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  “How’s it going, I’ve got the televisions to install here. My guys will also take care of installing the sound system.” I had wondered what Marc was up with my credit cards the night before on the internet.

  “Thanks, do what you have to do.” I watched as they unloaded several boxes of televisions and headed into the house. I glanced at my phone as it rang,

  “How did she get my number?” I stared at Ava’s picture for a moment then pushed to ignore the call. I would have to ask Marc to erase the entry. I still hadn’t figured out how to use the phone besides answering calls. I hoped she wouldn’t become a problem like girls I had met in the past. I headed into the house with my bags and secretly prayed Nina hadn’t given her my address.

  3.

  “You know I always hated the desert. I went once and it was so damned depressing. I looked everywhere and the sun was just shining so bright. No place to sit in the shade. Just sand and heat everywhere. It felt like I was being chased with a hair dryer.” Octavius nodded as I sat atop the tombs with him. I looked to Matthieu as he stood looking off into the distance. I had met him long ago when people were fighting for equality in the streets. He had been hit in the head with a baseball bat. I remember falling to his side as the brain matter leaked through his wound. I had dragged him to Octavius in my arms.

  “What do you want me to do with him?”

  “Make him strong again, I won’t let him die.” Already my blood was in his veins repairing his wounds. Octavius had carried him to his desk where he leaned over to inspect the broken skull.

  “This is bad, but nothing I haven’t worked on before. Get my bag from the other room and the black jar in the fridge.” I hadn’t asked questions as I retrieved the items he needed. What I had witnessed could not be explained even now. I still was in awe of the power we held in our blood.

  “I still remember Octavius standing over me and pulling the bone out of my head,” he said tapping his forehead. I could see the scar still visible,

  “And I remember breaking the guys neck that hurt you,” I said with a laugh. He smiled as I saw his filed teeth staring back.

  “How do you like the new place?”

  “It’s fine, I feel like I’m in some weird episode of Cribs.” Octavius shook his head quickly,

  “Oh no, please, I have to see what my son has done now. Tell me it doesn’t look like the set of a bad reality show.”

  “I wouldn’t know – I’ve been asleep for awhile now.”

  “Well, you have to remember the first season of the Real World.” I thought a moment as I frowned,

  “You’re right, my place looks like network tv vomited all over it.” I could hear Matthieu sigh as he replied,

  “I’ll send my girlfriend over, maybe she could make it livable. How’s dinner tomorrow?” I nodded as I stopped and craned my neck. I could hear laughter not far off. Her voice was low as they walked through the cemetery. Her scent was sweet, I looked at Matthieu as he gestured,

  “She’s all yours, Don Juan.” I smiled as I stepped off the tomb. I looked back as Octavius sat down alongside Matthieu.

  I headed down the path toward her voice. She was laughing once more then spoke in a hushed voice. I could see her from where I stood by the tombs, she wore a summer dress and a light jacket. I let out a breath as I caught my breath and knew that she was cold. I looked back, her blonde hair was loose and curled. She was walking with a taller man as she leaned over to kiss him,

  “You need a breath mint,” her date said. I winced as she looked away from him.

  “How much further,” he questioned as she looked down at her phone then said,

  “It should be around here.” What on earth could they be looking for here? I had lived here for as long as these tombs had been here. I hated to tell them Marie Laveau was buried elsewhere. Her date spoke with a heavy French accent, I would leave him for Octavius as I felt him not too far behind. I knew he was a champion for his fellow countryman. I followed them not much more before I heard her let out a scream.

  “Noah!” I heard the gravel from the path as something was dragged off. I cursed hoping another half vamp had not stumbled into my hunting ground again. I looked up to Matthieu as he leapt over the tombs above us. He skidded onto the tomb above me as he nodded in her direction. I looked around the corner as I saw her lying on the ground, her eyes shut tight. I looked to her date as he lay with his neck broken. A mugging, I hadn’t run across one in ages. I stepped out as she begged for her life and said a broken Hail Mary. I walked over toward her attacker as I pulled him off with one motion. He landed with a crack against the tomb wall. I heard Matthieu leap off the tomb,

  “A clean criminal is always a nice treat.” I reached out to touch her arm as she let out a scream. She scrambled away as I pulled her into my arms,

  “You’re fine, calm down, he’s not going to hurt you.” She was sobbing now as I held her tight,

  “Breathe…” She shook her head as she looked to the man lying on the ground beside her. She shut her eyes as she let out another cry, she reached out for him as she broke from my grasp. I watched her lie on the ground beside him as she wrapped her arms around him. I looked back at Octavius as he shook his head,

  “Feed from her but you must leave her.” I watched her close her eyes as she held in her breath, she buried her face into his chest. She lay still holding him.

  “She’s not a puppy, Rent, you bring her into your home she is yours to care for.” I rocked back on my heels as I thought about Samara. This girl was miles away from her; she was in need. If I left her behind, she would surely lose her mind in grief. Samara had been a monster created by the people that raised her. The girl had no reason to hate me. I bit my lip as I reached out and pulled her away from him. She protested as I turned her face toward me. I stared into her eyes that were already red from crying.

