La Posada --Chapter 6 --PG-13

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librarian_7
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La Posada --Chapter 6 --PG-13

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Disclaimer: I don't own Josef. He thinks he owns freshie Lucky, but I do.

La Posada

Chapter 6

Lucky leaned back in the stone-lined pool, trying to relax in the water from the hot spring. She was alone—with a dozen pools to choose from, people tended to spread out, and develop favorite spots. The one Lucky liked best was screened on two sides by aspen, but with a breath-taking view of the soaring mountain peaks. The buildings of the Posada were entirely out of sight, and she could imagine she was alone with her thoughts.

The tank top she was wearing over her bikini had started to float up with the current of the warm water, and she reached down to jerk it back into place, guiltily, even though there was no one who could have caught a glimpse of her ruby hip chain. Usually she wore a pair of track shorts over her bathing suit as well, ignoring the curious stares of the others. They all seemed intent on showing off as much skin, and as many bite marks, as possible. Marla had gone so far as to ask her about it, and Lucky had shrugged. “Josef’s orders,” she’d said, deliberately skipping the “my patron” circumlocution crap just to drive the point home.

Marla had twisted her mouth in a parody of a smile, and dropped the topic, although Lucky could guess at the thought balloon over her head. Something along the lines of “there’s just no reasoning with that freshie, when it comes to her lord and master vamp.” Well, that was just fine.

At least, three days after the event with Sam, she was a little calmer. That night, she’d been shaking like an aspen in high wind by the time she got back to her room, and she’d had to break out what she thought of as her last-ditch defense. She rummaged in the drawer of her bedside table, pulling out a black silk scarf wrapped around another item. Unfolding it reverently, she took up the sheer softness of a white alpaca scarf, bringing it to her face and inhaling deeply. Maybe it was her imagination, but she’d swear it still smelled faintly like Josef. She’d had to sneak off into his dressing room to steal it, the day she left, knowing she was one of the few who could do it. She hoped that if he noticed it was gone, he’d understand the impulse, and possibly find it amusing. For all his boyish affectations, adorable as they might be, she never forgot the centuries of experience behind the façade.

And on a night when she felt she’d somehow betrayed his trust, the feel and scent of that little piece of him comforted her, even though she was glad that one night that her cell phone never rang.

She’d kept very much to her room the next couple of days, ordering her meals delivered, and then eating very little. She didn’t really understand it herself, and finally today she’d listened to Marla and ventured out. Not such a bad idea, she thought. This was calm, peaceful. Lucky watched several bright orange dragonflies dart through the slight mist rising from the pool, and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the mountain afternoon.

Sam stood back a few yards, observing her quietly. He’d been looking for her, every mealtime, every activity, He’d even asked her hostess, the altogether too formidable Marla, if Lucky was all right, and gotten a double lecture for his trouble—first from Marla, and then from Randall, his own host. At least he’d had the good sense not to mention what had happened between them. Randall had already given him the song-and-dance about the dangers of inappropriate relationships. Before, he’d always been able to defend his actions on the grounds that with so few males around, he needed to befriend someone. He was so lonely, away from his vampire. And that was true. Truer than he really meant to reveal.

Randall hadn’t bought it, not for a minute. “Fine,” he’d retorted. “Have a dozen friends. Have two dozen. There are over fifty delightful young freshies here, any of whom would adore a little masculine attention. All I’m saying, Sam, is share the wealth. Besides, do you really want to piss off her vamp? Do you have any idea what he might do to you?”

“I’m not after her blood. I just enjoy her company.”

“Doesn’t matter. You know that.”

“But my lady doesn’t care about that sort of thing, and I think she’d protect—“

“She would have no say in the matter whatsoever. Trust me on this one.”

Nonetheless, all the lectures couldn’t undo what had happened, and Sam was haunted by that moment when she had seemed to return his kiss. He had to talk to her about that. And yet when he’d finally spotted her bright red hair against the greenery surrounding the hot spring pool, all his rehearsed lines had evaporated, and he had to work on finding the courage to approach her at all.

He slipped off his shoes, and his hands hesitated at the hem of his shirt, the button of his jeans. No, he thought, he’d better not do anything that might give her the wrong idea, or alarm her. So when he slipped into the hot water opposite her, he was fully clothed.

Lucky started, anyway, sitting up and looking him straight in the eye. “Please leave, Sam.”

“We need to talk.”

“Just go.”

“Answer me this, Lucky—and God, don’t you have a name? Something besides some bloodsucker nickname?—but tell me, do you ever think about the future? About what’s going to happen to you?”

Lucky shook her head, knowing she was relenting. “Too many questions, Sam. Slow down. Unpack.”

“Okay, then, name. What’s your real name?”

She sighed. “My name is Lucky. And any details beyond that are none of your business.”

“And your future? I’m thinking I might like that to be some of my business.”

Lucky decided a deliberate misunderstanding was in order. “What are you? An insurance salesman?” she snapped.

