My interview with a vampire!
Huff ‘n Puff Reporter
Paranormal Haven
October 2010
(Between RAJMUND and SOPHIA)
I DON’T KNOW what I was thinking. Well, actually, I do. It was Halloween and I needed a feature article for the news blog I write for. You’ve probably heard of it . . . Huff and Puff? We’re like Huffington Post, but with no politics. You get my drift?
Anyway, I have this friend who has this friend who knows someone, and one thing led to another and there I was, following the directions from the navigation lady on my dashboard, directing me down Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. I saw an interview once on TV with Snoop Dogg, where he was talking about how you can program (for a handy fee) your GPS to his voice. But I figure if I’m lost, I don’t want Snoop Dogg telling me how to get unlost. I want someone like my mom. At least I know she’s not stoned. Well, I’m pretty sure, anyway. She’s a pretty crazy lady sometimes.
But I digress. So I was traveling down PCH, traffic whizzing by me like it’s some sort of freeway, when I hear the mom-like voice telling me to turn left. I’m looking and looking and thinking maybe Mom’s stoned after all. Because there’s nothing on the left but this forest of eucalyptus and a bunch of other trees. I knew they were eucalyptus because of the smell. I didn’t know the rest of them. They were just trees. Lots of big trees. With shadows underneath. Because it’s nighttime. Duh.
But the mom voice was still nagging at me to turn, so I did it and there it was—my headlights picked out a paved road. Hallelujah. And now I was kind of getting into this. I was there to write a Halloween article, and what could be better than a spooky old mansion hidden behind a bunch of gnarled trees with the ocean pounding against the rocks? Yeah, I was thinking, this could be good.
I followed the road until it sort of dead-ended at a big, old wall. Well, it was big, anyway. Not really all that old, though. In fact, it looked almost new. It had a gate and some sort of guardhouse, and this guy came out and asked for my name and ID. I figured he must be a vamp, but I couldn’t really tell. He was wearing black (of course), but not tuxedo black, more like SWAT-team black, which was kind of disappointing. Although, I guess it wouldn’t make sense to haul out the formal wear for gate duty. But still, he could have made the effort.
So, he looked at my ID (boring), checked my name on a list (boring), and called someone on the phone (way boring.) And just when I was about to fall asleep, the gate opened and he told me to follow the twinkly lights, and I drove through.
The twinkly lights stuff sounded magical and promising, plus kind of funny coming from a guy in SWAT black, but they turned out to be nothing but solar-powered landscape lamps lining a driveway. Apparently, vampires have gone green. Who knew?
But I was still hopeful. I hadn’t seen the mansion yet, it could still be—
Nope. Not creepy, not old, not decrepit. It was the perfect Malibu mansion, with balconies and a pool and probably a terrific view since it was right on the cliff. But the only thing scary about this place, I thought, was its price tag!
There was another guard waiting in the courtyard by the house. He told me where to park, told me to leave the keys in the car, which I did only because I have a second set in my purse (hah!) But it was kind of a hollow victory, because he was so darn polite about it.
By the time I climbed the stairs and went through a set of truly spectacular cut-glass doors, I was feeling pretty down about the whole scary, creepy thing. But then, this huge, and I mean huge, guy kind of up popped out of nowhere and stood right in front of me. I could see his fangs and everything, and I was thinking, vampire! Finally.
He just kind of stared at me for a bit, until I began to feel sort of uncomfortable and there was maybe some sweat trickling down my spine, and then he said, “Follow me,” in this deep voice that, I have to say, suited him perfectly. But then I started thinking how funny it would be if he had this squeaky, helium huffing kind of voice. Or, I was thinking that, until he gave me this look like he knew what I was thinking, and that freaked me out so badly that I stopped thinking about anything at all for a couple of minutes. Like totally blank.
Fortunately, my feet remembered how to walk without my brain helping them out. I followed the big guy up some stairs and down a hallway to another set of beautiful doors, but these were black and carved and, yeah, definitely creepy. My escort pushed one of the doors open and held out his arm, like people do when they want you to go ahead of them. So I went.
And that’s when I saw Lord Raphael for the first time.
I don’t know what I expected, exactly. Someone older, for sure. Maybe wearing a velvet day coat or brocade or something antiquey looking. I sure as hell didn’t expect a GQ model. But that’s what I got.
He’s gorgeous. I mean, take-my-breath-away, let-me-cut-this-picture-out-and-hang-it-on-my-wall gorgeous. Broad shoulders, black hair, chiseled cheekbones, kissable lips, and honest-to-goodness black eyes. And he was wearing this killer-cut suit with a white shirt and this really subdued sapphire-blue silk tie. You wouldn’t think sapphire could be subdued, but this one was.
