The Keys To he Kingdom

Michael

"Come on, Michael! You got to do it, man!" Louis said. 

I was hesitating. We were in the lounge in France. The fire was blazing behind me. The heat was unbearable and making the fear so much worse. Having Louis and Marcus there holding her down was a little different. At least she wasn't tied up. I knew how scared she was. I kept having flashbacks of the farm. Of her at fifteen alone with me. After we met that first time. 

***

I sat diligently outside her door, just waiting to see if she needed me. The nightmares soon started. She woke us both up several times during the night. Although I couldn't feel what she felt. I heard the crying after and knew how long it took her to fall asleep again. After spending a few days together, she was well enough to come out of the room. I ventured to speak to her about why she wasn't sleeping. 

Juliet was one of those people who didn't want to seem weak… She avoided my questions for a few more days. During another… She was so depressed that she stayed manifested for several days altogether. It meant she couldn't go out. So, I wanted to surprise her. I had set up a spot for her to get her tattoo. Got all my equipment and sterilized a space. 

I knocked on the door, and she opened it. I held out my hand to her. It wasn't strange seeing her like that. I wanted her to feel comfortable, so I pretended nothing was going on. I took her to a room and told her to sit down. "Okay, tattoo time… What do you want?"

It didn't really seem to bring her back to the surface. I was getting scared that I was in over my head. I didn't want to call for help. I wanted her all to myself… But that meant I was going to try harder. 

She shrugged. 

"What about something small. Somewhere, the teachers at the school won't see." 

She gave a small smile and shrugged again. I hated the gesture from her. "You have to remember that you're just here until you can control yourself… It really won't take that long. Once you've… eaten." She turned her head away from me. I knew it was something that was bothering her. Juliet would have a conscience. "Okay, fine, lie down and turn on your side." She did. "Lift up your shirt so I can get to your ribs." She tugged at the hem and pushed it in under her arm. I knew it would hurt a little, and I went to work. She flinched at first and, every now and again, hissed. "Keep still." After a while, she kinda relaxed. "How about a cigarette?" I asked. 

She turned on her back and scanned my face with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

I couldn't answer that truthfully back then. "It's my job. To make you feel better. To watch you." 

She frowned, eyeing me… I took out the pack and gave it to her. She smiled properly for the first time in days and lost her manifestation. I was so relieved I rocked back and forth on the chair. I waited till I had myself under control… She felt it and ran her hand over her face. Her lips parted, and her body relaxed. "I'm so ugly like that. How can you stand it? I'm not used to it."

"You're not ugly like that… And I don't think insecurity will be your problem… You will soon get used to it." 

"Then what will be my problem?"

"That mouth of yours." I didn't hesitate. Said it so quick. When I realized I had, my eyes came up to hers. She laughed while I felt terrible and clenched my teeth together in apology.

"Put it in your mouth." She put the cigarette between her lips. I lit the lighter and held it up to her. Leaning a bit forward, she put it in the flame. "Now, draw in the smoke." She did, and when she didn't cough at all, I knew I had made a mistake. After a few more drags, she fell back onto the bed, and I kept working. 

"My head feels dizzy." 

"Yeah, seems like you're going to like the drugs."

"What drugs."

I shrugged. "Any kind? Except weed. Stay away. It's bad for vampires."

***

"Okay, I'm done." 

Juliet got up and walked back to her room. She stood in front of the mirror and started laughing. "A bee? A small little bumblebee." She turned around and ran to the bed, jumping on it. "Why a bee?"

"You're as sweet as honey..." 

She snorted. "That's the worst. I would have to prove you wrong." 

I laughed and left her to jump her heart out. 

*** 

I couldn't do it. I was still hesitating. Louis and Marcus had got up after a while. I didn't even hear them talking. They left the room. I was staring at the floor. After we started sleeping together, it had been worse for me. All I knew was Juliet… She stood before me and touched my cheek, bringing me back. 

"You gave me one tattoo… you don't want to give me another."

"I gave you all your tattoos… Honey." 

Her brow furrowed in question, and she pressed her lips together, smiling. "Every time? You were the guy in the parlor?" She laughed until I suspect she remembered our fight... She tilted her head… "Honey?"

The air was dry. It felt like I couldn't catch my breath. Chris didn't even want to consider it. I knew why. "I don't want to do this just to see what would happen."

"Then don't. You don't have to. We can ask Chris again, or no one will do it. I don't care either way."

"We both know he won't do it. It's been fifteen years." I put the poker back onto the stand, letting it rest in the fire. "I think it's my human mind that's having a problem with it. How can I do that to you?" 

"Is it about what happened? Do you need more time?"

"We both know I'm fine… I've even been off all my meds for months."

I sat on the table she had just bent over. "Is it because me bending over didn't go exactly like that in your mind." 

I chuckled. "Is everything about sex with you?" 

She lifted her hands into the air. "Okay, what must I do for you to get over this? Name your price?"

That was kinda how our relationship worked. So, I indulged the idea. "I want to live with you until you die. I don't want to leave before you do." There was still a lot that I was figuring out about our relationship. I watched her nervously.