It didn’t work. Sam looked at her, his eyes full of gentle sympathy. “What happens, Lucky? What happens after that vamp is through with you? I know we all think—we all hope—it’s going to last forever. Don’t get me wrong, I’m completely devoted to my lady, and when she moves on, it’s going to break my heart. Even if it’s not healthy, I don’t want it to end. But I know it’s going to happen.”

“It might not be for years.”

“And it might be next week. Who knows?”

Lucky folded her arms defensively. “Josef will take care of me. He says I belong to him.”

Sam frowned. “Are you—do you—are you intimate?”

The whole world snapped into sharper focus, the adrenaline spike of her anger was so intense. “Wow. That’s really none of your business. Like out of the ballpark homerun none of your business.”

“Which can either mean yes, or no, but not for lack of trying on your part.”

Lucky blushed, the blood flooding hotly to her face. “I’ve never liked you less, Sam. Go away.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, Lucky. It’s just—“

“Ever since I got here—you know, Josef sent me here to rest and get healthy, but everyone seems to be telling me how terrible this life is. I don’t understand it. It’s bad enough missing him, without people trying to tear me away from him.” She was fighting tears, and bowed her head, hands to her face. She could hear Sam moving in the steaming water, but refused to look at him.

“Dammit, Lucky,” he said, sliding across the stone ledge to put his arms around her. “You make everything so difficult.”

“So I’ve been told,” she replied, sniffing back her tears. “Josef always says so.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He was a little surprised that she wasn’t trying to fight free of his arms, but he wasn’t about to push his advantage, either. “You won’t like it, Luck’, but I wanted to ask you something. Several somethings, in fact.”

She stiffened, yet did not retreat, waiting.

“I’m guessing that he’s promised that your future prosperity is taken care of. But do you ever think about a husband—someone who doesn’t have to keep a harem? Have you ever thought about children? A little Lucky or two running around?”

“Are you volunteering, Sam?” Lucky replied, but her tone wasn’t as harsh as she’d intended. “What about your vamp? You claimed you were devoted. Don’t you care about her?”

“Of course I do. I’m starting to think it’s not quite the same, though.”

“Probably not. So tell me, Sam—do you sleep with her? Are you a full-service freshie?”

He recoiled a little at that, his arms loosening, and she took the opportunity to slide away. Somehow, even the brilliance of the cloudless sky seemed to have dimmed. Sam bit his lip, and the blond hair falling in his eyes made him look younger, vulnerable. Lucky had a sudden flash, an image before her eyes of Josef’s face. She’d seen the vampire in many moods, but never, she thought, vulnerable. It had a certain appeal, but it also made her afraid. She wasn’t used to the idea of a male in her life being anything other than in complete command of his situation, and she found it unnerving.

“We both have obligations, Lucky,” Sam said. “I thought perhaps you’d understand—“ He stood suddenly, the water, disturbed, lapping just below his waist. “Maybe I should show you.” With one smooth movement, he pulled the shirt he wore over his head, and looked at her with defiance in his eyes. All the masks were gone.

At first, Lucky had a hard time comprehending what she was seeing. Sam’s chest was covered with a tracery of scars, everything from white, nearly invisible fang marks , to the angry red of barely healed, recent wounds. This was no single event, no accidental injury, but the marks of sustained, systematic torture. Lucky put a hand to her mouth, sickened. There was no reason to ask why—she’d heard that some older vamps were cruel that way, but she’d never seen the evidence of it with her own eyes. Somehow, the skin was smooth, but the marks were there to be seen. Lucky knew that if she ever walked away from Josef, she would carry scars from her willing acceptance of his fangs, and the pleasures that came from giving him her blood, but nothing like this. Sam would never be able to look at himself in a mirror without seeing the remains of his vampire’s attention. Without thinking, her other hand dropped to the spot on her thigh that had once borne the marks of a vicious attack. Josef had been so pleased to see those rough tears removed, but obviously Sam’s vampire had no distaste for scars.

“What does she do to you, Sam?” she whispered.

She’d never seen such a bitter cast to his smile. “Only what they all do, Lucky. Whatever they want.”

Lucky found herself standing, the thin air cool on her wet skin. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t pity me, Lucky,” he said. “For God’s sake—just understand.”

She nodded, but before she could speak, they were interrupted by the strident sound of a brass bell. Something was wrong, and the alarm bell was calling them in.

They’d been told—repeatedly—that the bell signified an emergency. Fire. Impending blizzard. Armed intruders. Anything that the long experience and paranoid imagination of vampires could conceive, had a contingency plan, and one that started with the alarm bell gathering the freshies.

Marla had stressed to Lucky that it was extremely unlikely she’d ever hear the signal. “Really, this is a very tranquil place,” she’d said. “We pride ourselves on avoiding emergencies.”

Now, however, the steady tolling of the bell shattered the quiet of the Posada.

