Vampire Queen's Soulmate

Daywalker

Rodrigo awoke the next morning in a very comfortable bed. For a split second, he forgot where he was and sat straight up, his gaze focused on the foot of the bed. Gatita was curled up in the comforter. He smiled, thinking he was glad he had left the door open last night.

He was pleased with his surroundings. The bedroom was a comfortable size, not too small, but not too big either. The same floor to ceiling windows, with blackout curtains pulled closed. The walls were a peaceful lavender. The king-sized bed sat facing the windows. The frame was made of heavy oak, and Rodrigo could tell the quality with which it was made was the best. He leaned back against the pillows. This was a nice feeling, he thought, and pulled the heavy comforter closer around him. He hadn't been off rhe island in some time, and it was chilly here. He noted that he also had a small sofa and chair, and a TV mounted on the wall. A large, soft area rug was placed under the bed, and another with the chair and sofa. It was a very nice room.

A knock came on the door, and then a woman entered the room. Rodrigo recognized her from the night Caul died.

"Good morning Rodrigo. I am Liane," she said brightly.

"Good morning Liane," Rodrigo replied.

"I am here to assist you with whatever you need. Do you want anything to eat or drink?" she asked.

"Some water would be fine. I am not hungry right now," Rodrigo said.

"Perfect. Just so you know, there is a full bathroom through that door there," Liane pointed to a door on the far side of the room, "And you have a walk-in closet on the other side of the bathroom. La Reina probably told you, but your things will be in that closet. Do you want the curtains opened?" she asked him.

"I can do that, Liane, if you show me where to do it. I'm sure you have other things to do," Rodrigo said, not wanting to be completely waited on.

"It's no worries. This is my job," Liane walked over to the curtains and hit a button on the wall. The curtains slid open to reveal the forest not far from the house. The trees were every color of autumn, and Rodrigo found it breathtaking. He stared with a smile on his face.

"Its beautiful," he murmured quietly.

Liane shot him a grin.

"Aint it? I never get tired of the seasons changing," she remarked. She turned to leave.

"Thank you," Rodrigo said simply.

She nodded her head, and Rodrigo noticed her hair, so black it appeared to have blue highlights. Her aura was shining brightly around her. Yellow was prominent, with some pink and green. Confident, caring, kind. Loving. She took good care of this household. He studied her a little closer. She wasn't a vampire, but there was something else about her. She moved silently, gracefully. Almost like...

"You're a shifter?" he asked bluntly.

Liane whipped her head to look at him, and now he noticed her eyes had changed. The color, which had once been a light brown, was now a greenish yellow, and very, very catlike. She tilted her head and studied him. A slow grin appeared on her face, showing sharp teeth.

"Meow," she purred softly, her voice slightly gravelly.

Gatita chose this moment to wake up. She stretched, and locked eyes with Liane. Gatita puffed out, her body and tail becoming twice as big as her normal self. A low growl sounded deep in her throat. Liane immediately lost the eyes and teeth.

"I am so sorry, Rodrigo. I didn't think the cat would be bothered," she apologized profusely.

"Dont be. You didn't know she would wake up at that moment. Gatita is very protective of me. She'll get used to you in time. This is all new for her," Rodrigo replied.

"You're right. I'll be back, and I will bring an offering for her. I won't have her being uncomfortable here in the house," Liane said, and then she was out the door.

Rodrigo got up out of bed once she was gone, and grabbed the shorts that were laid on the chair. He never slept with clothes on, but he might have to change things for a bit. It was cold!

He walked into the bathroom. Now THIS was a bathroom. Marble Jacuzzi tub, heated floors, and a separate shower. Double sinks, a huge mirror. He loved his home and was comfortable there, but this one was luxurious.

He showered quickly, dressed in loose pants and a t-shirt. As he dried his hair with a towel, he stepped back into the bedroom. Gatita was on the floor, eating a dish of tuna. He smiled at Liane's gesture. She was a kind soul.

Rodrigo walked up to the window and stared at the scenery before him. It was truly beautiful. The trees were all different colors. The leaves hadn't yet begun to fall, so the forest was full of oranges, reds, pinks, yellows. The grassy area around the house was mowed, and he could see autumn flowers planted intuitively. He could get used to a morning like this...

"Ojo."

Rodrigo turned to see Esme in the bedroom with him. Gods, she was silent. And, she apparently was a daywalker, evident in that the sun was shining directly on her, and she hadn't turned to ash.

"Reina."

Esme eyed him up and down, taking in his loose clothing, and his hair, also loose down his back. Gods, his hair was long. Almost as long as hers. It was almost as curly as hers, but not quite. She glided over to him, raising up on her tiptoes to press her face against his.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked softly.

"Yes, it was a restful one. And you?" he replied.

"Same," she said, and walked to the window to gaze at the scenery.

Rodrigo stared at her, thinking that this was a new turn of events. He hadn't known she was a daywalker, but then again it didn't surprise him. He wasn't upset about this either, because now he could pick her brain about Dante, and perhaps go through her files about him. She had mentioned her office would be available to him, and now that she was here she could show it to him.

"I am a different kind of vamp, Ojo. Just in case you hadn't noticed," Esme spoke with a hint of sarcasm, and Rodrigo smiled.

"Oh, I noticed. In all the stories I've heard about you though, it never came up that you walk in the day," he replied.

"Well, I am full of surprises," she murmured.

Rodrigo turned to her and studied her face. He searched her eyes, looking deep into them. He scanned her body, dressed in a light purple silk pajama set, complete with a robe. He wondered if she was cold, thinking that silk wasn't exactly warm, but then again she was used to this weather. And, there was that fact that she was one of the undead.

One thing did surprise him. He could sense her chakras, the energy centers within her body. Which was interesting. They should have been closed up completely upon the moment of her death. Yet.... here they were, open for the most part. Some minor blocks, but otherwise....

"Are you aware of chakras, Reina?" he asked.

"Yes," Esme replied simply.

"Are you aware that yours are active?" Rodrigo inquired.

Esme turned her head to look up at him.

"Active?"

"Yes. They're active. They're spinning, you have some blocks, but they are in working order. How interesting," he said.

"That is interesting. They should be closed down," Esme mused, "but then again, I haven't thought about such things for a long time. What do you think about that, Ojo?"

"I think that this is a topic to discuss for sure. It is highly unusual for a vampire to have open chakras. The ones I have come into contact with, don't. Eduardo definitely doesn't. Maybe since you're not a typical vampire, you don't have typical attributes like one," Rodrigo said, tapping his chin.

"That makes sense. Well, we don't really have time to be worrying about my chakras right now, as interesting as this is. I came to see if you'd like to come dig the files, and you can ask me twenty questions," Esme teased lightly.

Rodrigo smiled, and held out his arm.

"Señorita," he said gallantly.

Esme smiled back, and took his arm, then pulled him close to her.

"Hold on tight, Ojo. We're going for a ride!"