He was sitting at his desk, just kind of watching me walk toward him, like he was wondering why the hell he ever agreed to do this. And, frankly, I was wondering the same thing. But then the guy next to him—I figured this had to be his lieutenant, Duncan, by the way. He’s blond, six-foot, classically handsome, with warm brown eyes—he smiled and said, “This is the reporter Cynthia mentioned would be dropping by, my lord.”
Raphael’s expression barely changed, except he blinked his eyes once as he watched me sit down. Then he sighed and said, “Very well. A dozen questions, no more.”
Not a lot of enthusiasm there, but I’m not complaining. I mean, would you?
I cleared my throat. Yeah, I was nervous, but I was prepared, too. I’m a professional, after all, so I dove right in.
“Good evening, Raph—I mean, Lord Raphael. Thank you for taking the time to see me. Can we start with you telling us a little bit about yourself?”
Raphael stared at me a minute longer, and then he said, “What would you like to know?”
Okay, tough interview. But I could handle it.
“Well, for starters,” I said. “How did you become a vampire lord?”
A small smile flirted around his mouth and he shared an amused glance with Duncan before saying, “I was born one. Or re-born, as the case may be. It was only a matter of time—time I spent educating myself in the ways of Vampire, gathering the right people and, eventually, finding the right territory to call my own.”
I nodded. Maybe something more personal? “Can you tell us a little about your mate, Cynthia Leighton?”
A real smile softened his expression this time. “She’s beautiful, brilliant, and the most courageous human I have ever known, male or female.”
Well, darn. That was so sweet. My chest was kind of tight with emotion when I followed up with, “What was the first thing that came to mind when you laid eyes on her?”
Off to the side, Duncan chuckled softly. Raphael just shrugged and said, “She was holding a gun on me at the time, so I imagine it was something unprintable. But my second thought was intrigue. I’d never met anyone quite like her before.”
“That wasn’t very long ago, was it? I mean, you just met and now you’re together. What’s it like having Cyn by your side, after having been single for so long?”
Raphael drew a deep breath, steepling his fingers in front of his chest. “A combination of things, I suppose. My Cyn is the first human I’ve been with in a very long time. Truthfully, I’ve never been this close to anyone else. She makes me stronger and she brings me joy. She also challenges me at every opportunity and irritates the hell out of me.” He grinned quickly. “She’ll be reading this interview.”
I smiled back, feeling more relaxed, and nodded in Duncan’s direction. “What about Duncan? Could you ever see him becoming a vampire lord?”
Raphael nodded, completely serious. “When the time comes.”
Hmmm. That wasn’t going anywhere. I changed direction. “So, is Duncan single?”
Raphael laughed and threw the question to his lieutenant. “Duncan?”
“Definitely single, my lord,” Duncan provided.
Everyone was being so friendly, I decided to push my luck. “I heard you made a trip to New York recently. Was that for business or pleasure?”
Raphael sobered immediately. “Next question.”
Okaaaay. “Rajmund Gregor is the new Lord of the Northeastern Territory. Do you believe he has the power to fix the problems that developed under Krystof’s rule?”
Raphael was still eyeing me suspiciously, and I could tell he was considering not answering this question either. Finally, he said, “What another lord does with his territory is not my concern. Having said that, however, I have every confidence in Rajmund’s ability, and expect the territory to flourish under his leadership.”
I decided to steer away from the business angle, which seemed a sensitive point. “Speaking of Rajmund, we hear that Sarah Stratton has persuaded him to take a trip down the aisle. Can we expect to hear wedding bells for you and Cyn in the future?”
Raphael shrugged again. He was clearly getting bored with this interview, and I knew my time was nearly up. “Cyn is my mate,” he said. “There is no greater bond among vampires. As for anything else, you’d have to ask her.”
“I just have a couple more questions,” I assured him. Like he needed my assurances. “Why do you think humans are so fascinated with vampires?”
He sighed—definitely bored, I thought—and pushed up closer to his desk. “Being human, you would know that better than I. But, for the record, I doubt most humans have any idea what a vampire truly is.”
Ooooh. I would have loved to follow up on that one, but Raphael was checking his watch and not being subtle about it, either. So I went with my final question, which I had to ask, but honestly kind of made me cringe. “How does the vampire community celebrate Halloween?”
Raphael gave me a dead look on that one. Good thing it was the last question.
“We don’t,” he said shortly and signaled Duncan. The interview was over.
Duncan escorted me courteously from the room, and the huge vampire took me back down the stairs to my car. After that, I don’t remember much. I woke up the next morning, not knowing how I got home or into bed. My first thought was for my notes and my recorder, but they were there in my bag. Untouched, as far as I know. And I’m pretty sure that thing on my neck was just a scratch. Maybe from the seat belt on my car. You know how they’re always rubbing when you drive.
Yeah, I’ve thought about it, and I’m sure that’s all it was.
The End