  “I can keep you safe, no one will hurt you.” She nodded slowly, already we were building trust as I carried her in my arms. I could hear Matthieu protesting in the background,

  “Oh what the hell is he doing? What happened to stopping for a quick bite? Uh, this always happens. In all my time, I never have taken my dinner home. Would you do something, Octavius?” I looked back at Octavius as he crossed his arms,

  “Well, that seals the deal. Looks like we won’t see you for another week. Let me know how the fledgling works out.” I knew it would be hard to keep her human without the questions. I thought about pulling the oldest trick in the book but felt it would be untrustworthy. I got to my car and set her inside.

  “I called some people, they’re going to take care of the guy.” I looked back at the body lying on the gravel, “I got a taste of his blood. That was one screwed up guy. You know their married, right?” I looked at the simple gold band on her left hand. I scratched at the gold and found plastic underneath,

  “Some marriage.”

  “The only thing I got before he went cold was the image of the woman he was seeing in Miami, Shana. I could ask around since she’s a dancer.”

  “Salsa?”

  “Among other things, get your puppy home before she wakes up.” I looked at her sound asleep in the passenger seat as I climbed into the car.

  “I owe you,” I called out as I backed out and headed back up to my house. I would have to make a donation to the people that kept the cemetery clean. They always came through when it came to the bodies we left every now and then.

  I laid her on the large bed covered with a dark duvet cover. I was ashamed my house looked like a reject reality show set. I stared down at her then backed away and headed for the window. I could be honest with her and tell her what had occurred in the cemetery. It was still late in the night and the sun would rise soon. I knew the questions would certainly be waiting when she awoke.

  “Hello?” Too late. I turned to see her staring at me, she was sitting up. Without the jacket, she looked painfully thin. The summer dress she wore was stained with dirt as she looked down.


  “Where’s Noah?” I was silent as I took in her thin pale face. Her hair and skin were playing a game of which was paler. Her eyes were a deep blue and already filled with fear. I watched the reality of what had happened return to her face. She covered her face as she let out a cry.

  “Was he ok? Did someone call for an ambulance? I don’t know what happened. We were talking and then he fell down. The man, the one that hurt Noah, did you see him?” I shook my head as she looked around the room. I wanted to apologize for the furnishings as she covered her face again. I walked over as I sat down beside her. I put my arm around her as I said,

  “Noah’s dead. The man that did this got away. I brought you here to keep you safe.” She looked up quickly as she pushed away the covers,

  “We have to go to the police, we have to tell them that the man is still out there.”

  “No, we can’t. People would ask questions, I’m not exactly someone that has a good reputation around here.”

  “You don’t have to, I won’t tell anyone that I was here. I promise.” I stared into her face knowing she was telling the truth.

  “What’s your name?” She opened her mouth then stopped, she touched her forehead then shook her head. I saw the bruise on her forehead as I realised she had been hit. Already the skin was forming a dark purple color, I pulled her hand away. She couldn’t remember her name.

  “Maybe you should lie back, you’re injured. I will call some people and maybe they can help us. Do you remember where you were staying?” She thought a moment as she replied,

  “No but it was somewhere in the French Quarter near Bourbon.” That was not going to make it easy, I thought. I covered her with blankets as I promised to make a call. I left the room as I dug my phone from my pocket. Already my phone was buzzing with Octavius on the other line,

  “Funny, I was going to call you.”

  “I take it she’s awake and asking a million questions.”

  “Not really, she has a slight case of amnesia. Can’t remember much of anything, including her name.”

  “Oh for crying out loud,” I heard Matthieu’s voice in the background. I laughed as I peeked into the room. Already she was sound asleep,

  “Keep an eye on her, humans have a habit of dying from concussions. Wake her up every so often. Maybe her memory will come back. You could always glamour whatever is left and hope she’s coherent enough to speak full sentences.” I rolled my eyes as I replied,

  “Before I forget, tell Matthieu dinner is still on. I was horribly embarrassed when she awoke and looked around at my bedroom. I’ve never seen that reaction before.”

  “Oh right, the Great Rent Tres has never been met with a look of disgust.”

  “No, I haven’t…well maybe a few times in the eighties but that was called for.” I knew Octavius was nodding his head at the idea. We promised to meet the following evening and I shut the phone. I looked into the bedroom as I saw her lying on her side. I pushed open the door and stepped in.

  “Are you awake?” I touched her shoulder as she shrugged away, she was awake. I pushed her hair away from her face. It pained me with how frail she looked. Her skin was cold like my own. I backed away from her as she whispered,

  “Would you help me forget what happened?” I stared down at her as she turned to face me. I was staring into the deep blue eyes that stared back at me. I could see the veins under her skin along her throat. I hung my head as I replied,

  “You’re asking a great deal of me.”

  “I loved him,” she said as the tears began to return. I reached out to catch the tears,

  “You’ll get through this…it won’t always be this hard.” She shook her head,

  “No, you don’t understand. I can’t live without him in my life.” I looked away from her as I said,

  “What are you asking of me?”

