed beneath her made-up face. The milky whiteness of her neck spilled down across her shoulders and continued down her bare chest until it was shaded between her tender b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The points of each mound swirled into a pink sweet waiting to be plucked to attention.

Liliana hissed and bared her elongated incisors. Maybe tomorrow she would try again, but tonight she couldn't do it. He was so young--barely nineteen. His innocence gave her comfort. How could she steal it away from him and herself?

She slipped off the robe and rose from the chair. When she walked, she was aware of the suppleness and tone of her body. Each taut leg stepped before her with absolute straightness. Her abdomen lay flat, with only a hint of the dome covering her female organs. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s bobbed proudly. Her upper arms showed the outlines of solid, slender biceps.

As each foot touched the earth inside the coffin, she felt her breathing become easier. The nostrils flared, the throat cleared, and the lungs softened. The years swept through her body. How long? Forty, fifty years? She did not remember how much time had pa.s.sed since this quasi-life had begun. Barely seventeen, Liliana had tossed back her head playfully in front of her uncle Donatien. He took the opportunity without thinking and swallowed her young life in a pa.s.sionate embrace. Now she, too, was being lured by a spirited adolescent.

Liliana bent her knees and lowered her body into the box. Upon contact with the earth, her skin crinkled as it accepted its age. The skeleton protruded slightly where joints linked. Muscles went limp.

The enticement of this lethal sleep that she sought each day settled softly throughout her body. She raised her arm, and her hand touched the yellowed satin of the coffin's lid. While pulling the lid toward her, she closed her eyes. Liliana heard the coffin snap shut. She dug her hands into the dry dirt and sighed, inhaling the sulfurous odor within the casket. Other worlds merged here. She remembered the innumerable lives she had pa.s.sed in quest of her hedonistic cravings. The memories lullabied her soul. Eventually she succ.u.mbed to an ebony dream.

The next evening Stuart arrived at Liliana's home earlier than even he had planned. She waited in the living room, dressed in a pale sheer gown with a high waist that lifted her b.r.e.a.s.t.s brazenly above the deeply scooped neckline. Meanwhile, her caretaker and confidante invited the youth into their home.

When Stuart walked into the room, Liliana had to consciously prevent herself from rushing toward him. She wished her cheeks could flush pink as they had many years ago. There was nothing like a blush on a young girl's cheeks to seduce a male. But that gift was gone forever.

The blond curls danced around his face with each step he took. The faint hint of a mustache suggested a pretension to maturity. Across his right cheek was a purple scar caused by a wound he had received during the battle against Napoleon's forces at Waterloo. But this mark did not mar his appearance; instead it added a boldness to his features. He stopped just inside the doorway, giving her time to a.s.sess the mold of his body beneath the fitted uniform. Her eyes followed the outline of his pectorals pressed against his military jacket. In her mind she imagined the solidness of that chest, with perhaps some wisps of pale hair barely visible. His waist and hips squared off his form. The blue material of his pants flirtatiously sloped down between his thighs. She saw his right thigh tense as he resumed his step.

"I hope this is not an inconvenience, but I couldn't bear the wait. You don't know how distressing it is to be away from you."

"I know. I feel the same when I cannot be with you, Stuart."

He kissed her hand, and when he raised his head she could see his blue eyes shimmer with the delight he felt as the meaning of her words stroked his pa.s.sion.

"I am looking forward to meeting your guardian this weekend. I have a special request to make of him," he said. His cheeks swelled, and his thin lips spread into a smile.

There was no guardian. Ashamed of her deceit, Liliana released her gaze from Stuart's and shyly peered down at the floor. The Persian carpet swirled into myriad colors beneath her feet. She knew each color was made up of many fine knots that no one could see unless one bothered to search under the surface. How like herself, she thought. Her fair, wrinkle-free skin and thick black hair belied the fact that she was well into her middle years. Never before had she been so conscious of her charade.

Stuart scooped her chin upwards in the palm of his hand. He leaned into her body, lowered his face to hers, and kissed each of her cheeks softly. She wanted to ravage him, but she was not ready to rip away her facade as yet. Internally she burned; on the surface she melted onto a side chair.

A shiver shook Stuart's shoulders, and he moved to the fireplace. He knelt in front of the fire and used a poker to stoke the embers beneath a charred log. The fire, frenzied by his touch, soon raped the surface bark from the log. And the log yielded with a sideways jerk to the flames. He began to speak of his home in Scotland and his family. His past was hers, his dreams were memories of a life she had wished for, once. He laughed at his childhood pranks, and she giggled conspiratorially.

Suddenly, her mood changed.

"What about death?" she asked.

"Death?"

"Yes. Wasn't there ever a death? Perhaps a sister or a cousin who died young?"

