"The old man smiled. 'I shall not die of a cold, my son. I shall die of having lived."--- Willa Cather, Death Comes For The Archbishop

"That's part of what I like about the book in some ways. It portrays death truthfully. You die in the middle of your life, in the middle of a sentence"--- John Green, The Fault In Our Stars

November 21st, 2015
Aubrey Parish, Louisiana

The knock at the door startles Eleni out of her trance-like state, breaking her much needed rejuvenation. Brian still slept soundly beside her. The last night passed in a bit of a blur for Eleni, one she could have stopped so easily, and yet she chose not to. After washing herself free of all the pain and regret, she slipped out of the shower and into bed next to the innocent young man.

She felt the need to make everything right. Eleni didn't know if what occurred on the gazebo the previous day was Brian's first experience with a woman. If it had been, she didn't want him to one day know it was something less than beautiful. Eleni didn't want Brian to have to know the voice, the thing that seemed thrilled by her baseness and depravity. She suspects he has demons and voices enough of his own.

Eleni did the thing she never does, and she reached for the innocent but tormented young man out of a sense of tenderness and a desire to offer pleasure. She wanted him to remember love and passion as not something sinful or evil, as he undoubtedly already did, but as a beautiful part of life. If it was an experience that kept him from being a priest, Eleni could live with that. If it was something that kept him from growing into a happy and decent man, she would not forgive herself. Because of that, Eleni gave him gentleness and a euphoria that could almost pass for love. 

Eleni did the thing she never does, and she used every ounce of self-restraint not to drink from him, but to hold him and make love to him. The confused cries of desire and need were enough to make her feel fulfilled, and as if somehow, a terrible wrong had been righted.

She had kept soothing him back to sleep, but like every young lover discovering an object of adoration and the gift of flesh and blood and pleasure, he kept waking to pull her close to him. Finally, she needed to walk around in the world of dreams, simply to keep Brian and his newly-found sense of wanting confined to his own fantasies. They were so real and so filled with the dark seductress beside him, he could no longer tell the difference. When he struggled and begged within his own mind for physical release, a single touch from Eleni brought him an exquisite sort of beauty he never knew existed.

Eleni let him go on like that until he was exhausted, and even the fantasies and needs of the dream world slumbered. It was only when he was truly at peace that she let her own mind find rest.

She was not able to love the young man the way he hoped or answer the maelstrom of questions that caused him torment. Still, she cared enough to turn another being's cold manipulation, designed as a sacrifice to be offered to Eleni, into something beautiful.

The sacrifices always pleased or were of benefit to Eleni, often indulging the lowest and most unrestrained desires she knew, but they did not honour her. They stripped her of her power, made her a weak and obedient thing that knew nothing of independence or emotion. She was always left hating them, and herself.

You see, I am nothing like you. Eleni's thoughts are defiant, challenging. There is only silence. There is no voice that answers or haunts her, just Eleni and Brian, resting fitfully through a haze of constant wanting. They are much like any pair of mortal lovers, except they are not.

Though she jumps at the unexpected knock at the door, she is almost relieved. Throwing on a black silk robe and coiling her hair into a tight bun that only shows off the beauty of her flawless features, she closes the door with as much gentleness as she can, before racing downstairs.

In less than a minute, she transforms from the embodiment of Lilith herself into an elegant and respectable lady surprised to be disturbed at such an early hour.

She is expecting to see Scott or one of his girls, or Kenji, the nice man who lives next door and keeps a world full of secrets. Even the sudden appearance of Odelie or Marius would be ill-timed, but not surprising. 

Eleni's crimson lips part slightly in surprise as she sees a small, frail figure of a lovely woman whose beauty and spirit are being ravaged by time. Eleni has never met her, and yet she instantly knows who the woman is.

Rich sapphires suddenly hide a note of panic as Eleni comes face-to-face with Zia Thibideaux.