"So that's it? But we can fix that. You just connect to me again. Isn't it as easy as flipping a switch?" 

"You wouldn't mind? Cause I've been feeling myself getting older. Going through that made my body age… like… too much. You know I'm coming up on forty." 

"I would do anything for you." I pulled her lips onto mine. "You are such a human, wanting to live forever… Why don't you get Rodrigo to turn you into a Zombie."

"Ewe no." We laughed, and I kissed her again. 

She didn't get up. "Anything else? Now's your time…." 

"Even if you have time with the other guys, I want to be on Zoreah with you… I'll go to work and leave you alone… But I want to be close… I don't want to live in Washington alone…. I want to be there for the birth of all your children… And you have to dance for me…."

"No!" She got up and wanted to leave. I grabbed her wrist and chuckled. "That bad, huh? I did it for you in front of strangers."

Juliet stopped. "That's different… I suck at dancing. I'm not a good dancer. I have no rhythm."

"Then take lessons. It's not hip-hop. It's a pole and…." I moaned just thinking about it and pressed her lips onto mine… "My lap." 

She laughed lightly. "You are naughty. The biker genre is getting under your skin. Why don't you go to a strip club?"

"My girlfriend is very jealous." She chortled. "I'm ready if you are… but the dancing is not negotiable…." 

She was actually weighing it up. "I'll do anything... for love, but I can't do that."

I shook my head lightly from side to side. "That's not what the song means."

Juliet paced in front of the fire… I couldn't believe it… She would do it in front of a crowd. But not for me alone… Would I do it for her, alone? It was a little different, I supposed. Juliet ran to Marcus's room and knocked on the door. I was impressed. I was getting a lap dance… Both men came out, and I gave my cigarette to Louis. He took it, and they both pushed her down to the table. When she heard the poker, she started squirming. Louis was on Juliet duty. He nodded when our eyes met; I needed to make sure. 

I pushed down into her flesh over the other two. We were taking a chance. I might be ruining her vampire tatts. Who knew if she really loved me… 

When it pressed onto her skin, I waited for Louis. He would tell me. 

"That's it." 

She was out. The smell I was so scared of reached my nose. I flinched back, dropping the poker on the floor. It had worked… I was still doubting Juliet's feelings for me until a second ago. And I knew it had worked when I lifted my hand and started screaming like a little girl. 

***

Louis

"F-! What the hell is going on!?" 

I jumped back from Michael, who was convulsing uncontrollably. 

Marcus was faster than me. Juliet was in his arms, running for the garage. He was going to the panic room and leaving me there. I giggled nervously, flicking the cigarette into the fire. I manifested and activated my newfound ability. 

There was a pink glow coming out from Michael's back. It turned green, and the colors marbled into a brown-red. He turned around. His back was covered in a tattoo that glowed like Juliet's when I forced her to obey me. Although his whole back was black from Earthly ink. That one shined over all his other tattoos like Mateo's that night. His hands gripped the mantlepiece over the fire. I could see his back because he was manifesting. He grew and grew until his head almost reached the roof. He swatted at the chandelier. The glass shattered, and the fixture went flying across the room. He was changing from a Riphath to a Werewolf on all fours. His weight broke my hand-carved coffee table into pieces. For a second, he was a Vampire sitting back on his heels. He quickly manifested into a Riphath again. His black nails dug through the floorboards, getting stuck and ripping them up.

I pulled out my phone, struggling to get it unlocked. Scared, Michael was going to stand up. 

"Louis, what happened," Chris asked nervously. 

"Co…me… Chris! NOW!" The line went dead. Chris was next to me. Barefoot. 

"What the…" He pushed me back towards the door when it seemed Michael would stand up. He had stabilized and was assessing his prey, his eyes white as snow.

Chris started giggling. "Run." He was out the door faster than I was. He was manifested teleporting up the mountain. I followed, but I heard the beast behind us breaking through my hand-carved front doors. I could hear the wood bursting from the seams. Michael roared into the sky. His body wasn't a baby Riphath. Fully grown and massive. I swore a couple of times, but I wasn't looking back. I was yelling for Chris. 

Michael's eyes were on us from the small porch at the front door. A moment later, I couldn't breathe. His fingers pressed into my flesh before we knew what would happen. I felt saliva on my face. Michael wasn't there. He had no thoughts but death. 

Chris was fast and hit him in the face. My feet came up and kicked him on the chest, away from me. Michael had to give a step back. Chris picked me up in his arms, and we were gone. Chris put me down in a tree high above the ground a second later, but he didn't stay. I heard them fighting. It wasn't long before the helicopter lights came into view. The sky filled with men dressed in white. Carl landed next to me, sitting down on his haunches, watching the show. Warden came down on Michael with the prongs, but Michael wasn't having any of it. He jumped up, grabbed the metal, and tossed Warden into the distance. Chris was running toward him. He wanted to keep Michael busy. Just before he could engage. Michael was gone.