Beautiful Monster-The Exchange (3 page)

“Do you think he saw me?” Carly asked Lev.

“Who?”

“Your brother’s friend. The guy you…well, the man you
just attacked.”

Lev was embarrassed but tried to push the feeling away.
He wiped at his face again to be sure he’d gotten all of the blood. He doubted
Tony had seen Carly, though he couldn’t know for sure.

“And what if he did? He’d only think you a living,
breathing human being, or perhaps a creature of the night like Alexei and I,”
Lev said. “I have a feeling Alexei’s able to see you because of his powerful
senses. He’s stronger than I am. Remember when I told you about Alexei’s
turning?”

Carly nodded, seemingly satisfied, but there was a still
fear in her eyes. Bringing up Alexei’s turning had been a bad idea. What an
idiot he was, though Lev couldn’t help but recall the story Alexei had told
him. It had happened during the Bolshevik uprising in their native Russia. The
creature, Boris, was one of Lenin’s closest friends and allies, a power-hungry,
older man—everything his brother abhorred. Boris, however, had taken a shine to
the handsome young Alexei.

It happened aboard a train filled with men bound for the
Tsar’s Winter Palace. Boris had crept up on Alexei in the early morning hours
while he was asleep in his bunk. Alexei’s first thought, as he’d related it to
Lev, was that the large, grotesque man was going to rape him. “He had a strange
look in his eye,” Alexei had said. “Like a ravenous lion eyeing a lamb.”

Readying himself for the attack, Alexei had fingered a
handmade shiv he’d hidden under the thin mattress. Unfortunately, he hadn’t
time to grasp the weapon before Boris was on him. It would have made no
difference, Lev and Alexei knew now. It would have been like trying to kill a
gorilla with a toothpick.

Apparently, Boris was foul but unusually powerful.
Alexei had told him some of the beast’s power had been transferred to him
during his turning. He’d felt it growing inside him, like a living thing, in
the days and months following the attack. A creature of the night could never
be as strong as the one who’d turned him. That was just how it was—a fact,
plain and simple, one Boris had been sure his newly made monster knew.

Months later Alexei snuck off, and the first thing he
did was pay Lev a visit.

At the time, Lev had been working as an apprentice in a
leather shop. He’d left their parent’s home and found a modest apartment.
Somehow he’d avoided factory work, the most common job in Russia at the time,
which thrilled him because the hours weren’t as grueling. It allowed him time
to pursue his passion—writing. In the evenings, Lev would spend hours working
on his poetry and short stories by candlelight. Sometimes he’d write until the
candle guttered out and would awaken in the morning with his head on his desk,
fingers stained black with ink.

Lev didn’t have many friends, and he liked it that way.
He was social but only with a few of his fellow workers, and although he would
have loved it, he didn’t have a special lady in his life just yet. He was only
twenty-two. There was still time for romance.

One Saturday evening, there was a knock on Lev’s door.
He was expecting no one and debated if he should even answer. But his neighbor
down the hall was pregnant, and her husband often worked late. What if it was
her and she needed help? That scared him all the more, but how could he ignore
a woman in need? When he opened the door, he found Alexei, wild-eyed and pale
as a freshly fallen snow. His hair was an unkempt mess, his clothes dirty and
ripped.

Alexei stood on the threshold as if rooted to the spot.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in, brother?”

“My God, Alexei. What happened to you? It’s been years
since I’ve seen you.” Lev pulled him into an embrace and whispered, “Yes, yes,
please come in.”

“You thought I was dead?”

“Yes, in the war.”

“Well,” Alexei heaved a sigh. “I am.” He smiled. Those
were the last words Lev heard, before he too was dead.

Alexei was back in the dining room. A huge grin spread
across his handsome face, pulling Lev from his thoughts. Something had come to
Lev when recalling the story. Perhaps it was divine intervention, though he
doubted there was anything divine about his life anymore.

“Do you know where Boris is?” Lev asked his brother.

Alexei’s smile guttered out.

Alexei cleared his throat. “Why do you want to know
about Boris?”

Lev thought he heard a wobble in his brother’s voice. “I
think we need to find him. He might be able to help Carly and I.”

“No! I can’t go anywhere near that
pig
.” Alexei
shook his head and started to back out of the room. His handsome face
transformed, giving him the look of a frightened child.

Confusion settled on Carly’s face as she watched the
exchange between the brothers, but Lev knew now wasn’t the time to explain.
Although he’d never met Boris, the fact was the man was one of a handful of
ancients—creatures of the night who’d been around since the dawning of time.
And because of that, Lev hoped he possessed some knowledge, something neither
he nor Alexei knew of to help him stay with Carly.