Mr. Grimm sits in a chair, expressionless. The past few days weren't the best. There were a lot of unpleasant people around. On top of it all, the girl made him leave the house not to go for a walk but for a visit to the hospital.

More than anything, Mr. Grimm hates the hospital. It is why Azzie takes care of him, so that when he dies, it won't be in a place like that with the intolerable people. Arrogant doctors, patients who were ill-tempered whores and addicts, helpless babies and withering old people that inhabit basically the same reality---there was no part of life at the hospital Mr. Grimm doesn't detest.

Mr. Grimm is angry at the girl for tricking him. She said they were going to the hospital because a soul was in trouble and she was afraid she would be lost forever. Instead, Mr. Grimm ended up dizzy and with big eyes while people tried to remove something from his eyeballs that made the world fuzzy.

After that, Mr. Grimm fell asleep. When he woke up, he felt a lot better and wanted a Smoothie, but the girl ignored him a lot. She eventually helped him from a bed to a wheelchair, where he saw why everyone was so upset.

It was like watching a scene from Law And Order. A pretty girl even younger than Azzie had died, or at least that's what the doctor said. An angry man who looked too young for fighting started a fight with one that had too many tattoos and saggy tired eyes. The Middle-Aged Man In Squeaky Shoes pushed Tattoo Guy against the wall and called him all sorts of names you only hear on TV after 9 PM. He was accusing him of killing the pretty girl.

There was another girl in the room, not as pretty, but she reminded Mr. Grimm of the kind of women he liked back when he was young enough to do anything about it. They all had beads in their hair and flowers and walked around showing a lot of skin and using a lot of drugs. Mr. Grimm remembered they were called hippies and even though he was still old for them, they were women he wouldn't forget. Mr. Grimm was glad about his eyes getting fixed just so he could watch the hippie girl when she stripped off her hospital gown, put on clothes, and ran. 

Mr. Grimm guessed Hippie Girl was scared of Tattooed Man, who maybe killed the pretty girl in the bed. She kept yelling about vampires. Tattooed Man might have been a vampire.

Law & Order never had vampires. That was mostly because Law & Order was real but vampires were pretend.

It was Azzie who uncovered the girl and put the heartbeat thing-a-mabob back on her chest, insisting she wasn't dead. Everyone was sad because even though she wasn't dead, she was maybe not alive either. It was all very complicated, but the important part was that the pretty blonde girl wouldn't open her eyes.

Azzie kept talking about souls, and knowing when they leave, and how there were still too many for the number of people in the room. No one ever understands what the girl is going on and on about with the souls, but Mr. Grimm knows.

He knows everyone's secrets, but no one ever asks.

Everyone got kicked out of the room, including Azzie and Mr. Grimm. They got so close to leaving, but in the middle of talking about souls and other things no one understands, the girl who takes care of him slid on the floor like a rag doll. Mr. Grimm was very worried but one of the nurses laughed and said that seemed to be a common problem that day. 

The Middle-Aged Man In Squeaky Shoes had walked him to the library and it was too late for a Smoothie. Mr. Grimm got to spend the night with Damon, who let him watch all the TV he wanted. Damon was worried about Azzie so he called the hospital and found out she was doing something called Observation and would come get Mr. Grimm that afternoon. She had gotten too worried about everyone and forgotten to eat food.

It was a very very good story, and it wasn't even story day.

It is the next day now, and that is story day. That's why Mr. Grimm is still and quiet in the library. He loves story day.

It's like Law & Order without the pictures, and less shooting people.

Eleni's mouth is agape when Zia arrives at her door, and Zia wants to reassure her she hasn't come to cause a scene. It was bound to happen eventually, her son liking a woman enough to take a lover. Eleni looked like the confident sort, so she has no doubts that whatever happened, the girl initiated it.

Good for her, Zia thinks with a laugh.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you at such an early hour." Zia's voice is slightly fragile and she looks at Eleni with a sort of frank admiration. The woman who opens the door is no lovesick teenager aching for marriage or trashy schemer with tattoos and a cigarette, the worst fears of every mother with a teenage son.

