A Vampire's Thirst_Remi Read online

  A Vampire’s Thirst: Remi

  Elaine Barris

  Edited by

  Kitten K Jackson

  Cover Designed by

  Monica La Porta

  All Rights Reserved

  A novel set in A Vampire’s Thirst World Created by A K Michaels ©

  © 2018 Elaine Barris

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. You must not circulate this book in any format. Doing so constitutes copyright infringement. Thanks for respecting the rights of the author.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Dedication

  About the author

  Also by Elaine Barris

  Chapter 1

  Flipping his coat collar up against the flood of the falling rain, Remi ducked his head, as he walked down the sidewalk that was glimmering from the light of the street lamps. Shop awnings provided sparse protection when he walked underneath them. Water dripped from his hair, sliding in a line down his neck and back.

  It was the monsoon season in the Louisiana delta, the weather coupling downpours with a stifling heat that made steam rise from the streets, not that he minded that much. As a vampire, the elements didn’t affect him like they did humans.

  As he advanced, his deck of cards thumped against his chest, nestled in the protective pocket where he had placed them. Discolored by age and bent from use, they were his most prized possession, given to him by his wife a month before she succumbed to malaria, taking their unborn child with her into the cement crypt that bore his family crest.

  That was in the early 1800s, the days during which doctors could do little to help the sick except prescribe ever-increasing doses of laudanum and rest. Later, it was found that quinine cured the disease, but that was long after Grace had withered to dust.

  Death had wielded a rampant scythe, cutting down all it could, like separating the wheat from the chaff in a field rather than persons from the living. Typhoid fever, tuberculosis, pneumonia, cholera… each took their toll.

  Despite the agony around him, he focused his rage against the world that went on as if nothing horrible had happened to him, finding an escape in the darker parts of the city, mixing opium with his whiskey to dull his pain and lose himself in the fog of the drug’s high.

  A year and a day later, he stumbled into the cemetery to sweep her bones to the back of the sepulcher to fall into the depths, joining those of his deceased ancestors, before returning to the hideaway that had become his home.

  Penniless from his habit and slumped in a corner in a drunken stupor, his eyes unable to focus on the figure in front of him, he was found by Luc, his brother. He took Remi to his home and began nursing him back to health, holding him down in an unyielding grip when his body shook from withdrawals. After the first few nights, unbeknownst to Remi, Luc had blended a few drops of his blood with the broth he fed him.

  As time passed, so did Remi’s dependence on the opioid, and his lucidity returned.

  “Luc,” he rasped, shivering in the blankets, though a fire blazed in the hearth close by. “Where did you come from? Where am I? How did I get here?”

  “Slow down, Remi,” Luc replied from across the room, where he was seated in a high-back chair. “Save your strength.”

  “I don’t remember….”

  “Of course, you don’t. Your brain was so addled from drug and drink, I’m surprised you survived long enough for me to find you, much less save you.”

  “Grace… the baby….”

  “I’m sorry, Remi. I know how much you loved her.”

  “I wasn’t there with her at the end, Luc. I was abroad, chasing dreams of gold and wealth. When I arrived home, she’d already been interred; half of the townsfolk had.”

  “The result would have been the same had you been there, if not worse. You could have been infected by the flying diseased thing yourself, and then where would you be?”

  “With them.”

  “Or you might have left a widow with a baby on the way had you encountered the bug first. In the matters of chance, you know that she would not have had an easy life without a husband, especially with the encumbrance of a child. It would have been nearly impossible to find a man to wed her. She would have ended up on the streets or worse.” Luc rose from the seat and approached where Remi had buried himself in the bed. Leaning down, he stared into his eyes, and Remi saw the flames of the fire reflected in Luc’s gaze. “You know what I’m saying is right. Don’t you?”

  A tremor ran through him at the sight of his brother’s countenance, which was soon followed by a wave of peace and acceptance of Luc’s words.

  “I hadn’t thought of it in those terms.”

  “That’s what older brothers are for, to provide wisdom. Agree?”

  Remi nodded, as the truth of what Luc said settled inside him. The pain began to seep from his heart, replaced by something close to hope, perhaps even joy.

  “I’m glad you came back from wherever you were, Luc.”

  As Remi looked at him, his eyes seemed to take on a blaze of their own.

  “You’ll never want that poison again, mon frér.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  Remi assumed that what he had seen must have been a trick of the light, because his brother looked normal a moment later.

  “Everlasting life awaits you, Remi.”

  “What?”

  “When you find love next, you’ll never have to lose her to the ravages of illness or age.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “This shell of mortality doesn’t suit you, brother. You must don the eternal. Take up the mantle meant for you.”