Lev followed his brother. He wasn’t about to give up
easily. “Boris might be able to help us. Time is of the essence—we only have
two days!” An unexpected urge to cry swelled in him, but he swallowed it. He
couldn’t show weakness now, not when Alexei was so upset. His brother was a
loose cannon on the best of days. Still, Lev couldn’t help but wonder why he
seemed so frightened of Boris. His brother had told him stories, and he knew
the man was a bully, but Alexei had always given the impression he was in
control—that he could handle his maker if he had to. It wouldn’t be easy to get
Alexei to take him to Boris, that is, if he even knew where to find him. But
Alexei was clever, Lev had to give him that. He knew a little something about
everything, and what he didn’t know, he could find out. Modern technology was
his brother’s passion—computers, the Internet. He even had a smartphone,
something Lev didn’t have the slightest interest in. And there were occasions
when Alexei hinted he knew where Boris was. Thinking back on it now, Lev had
the sudden realization that his brother probably did know where his maker was,
and maybe, just maybe, for some reason he also
needed
to know.

Lev cornered Alexei in the hallway, stepping close
enough so that their faces were inches apart. He said nothing, only stared into
the dark eyes that were so much like his own.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help,” Alexei said, and for the
first time in a long time, there were tears in his eyes. He pinched them away
and gave his head a shake as if restoring his bravado. “Besides, you’d be crazy
to take Carly anywhere near that…that monster.”

Lev slammed a fist into the wall beside his brother’s
head. “Are we not monsters?”

Alexei flinched and tried to step out of the way, but
Lev held his position. There was nowhere for him to go. “No,” Alexei said
finally. “We are nothing like
him
.”

He contemplated his brother’s words.
He
was
nothing like Boris, but perhaps Alexei shared the same vicious nature as his
maker. Admittedly, Lev had his moments, like the one he’d just shamefully
demonstrated with Tony, but he’d never turned anyone and he’d never taken a
life.

“I don’t ask for much. You think you’re the boss around
here. I stand back. I let you take the lead, but I love Carly and will do
anything
to stay with her. This time I will not back down.” Lev stamped a foot on the old
hardwood floor, making it creak and groan.

“I am your maker,” Alexei growled and jabbed a finger
into Lev’s chest. “I am the boss! If you wanted to be with Carly so badly,
brother, then why didn’t you turn her?”

Anger had Lev in rough hands. His lips peeled back
revealing fangs. “I didn’t ask to be like this.
You
did this to me! I
know the hell of this life. I would never inflict it on someone I love.”

The sounds of Carly scrambling away to another room came
to him, along with the acrid scent of fear, but it wasn’t Carly’s fear; it was
Alexei’s.

“I was out of my mind when I turned you, Lev. You know
that. I was freshly turned myself. I…I couldn’t help what I did.”

“Not true!” Lev spat. “You always wanted me to fail.
Everything was okay as long as
you
were doing better than I was, then
and only then you’d wish me well, but as soon as I was happier than you, you
had to take that from me. I know you’re happy I’ll soon be losing another woman
I love, and Carly is the one I love most of all. I see it in your eyes and in
the way you smile at me.” Lev lashed out with a fist, sending Alexei’s head
crashing into the wall behind him. A picture rattled then fell, smashing on the
floor. “You will help me, or I’ll take something from you that you love.”

Alexei recovered, shaking plaster dust from his hair.
“There is nothing I love.” His words came with a small sardonic laugh, making
Lev stand tall and throw his shoulders back.

“You’re wrong, brother. There is something you love very
much.”

Alexei’s wide mouth twitched into a tentative smile.
“What? The pretty boys I bring home? They’re nothing but playthings and
food
.
I don’t love them; I
enjoy
them. That’s all.”

“I don’t mean them.”

Alexei looked puzzled. “Then what?”

“The only person who will put up with your bullshit, the
only person who can stand your company. Where I’m a man who enjoys solitude,
you cannot bear to be alone. You cannot exist without one thing, and that thing
is me.”

Alexei giggled and threw his hands up in mock surrender.
“Oh my brother, you do think a lot of yourself. I can live without you, and if
I do get lonely, I can easily find others of our kind.”

“Perhaps, but they won’t put up with you for as long as
I have. Admit it, Alexei; you need me. I am your brother—your only remaining
relative. Without me, you’d be lost.”

A smirk curled Alexei’s lips. “What are you going to do,
run away? You want to leave anyway, with that girl.” He tossed a nod toward the
room Carly had disappeared into. “So why would I want to help you do that? You
said it yourself. I am…” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then continued,
“the gregarious type.”

“If I can’t be with Carly, I will end my life. If that’s
even what this existence can be called. What kind of
life
do we have,
Alexei? This is no way to live.”

