admire my looks, you WANT them.”
“Ha! You are smarter than I thought,” said Boris.
Lev stepped between them, utterly confounded. “What’s
going on? What’s this talk of Boris wanting your looks ?” He laughed.
“How is that even possible?” He looked at his brother for an answer. It was
crazy talk, utter nonsense. He didn’t have time for such foolishness. “Are you
going to help me get Carly back or not?”
“I will help you, Lev,” Alexei said finally. “But first,
I need something from Boris.” He turned to the slovenly creature. “I’ll give
you what you want, but you must vow not to hurt my brother and to return to him
what I have taken away. The one thing he will need if he is to be reunited with
his love.”
“Anything,” Boris said, his eyes seemed to lighten a
couple of shades.
Lev gave his head a shake. “What’s going on?” he tried
again.
Alexei and Boris turned to him now as if realizing for
the first time he was in the room and listening to their conversation.
“Perhaps we should sit after all,” Boris suggested.
Alexei and Lev sat side by side, and Boris settled on
the edge of the coffee table that was now back in place in front of them. Lev’s
leg shook impatiently, and he folded his arms across his chest. Time was
running out.
“Brother, you may be one of us, a creature of the night,
and that is my fault.” Alexei splayed a hand across his chest, and his voice
held a contrite affectation. “I never should have turned you. I am deeply sorry
for that, but there are some things you are aware of and some you are not. As
you do know, when a creature is made, he or she remains exactly the same way
they were on the day they were turned. We grow no older. We keep whatever looks
we have; we do not deteriorate.”
“Yes, of course I know this,” Lev replied. He tried not
to look at poor unfortunate Boris, who was hideous before he was turned and was
still hideous now, centuries later. With no way to improve his circumstances,
he would remain a vile, ugly creature for eternity.
Alexei continued, “But what you do not know is that when
a mortal is turned, the one who turned them takes his or her essence.”
“Essence?” Lev asked, confused.
Boris broke in with a chuckle, “I will be straight with
you, comrade. Straighter than Alexei. Seems he has not done his duty and taught
you the things you need to know to be fully one of us. I turned Alexei many
years ago. We were on our way to storm the Winter Palace and overthrow the
Tsar. Perhaps he has told you the story, no?” Boris didn’t wait for a reply.
“When I saw your brother, I found him irresistible. I wanted him in the worst
way, and, so, I took him. I turned him, but when I did, I also took a part of
him that is not physical. Do you know what I am saying?”
Lev shook his head no. He hadn’t a clue what Boris was
hinting at. The big man clamped a hand on Lev’s knee and leaned in close,
making Lev desperate to pull away.
“His soul,” Boris whispered in Lev’s ear, then leaned
back, letting his fat hands fall onto his own knees. “I am filled with them!
They are teeming within me and no doubt in your brother as well.” He threw
Alexei a sidelong glance along with a raised eyebrow.
Lev stared, shocked. Could it be true? If so, it would
mean his soul still existed—not in his own body, but it hadn’t been destroyed
like Lev had thought all these years.
Boris was watching Lev and nodding—glee shown in his
eyes. “I know what you are thinking, and yes, there is a piece of your brother
in me. It gives me power, making me stronger than the one I turned.”
Lev looked at his brother with new eyes. “Why didn’t you
tell me my soul wasn’t lost?”
Alexei let his head hang and studied the hands neatly
folded in his lap.
“How do I get it back?” Lev asked, impatience coloring
his voice.
A gruesome smile crept onto Boris’s face. “There is only
one way.”
Alexei looked up and into his
“Ha! You are smarter than I thought,” said Boris.
Lev stepped between them, utterly confounded. “What’s
going on? What’s this talk of Boris wanting your looks ?” He laughed.
“How is that even possible?” He looked at his brother for an answer. It was
crazy talk, utter nonsense. He didn’t have time for such foolishness. “Are you
going to help me get Carly back or not?”
“I will help you, Lev,” Alexei said finally. “But first,
I need something from Boris.” He turned to the slovenly creature. “I’ll give
you what you want, but you must vow not to hurt my brother and to return to him
what I have taken away. The one thing he will need if he is to be reunited with
his love.”
“Anything,” Boris said, his eyes seemed to lighten a
couple of shades.
Lev gave his head a shake. “What’s going on?” he tried
again.
Alexei and Boris turned to him now as if realizing for
the first time he was in the room and listening to their conversation.
“Perhaps we should sit after all,” Boris suggested.
Alexei and Lev sat side by side, and Boris settled on
the edge of the coffee table that was now back in place in front of them. Lev’s
leg shook impatiently, and he folded his arms across his chest. Time was
running out.
“Brother, you may be one of us, a creature of the night,
and that is my fault.” Alexei splayed a hand across his chest, and his voice
held a contrite affectation. “I never should have turned you. I am deeply sorry
for that, but there are some things you are aware of and some you are not. As
you do know, when a creature is made, he or she remains exactly the same way
they were on the day they were turned. We grow no older. We keep whatever looks
we have; we do not deteriorate.”
“Yes, of course I know this,” Lev replied. He tried not
to look at poor unfortunate Boris, who was hideous before he was turned and was
still hideous now, centuries later. With no way to improve his circumstances,
he would remain a vile, ugly creature for eternity.
Alexei continued, “But what you do not know is that when
a mortal is turned, the one who turned them takes his or her essence.”
“Essence?” Lev asked, confused.
Boris broke in with a chuckle, “I will be straight with
you, comrade. Straighter than Alexei. Seems he has not done his duty and taught
you the things you need to know to be fully one of us. I turned Alexei many
years ago. We were on our way to storm the Winter Palace and overthrow the
Tsar. Perhaps he has told you the story, no?” Boris didn’t wait for a reply.
“When I saw your brother, I found him irresistible. I wanted him in the worst
way, and, so, I took him. I turned him, but when I did, I also took a part of
him that is not physical. Do you know what I am saying?”
Lev shook his head no. He hadn’t a clue what Boris was
hinting at. The big man clamped a hand on Lev’s knee and leaned in close,
making Lev desperate to pull away.
“His soul,” Boris whispered in Lev’s ear, then leaned
back, letting his fat hands fall onto his own knees. “I am filled with them!
They are teeming within me and no doubt in your brother as well.” He threw
Alexei a sidelong glance along with a raised eyebrow.
Lev stared, shocked. Could it be true? If so, it would
mean his soul still existed—not in his own body, but it hadn’t been destroyed
like Lev had thought all these years.
Boris was watching Lev and nodding—glee shown in his
eyes. “I know what you are thinking, and yes, there is a piece of your brother
in me. It gives me power, making me stronger than the one I turned.”
Lev looked at his brother with new eyes. “Why didn’t you
tell me my soul wasn’t lost?”
Alexei let his head hang and studied the hands neatly
folded in his lap.
“How do I get it back?” Lev asked, impatience coloring
his voice.
A gruesome smile crept onto Boris’s face. “There is only
one way.”
Alexei looked up and into his
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