  “Luc, what are you talking about? You’re speaking in words that make you sound as insane as I felt mere moments ago.”

  “Yes, it is crazy. I thought the same, but it is true. We will be immortal, you and I, roaming the world as we wish.”

  Thinking his brother was joking with him as he had done all his life, Remi smiled and said, “What a dreamer’s heart you have, to jest about cheating such a certain and dreaded thing as death.”

  “A dream become reality, as mine will beat forever.”

  “Are you unwell?”

  “I am perfect. I am vampire.” Remi wrenched his arm away, staring at his sibling with a mix of panic and wonderment. “Do not fret, brother. I am here to unmake and remake you as was done for me. To share the blood gift that was bestowed upon me.”

  “That’s h
eresy, Luc!”

  His brother chuckled.

  “There is no such thing, Remi. You will soon see after it is done. Your eyes will awaken to view the world as beautiful and amazing, as it really is, not what you were reared to think and believe. You will live without fear of anyone or anything.”

  “And what if I don’t want this?”

  Going to Remi’s coat across the room, Luc withdrew the deck of cards from the inside pocket.

  “You’re lucky you didn’t lose these. It is a beautiful set.”

  “I’ve never been good at cards. You know that. I don’t know why Grace bought them for me.”

  “Bring your best game, then. You’re betting for your life.”

  Smiling at the memory of his epic loss to Luc and his transformation to vampire, he pondered his growth into a man of mental strength, one who held himself with a confidence some would call arrogance, possessing the wealth he had imagined having in his youth.

  He approached the iron gate to his brother’s home, hearing the raucous sounds from within, ready to play another round… and win.

  Chapter 2

  New Orleans

  Hurrying to the open door, Paulette reached where he stood, drenched.

  “Remi, let me take your coat.”

  “Merci,” he replied, thanking her, as water dripped onto the Persian carpet.

  In a French accent still heavy after over a hundred years away from Paris, she called out, “Henri! Clean this up! Tout de suite! Now!” with a snap of her fingers.

  “This house runs as precisely as a clock.”

  “More like a ticking time bomb, with your brother and his antics.”

  “Ah, but you still love him as much as the night you met.”

  Paulette grinned, showing her gleaming white teeth.

  “Of course, but he gets so grumpy when he loses.”

  “Luc? Not winning? Say it isn’t so.”

  “Oh, but it is. You must go and save him, Remi. He became so agitated earlier, I took him to the side and threatened to contact The Directive if he didn’t calm himself.” She giggled and then gestured to the hallway. Remi went still at the mention of the secretive and powerful vampire collective. Moving closer to where he stood, she rolled her eyes. “Of course, I was joking. Should Magno Zara or his wolfie Jana Noskova appear on my doorstep, I don’t know what I would do. Probably be frozen in terror. But my warning did the trick… at least for a few minutes! Follow me, and I’ll introduce you to tonight’s players.”

  “Hold these for a second,” Remi said, handing the deck to her, as he shrugged off his jacket.

  Stepping to the mirror by the entrance, Remi nodded with a question in his eyes to Henri, who was waiting with a towel.

  “You’re just going to add to the mess already there. Go ahead, monsieur.”

  Remi plunged his fingers into his slightly curled tresses, attempting to look presentable for the guests. Reaching out, he took the cloth from the servant and patted his head, drying it as much as he could.

  “Thank you.”

  He tossed the towel back to the man who’d been employed by his sister-in-law for the past 30 years. After straightening his cuffs, he extended his hand, and the comfort of the cards was with him yet again. As they went down the hall, Remi glanced back at Henri, who was dabbing the carpet with a focused intent to perform his job well.

  “I never asked you, Paulette.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Henri… does he know about us?”

  “Yes.” She looked over her shoulder and set her eyes alight. “But he’s been compelled not to divulge our tiny secret to anyone. All the house staff has. Although it’s known that vampires reside in the area, I don’t want to broadcast our inclusion as supernaturals.”

  The voices ahead were getting louder, and Paulette hurried her steps.

  They reached the hardwood double doors, and she opened them with a flourish. All eyes fell on her and then on Remi, who’d set his face to a disinterested mien. Taking a card from his deck, he flipped it end over end, as he glanced at the men at the table and then allowed his eyes to roam over the females grouped at the side.

  “Gentlemen!” She strode into the room, beckoning Remi with her hand to follow her. “Allow me to introduce Luc’s brother Remi.”

  “What about the women? Don’t I get to meet them as well?”