Eleni is older than Zia expects and yet young enough to be somewhat age-appropriate. She carries herself with an air that is almost regal, and although the woman tries not to be impressed, she is.

"My name is Zia Thibideaux. I'm Brian's mother. I think, at least from descriptions I've heard, that you must be Eleni." Zia's voice is a kind one, and she is aware of her dark features and lined face resembling what Eleni might look like in another three decades.

That's when the reality hits her. This woman will never age. She will look like this until the day she dies.

Zia is nothing short of envious. Time is unkind to innocence and beauty, and Eleni at least is allowed to keep the gift of one.

Eleni nods her head, and extends her hand to the other woman. Zia notices how old-fashioned the gesture is, the way Eleni offers her fingertips. "I am called Eleni. It is nice to meet you, Madame Thibideaux." Eleni's lilting French accent pronounces the name as it is meant to be spoken. From Eleni's lips, the echo of the name is pure and noble, without a hint of Cajun or Haitian influence. "Would you like to come in?"

Zia nods her head gratefully. It is a long walk from her side of town to Eleni's, and Zia is feeling the consequences of the effort.She politely ignores Eleni's hand, but eases slowly into the small home. She is astounded by the opulence and the way so much is fit into so little. The small touristy houses are meant for simplicity, yet Eleni turned hers into a Parisian salon, complete with a baby grand piano and a collection of nude and tasteful erotic art. 

The older woman notices red roses with an occasion white one everywhere, the scent mixing with the breeze from the water to create something inviting.

"Please, sit down wherever you like. May I offer you something to eat or drink?" Eleni appears the consummate hostess, although it occurs to Zia to wonder if, behind the veneer, the other woman is just as uncomfortable. 

"Do you have ginger ale, or even 7-Up? I tend to get on the queasy side early in the morning." Zia's face looks apologetic.

"I have Sprite." Eleni seems as if she's trying to be helpful, and Zia nods her head, watching the woman move to a small but formal bar, pouring two glasses with ice. "Please, sit down. Make yourself comfortable. I promise the house is clean and comfortable."

Zia wonders where Eleni learned her bartending skills, but they're impressively dexterous. It doesn't escape Zia's attention that Eleni adds a lemon and a lime wedge to Zia's Sprite, and a splash of vodka and three cherries to her own.

Eleni brings the drinks over to where Zia sits on the white and silver brocade couch, and she perches herself into the matching chair. "I must apologise, Madame Thibideau.."

Zia waves a hand, interrupting Eleni's well-intentioned words. "Please, call me Zia. There are no apologies needed. Your home is an amazing one, and you are a very beautiful woman. I can see why my son is so impressed by you." Zia takes a sip of the Sprite. She wishes, for a nostalgic moment, that it were 7-Up. She wondered what happened to 7-Up. One by one, old-fashioned things began to fade away. "Brian is here, then, with you? He is safe?"

Eleni shifts a bit in her chair, discomfort creeping into her body language. "He is sleeping, but I can wake him if you'd like. I apologise, Zia, that he did not make it home last night. Cell phone reception here by the water can be spotty at best."

Zia laughs as the younger woman sits in a somewhat prim fashion. "Eleni, I'm not only Brian's mother, but I'm old enough to be yours. I know what it means when a man goes to take a woman out and doesn't return until the next day. I also know better than to stay up worrying someone's dead or in jail."

She sighs a bit, as she sits her Sprite down on the table. "Whatever happened, I can only feel slightly relieved, Eleni. My son has never been what you'd call normal. He lost his father early. Gunner was a good man, but sometimes marriage is out of necessity and not love. We both had our.."

Zia trails off, blushing a bit. "We both had some indiscretions and secrets. When Gunner died, Brian blamed me. He also blamed himself, though I'll never know what for. I think he turned to God as a way to make things right, to fix things that could never be fixed. To this day, Eleni, he believes his father is a saint that we murdered with anger, lust, and indifference."

