Crisis in Faith

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 2 Crisis in Faith

“IT‟S GREAT to have a balcony overlooking the strip, isn‟t it?” a male voice said behind him. The young Cajun looked over his shoulder at the tall, dark-haired man who leaned against the balcony‟s doorjamb. “It‟s pretty cool,” Luc said. “Vegas managed to squeeze in even more lights. This is my favorite time of year.” Arrigo stepped out on the balcony, joining Luc at the rail. From behind his back, he produced a plastic sprig of mistletoe with a flourish. “I know you were lamenting the lack of holiday decorations.” Luc held up a hand. “I know you‟re not Christian.” “But you live here, too, so I brought you this.” Arrigo dangled it over Luc‟s curly blond crown. Luc grinned. “It‟s the one holiday thing that you‟ll benefit from.” Arrigo whispered a kiss on Luc‟s lips. “Why settle for a silly Santa when I can get a license to kiss you senseless?” The older man pulled Luc against him, kissing him more demandingly this time. Luc pressed a hand against Arrigo‟s chest. “We‟re outside, Arri.” “And how many stories up? Who could possibly see us?” He nibbled Luc‟s neck, a hand pressing against Luc‟s crotch.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 3 “The only thing you have to worry about is getting so lightheaded that you fall over the edge.” Luc snorted. “Someone thinks very highly of himself.” “He always does,” a feminine voice said. The lovers turned, seeing the redhead lounging against the balcony door. Siobhan grinned at them, sauntering out onto the balcony. Luc still felt a little shy around the Irish vampire. He had always been bashful around women, and with one who had been a vampire for so long and who knew Arrigo so well, he felt on uneven footing. “Sorry to interrupt. Are you two just going to play around all night, doing nothing?” Siobhan leaned against the railing next to Luc, looking out over the city. “Maybe we‟re about to do something you don‟t want to see.” Arrigo put an arm around Luc. He kissed the side of the young Cajun‟s neck. Siobhan just cocked an eyebrow. “She might want to watch, given the way you two are.” Luc elbowed Arrigo. “Don‟t encourage her. We were going to go to Taabu‟s and help her decorate for the holidays.” “She does do more of a secular Yule theme,” Arrigo reminded him. “Besides, I have paperwork I should at least look at before Taabu kills me and plants my head on top of the Christmas tree.” “There‟s a lovely image.” Luc scowled. “Siobhan, you can help me convince Arri to decorate here.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 4 “Good luck with that one. He‟s an old pagan. Get him to celebrate Saturnalia with you.” Siobhan patted Luc‟s arm. “You‟ll like that one.” The Cajun offered up an exaggerated sigh, heading back into the apartment. “I‟m still buying a tree.” “I have no problems with that,” Arrigo replied. The trio headed off the Strip to the office Arrigo owned and shared with Taabu, who, like Luc, was a refugee from New Orleans after Katrina. Taabu made her living as a psychic and, together with Arrigo and a few others, did ghost investigations. The young woman was training Luc in the art of storytelling because she wanted to branch out into ghost tours, and he could easily use the work. Luc knew all too well that his stunted education limited his options. Arrigo was helping him there, and in the meantime he‟d found Luc a job as a valet at one of the casinos. The office was oddly busy. Luc hadn‟t thought of Christmas as prime psychic time—that was Halloween if you asked him—but Taabu‟s inner door was shut, so she had someone back there getting a reading. Three more people waited in the incense-filled outer office, serenaded by orchestral Christmas music. Luc had to admit that as much as he loved the holiday, he was relieved not to hear the ubiquitous Christmas carols. One more rendition of Frosty the Snowman and he might snap. Granted, he‟d never actually seen snow. Arrigo had promised to take him to the mountains in the new year so he could. Siobhan and Luc finished putting out the candles and silver and blue floral arrangements Taabu had provided,

