Faustine's Eve (A Vampire Story) - Chapter 11.5

The sound of the piano is what drew him in. Even from across the room, and without looking in that direction, he immediately recognized the individuality of who was playing. The sounds coming from the piano were light, carefree, and inviting. A small crowd of people seemed to be hovering around the piano and its artist. He knew who it was.

He wondered how long it had been since they last met. It wasn’t as if he was anticipating this moment fondly, but rather he was interested in glimpsing the vessel in which Kanon now resided in. By vessel he meant whatever container her being was now in. She was and looked nothing like she used to he thought.

Was it becoming like him that changed her or was it time? Time can do quite a lot to one’s personality and perspective of the world, he believed. One may become less self-conscious and shy as time goes on. Perhaps humans don’t live long enough, in a sociable state, to experience complete overhauls in who we are and what they believe he thought.

Glancing at his Swiss watch it was already half past nine and he thought Eve should be here any moment. Was it really a good idea for her to come on her own and wander this place looking for him? He wouldn’t worry about her if she was with Giselle. Giselle would take good care of her.

Looking around the room he could see a few of his kind with their donors lovingly attached to their arms and there for decoration. Eve was definitely not like that, he thought. She was an interesting girl in his mind. She didn’t try to sell herself to him in return for promises of eternal life. She didn’t try to glamorize his kind the way most donors, and even his own kind, did. And at the same time, she didn’t look down on them either.

She seemed so much more fragile back then, when he first found her. The way she clung to his back made him only want to help her after he had burst into her apartment to find the man who originally attacked her trying to take even more from her. He felt that she was close to a mental breakdown after that night and he couldn’t stand the idea of leaving her alone in that broken place to completely wither away. He could have walked away and later convinced himself that she was just one person he already tried to help. He was glad that he didn’t walk away.

He felt that she had changed a lot since she started living with him. To him, she was a plant deprived of sunlight, air, and water. And once he brought her home she slowly started to spread her roots and leaves and transform into something unique that no one could have seen in her before. As she slowly began to bloom, that was when he discovered his feelings for her. He knew that her heart, mind, and body were all breaking down from such a stressful and difficult time in her life. He didn’t want to confuse her or stunt her newfound growth with how he felt. He was glad that they were getting along so well and becoming closer naturally. But would it still be a good idea to care for her even more? He wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar and fragrant scent. Turning around, he paused a bit halfway though unsure if it was even her. But that specific scent gave her away. She looked so different to him. Her light skin seemed to glow against the black dress she wore. He noticed that it wasn’t the dress he had bought her. This one was much more revealing and showed more of her than he thought he would see. Of course he knew that she was a woman but she looked so appealing to him.

They stared at one another for what seemed like minutes but in reality was only a few seconds before Eve turned her eyes away to look at the others in the room. She was right to be cautious especially here he thought. It was inevitable that she would be noticed in such a place.

His eyes narrowed a little as they were taking in every face in the room that stared at her, just to know who was who in case someone tried to be bold. As her scent moved towards him he turned to look at her and took her hand. Still watching the room he pulled her in close and placed a hand behind her head to guide her to him. The warmth from her body radiated against his cool cheek as he whispered to her, "You look lovely." Her natural scent was magnetic to him, but he knew that he couldn’t let his guard down. Not here.

He pulled her in close not only because he wanted to compliment her, but also to send a message to the room that this girl already belonged to someone and was not to be touched. Taking her by the hand he began to lead her out of the room and to the rest of the party.

Before they could reach the doorway he heard his name being called.
"Faust?" A woman called out to him. He knew this voice because it was very distinctive. The beginning of the voice was sweet but had left a bitter trail at the end. He stopped after a few more steps and turned around. The sight of seeing someone who he hadn’t seen in a long time always surprised him a little. He wasn’t sure if it was because of a changed appearance or the old memories that were brought back. Even her name had a stigma attached to it. It was hard for him to be completely indifferent towards her because he still remembered the girl she was long ago.

"It’s been a long time. How are you?" She greeted. He noticed how different she would always sound when they would inevitably end up meeting again and again. He thought that this period of time had been the longest since they last met. It must have been at least fifty years. But then again, how long is fifty years really when you have an eternity, he thought. She still looked as young as when he first met her in the hospital that he was a doctor back in Germany.