  Remi made his way to the couch, where several were seated, and gave them a bow. Chairs scraped the floor behind him, as their men stood.

  As he righted himself, he said, “Enchanté, ladies. I apologize for my tardiness and appearance. I wasn’t aware such beauty awaited my arrival, and unfortunately, I was caught in the downpour.”

  The women looked at each other wide-eyed, inhaling deep breaths, and then returned their attention to him.

  One had the presence of mind to speak, though her voice came out a tad shaky.

  “What does that mean... what you said?”

  He dropped his tenor an octave. “Enchanted, chér.”

  “Oh, my,” another remarked.

  “I’m French, as you’ve surely noticed, and I sometimes fall into my native tongue.”

  “Why don’t you ever call me sha, Brad?” said the one who spoke earlier. Then to Remi, “That means dear, right?”

  Remi nodded, not mentioning that it was a Creole word he had picked up over the years, living in Louisiana. He looked her over from her blonde tresses, which fell in large soft curls reaching her shoulders, to her cleavage, where his gaze lingered. His focus dropped to her tapered waist and then lower, until he saw the glittery paint on her toenails, peeking out of the straps of her high-heeled shoes.

  “And you are?”

  “Michelle.”

  “Très belle, Michelle. Beautiful.”

  “Talk to us a little bit more! I just love listening to you!” the one at the end of the couch exclaimed.

  “Hey! Are you here to play cards, or flirt all night?” a guy behind him shouted.

  Ignoring the irritated comment, Remi took Michelle’s hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of it, knowing his old-world charm was working on her and the other women as he’d intended. He could smell it rising in the air. To his delight, it was also annoying the hell out of the men.

  “You’ll have to excuse me. As you’ve heard, the table is ready for me.”

  “I am too, Remi.”

  “What’d you say to him, Michelle?”

  She breathed out an annoyed sigh and said, “Nothing, Brad.”

  “That’s what I thought. Now, listen here… what was his name?” Brad asked.

  Another man replied, “Remi.”

  “Yeah, you, Rani, or whoever you are. Either sit down, or leave.”

  Luc said, “You did hear that’s my brother you’re talking to.”

  “And that’s my wife he’s making moves on.”

  Remi stared into Michelle’s eyes, as he replied, “If she’s truly yours, then you have nothing to be worried about from my flirtation with your stunning wife. You might be concerned about her responses, though.”

  “Michelle! Stop talking to him! Not another word! Sit there and be quiet!”

  “Or you’ll do what, Brad? Spank her? Really teach her a lesson by showing her who she belongs to?” Remi asked, letting his gaze roam over her once more. Her breathing increased, and her chest flushed red. Her lips spread, as her tongue darted out, travelling over them. “I think she’d enjoy receiving that particular session from me instead… tying her to my bed, having my way with her.”

  “Oh, my God!” the woman at the end of the couch said. “Take me instead! My husband couldn’t care less.”

  “You should find a better lover,” Remi responded, though his comment was directed to Michelle.

  “Get the fuck over here, so I can wipe the fucking table with you!” Brad shouted.

  Turning around, Remi held up his hands and closed his eyes for a second, before popping them back open, his gaze one of steel.

  �
��Let’s play.”

  Taking a seat where he could view the women, especially Michelle, he folded himself into the wooden chair. After settling in, he looked over to the couch, and their gazes met and locked.

  “Stop eye-fucking my wife, asshole.”

  “Would you prefer I do it the old-fashioned way?’ Remi replied, letting his gaze darken, as he pictured her naked underneath him. “It’d be something she wouldn’t soon forget.”

  “So would my foot up your ass.”

  Remi chuckled, giving his attention to those at the table.

  “So, what’s the game tonight, boys?”

  Luc answered, “Texas Hold ’Em.”

  Remi shook his head and said, “Non. I prefer Seven Card Stud.”

  Banging his fist on the table, Brad shouted, “You can’t stroll in here and change everything!”

  Remi spread his deck out in front of him on the green velvet in an arch. Lifting and tilting the cards at the end, he made the line flow left and right in a hypnotic rhythm. Glancing up, he saw that Michelle was staring at him.

  After assessing the agitated state of the man opposite of him, he jerked his thumb towards the door and said, “Ante up or get the fuck out, Brad. Your choice. Unless you don’t know how to play.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are?”

  As he stared at the wave of hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades, he murmured, “The best motherfucking card player you’ve ever met.” He flicked his eyes to Paulette, who was standing at his side. “Shuffle up and deal.” Then, to Michelle, he said, “Bring me a whiskey... neat.”