Alexei’s smirk fell away. “You cannot kill yourself.”

Though he said the words as if they were some kind of
immutable law, they rang hollow to Lev’s ears. “You’re not so clever, brother.
You wrote it in your own hand years ago, almost as if you didn’t want to forget
because there might come a day when
you
no longer wanted to exist. I
found your diary. I know our kind can be killed. Yes, I would cease to exist,
but that would be better than bearing the pain of loss over and over again as
I’ve been doing.”

Alexei had done his best to brainwash him. Telling him
they were immortal. That they would live to see the end of time itself, but Lev
knew there were ways for creatures like him to be put out of their misery. One
way was to be killed by one’s maker. In his case that meant Alexei, and he knew
his brother would not do such a thing, for selfish reasons of course.

“You know nothing,” Alexei said crossing his arms.

“I know that if I turned right now and walked into the
parlor where the fire is blazing in the huge fireplace, it would consume me,
turning my so called immortal body to ashes. I know that if I waited for
sunrise and walked out into the sun, even on the coldest January day, that its
rays would also turn me to ashes. There are ways, my brother, and though you
did your best to make me think them fairy tales, they’re true. I will endure
that pain—I will seek oblivion, if you do not take me to see Boris.”

Alexei opened his mouth as if to speak, shut it again,
then ran a hand through his dark, tousled mane. With a deep, mournful sigh, he
slid slowly to the floor and let his head fall into his hands. “You don’t
understand. I cannot tell you where he is.” His words were barely a whisper.

“You can’t or you won’t?”

Alexei lifted his head, a single tear slid down his
cheek. “I won’t.”

“Damn you!” Lev reached down and yanked Alexei to his
feet. “You
will
take Carly and me to see Boris.” He gave him a shove
toward the doorway to the parlor. “Go see if Tony’s okay. Take him home quickly
then get back here.” Lev threw Alexei a steely glare. He’d half kill him if he
had to, and he could tell by the look on his brother’s face that he knew it
too.

Lev prayed that Boris would have a few suggestions or
maybe a trick or two up his sleeve. He was certainly ancient enough to possess
more knowledge than Lev and Alexei combined. Time equaled experience, and
experience equaled intelligence in the world in which they existed. It was true
of the human world as well, but to a limited degree, as a human lifespan was
miniscule. When Lev boiled it all down, the plain and simple truth was that
he’d run out of options, and despite the warnings about Boris from Alexei, he
was willing to take his chances.

Alexei took a step toward the parlor and turned to Lev.
“Tony will be fine. He needs sleep more than anything. When he wakes, he’ll
leave. I’m sure of it. Don’t think I’ll see him again any time soon.” He
laughed but it was without humor, and Lev noticed his eyes were puffy and red.
Tears stood ready to fall.

Alexei wiped his tears, sniffed, then said, “Look, I’ve
made it my business to keep tabs on Boris—I think you might already know that.
But the reason why is that I have to know where he is at all times
because…because
he’s
looking for
me
.”

Lev was dumbfounded. “He’s looking for you? But why?
It’s been many years. I’m sure he’s gone on to make others. Why are
you
so special?”

Alexei smiled, and it transformed his delicate features,
making him beautiful again. He didn’t have to answer the question after all.
Lev’s handsome brother was a magnet, much as he himself was, but the difference
between them was Lev’s desire to repel the pull. He never craved the attention,
unlike Alexei.

“A decade for us is no longer than a minute for a human.
You know that,” Alexei said, not needing to explain but wanting to. “Boris,
well, let’s just say he likes me and very much wants me back.” He shrugged. “It
doesn’t matter anyway. Even if I did take you to see that monster, he won’t
help.”

Lev felt anger begin to rise again but pushed it away.
He had questions. “How do you know Boris is on the hunt for you? And why hasn’t
he found you yet? It’s not like we move around a lot.”

Alexei howled a laugh. “You are naive, brother. Do you
forget he is my maker? I feel that monster calling to me, trying to pull me to
him. As for not moving around, well, we’re not on the run. Besides, staying put
is the reason why he hasn’t found me. Think about it, Lev. We are together, you
and I. We don’t see others of our kind. That’s how I kept word of my location
from spreading.”

“Is Boris far from here?” Lev asked, anxiety creeping
into his voice.

Alexei looked hesitant, not wanting to answer.

“Is he far?” Lev asked again.

“No.” Alexei’s reply came out like a sigh. “He’s here in
the city.”

Lev’s eyes flashed with interest. “Really? Why would you
want to be so close to him if he’s such a monster?”

Alexei patted his brother on the back. “It’s easier to
keep an eye on him when he’s near.”