Eleni nods her head in understanding. "I know what it's like, learning your parents are flawed human beings. My father didn't bother to hide his infidelities. He had another woman across town, and a daughter who looked too much like me for my mother not to notice." Eleni smiles sadly, and murmurs, "I thought my mother was a saint, too. I was younger than Brian when I lost them both. I grew up, and once I did, I understood we all have our flaws and secrets. Secrets are usually selfish, but sometimes, they are kind. There comes a point where children must become adults. The truth aids with that. It even brings forgiveness."

Zia stares at Eleni, her mouth slightly agape. It's as if Eleni can see through her, knows her secrets without being told. "Please don't worry, Zia. I am not looking to pull your son away from his calling. I just urged him to think very carefully about his life before devoting it so wholeheartedly. I think that may have been advice that got carried a bit too far. I shall put a stop to it."

Eleni's face is regretful. "When we met, Brian made me want to help him see some truths about himself he could not see. People often say I am insightful. I did not mean to help him in exactly the way that transpired. I am afraid he will despise both me and himself when he wakes up. I do not know what else to say, except I am sorry if I hurt him. I do care very deeply."

Eleni's words are blunt, but not unkind. Zia's hand reaches out to cover Eleni's. She is prepared for something, and yet unprepared for the sudden jolt of feeling that moves through her. It is warm and kind, and tinged with something more Zia doesn't want to acknowledge. "Eleni, I am dying. I don't know if Brian told you that, or maybe even Colton mentioned it." Zia sighs softly, her words trembling with hesitation. "There is not anything anyone can do for me. One day, not too many months from now, neither my mind nor my body will let me choose anything. Brian and Colton both know. There is always a lingering "after" no one will pay any mind."

Zia's smile is gentle. She notices Eleni doesn't interrupt or even move. She merely listens, and Zia can't remember the last time someone did that. "They are both in some denial and I don't begrudge them that.  I am not here because of Brian. It comforts me to know whatever the relationship is, there is mutual admiration and respect. You will make sure he lives a happy life. I am here---because I needed to speak with you. You make it easier than I expected, but it is still not. "

Zia can see the usual look of pity and sadness move over the younger woman's face, and she murmurs. "I am sorry, Zia. I was not told, but I surmised. People behave strangely in the shadow of Death."

Eleni squeezes Zia's hand gently. "I know it is no consolation, but we are all dying. Some of us just get there sooner than others. I am acquainted with a young man we worry each day will hurl himself at Death in order to be with his first and only love. They were both just children. Death is indiscriminate."

Zia can see that Eleni seeks the right words, the same way all do. Eleni's words are far different from the usual. "You have the consolation of knowing your husband waits for you, and your son has grown into an admirable man. You are spending your time on Earth being loved. That is more than most of us do. If there is anything that comes after, you will be loved ever still."

"And you, Eleni? Were you just a girl when you met Death? Were you loved during your time on Earth?" Zia's eyes fill with tears when Eleni mentions Ava. She remembered her as a beautiful young woman that might be friends with someone like her son, had things been different.

Eleni's hand goes absolutely rigid, her body freezing for a moment. It is Zia who comforts her, taking Eleni's hand tightly. "Eleni, come sit with me. It's alright that I know your secrets, maybe the same way you see mine. It is the reason I had to meet you."

The vampire moves next to Zia, their hands still connected. "Madame Zia, what do you want?" Eleni's voice is a whisper. "I don't know how you know, but you cannot tell anyone,especially Colton.  I mean you and your son no harm. Don't hurt me. Please." It shocks Zia that a middle-aged woman who will be gone within the next year is a threat to Eleni. Everyone guards their own secrets with their life, Zia thinks to herself. We all take them to the grave.

Zia is shocked by the note of panic in Eleni's voice. "You have mistaken my words, Eleni. I'm not threatening you. I am not trying to blackmail you or hurt you. As for Colton, well---I don't know you and Brian is too infatuated to notice a thing. Who do you think told me the truth about you?"

