ristian, wake up,” Robert said, shaking him at his desk. He began to stir as he slowly opened and focused his eyes realizing that he’d spent the night at the gallery. “Cristian!” his manager repeated. He sat up from his chair, looking around, disoriented. “You obviously spent the whole night here,” Robert said.
Cristian remembered that he was looking up information about vampires and looked at his laptop, relieved that it was in sleep mode. “What time is it?” he mumbled rubbing his eyes. “It’s about seven in the morning,” Robert said. Cristian got up from the desk to stretch his stiff muscles. “Is everything alright?” he asked, worried. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” Cristian said as he went to the restroom to splash water on his face, his mind still occupied with the information he uncovered about vampires. He went back to his office to check the desk drawer, remembering he had set aside toothpaste and toothbrush in case he spent an all-nighter at the gallery.
Feeling refreshed after sprucing up, he went over the things in his mind that didn’t add up about Sage or Anna and reasoned with himself that he’s reading more into it than it really is. “It could be nothing at all,” he thought, shrugging his shoulders.
“Maybe it’s nothing but a coincidence. I’m not a vampire and she probably isn’t either,” he reasoned. “Maybe she’s just into the Goth look. That still doesn’t explain why Sage didn’t cast a shadow or reflect in the mirror.” He said, talking to himself. “I’m just going to have to ask her.” He imagined the conversation in his mind. “Sage, I like you and all, but are you a vampire?” He began to laugh aloud at the thought of it. “Talk about a conversation killer,” he said to himself. “Get a grip.”
His manager knocked at the door. “I’m going to go get some breakfast. Did you want anything?” he asked. “Bring me a bagel with some orange juice,” Cristian said as he began to set up for his next painting. “Ok,” Robert said, closing the door.
“How did this happen?” Sage asked, looking at the massive hole in the wall. “I have an idea what may have happened,” Anna said. “Pedro,” she said, looking at Sage. “I’ve been meaning to tell you this, but I think he’s in love with you.” “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” “Pedro has been very loyal to me,” Sage said. “But my heart could never let go of Cristian.” “I could never stop loving him.” “And Pedro has misgivings about Cristian,” Anna said. “I know,” Sage replied. “But I don’t think that Cristian means me any harm.” “I truly don’t.”
After checking off the list of all the art galleries he’d visited, Rafael strolled inside the art gallery late in the afternoon looking for the painting of the vampire queen. In his casual attire of jeans, shirt, and jacket, he seemed a bit out of place with the more elegantly dressed attendees.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the painting showcased in the middle of the floor. Cautiously approaching the masterpiece, he was stunned at how the artist captured the likeness of the vampire queen.
“It’s a beautiful piece isn’t it?” Robert said approaching him. Rafael nodded his head. “It’s exquisite,” he said. He looked at the man talking to him. “Did you paint this portrait?” he asked. “No,” Robert replied. “My client did. I’m his manager.”
Rafael raised his eyebrow. “Is it possible that I can speak to him?” he asked. “I’ll be right back,” Robert said, disappearing in the back. Rafael stared at the portrait. “You are beautiful,” he said. “I’d do you.” He smirked. “Then kill you afterwards.”
Rafael saw a young man, tall and lean, approach. He shook his hand. “I understand you wanted to speak to me?” Cristian asked. “Yes. I’m Rafael Pearson.” “Cristian West,” he said. Rafael pointed at the painting. “I’m really impressed with this portrait,” he said. “You’ve really captured the queen’s likeness.” Cristian furrowed his brow, taken aback. “Queen?” he asked.
“Yes,” Rafael replied. “She’s a queen.” Cristian was stunned. “She became a successor to the throne when her parents died,” Rafael said nonchalantly. “How did you get the reclusive queen to come in for a sitting?” he asked probingly. “I didn’t,” Cristian said with an ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was off about this man standing before him. “I don’t know her,” he said, suspicious of this stranger’s motive. “It was just an image that I saw in my mind, and I painted it.” “Do you know her?” he asked the stranger. “No,” Rafael answered quickly.
“I’m an admirer of hers, and I’ve always wanted to meet her.” He gave Cristian a shifty grin. “Then how did you know what she looks like?” Cristian asked. “I saw an article about the queen in a magazine a long time ago,” Rafael replied. “Maybe I’ll stop by again to tell you about it,” he said. Something in his menacing tone alarmed Cristian with a sense that there was more to the story, and he needed answers. He motioned to his manager. “There’s something I need to do,” he whispered, leaving abruptly out the back exit door of the gallery.
“Are you going out again tonight, Queen V?” Billy asked. “I kind of miss having you around here,” he said. Sage smiled at Billy. “I got used to you being around here too,” Cody said, playing with his cowboy hat. “You have nothing to fear,” Sage said. “Nothing is going to tear up our family.” The doorbell rang.
“Who can that be?” Samuel said, alarmed as the doorbell ranged incessantly. Daniel, Lisa, Cody, and Samuel all stared at each other anxiously.
“I’ll get it,” Anna said appearing at the door. Cristian stood at the door as it creaked open.
He peered inside. “Sage,” he said. Anna appeared out of the darkness. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Look, I need to speak to Sage—it’s important,” Cristian said. She stepped aside opening the door wider. “Come in,” she said. He walked inside the door as the door shut hard behind him and walked down the dark hallway that seemed to close in on him. He felt a sensation of eyes watching him as strange sounds filled the air.
“Sage,” he called out as he began to perspire feeling claustrophobic. “What is it Cristian?” she said, coming up behind him holding a lantern as he jumped, startled.
“I need to speak to you,” he said, relieved. She brought him into the grand living room filled with antique handcrafted mahogany furniture and sculptures, the walls decorated with Egyptian paintings. A smell of incense lingered in the air.
Looking around, Cristian realized she wasn’t alone as he looked at Anna, Lisa, Cody, Samuel, Daniel, and Billy who were huddled together staring at him. He noticed on the table that there was a wine glass filled with a red substance. However, it did not appear to be red wine.
“This is my family,” Sage said as she introduced him to each member of the coven, except for Pedro who wasn’t around. When she introduced Cristian to Billy, he noticed his eighties pirate attire. “Whoa, time warp,” he thought. Sage snickered having heard his thoughts.
“So what did you want to tell Queen V?” Daniel asked, sizing Cristian up. “Daniel,” Anna said, shooting him an annoyed stare. “Queen V,” a confused Cristian thought, thinking back to what Rafael said in the gallery about Sage.
“Cristian,” Sage asked, snapping him out of his thoughts, staring at him with curiosity. “Someone showed up at the gallery today,” he said swallowing. The coven looked at each other with dread as if they knew what he was going to say.
“Someone named Rafael Pearson.” “I knew it!” Pedro exclaimed, standing at the entrance to the living room. He approached Cristian, hostile and intimidating.
“You brought him to town with that painting. Didn’t you!” he yelled. “Pedro!” Sage yelled. “I told you that you shouldn’t trust this hombre,” he said, towering over Cristian, raising his hand as if he was going to strike him. A furious Sage flicked her arm sending Pedro hurling into the air across the room until he landed upside down on the ceiling, staring at her with red eyes. Staring at Sage with her glowing eyes and bared fangs, Cristian, his eyes wide as saucers, realized that what he suspected about her is true. Sage is a vampire.