“So then at least tell me where he is. Carly and I can
go on our own. You’ll be safe, and with any luck, we’ll get what we need.”

Alexei shook his head. “You’ve never set eyes upon this
beast. He’s unlike any other creature of the night. He’d kill you just as soon
as look at you. Worse still, with just one look he’ll know you’re my brother.
If he cannot creep into your mind and steal the information, he’ll torture you
into telling him where to find me.”

Lev straightened and looked Alexei in the eyes. “I won’t
tell. You have my word.”

“Why won’t you listen to me? He’s as ancient as they
come. Lev, if you’re looking for any kind of compassion, you won’t get it.
There is nothing human left in him.”

“Then his wisdom is vast!” Lev said, jumping on Alexei’s
comment.

“Yes, I will admit that, but”—Alexei placed a hand on
Lev’s shoulder—“do you not see the flaw in your plan?”

Lev waited for his brother to continue, curious. Alexei
gave his head a little shake. That smile, the one that turned him from merely
handsome to mesmerizing, returned. “Whether I help you or not, I will end up
alone. If I refuse to help, you say you will leave, even destroy yourself, and
if I do tell you where to find Boris and suppose by some miracle vise he does
help, you’ll leave with Carly. I’ll lose you no matter what. I’ll be alone.”
His smile faded, and his hand fell to his side. “Look at me. Look at what I’ve
become. I don’t want to lose you, brother. There is no good in my life except
for you.”

Lev let his anger and frustration with his brother fall
away and, against his better judgment, pulled Alexei into a hug, squeezing him
tight. His brother returned the embrace.

“It’s not a flaw,” Lev said. “I’ve thought it through. I
know either way you’ll be alone, but really I’m the one without a choice. Life
without the woman I love would be no life at all. If you truly care for me as
you say you do, you’ll let me go.” He let his mental wall down, allowing Alexei
into his mind, and could see by the look on his brother’s face that he finally
understood.

Alexei nodded and pressed his lips into a grim line of
dissatisfaction. “I’ll take you to Boris.” He sighed. “And if I manage to get
away from him, back to the relative safety of this home, I will be damning
myself to a life filled with Tonys. I shall have to make do with the boring,
mind-numbing company of pitiful mortals.”

His brother’s heartbreak was almost palpable, but Lev
knew Alexei would get by, that he was made of tougher stuff than Lev was.

“Shall we go then?” Lev asked.

“Yes, yes but Carly mustn’t come. Best to keep her out
of harm’s way.”

Carly had made her way out of the shadows and now stood
next to Lev. She hooked a hand through his arm and addressed Alexei. “He can’t
hurt me. I’m already dead, remember?”

The trip into the city took only minutes. Alexei and Lev
were used to traveling as quickly as a thought, but Carly held her own. Now
that she was without the encumbrance of a physical body, she too was able to
speed through time and space.

Once there, Lev realized they were in a clearing in a
forest. The night smelled of damp earth and the start of decomposing foliage.
Fall was in the air, and soon the shadowy trees that surrounded them would be
bare. He noticed a swath of mown-down grass just a few feet away. Alexei headed
toward it, leading them along the gloomy path until they stopped at a set of
intricately designed wrought- iron gates, standing like sentinels guarding the
long driveway on the other side.

The house at the end of the driveway was daunting, all
turrets and garrets, giving it the look of a Victorian castle. Lev tested the
barred entrance. The gates were locked.

“Up and over?” Alexei said, and the three of them linked
hands and in unison leapt, though Carly managed more of a float. They cleared
the gates in one bound, landing on the crushed stone of the driveway as
delicately as a cat pouncing in grass.

“I hope you have a plan, brother,” Alexei said as he
eyed the towering stone mansion in front of them.

“I…I was counting on you, Alexei. After all,
you
know the man.”

Alexei was silent for a moment, then laughed so hard he
doubled over and clutched his belly. When he regained his composure, he said,
“So, what am I supposed to do? Knock on the door and ask Boris if he could
please help you and Carly stay together? Explain how she has a soul and you
don’t? Tell him she can move on to the other side and you can’t? Do you really
think he’ll give a rat’s ass?” Alexei cocked his head, a smirk played on his
lips. “I have a feeling he’s going to be more interested in the fact
I’ve
come to see him, than he will be in helping you. I’m only here because you gave
me no choice, and, so you can see for yourself who, or maybe I should say,
what
you will be dealing with.”

Lev thought back to the moment they’d had before leaving
to come find Boris. The hug they’d shared. Did it mean nothing to Alexei?

The double doors to the mansion flew open, snagging
their attention. All three turned their heads as a huge man stepped outside
with shoulders so wide he blotted out the light shining from behind him.

Even from a distance, Lev saw that he was grinning.