"It’s been awhile Kanon." He said to her. Her smile was as sweet as ever with her cherub red lips curling more at one corner than the other. He remembered this habit of hers from long ago. He still found it strange how much she had changed since he last saw her. She had become quite influential and prominent in their society. In some ways he still wished to know the woman she was long ago when he first met her, but he knew those feelings grew from nostalgia for a simpler and more peaceful time and not love. Feeling Eve’s body heat warm his skin he looked to his side and back at Kanon.

"This is Eve." He introduced her. Looking at the two, they were polar opposites of one another. While Kanon was warm and fiery, Eve was calm and earthy. He noticed Eve shake off whatever she was thinking about and look directly at her. He knew that he would have to explain who she was to Eve later on. Kanon’s blue eyes flashed from Eve to him before she spoke.

"Eve? Is she one of your donors?" She asked. The word donor sounded oversimplified to him as a way of describing who and what Eve was to him. The relationship was a little complicated but he had no intention of revealing any of that to her. Would she be surprised to see him with a woman? He wondered taking into account that he and Kanon’s split was complicated itself. He hated to admit it to himself, but their separation caused a lot of anxiety for him. He wasn’t sure if he felt that way because of losing someone he had once loved or was it because she abandoned him leaving him to deal with this new way of existence. But, that was all long and buried in the past now.

"It’s rather sweet of you to reward her for her services." She continued. What she said only made him feel like she thought of ordinary people as usable then disposable. He had a higher regard for human life because he spent many years working to save these same ordinary people. As a doctor he had seen pain, suffering, blood, tears, joy, smiles, and frowns that were all a part of the human existence. Even so, he felt like she was being unknowingly cold and ignorant to life.

It was true that they had a history together and that he would think back to those times fondly, but that was long ago and she was not even the slightest bit recognizable now compared to the way she was when he originally fell in love with her. He wanted to know why she was here out of all places.
"I didn’t know you were in town." He answered in a disinterested yet morbidly curious tone.

"I just got back from Munich." She answered with that bittersweet smile and look of longing for the past in her eyes.

Her answer surprised him because he couldn’t think of any reason why she would go back to Munich. There would be no one in Munich for either of them now. Could she possibly have gone to pay her respects to her family’s graves? Her family was one of the more influential families in Munich and they even had their own mausoleum in the local cemetery. He remembered her telling him once that her family had one of the tombs in the mausoleum engraved with her name in her memory once she disappeared with him. Even her family accused him of taking her life. Was it possible that she longed to rest with her family the way she rightfully should have? He thought. He couldn’t think of another reason why she would go back. Even he hadn’t been back since he left.

In a way he felt as if he had no right to go back to Munich. All those patients that died painfully due to the epidemic he tried to find a cure for. He knew that he did all he could though. Perhaps if he had let Marcello curse him sooner than he may have had more time to find the cure. Either way, in the end, he sold his soul to the proverbial devil.

Suddenly he felt phantom pains in his back along the now healed scars lacing his skin. It didn’t matter how long ago it had been since Munich because those scars he had carried with him ever since. One of the nurses in his hospital found him in the corner of his office on the floor drinking extra blood that was collected for a transfusion and the town was outraged. He knew his actions back then were so careless but he was only just learning how to control his new feeding regimen. When the town’s people came, he sent Kanon away from Munich to wait for him at a nearby countryside so they could leave that place together. Branded as a monster the town’s people lashed out at him. He could vividly remember being literally dragged to the center of the town and beaten everyone and anyone who was willing to participate. And in the end he refused to hurt any of them.

The townspeople accused him of murdering their family members under his care which wasn’t true. By the time he had become what he was now, it was already too late for the patients because he had run out of time to find a cure. The only one he knew he could save was Kanon but at the expense of her own life. Thinking back, he always regretted that decision. Maybe it would have been better to allow her to die as a human then live as what they both were now. But looking at her now, she didn’t show many signs of missing her humanity. He knew it was true that he felt guilty and like an abomination for a long time after his change. But now he had come to terms with it and lived however he pleased.

After talking for a few more minutes, Faust felt a squeeze on his arm and looked down to Eve at his side who was still looking at Kanon.

"Well, if you’ll excuse us we need to get going."