"I don't want to talk about death tonight. We are both young, Lil, and should be thinking about bringing life into our world."

He stood and moved toward Liliana. Taking her hands in his, he knelt before her.

"I love you, Lil. I--"

"Are you taking me to your friend's dinner? If we don't leave now, we will be forced to remain here, and I must admit that all our cupboards are bare, so we would suffer from hunger the rest of the night."

"I already suffer a hunger, and it will not be sated by a fancy dinner," he said.

Liliana bowed her head to hide the wetness of her eyes.

She ate little at his friend's house, since food no longer nourished her body. The heavy port at the end of the meal produced a thirst within her that could not be quenched in the crowded dining room.

"It is too warm here," she said to Stuart. "May we go outside, perhaps take a walk by the lake?"

After being informed that they were leaving, the friend slapped Stuart on the back, kissed Liliana's knuckles, and scurried back to his guests. The curtness of his friend embarra.s.sed Stuart, but Liliana's chuckle caused them both to break out in laughter.

Instead of riding in the carriage that had brought them, they walked down the hill to the lake. The path was illuminated by a full moon. In her delicately brocaded heels Liliana found her gait unsteady and therefore clung closely to Stuart's arm. She tripped, and Stuart instinctively threw his arm about her waist. He withdrew it a second later when she regained her footing.

He is so afraid of offending, she thought. It would be easier if he would seek to gain an advantage over me.

Lilac, honeysuckle, and primrose teased their senses. The fragrances made the pair giddy. Liliana savored the youthfulness of her companion. These were years that had pa.s.sed quickly for her and had abruptly ended in a delirium of blood l.u.s.t. But Stuart saw her, touched her and loved her as the seventeen-year-old she had always wanted to be.

She encircled his arm with her own and pressed her shoulder against his biceps. She could feel his muscle tense through the jacket. Her bare arm reacted involuntarily and duplicated the action. At this point, Stuart took hold of her hand, which had been gripping his forearm. He held it in his until they reached the lake. Liliana settled herself down on the gra.s.s. He sat next to her, and they talked of his past.

"Why do I always tell you of my life when I really want to talk about our lives together?" said Stuart.

"Because I want to know everything about you," she responded. "I want to live your past and present with you."

"And what about the future?" he asked. "Shall we live out our futures together?"

She looked at him. Her mind jumped from the present into his future, rupturing the tenderness of his words.

"Ah! But I know so little about you," he said, confused by her silence. "The brief sketches you have given me only whet my desire to experience more of you."

Liliana yearned to possess this youth and his simplicity. But she knew that once taken, his innocence would flee. He would learn, as she had, to feign emotions. He, too, would be driven to corrupt others. She clasped her hands together tightly.

"What is this?" he said as he tried to pull apart her fingers.

"Stop it," she shouted and jumped to her feet, flinging her arms out for balance.

Liliana's beaded bag flew off her wrist and sunk into the water of the lake. She leaned forward and could see the bag lying a short distance from land but out of her reach.

"Here, let me get it," Stuart said.

Stuart undid his bra.s.s b.u.t.tons and stripped off his jacket. Liliana received his jacket across her outstretched arms and pulled the cloth against the cleavage of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The moon glittered against his flesh as he stretched out his hand to reach the purse. His skin was shaded only by the outline of his ribs. His broad back flexed several times before his hand could touch the purse. It was then that she saw the swollen veins running down the inside of his forearm. The juicy fullness of these vessels seduced her, and she moved toward him. The water drenching her feet and the bottom of her dress did not distract her. She inched forward, her mouth opened wide, and a drop of saliva fell from one incisor.

"d.a.m.n," shouted Stuart as he toppled into the lake.

Liliana's body jolted as the water swallowed her treasure.

Stuart lifted himself up and stood dripping wet while holding the golden beaded bag indecorously in his right hand.

"Don't look so serious, Lil. The bag and I shall dry out soon enough." He laughed.

Her jaw ached as she closed her mouth and attempted to spread her lips into a smile.

Stuart waded onto the land and built a small fire with the dry pieces of wood, twigs, and leaves that lay abundantly around them. Liliana watched, sweeping her long nails across her lips. Eventually she sucked the middle finger of her right hand and winced when she realized she had drawn her own blood.

Stuart sat in front of the fire and placed her purse at his feet. Gently he pulled Liliana down beside him. His jacket fell from her arms onto his knees. She looked into his face and saw his irises dance with life before the flames. The whites of his eyes nestled this life in their cloudy softness. His mouth met her lips for the first time. She spread apart her lips, and he pulled away. The jacket was in his hands, and he was nervously grabbing for something in his pocket. A black velvet box appeared in the palm of his hand. He presented it to her. She opened the box. Inside was a ring whose colors under the fire's light rivaled any rainbow she had seen. However, the reflection of the diamond against her tears caused a stabbing pain inside her head.