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 5 making sure to get a few in Arrigo‟s room. Luc decided, pagan or not, Arrigo could use a holiday candle. The older vampire ignored his lover, actually doing the paperwork and bill paying like he should. Suddenly Arrigo and Siobhan stiffened. Luc looked at them, confused, before he too felt it: a sense of raw power. Vampires could psychically sense one another, an ability—as with most vampiric skills—that got better with age. The older vampires could often estimate the age of another vampire and how far away it was just by how the other vampire felt. Luc was aware of Siobhan and Arrigo‟s presence regardless of where they were in the apartment, but lost the feel if the older vampires got too far away. For Luc to be feeling the presence of a fifth vampire, not in the building, meant he or she was incredibly old and powerful. Luc followed Arrigo‟s and Siobhan‟s gazes out Taabu‟s picture window and saw him. Power flowed off him in nearly visible waves. He was on the short side, with dark olive skin, definitely Middle Eastern or Southern Mediterranean. He wore a Santa outfit, an image ruined by his slimness and the long dark hair that fell to his shoulders in waves. He spotted them through the window and grinned. “Ho, ho, ho.” He held his belly as he laughed, but it didn‟t make him look any more like Santa Claus. Arrigo darted out of the office, his friends following him. “Fadil!” Arrigo called out, grabbing the man in a hug. “It‟s been a long time,” the stranger said. “Perhaps we should go to your place so we can talk.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 6 “This office is partly mine, but we should probably go to my apartment. I live on the Strip. I‟ll leave Taabu a note since she‟s in with a client,” Arrigo said. The three older vampires talked as they walked the stillbusy streets back to the Sky Las Vegas. Luc remained quiet during the long elevator ride to Arrigo‟s impressive condo. All four of them crowded onto the balcony, the lights of the Strip, plus all of those for the holidays, blinking below them. “Now, Fadil, tell us what you‟re doing here!” Arrigo demanded. “Relax, my friend. My story will wait. Get me a beer and tell me how you two came to be keeping company with a fledgling,” Fadil said, tipping back in his chair and propping his Santa-booted feet up on the table. Siobhan went to get the beer. “This is Luc St. John. I sort of inherited him.” Arrigo clapped Luc on the shoulder. “Though there are many other, more enjoyable reasons to keep him.” “Who made him?” “Eleni Lavrushka did this to me. She thought Arri and I were lovers. She did it to punish him,” Luc said, his shoulders hunching as he stared at the balcony floor. “Guess maybe we were working up to that, but we weren‟t lovers.” “Eleni is what Yelizaveta is calling herself now,” Arrigo put in quickly. “Eleni... shouldn‟t really surprise me. She has been getting more and more out of hand of late.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 7 “Who are you, Fadil? Obviously, Arri and Siobhan know you,” Luc said, curiosity battling down his obvious distress at talking about Eleni. “I know them well. I fathered Arri,” Fadil reported, slapping Arrigo‟s arm. Luc startled. “You made Arri? But he‟s so old!” “Thanks,” Arrigo grumbled. “Yes, he is, isn‟t he?” Fadil smirked. “I was born Imhotep, before the first pyramid was built in the Valley of the Kings.” “That old? And here I was calling him Vieux Giancarlo!” Luc laughed. “Well, he is old.” Fadil took his feet off the table, leaning toward Luc. “So, am I a little less imposing than I was at first?” Luc grinned weakly. “Barely.” “Now tell us why you‟re here, Fadil!” Arrigo demanded as Siobhan came back with the beers. The ancient vampire took a long pull from the bottle of lager. “It‟s Christmas!” “Do you expect me to believe you've shown up now, after all this time, just to spread Christmas cheer?” Arrigo‟s dark eyebrows arched. “Yes, and to call a meeting of our kind, mostly the old ones and whoever they have in tow.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 8 “So why are all the vamps meeting here?” Siobhan asked. “Mikhael has discovered something,” Fadil said simply. “Is it something about the virus vampirism?” Siobhan took a swig of her beer.

that

causes

“Yes. Mikhael thinks he may have found a cure,” Fadil announced. Arrigo nearly dropped his beer, and Siobhan‟s eyes widened so much she looked like an anime character. Luc felt a fine tremble overcoming him that he was powerless to stop. “A cure?” Siobhan breathed. “Would it reverse our vampiric state?” Arrigo asked. Fadil spread his hands. “That‟s what Mikhael thinks. He can‟t be sure.” “But why? This is immortality,” Arrigo argued. “Not everyone became a vampire voluntarily, like you, Arri. I didn‟t ask for this.” Luc‟s voice sounded weak even to his own ears. Fadil nodded. “That‟s why I put out a call to gather. While I wouldn‟t trade immortality for the world, I don‟t have the right to make that decision for everyone.” “Would you do it, Arri?” Luc turned to his lover. “Go back to being mortal?” “Never!” Arrigo waved off that idea. “I‟ve loved every age I‟ve lived through. Granted, there have been times when I‟ve