"You’re leaving so soon?" She pouted. He found it strange how she could resemble her old self with she was disappointed. Before he could answer she threw in, "Well, if you’re still around later you should come and watch the auction. I’m hosting it and there are a lot of rare items that may interest you." She said smiling.

"Well, thank you for the invite but we better get going." Eve interrupted. Looking down to his side he was almost surprised to hear her voice. She had been so quiet. As he looked back to Kanon she had an interesting look on her face. Was she offended? He wondered. Silently, still smiling, Kanon nodded her head and they walked away.

As they walked through the next room, Faust surveyed the room watching those who were watching Eve. Having her here was like a drop of blood in a pool teeming with predators but he could not blame them for their instincts. After all, he had the same instincts himself. He spotted a way out to the mansion’s garden and he led her there.

The night air outside felt light and cool. He leaned against the garden railing just as she had and he looked up at the sky to cool his face. The moon was strange when he thought about it. It was a midnight sun of sorts. While the sun weakened his kind, it’s what gave the moon its brilliance. He knew he may not be able to enjoy the sun the way he used to but still had the midnight sun.
"I’m sorry about Kanon." He said as he broke the silence. He was unsure about how to explain Kanon to her. It wasn’t necessary to tell her the long story.

"So, who is she?" She asked him.

"She’s someone I knew a very long time ago. She isn’t anyone to worry about." He used the simplest explanation he could think of. There wasn’t a reason to explain that she was his past lover and the reason for his change by his own choice. He thought. Would it have been accurate to say that he was undead because of her? He wondered. He was undead for her in the past anyway. Now everything was different.

The patio garden was quiet and only the low hum of the breeze could be heard. That same breeze carried a scent to him that was warm, sweet, and a little salty. She was on his mind and he couldn’t deny it. He knew it was her scent. Without moving his head he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"You know, I was really surprised when I saw you. I’ll have to tell Giselle nice job next time I see her." He paired his compliment with a grin. He was more than happy when she smiled back at him. For a long time since he had found her she seemed gloomy and introverted. But now she appeared a lot more comfortable and genuinely enjoying herself.

Quietly she slid over beside him against the railing and rested her head against his shoulder. As he looked down at her the midnight sun caused her skin to glow in a romantic way and if he listened close enough, he could hear her heartbeat. Unconsciously he closed his mouth a little tighter as he could feel the ache of his teeth.

Shortly after returning inside Kanon’s call for the auction could be heard echoing against the domed ceilings. Everyone there seemed to be in a rush to get a place upfront to see the items. Both he and Eve made their way there as well.

"So, what’s the auction for?" Eve asked.

"It’s the same as any other auction. But the stuff being auctioned off here comes from all over the world and there are some very exotic things that can be bought here." He explained.

"Are you selling anything?" She wanted to know.

"No. Not tonight." He smiled. Honestly, he was too busy with his and Marcello’s business to have time to sift out items to put on display. There was something about selling exotic imports that reminded him of home and the auctions he used to go to back in Munich.

For him, the auction went by quickly but he had even more fun watch Eve’s reactions to all the foreign items being displayed and sold.
At the end a veiled item was brought up on stage and set on an easel. Eve looked especially excited to see the painting. Seeing her this way made him want to bring her places with him more often. But the only place he trusted bringing her to, in his world, was Marcello and Giselle’s. They had both taken such a liking to her, especially Giselle and he was glad to have two more of his kind to look out for her.

"Next, we have a gorgeous painting that was done by my very own apprentice." Kanon announced. A guy who couldn’t be older than 19 or 20 came up on stage and pulled the cover off his painting and Faust didn’t know how to respond to what he saw. The painting was beautiful and emotional. He wasn’t sure if he was more shocked or moved by it. The canvas was earthy just like Eve. Her bare skin glowed in the painting the way it did outside under the moon.

Immediately he remembered her telling him about the painting she modeled for and now he knew that Kanon’s apprentice was the one who bit her.
He looked down at her and she looked as equally shocked as he was.

He noticed her face turning red as more and more people in the crowd noticing her. It was enough that she was there and appetizing to everyone there, but now it felt as if she was served on a silver platter to the highest bidder. And with that numerous bidding paddles shot into the air.

"$3,000!" Kanon shouted. The current bid was generously increased.