The woman laughs lightly, sipping her Sprite as her throat tightens and becomes dry. "Colton has his concerns, but mine is that my son is happy. There is more. It has to do with me, me being happy. That's selfish. I think I have always been a selfish woman, Eleni. People assume that because you are dying, you are something next to saintly. You know the truth, though. Everyone dies."

Eleni nods her head. "It is not selfish to want things just for you. If I could go back, just for a day, I would want things too. What anyone else wants or needs wouldn't factor into the equation. I have been a selfish woman for much of my life, much more so than you believe yourself to be." 

Zia feels like blushing the way Eleni stares at her. It is a look that moves into her soul. "Zia, I cannot help you if you don't tell me what you want. if it is hard to say, put a hand on me. Most find it becomes easier."

Knowing she is stumbling blindly, Zia puts both hands on Eleni's. The feeling of the woman beside her makes it easier to speak, and yet, Zia is stunned by the depth of feeling a touch can evoke. "Eleni, the moment my son told me about you, I knew what you were and that I had to meet you. I knew you were the only person left who could help me." Zia looks down at Eleni's hand. "When I looked at you, I thought you looked kind and beautiful. When I touched you---well, I am very much ashamed of the things that moved through my mind. How do you do that?"

Eleni's smile is reassuring, and she shakes her head. "It is a gift. My bloodline, the name translates to "the enchanted dead." Some people feel warmth and friendship, others sense compassion. Some wish to please me or feel lust. It is not real, Zia."

The dark-haired immortal feels comforting to Zia. Comfort is more rare than others think, and Zia doesn't want to move away from Eleni. "It is real in the sense that you have those feelings in your life, but they are not for me. If you let go of my hand, whatever you're feeling will fade. It hits some more strongly than others. There is no shame in reacting to touch. In fact, many find it the only way to confront the truth or move past nervousness.

Zia grasps Eleni's hand even more tightly, staring into her eyes. "What if you're wrong? The feelings, they might be for you. What if I think you're exquisite and sitting here with you makes me happy?"

A bright smile lights up Eleni's face at the compliment and yet she keeps her composure. "Then, Madame Zia, I would be flattered. I would give you the same warning I gave your son, about temptation and self-control. I am---as I am. At some point, emotion is stronger than rational thought and desire is a very strong emotion. You did not come to me to learn this, Zia. Tell me why you wanted to see me."

Zia shakes her head. "Emotion is nice, real emotion. Everyone is so delicate with me. It has been a long time since I could speak openly, not to protect others. It has been a lifetime since something as simple as lust and admiration is not judged. Thank you, Eleni, for reminding me." Zia's eyes drop noticeably into the V-shape of Eleni's robe, and a small shiver moves through her body. "I don't know how to tell you what I want. Brian would hate me for what I want, and Colton might never forgive me. I am selfish, Eleni, I told you. What I want would make no one happy but me."

Eleni's voice drops to a seductive murmur. Zia doesn't know if it is a natural response to how she reacts to Eleni, or it is a well-honed technique from a seductress. She doesn't care, she only revels in the fact it sends waves of fire through her small body. "Zia, I'm not here to judge you. Your darkest desires seem stronger only because I am touching you. I am both a blessing and a curse. What you're feeling, it may be real, but it is also a kind of magic. I should not be so blunt about it. Yet, I like you and so I shall choose to trust you. I am the Siren confessing the song is an enchantment. If there is something you want from me, now is the time to ask, as you will likely never be so honest again."

Zia feels her eyes glaze over and her breathing become faster as a hand moves to caress the silky black fabric and the alabaster skin of her son's lover. When she feels a nipple harden pertly under her touch, her entire body shudders. "I have never been with a woman, though I have thought about it many times in my life. I know you'd never say yes to such a thing, but I would like to feel the kind of pleasure that seduced my son.  I'd like to have my lover there, too, to let him watch. Maybe then he won't be so delicate anymore."