  “I want to forget tonight.” I got up from the bed as I headed for the bedroom door.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking of me,” I said under my breath. I stepped out and shut the door behind me. I could hear her sobs through the heavy wood. I cursed as I headed downstairs.

  It was late morning when I entered the bedroom. I carried a cup of hot tea for her. I knew she would need fluids. She was lying staring at the ceiling. I walked toward the window as I reached to open the curtains,

  “Keep them shut,” she said as I looked back at her. I walked over with the tea in my hands as I said,

  “I brought you something to drink.” She shook her head as I set the mug down. I reached out to touch her face as she turned away,

  “I just need to sleep.” I nodded as she closed her eyes. I headed for the door once again. I stood at the door listening to her breathing. I cursed under my breath as I headed for the guest room. I had to rest myself, it had been a long night. I hated to admit that I could not keep going for days on end. I sat against the headboard as my eyes closed almost immediately. I knew she was safe in her bed. She didn’t have the strength to run anywhere and I knew she had no idea where her hotel room was. Until I drank from her, it would be all speculation of where she had come from. I would have to ask Octavius to take a sample of her blood to taste. I needed to know how she came to wandering around a cemetery with her husband.

  “This is really terrible,” said Octavius as he handed me a basket of children’s items. I looked at the bottle and burp cloths,

  “What’s this for?”

  “Oh you know congratulations on the baby, etcetera.” I frowned as I tossed the basket aside,

  “Thanks.” He ran his hands over the dark red wall coverings,

  “I think I liked the place when it was empty. Tell me the entire place isn’t covered in this terrible wallpaper.” I shook my head as he smiled.

  “So I thought I would ask a favor of you.”

  “The answer is no. I’m here to have dinner with you.” I was about to protest when the door opened and Matthieu entered along with his wife, Meredith. She was shorter than him with short hair and a smile that welcomed almost everyone. Her skin was a light caramel tone. She was still human, Matthieu never forced the issue with her. She wore a dark suit with a pattern scarf around her neck,

  “Hey Rent,” she said as we embraced. I held her tight as I kissed her cheek, she smelled of roses as she backed away from me, “You look fantastic.”

  “Thanks, you look amazing.” She touched my face as she said,

  “I hear you have a young lady here.” I nodded slowly,

  “What has Matthieu told you?” She sighed as she shook her head,

  “That you’re in over your head. Where is she?” I nodded toward the stairs,

  “More than likely she’s sleeping…or staring at the ceiling. Her husband was with her, he died.”

  “Oh, that’s a shame.”

  “What’s a shame was that he was thinking of someone else in his last fleeting moments,” interrupted Octavius. Meredith sighed,

  “I’d like to talk to her.” I nodded as I led the way to the master bedroom. All was quiet as we climbed the stairs, I looked back at Meredith as we came to the door. I pushed open the door as I saw her lying under the covers. She was facing the window as Meredith walked over to the bed.

  “Hey there, I’m Meredith. I’m a friend of Rent’s. I thought I’d come and sit with you.” I watched as she turned to look up into Meredith’s face. She managed a smile, no one could not return Meredith’s warmth. I left them as I headed back down the stairs to join Octavius and Matthieu.

  Matthieu stood in the backyard staring at the lap pool,

  “They cheapened out on the pool. I think you should rip it out and install a larger one. Maybe build your own grotto, my friend.” I laughed as I held up my glass of wine,

  “Here, here.” Octavius groaned as he replied,

  “Let’s get through the one upstairs before we start making plans about building a harem.” Matthieu laughed as he replied,

  “I totally agree, plus it would mean I would have to be chap
eroned when I came to visit you,” he winked just as Meredith came outside. I looked up as she wore a dark look. I felt my inner ego deflate as she stopped before me,

  “This is not good, Rent. That poor girl has no idea who she is. She has very limited memory of her life. The only thing replaying in her head is the attack. She knows that she is married but that is all. Do you have anyone out searching for information?” I shook my head as I looked to Octavius,

  “Not really. I brought her here before the clean up crew arrived. I didn’t stick around to look for a car parked near the cemetery.”

  “What did she tell you?”

  “She’s just confused and she wishes she could remember how she got here.” I looked up at the dark sky as I shrugged,

  “I’ll get someone to find anything on her. I know this could all be remedied if I bit her. I’m just not sure that’s the answer right now.” She nodded as she patted my arm,

  “I know you’ll do the right thing.”

  “Yes, because he always does the right thing,” said Octavius with a smile. I inhaled as I took in the scent of the magnolias surrounding the backyard. I looked at Matthieu as I said,

  “Do you know anyone that’s good at getting information?”

  “I think I know some people,” he said as we headed into the house again.

  I stepped into the room carrying another cup of tea. I had waited in the hall so long the mug was now cool. I knocked lightly as I said,

  “You have to drink something.”

  “I don’t want anything,” she replied in a low voice. I set the mug down on the nightstand, I saw the glass of water still full. I sat down on the edge of the bed watching her as she looked at me. Her eyes were irritated from the crying. I reached over as I pushed her hair from her face. She looked away from me,