Vampire Queen's Soulmate

The Office Visit

Esme appeared in her office with Rodrigo in tow. She hadn't done that in quite some time! Rodrigo apparently had not ever, judging from his reaction. As soon as she let him go, he was bouncing around the spacious room, talking a mile a minute.

"That was incredible!! Amazing!! So dope!!" he exclaimed, breathless.

Esme smiled at him, enjoying his happiness.

"We can travel like that again if you like," she said with a grin.

"Please? I've never done that before-oh you know I can astro-travel and such- but to teleport! Do you know how long I've attempted to do it? It never works out," Rodrigo replied.

"Has Eduardo never taken you on an adventure?" Esme inquired. Rodrigo snorted, rolling his eyes at the same time.

"Eduardo isn't very...how can I put this....progressive? He's kind of a stick in the mud when it comes to vamp stuff," he said.

"Yes I can see that with him...he wasn't very happy to become a vampire, if I recall correctly," Esme mused.

"No he wasnt. He tried to retain his human tendencies as long as possible. Of course, he eventually accepted his fate. But he doesn't like it. Most of our tribe has shunned him. Only I and my mother and sister will have anything to do with him," Rodrigo explained.

Esme nodded, understanding perfectly.

"When I was made a vamp, I struggled as well. The memory is very clear for me, even though so much time has passed," she said.

"How old were you when you were turned? Why were you turned?" the words spilled out of Rodrigo's mouth before he could stop himself. He had an urge to know more about her, but he also didn't want her to get the wrong idea about their current relationship. He had just told her to leave him be the night before.

Esme could tell he was warring within himself. Rodrigo wanted to be with her, no doubt. But he wouldn't let himself give in to his baser instincts. Plus, they were on opposite ends of the spectrum. What was that saying... opposites attract? He obviously wanted to get to know her on a personal level though, and that touched her. Normally, her relationships started off on a very different foot. This was .... refreshing.

"I was around twenty years old, give or take a year or two. I did not give birthdays much thought back then. Nobody really did, at least not in my family. Since my "turnday", here she smiled, using the term Caul had made up, "I have kept better track of the years. The why? That is a story for another time. It is long, and we have much to do right now. But know that it's not a particularly pretty story."

Rodrigo nodded.

"I understand. Where should we begin?" he changed the subject deftly, his focus becoming razor sharp.

Esme went into her file cabinet and took out the file she had on Dante.

"Start with this. I will look for some more portraits. You will see the few in there, but there are more," Esme handed him the folder and began her search for the pictures.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

An hour later, Rodrigo knew more about this vamp than he ever expected to fathom. In his dealings with Dante in the past, he had known some information about him, but it had been difficult to come by. It was enough to get rid of him, but now he was back. It would be another difficult task to finally eradicate him. But knowing what he knew now, luck might be on their side.

"What a time you had, Reina. Your detail is wonderful. It's as if someone was there, writing everything down as it happened," he noted, placing everything back in the folder.

"Blaine was a wonderful secretary, as well as my closest friend and servant. He recorded everything for me. Of course, the last parts were done by someone else, as you read what happened to him." Esme thought back to that horrible day. She had never forgotten finding her best friend in the world dead on the carpet in her sitting room. She knew immediately who it had been, and from that point on, her thirst for revenge was an open tap. She didn't shut it off until his killer was taken care of.

"You still with me?" Rodrigo asked softly, waving a hand in front of her face. She had the thousand-mile stare, not really seeing anything except memories.

She blinked, coming back to the present.

"Yes. Sorry, I got caught up in the past." Esme smiled at him. He smiled back.

"All good. I know how that is." he replied.

"So... what do you think we should do about this situation? He has to be stopped. I cant have him going around killing people again. My relationship with the human population is good, but if he starts taking people out, and word gets around that he's a... vamp ghost? Fingers will start pointing. Our community does not need that kind of publicity." Esme tapped her chin with one finger.

"I've been thinking about that. He seems to appear when you're not paying attention. When he was possessing people in my village, we were experiencing a very peaceful, prosperous time. We always took precautions to ensure our safety, but we were not thinking that a demon was going to break through our barriers. What if we summon him? I am sure that he is on the outskirts of the barriers I have erected around your property." Rodrigo suggested.

"Barriers? What are you talking about? My home is protected, you saw the walls, the cameras, my guards," Esme protested. She took pride in her security system.

"Sure. But you didn't have spiritual barriers. I am surprised that you didn't have someone do this for you sooner, honestly. It may have saved you some trouble, but never mind. I put them up before I arrived here. It was necessary considering what he's capable of." Rodrigo told her gently.

"Damn. That you can do that from hundreds of miles away is pretty powerful, yes?" Esme remarked.

"You knew what you were getting into when you asked me to come here, Reina. My reputation is immaculate," Rodrigo replied, a smile hinting at the corners of his mouth.

"Modest, aren't we?" she murmured, poking him lightly in the chest. This got a laugh from Rodrigo. It was a rough sound, but filled with amusement. Esme liked it. He was too serious, she thought. He needed to loosen up.

"You're funny. Now, I say we do this tonight. What do you say?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes, his steely stare catching her green one.

Esme was caught up for a moment. He was such a gorgeous man. His eyes were captivating, and the way he was looking at her had her thinking of things not appropriate for the task at hand. She shook her head.

"Reina?" the look on his face was questioning.

"Yes. Yes, let's do this tonight. We cant waste any more time," Esme replied, standing and tossing her hair back.

Now it was Rodrigo's turn to stare. She was truly a beautiful woman, and he knew it wasn't because of glamour. He wasn't affected by her vampiric abilities, so it wasn't just a ploy to draw him in. He watched her fluff her hair out, rotate her neck a few times. She rose up on her toes, stretching a little, and then she was staring back at him, both of them searching the other's face. Rodrigo stood, and suddenly the spacious room became tiny. Both of them acutely aware of the proximity to each other in which they stood.

He looked down at her, his chest rising and falling at a rate that surprised him. He noted that hers did not; instead Esme was still, her stance giving nothing away, but it was her eyes that did it. They were dark now, almost totally black. Her tongue peeked out to moisten her full lips. Rodrigo struggled to stifle a groan, her action turning him on instantly. Almost as if a light switched, her eyes returned to normal.

"Ojo," she said breathily, wanting to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss his mouth, his face. But....

"We need to prepare ourselves for tonight," she stated. She watched his breathing slow again. She noticed that he had become aroused, and fought it. Ohhh...this was going to be an interesting night, she thought.

"Yes, you're definitely correct. Lets go." Rodrigo closed his eyes momentarily, and when he opened them, they were back in his room.

Esme smiled at him.

"Look at you, Ojo. Your powers are increasing. Very interesting..." she trailed off. "I'll leave you to get ready. Come to my rooms when you're done. Liana will escort you."

With that, she glided out of the room, leaving Rodrigo to wonder...

"What the f**k is happening?"

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