Eleni holds still, allowing the lovely but frail woman's hands to wander over her figure. Zia notices the girl does nothing to encourage her, but her body reacts as a normal woman's would, and Eleni's ruby lips part. Zia is pleased that even in her current state, she can be enticing to whatever Eleni is. "Then what? What else do you want, Zia? You wanted something that guided you to me."

Zia isn't sure what she is doing, and yet seems to know exactly. She pulls on the silken string of Eleni's robe, letting the fabric fall loosely apart. "You are so beautiful. I think a human being couldn't possibly be what you are. You're like a statue, Eleni." 

Her hand moves over Eleni's stomach, aware of every muscle, the way the other woman's back arches. She sighs happily. "Eleni. It is an affectionate name, from the Greek, given to Helen Of Troy. Her face was said to be so exquisite it launched a thousand ships. I could not give you a better name."

Eleni's lips curve up gently into a lovely red bow. "Thank you.  I have heard that story before and it flatters me. Please, Madame Zia. Focus. You did not come here to woo me. You came to ask me something."

Zia can already see Eleni's eyes begin to change, and a thrill moves through her. She can't remember the last time anything made her feel like a woman who is too busy living to know she is dying. Eleni gives her that gift and one day, she will tell the woman what it has meant to her.

"After that, I want you to do whatever it takes to make me like you. I want to die like this. I want to die just like this, being able to touch you and feel whatever I feel now. It doesn't matter if it's real."  Zia is shocked when tears form in her eyes.

"I feel twenty-five again, and I want to leave this world remembering that, before things get any worse. I want to say goodbye while I can do more than die. That is what I came to ask you, Eleni. I came to ask you to help me. What I feel around you... " Zia presses her hands against the cool marble that is the woman her son loves. "I think Fate brought me to you."

Eleni's eyes don't even blink, and the girl says little and does nothing, but her thighs part a bit as Zia's hand moves lower, exploring the almost concave shape of Eleni's stomach. "Is that all you wish? Time for farewells, pleasure, and Death?"

As the seconds on the clock pass, Zia doesn't take her hands from Eleni. She knows she is pushing the younger-looking woman, almost manipulating her. Whether she means to or not, Eleni's voice and movements begin to spin an entrancing web and everything about the vampire promises a world better than reality. She knows Eleni did not lie. Eleni is an enchantress and one being pushed closer to the point of no return. It has to be this way, Zia's mind races. She has to say yes.

The seductive words spin around in Zia's mind, and she gasps as her hand moves between Eleni's thighs, finding only bare flesh when she expected more silk or perhaps lace. "No, Eleni. I am not asking you to kill me. I am asking you to bring me back to life. I do not just want to be remembered, Eleni." 

There is a hint of desperation in her voice. "I want to see my son grow old and be there when Colton retires and sees something other than this Parish for the first time in his life. I want them not to grieve me. Now that I know you, and understand, I want to be able to make people feel the way you do." The words come tumbling out all at once, and Zia can't make them stop. She knows the hand that rests between Eleni's legs is wrong and out of place, but she can't stop her fingers from exploring. "I need this one thing, Eleni. Please. I wouldn't ask anyone else. If you say no, I will feel so lost. Have you ever felt that, Eleni, that you need something enough to die for it?"

Eleni barely reacts, but her hips begin to move in rhythm with Zia. Slowly, Eleni becomes not only aware of pleasure, but creates it. Her voice is hypnotic to Zia's ears, and it occurs to Zia that Colton called Eleni "the black widow". She understands why, because her impeccably long limbs and small waist conceal the webs she weaves around others.

"That is the darkest and most depraved fantasy in your mind right now,  Madame Zia. Your body wishes physical release. Your mind wishes to please me. As soon as you let me go, you'll realise your son is asleep upstairs, and the last thing you ever want to be is like me."  Eleni doesn't move, but her blue eyes are almost black and her lips darken as if of their own accord. She is the most flawless thing Zia has ever seen.