He embraced her. The warmth of him against her cold flesh made her tremble. He held her tight against his chest. His heart pumped hard; she could feel the steady throb. The sounds of the liquid pa.s.sing through its chambers roared in her ears. Liliana could even smell the succulent red corpuscles flushing to his skin's surface. She pressed her face deep into the crook of his neck, then drew her tongue across his shoulder. Suddenly she bit hard into his flesh, not to steal his blood but to stem her own pa.s.sion for him. She pulled her mouth away from his shoulder. The skin was bruised but not broken.

She loved him. Not simply with a physical pa.s.sion in which she had taken so many other lives, but with an almost forgotten purity, gentleness, and empathy.

Liliana swept her hand across his cheek and refused the ring with a slow shake of her head.

"I absolutely forbid that my body be opened upon any pretext whatsoever. I urgently insist that it be kept a full forty-eight hours in the chamber where I shall have died, placed in a wooden coffin which shall not be nailed shut until the prescribed forty-eight hours have elapsed, at the end of which period the said coffin shall be nailed shut; during this interval a message shall be sent express to M. Le Normand, wood seller in Versailles, living at number 101, boulevard de l'Egalite, requesting him to come in his own person with a cart, to fetch my body away..."

Last Will and Testament.

D. A. F. Sade.

Chapter 1..

Early 21st Century.

The house stood on a corner lot. A busy thoroughfare pa.s.sed by on the right of the house; the other side faced a decrepit old cottage that was probably held together by chains of termites. The entrance faced a quiet street, not a dead end but near to it in the amount of traffic pa.s.sing through.

A Victorian charm made the house look inviting. Curlicues and gingerbread decorations swept across the exterior. Lacy gauze curtains covered each window, except for the dormer window. Red-wine velvet curtains hung from that one. No hint of light ever shined from the top window, no flowery vase as appeared in the living-room window. But once a week, if neighbors bothered to look they would see the velvet curtains parted. Two hands would lift the window, and a third hand would quickly dispose of a blessed liquid offering that fell onto the abundant spring and summer flowers growing below. In winter the liquid would soften the layer of snow covering the ground. Year round the G.o.ddess accepted the offering.

On this night a full moon backdropped the black cat-shaped weather vane. Louis Sade had noted the sight before approaching the sage and pine wreath hanging on the front door. A thirtyish earth mother, Heloise, had brought him here to experience the old religion.

Now Louis stood in that dormer room, part of a human circle. They held hands. The earth mother's hand felt rough and strong. The woman on his other side had a softer, gentler grasp. He could hear her swallow in giant gulps as the others measured their breathing to the events of the evening. Undoubtably she was a new convert and a very young one, from what he could see. The girl appeared tender, unused, and highly susceptible. He would correct the cursory introduction that had been made by engaging her in a lengthy chat after the ritual had ended.

"Let us call the quarters," a meaty woman across from him said. "Zaira, would you perform the task?"

A spindly matronly-looking woman stepped from the circle and drew a black-handled knife from a scabbard lying low on her hip. Her green velvet robe dragged along the floor as she walked to the East. With the knife in her right hand she raised her right arm and spoke.

"Greetings unto the spirits of the East, Rulers of the Air, Gwydion, Master of Phantasy and Illusion. We call upon thee to guard our rites and protect our circle."

The lit candle before her flickered and died. Silence.

Louis smirked. If these women were really witches they would be unable to work their magic tonight, he knew. The young woman next to him seemed to stop breathing, while an octogenarian female used an altar taper to try and relight the Eastern candle. "Zaira, please move on to the South," said the meaty woman, who was high priestess.

Holding her knife high, Zaira faced the South, and the flame on that candle immediately died. Zaira cleared her throat and spoke, while the octogenarian rushed to light the South's candle.

"Greetings unto the Guardians of the South, Rulers of Fire. Bridgit..."

The elderly woman had no luck in lighting the candle. She turned and shrugged in the direction of the high priestess.

"There must be a draft in here," Heloise whispered. She gripped his hand tighter.

"No draft," p.r.o.nounced the high priestess. She shivered when she made eye contact with Louis.

"Does this happen often?" Louis innocently asked.

"It has never happened before," p.r.o.nounced the high priestess.

"Once," Heloise interrupted. "When Penelope's cat was in the room."

The matronly-looking woman's back stiffened. She sniffed her indignation.

"Perhaps you should scabbard the knife, Penelope," Louis suggested as he saw her hand tighten around the handle.

"Zaira," Penelope answered.

"We have magic names," Heloise explained. "I misspoke by using her mundane name. I'm Chrisyllis. Our high priestess is Bride, and then there's Amaranth," she said, nodding at the elderly woman, who continued trying to light the candle.