"$4,000!" Kanon kept rambling off numbers by the thousands as she tried to keep up with all bids.

"$10,000!" Kanon shouted. The room lost its civility and now and greed filled it to the brim.

"$15,000." A stranger called from the corner and Faust looked over to him. Immediately he could tell that this man would the competition.
"$15,000! Do I hear $17,000?!" Kanon bellowed out. At $17,000 a majority of paddles in the room went down. But only serious buys would be betting at this point.

"$20,000." Faust bid and he gave the man in the corner a stubborn and confident smile.

"$25,000." The man called and raised the price.

"$30,000." He knew that he wasn’t going to be beaten. He could compete with the best of them and he had an extra incentive to buy that painting than the man did. Feeling Eve tug on his jacket sleeve he looked her way.

"It’s too much. It’s just a painting." She said trying to reason with him. He appreciated her levelheadedness but, he was not leaving without that painting.
When he thought about it, did he want to buy that painting because it was of her? Was it because she looked embarrassed? Or did he feel more protective of her than he realized? On top of all that, the artist was the one who bit her.

"He’s the one who bit you isn’t he?" He asked to her as he motioned with his head towards Ash. She nodded.

"$40,000." He was getting tired of playing with the other bidder and was ready to throw down $40,000 to end the auction quickly. This amount of money was really nothing compared to what he could spend.

"$40,000 going once! Going twice!" Kanon paused for a moment, "sold for $40,000…" She trailed off. Oblivious to the whispers in the room he stared at Kanon and Ash as they made their way towards him and Eve to give him his painting.

Handing the painting proudly to him Ash smiled and said, "Thank you and I hope you enjoy it."

"Congratulations on being the highest bidder ever at our yearly auction." Kanon complimented. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ash talking to Eve who had a surprised but annoyed look on her face.

"He’s your donor?" He asked as he kept an eye on Ash. She nodded.

"This is Ash. He’s truly a prodigy." Faust could tell that she was quite proud of him and wondered where she found him. He obviously had some problems.

"I suggest that you keep him under control or else." He said as he leaned in close to her. She looked shocked as if she didn’t know what he was talking about. Even if she didn’t know what happened he still wanted to get his point across.

"Wait, are you threatening me?" She said back.

"I’m not threatening you. I’m promising you." He said with a contemptuous smile.

"I have no idea what he could have done to upset you. I’m sorry if there were some problems caused by her modeling for him." He said nothing and just stared at her.

"Why don’t you mind your own damn business?" Eve said immediately.

"I’m warning you." He mentioned a final time before taking the painting and Eve.
They loaded it into the car and left. On the drive home he was preoccupied with thinking about what happened that night to make conversation. Taking quick glances at Eve next to him he caught her quietly smiling to herself and he turned his eyes back to the road.

When they finally arrived home he set the painting down against a chair to take a close look at it. He immediately knew that he wouldn’t want anyone else to have it. Her expression in the painting looked like she's staring out into another plane of existence. Like she was seeing something grander than what was in front of her. He knew what he wanted to do with it now.
"I’m going to hang it." He told her as he kept his eyes on the painting.

"Wait, what?"

"I want to hang it up." He said in a matter of fact way.

"Uh, no." With her reply he turned his head and her scent was over whelming to him now. He had done the best he could to keep his instincts under control but it was becoming too much for him now.

"I think it would look nice. I don’t throw huge parties here or anything so there isn’t a reason for you to be embarrassed." He told her.
He watched her step in front of his new painting and throw her arms out to keep him away from it. Oh really? He thought while grinning at her.

He threw his jacket on the couch and undid the top button of his shirt. As he made his way towards her, he backed her up against the wall and trapped her.

"No one will see it, but me." He whispered. Being this close to her made him resisting impossible. His teeth began to ache again. As he pulled away from her ear he looked at her face and what he saw was clean and pure behind her eyes. He smiled and made a hmm sound in his throat as she rolled her head against the wall to one side.

Was she uncomfortable with him being so close? He wondered. Her pink cheeks gave away her feelings. Turning her head to face him he moved in slowly and pressed his lips to hers. He knew that he didn’t want to confuse her as she was blooming but her scent was too alluring. There was no, taking back what was done. After a few moments he slowly broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.