Krimson Mind: The Krimson Cycle Vol. 1

Chapter Eight - Krimson:

I got out of bed the next morning, filled with trepidation. Never in my life have I ever moved this fast with any man. I liked James, don't get me wrong about that. But I never had a relationship go this fast. And quite frankly, it scared the shit out me. Was a mind bond equal to a relationship? I didn't have any answers to my questions, so I stopped focusing on them. I had always tried to follow the adage of solving the problem, not question it to death. All I had in regards to James was questions.

James was a good-looking man, with an extremely powerful gift. And it was because of his gift that I felt some of that fear. I had discovered that it was hard enough to hide myself from Lord Kaign. The bastard has spies everywhere, and more than once I've been forced to move because the Vampire King had sent his personal assassins. It was hard enough to keep myself hidden from him. Having to teach James to be a vampire and keep moving at the same time would be a nearly impossible task. The Vampire King would be a moth to James's psychic flame. James wasn't the only psychic in the world, Lord Kaign also had some telepathic abilities. And if Lord Kaign held true to his nature, he would use James to hurt me as much as possible. He was good at that, as I have seen many times in the past. Using proxies to get to me has been a favorite tactic of his. It is also the reason why I kept myself apart and alone for so long.

Aside from the fact that James is a powerful psychic, both Lord Kaign and the American Tribunal, a trio of vampires who were squarely under the Vampire King's thumb, had strict laws against any vampire taking a human lover. Not that those laws had stopped me in the past. I have taken human lovers to scratch that itch, but I cut them loose as soon as I was relieved. I wasn't about to turn anybody. That bloodling would be as hunted as I was, and it didn't seem fair to them. Besides that, I never revealed my true nature to them. I didn't need anything complicated in my life right now. Typically, when a vampire takes a human lover and they reveal themselves to be vampires, they had one choice. That vampire had to be willing to turn their lover. From what I've seen, James had enough problems with his gift. He didn't need me turning him on top of all of that.

Turning my thoughts to the day ahead of me, I went to my closet and dug around until I found what I wanted to wear. I found a pair of tight black jeans and a black short sleeved mock turtleneck sweater. In my dresser I found a pair of red satin panties and a matching bra. I grabbed them and went to the bathroom to get dressed and fix the mass of tangled curls that covered my head. A look in the mirror confirmed that my hair looked like the love child of Medusa's hairstyle and a rat's nest. I knew better than to sleep with wet hair because this was the result. I growled at my reflection and grabbed my brush. I was going to be late, I just knew it.

It took some doing, but I finally managed to tame my hair and get it to do as I commanded. After that adventure, I put on all my clothes. With the exception of the turtleneck. I looked into the mirror and began to apply what little make-up I usually wear. I don't use any base, just because I like how my skin looks. That and I don't want to have to feel that much junk on my face. I applied a hint of blush, then went to work on my eyes. That's when I began to feel as though somebody was watching me. I turned around, just to confirm that I was indeed alone in my bathroom. When I turned back to the mirror, I jumped in surprise. Instead of my own visage greeting me in the mirror, I saw James looking back at me. He was smiling, which to me seemed just a step away from leering. James was wearing the same hospital gown that he had been wearing when I visited his head. Behind him in the mirror, I saw what looked like a hospital bathroom. The part that bothered me was that he was using a mirror like a mage would have. He was effectively using his telekinesis in nearly the same way. I began to wonder if there were any Mages in his family.

"They are about to take me to do a MRI." His voice said in my head. "So don't try to contact me for the next few hours, otherwise they will see it during the test." I heard him in my head, but saw his lips move in time with the words. The effect was just a touch off, and I was suddenly reminded of all of the badly dubbed "Godzilla" films from the seventies.

"Okay. So why don't you contact me when you get the chance?" I said out loud, crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to hide the fact that I was only wearing a bra. Part of me didn't want to torture the guy, and another part of me to strip it off and enjoy his reaction. I had to get myself under control or this wasn't going to end well.

"Sure, I'll do that." He said telepathically, "Oh, and by the way Krimson, that color looks good on you. It really sets off the ..."

I interrupted him, by visually picturing a door in my head, and then I closed it. I had effectively closed my end of the mental link. His image instantly vanished, leaving me staring at my own wide-eyed reflection.

"Hey!" I said to myself, "That door thing really does work!" I marveled. My grin grew when I realized that I had quickly regained that control I was seeking. Something about him tore down my walls faster than a bulldozer.

I finished my eye make-up and then carefully put on my sweater. Still smiling, I left the bathroom and went downstairs. I stopped by the fridge and grabbed a green bottle of blood. I popped the cork, and took a couple swigs. I didn't really need to feed so soon after finishing the entire bottle of blood yesterday morning, but I have discovered that it never hurt to top off the tank as it were. I put the cork back in the bottle, and put it back in the fridge. Then I grabbed the keys to my truck and left the house.

I drove through town slowly. I wanted to get a feel for this place, since I was going to have to live here for a few years. I saw several semi-trucks with those trailers that haul cattle driving down Highway 50 as it passed through town. I saw people getting ready for their day. Their lawns were green because spring was already underway. It was a quiet, industrious town. A town that, while not large, was as busy as a city twice its size. The cattle industry was alive and well in the Queen of Cowtowns. I smiled as I began to wonder if I could really be happy here. Then images of James flashed through my head.

"Yeah. I think I could." I whispered to myself.