Zia's breathing is faster as Eleni's body responds to her touch. "No. Eleni, it isn't that simple. I wanted this, needed this before I ever laid eyes on you. What I feel now---well, it's just a peek into the world you inhabit, isn't it? If it's supposed to make me want it less, it's not working." She pauses, trembling. "Eleni, I want to see my son finish growing into a happy man. I want him to know the truth about his father so he will stop punishing himself. You were not done living when you died, Eleni, and someone gave you salvation. I am asking for the same."

She feels Eleni's body stiffen and for a moment, she is afraid. The woman's tone fills with unmistakable darkness. "Salvation? You are mistaken, Madame Zia. I am what I am because I was tortured and given the choice of living eternally under the control of a man who made me for his own depravity and Death. There was no salvation for me and nothing was painless. I am here because I am weak and selfish, and even though he no longer exists, my Sire torments me."

Zia listens to the words, confused how such darkness is tinged with arousal. She wonders what that feels like, and her lips open to utter a soft sound of confusion. Zia would give anything to know, to live a day as Eleni.

Eleni continues speaking, her body more aggressive in its movements. The hint of coldness within the entrancing voice draws Zia even closer. "People like me can be dangerous, Madame Zia. Fantasies are just fantasies and they are harmless. Sometimes, they go too far and can be destructive, like this little encounter. Once you are like me, they are a need, and you will take pleasure in indulging whatever anyone wants from you. You will give anything and take anything, all to achieve what you want most. You will destroy people. If you berate yourself for being weak and selfish now, it is nothing compared to being like me. "

Zia's eyes close for a moment, picturing herself as confident and in control as Eleni. Though Eleni doesn't stop moving underneath Zia's hand, Eleni's own hands move. They guide Zia so she is lying down, suddenly at the mercy of a creature able to easily kill her. "Don't stop, Zia. Keep touching me, as it brings us both happiness. But you must listen." Eleni's hands slowly begin to caress the older woman's body, the simple touch making her feel light and loved and full of hope and passion. 

Eleni's voice is the quietest of whispers, though her hips move faster and Zia can hear pleasure deep within the girl's voice. "This is the truth of how your life would be, Madame Zia. Yes, you will die before things get any worse. You will be reborn. You will live, if you behave properly and do not offend our society, long enough to marry again and to see your husband die. You will live to see your son get married and to hold your grandchild. You will be thankful for me, and that because of me, he found a nice girl instead of the priesthood." Eleni chuckles lightly, her words a whispered prophecy.

"Everything has a cost, Madame Zia. You will also live every day addicted to this feeling coursing through your veins. You will see the worst depravity that lurks beneath the surface of every being on the Earth. Even though you will hate yourself for it, you will find your deepest pleasure in encouraging it, knowing their deepest pleasure provides you life. You will be willing to kill for it, to trade life for blood and for the way adrenaline makes your heart race. Demons will look at you as if you're almost one of them, because love and empathy cannot outweigh your desires. You may appear beautiful, Madame Zia, but you will never feel it."

Zia is completely entranced. The sound of Eleni's voice, the way her body moves without inhibition as Zia caresses her with a boldness she didn't know she possessed, the way beauty and darkness combine to create someone so perfect it is almost a dream. "Is this the future? Eleni, can you see the future? My son lives to marry and give me a grandchild?" Zia's eyes fill with tears once again, but this time they drop down her cheeks. She wants to believe Eleni can see the future, because the joy that wells up in her heart is too great to express.

Gasping as a wave of pleasure contorts her small figure, Eleni doesn't answer. She keeps on speaking. Zia does not know if Eleni is relaying a vision or lost in a fantasy. "While you will live,Madame Zia, eventually the mere fact of not dying will grow heavy. You will keep secrets and pretend to be what you are not--ordinary. You'll see your family grow old, and die, one by one. You will mourn at their graves, before moving on to live in a new place because you can't be forty forever. Eventually, people will notice the hot cougar who never ages." Eleni laughs, but it is a laugh filled with unrestrained and wanton need.