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 9 grown tired of it. Those are the times I go look up old friends.” “As do I,” Fadil put in “Me, too. Sometimes I get very tired of this, but it beats dying,” Siobhan said. “You don‟t know that!” Luc slapped his thigh. “I believe in Heaven. That‟s supposed to be better than here. Granted, if I believe in the exact word of the Bible, being a vampire... drinking blood prevents me from getting there.” “That would put a damper on the afterlife,” Fadil agreed. “When I was young, the Undead were called the Ka and were feared. It was said if a Ka came back from the dead, it would drink anything from blood, to life, to the soul. That was why we were buried with food and finery, to keep the Ka from returning.” He patted Luc‟s knee. “You aren‟t alone in having a religious crisis over your new state of being, Luc. I‟ve been there. For the most part, all of us have at one time or another. Face it, vampires have never been seen in a favorable light. It was easy to believe the worst about us, even when people actually did believe in us, before Stoker and the rest made us media sensations. We don‟t have to kill, but the tales say we do. We aren‟t damned, Luc. Most of us are the same sort of person we were before conversion.” “I know. I guess it would be different if this was something I had wanted. If this cure works... well, I‟ll have a very hard decision to make,” he said quietly. “I think... I need to go out for some air. Excuse me.” Luc got up shakily.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 10 No one tried to stop him. Luc went out into the crowded city streets. Humanity streamed around him. He couldn‟t have felt more isolated if he had been dropped into a pit and forgotten. He knew Arrigo wasn‟t going to understand why he might choose humanity over eternity. He could see it in his friend‟s face. He made his way down the Strip. He wasn‟t sure which bar he wanted to go to, but he wanted to be in one. Luc needed to drink and not think about Fadil and his promise of a possible cure. Luc had usually avoided bars since his vampiric conversion. He‟d lost his head for drink, and he especially avoided strip bars, since getting excited spurred his vampiric lusts even worse than his physical ones. Tonight, he didn‟t care. Maybe he would lose control and show his elders that he was not fit to be a vampire. “Hi, cutie, looking for a party?” a voice said at his elbow. Luc turned, seeing the face of a young blond. He was slightly overweight, but cute. He had tourist written all over him, and the smell of alcohol overwhelmed Luc‟s senses. “Know where one is?” Luc figured, why not? From the looks the young man was giving him, he suspected the party was going to be in their pants, and quickly. “This way. My friends and I got a room,” he said, pulling Luc out the door. He led them to the Tropicana and up to the second floor. Putting the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, he shut it. “There‟s beer in the bathroom. Go get us some,” he demanded.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 11 “Right.” Luc found the beer in a tub half full of melting ice and water. He fished out two cans and went back into the bedroom. The young man was on the bed, and had turned on something senseless on the TV as background noise. “Have anything to say?” he asked, pursing his lips at Luc, who gave the young man a beer and took a heady pull of his own. “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” Luc replied. “Is that Spanish?” He kissed Luc‟s cheek “French!” Luc said sharply. “I‟m Cajun.” “French, even better. You guys are supposed to be great lovers,” the blond said, before tackling Luc back onto the mattress, spilling beer everywhere. Luc didn‟t protest.