Vaulting out of the hot water to the lip of the stone pool with impressive grace and agility for a non-vamp, Sam stood, shirt still hanging from one hand, and bent to offer a hand to Lucky. With only a heartbeat’s hesitation, Lucky laid her hand in his and scrambled out of the pool, far less gracefully, trying to make sure the tank top over her bathing suit was hiding what she needed it to hide. She shoved her feet into her sandals without relinquishing her grip on his hand, and together they began to make their way back to the Posada as quickly as they could.

Soon, they were catching glimpses of the dining hall terrace, where a crowd had gathered. The altitude and their exertion had combined to leave Lucky a little short of breath, but the sight of the milling throng was enough to spur her on.

“At least I don’t see smoke,” she panted, and looked at Sam in surprise when he suddenly halted.

His blond hair was plastered in damp tendrils around his face, but what she noticed was the pleading look in his eyes as he stepped behind a towering Douglas fir, and started to struggle back into his dripping t-shirt. It tangled and hung up on his back, and, moved to compassion, Lucky reached out, unsnarling the wet fabric with gentle hands, smoothing it across the marred skin of his torso. No words were exchanged, none were needed, as they walked on back to the lodge, but once more his hand sought hers, and enfolded it warmly.

Lucky thought almost all the guests, and most of the staff, had assembled. As they reached the terrace, she caught sight of Marla bearing down on them, and snatched her hand free from Sam’s. “Sorry,” she muttered.

The hostess looked relieved to see her. “Lucky, there you are. I was wondering.”

The freshie shrugged. “I was down at the hot springs when I heard the signal. What’s going on?”

“There’s been—an incident,” Marla said, “but everything will be all right.”

Sam snorted. “That’s not very informative, Marla. What kind of incident?”

The hostess tightened her lips, glaring at him. “The kind that is not really any of your concern, Mr. Logan.”

He flashed her a brilliant and quite false, smile. “If it’s none of our business, why are we all standing around out here waiting for developments?”

Whatever Marla’s answer might have been, it was lost in the sudden harsh drub-drub of an approaching helicopter that arrowed in to settle on the open field not far from the terrace.

Lucky looked up sharply, catching Marla’s eye. “Life flight?”

Marla frowned, but said nothing. Sam touched Lucky’s elbow lightly and slid away into the crowd. She could see that the guests had broken into small knots of people, whispering and huddling together, and started trying to determine who might be missing, but she hadn’t paid enough attention to the comings and goings of the guests to be able to come to any conclusions before a stir at the doorway caught her eye.

The helicopter had disgorged several uniformed EMTs, and as a wheeled stretcher was brought out of the Posada, they rushed forward to take charge of it. Lucky couldn’t see well, but caught a glimpse of disordered blue-black hair, and an abnormally pale face over a bloodstained sheet. One of the hostesses was walking next to the gurney, her face blank with shock and disbelief,, the professional calm of her movements in sharp contrast to her expression.

“Carmencita?” Lucky asked softly, feeling as though the ground were tilting beneath her feet. “She did this to herself? I don’t understand. Why?”

Her attention riveted on the medical procession, she hadn’t heard Sam return, but pivoted to look at him as he spoke, his words striking with the sting of hailstones. “She found out an hour ago—her vampire lost his turf war. He was killed last night. And she wanted to go with him.”

###


Lucky watched the bedside clock mark the minutes silently. One am, two am…she pulled herself into a tighter ball underneath the blankets, feeling the sapphire satin slide against the sheets. She didn’t think she’d fall asleep, but her cell phone was under the hand she had curled close to her chest, her other hand clutching the ruby at her throat. She always played a little game with herself, saying that whenever the clasp of the necklace worked around to touch the stone, Josef was thinking about her. She hoped tonight it was true. Josef had to call tonight, he just had to. And when he did—she wasn’t sure what she was going to say, or how to say it, but somehow she’d have to make him comprehend that he had to make a trip out here. That no matter what it took for him to get through the gate, or over the fence, he had to be here for her. If she didn’t feel the touch of his cool hands on her again, and soon, she wasn’t sure what was going to become of her. She only prayed she could make him understand.
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 6 --PG-13

Post by maggatha3 »

Oh...Sam and Lucky have totally different relationships with their Sires..can they really understand eachother? And oh my, poor Carmencita! So interesting to see the world of freshies!
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 6 --PG-13

Post by darkstarrising »

Wow! This is an intense chapter!!

Sam is the second person trying to dissuade Lucky from her dream of life with Josef, following up on Marla's unsolicited advice. While Lucky's experience with Josef has been pleasurable, Sam's experience with his own 'lady' had clearly not been. In his own way, he's trying to make Lucky see that while Josef is fond of her, he is still a vampire and he'll do to his freshie whatever he wants. Not that Lucky believes him.

Where Marla and Sam have failed, Carmencita may have succeeded in a truly gruesome manner. When her vamp is destroyed, Carmencita decides she can't live without him and takes her own life. Would Lucky ever do the same if Josef was destroyed? Somehow, I doubt it, but while she might continue to live, she'd be a shadow of her former self. Maybe that's why Sam was encouraging her to look beyond life with Josef, for her own good.
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