The almost imperceptible words move faster and faster, as Eleni's body approaches climax. Zia isn't sure whether it's the touch or the description of Zia's imaginary future that excites the woman. She is entranced as the young vampire allows herself to let go, watching how Eleni's entire body shakes in the purest form of pleasure. "You will have lives and relationships, but they will not last forever, not unless you are willing to be the Sire of your own lover or son to keep them with you. You will not have many true friendships, because anyone who gets close to you will end up like this, making themselves an offering just as you are offering yourself to me. It will not be your fault, because you are created with the gifts of Aphrodite, and beauty must be worshipped."

Eleni pushes her body forward toward the pleasure she desires, and Zia can't pull her eyes away. She wants Eleni to feel pleasure and need and satisfaction, and her own body aches with restrained need. More than anything, Zia wants to be like the beautiful immortal creature, even if it means making an offering of her body, her soul, and her life. Eleni's words are dark prophesy that might as well be the most provocative words known to man. "One day, you will have a frail dying woman begging you to help her. You will not know what to do because you care for her and her family, but the need will become too much, even though you know eternal rest is something better than living endlessly as an animated corpse.  You will be exactly like me, Zia. You will be charming, too enticing to be normal. You will either behave like a prostitute with no inhibitions, or marry over and over and over, but nothing will ever be normal. That is why it is best to forget this, and even though it is too soon, you will die peacefully surrounded by those you love. You will depart the world knowing your soul is perhaps in the headed toward the paradise your son believes to be true."

Eleni's body is almost frenzied as she lies gently on top of Zia. The older woman thinks only how thoughtful Eleni is in every purposeful movement, careful to caress instead of press her frail figure. Zia feels her body tighten, on the edge of a beautiful climax with little more than a few gentle caresses. "Not yet. You think this is what you want, so I am going to show you what I want every day of my life. After that, you'll go home, and you'll think about what you desire after this life is over. I didn't get more than an instant to choose. You deserve longer."

Zia's voice is small, and almost fearful. "I am...trying. Your touch isn't like a regular person's, Eleni. I don't want it to stop. I know it will hurt to die, inside and out, but that's why it has to be you. You won't let me suffer too much." Zia's cries grow louder, and Eleni clamps a hand over the woman's mouth. Zia is grateful, because she doesn't want this to wake her son. When the hand lifts, Zia is shaking, but articulates clearly. "I know it's worth it, Eleni. Do whatever you want, just don't stop making me feel like this--and don't let me die yet. Soon, yes, but not today."

Eleni responds with a beautiful and frenzied cry of delight as her thighs tighten against Zia's hand. Zia's voice echoes, on the edge of finding release, but Eleni's words are uttered through her cry. "I told you, not yet. Control your body. If you want what you claim to, you should learn now. You will always listen to me, Madame Zia. Always. When Childer defy those who make them, they are punished. If the defiance is too great, only one shall live."

As if in punishment for the disobedience, there is no warning when Zia feels the searing pain tear through her neck, followed by the release of everything Zia has ever needed to let go. A lifetime of pain and worry and regret disappears into the abyss. She only feels endless waves of pleasure, her body in control of absolutely nothing. For a moment, she wonders if this is Death, and waits for the bright light or an angel to appear.

This one moment is everything she has wanted for so long, and the last thought in Zia's mind is that she doesn't care if Eleni goes too far.  The offering to the beautiful vampire is unabashed and complete.

Zia already knows the answer to Eleni's question. Even if her future is one of tainted emotion and beauty marred by depravity, it is what she wants.

Zia Thibideaux always lived a life in which she did not choose everything she wanted and concealed secrets and lies to protect her family.

Now, as Death approaches by the day, she only wants to choose her own eternity.

Please understand, she cries out to Eleni in silence, as her body gives one last shudder of dark satisfaction.

After that, Zia's mind and body are still and quiet.