LUC barely managed to get home before dawn. His skin had been badly reddened by the pre-dawn light. He had screwed the guy—whose name he had never gotten—all night, barely able to restrain himself from feasting on his blood. It was so out of character for Luc. He had grown up with a homophobic, abusive father. Luc didn‟t seduce men. Like Arrigo, he was bisexual, but he felt more drawn to men, something he had never fully given in to until he met the vampire.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 12 On top of all his transgressions last night, Luc had very unwisely gotten drunk, and tired too. If he hadn‟t woken up when he did, the sunlight would have gotten him. He walked quickly into his room, shutting the door behind him, and fell into bed fully clothed. There was a light knock on his door, and Luc knew it was Arrigo. He said nothing, but Arrigo came in, quickly shutting the door behind him so the light in the hallway wouldn‟t trickle in. “Playing it a bit close, aren‟t we, Luc?” Arrigo scowled at him. “Leave me alone, Arri!” “What were you thinking? From the smell of you, you had too much to drink to do any thinking!” “I don‟t want lectures! I‟m drunk and tired. Yell at me tomorrow if you have to, but leave me alone today!” Luc rolled over, his back to Arrigo. “Are you all right, Luc? Did you get burnt?” Arrigo touched Luc‟s sunburned arm. “A little. It‟s not bad. Please, just leave me be!” Arrigo said nothing more, shutting the door and letting Luc pass out. He went out to the balcony where Fadil awaited. The rising sun didn‟t bother the elder vampires. The Egyptian vampire had changed into one of Arrigo‟s jogging suits, which hung on his smaller frame. “I‟m worried about Luc,” Arrigo said without preamble.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 13 “Give him time and space, Arri. He has a lot to think about. He isn‟t like you. He didn‟t want this and as I recall, you wanted this life badly,” Fadil replied. “I did.” Arrigo laughed at the memory of himself as a teenager trying to prevent an angry Fadil from leaving his resting place. “You had a lot of balls to do what you did, I‟ll give you that. You Romans, always trying to conquer things. But Arri, my point is that not wanting this in the first place might make Luc not want to remain a vampire. He is young; he hasn‟t lived out a lifetime yet. The first lifetime is always the hardest. You know most of our kind barely ever survive it; most just give up and die. Until now, the only hope Luc had of ending his existence was true death. That‟s not a pleasant option. With this supposed cure, Luc could go back to a normal, mortal life. You‟re upset because in rejecting this life, he is, in essence, rejecting you. You may not have created Luc, but you have been responsible for him. You care about him.” “I know, and you‟re right. I just want to be sure he‟s making the right decision. But the right decision for him may not be the one I‟d like him to make.” Arrigo let his head fall back, his ponytail slipping over his shoulders as he watched the sun turn the sky into a swirl of rose and gold. “You‟ll have to face that, Arri. But it can wait until tomorrow. For now, go to sleep. I‟m tired.” “Getting old and weak?” Arrigo grinned, reaching over to tug Fadil‟s hair.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 14 “Why don‟t you let me show you just how old and weak I am?” Fadil suggested. “Normally I would, but….” Arrigo got up and kissed Fadil. “You and I know each other well. We‟re old enough not to feel tied to any one person. Luc is still learning, and I do care about him very much. His father was an awful man— hateful, abusive—and they call our kind monsters.” Arrigo sniffed. “Luc grew up feeling like he was damned for loving other men. Being with me is a big step for him. I‟m not sure he‟s ready to deal with my own fluidity. He knows it exists, but….” “For now, you don‟t want to press the issue. I understand. You and I have all the time in the world.” “Thanks for understanding.” “That‟s what friends do.”

ARRIGO was up and about in the main room even before night had fallen. Fadil was already gone, making the final preparations for the party he had planned for Mikhael, who had a lab near a local college. The lab had a large courtyard for employee break periods that would do well for a party of vampires. Luc was slow to awaken and when he did, he looked terrible. His skin was still red, yet he managed to give an impression of being green around the gills at the same time. He slumped onto the couch with a groan. “I feel terrible!”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 15 “I don‟t doubt. If you had gotten home a few minutes later, I would have found your ashes on the doorstep,” Arrigo said. “Leave me alone, Arri!” Luc shoved his hand out. “My head is pounding!” “Hardly surprising,” Arrigo said. “But you should know better than to get totally blown out. A hangover‟s no longer the worst thing that can happen to you!” “No, obviously not. Having you nag me to death is,” Luc retorted. “I do have something to make you feel better,” Arrigo replied. “A barrel of aspirin?” Arrigo beckoned for Luc to follow him. He fished a bottle off the counter and poured a glass of it out. “Fresh from the butcher. It‟ll taste a little weird since it‟s beef, but no preservatives in it like the old blood bank blood. It‟ll whip that hangover right out of there, and then I‟ll show you what I have for you.” “This isn‟t it?” Luc drank in greedy gulps, and then accepted a refill. Arrigo flashed a mysterious grin. “No. You‟ll see.” When Luc finished his sanguine breakfast, Arrigo took him into the den. A large, long box sat in the middle and bags ringed around it. Luc‟s jaw dropped. “You actually got me a Christmas tree?”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 16 “And all sorts of decorations.” Arrigo wrapped his arms around Luc as he kissed Luc‟s neck. “I know what this means to you so I thought it was the least I could do.” “You didn‟t have to. I know it‟s not your holiday.” Arrigo squeezed him tight. “You‟re important to me. What sort of lover would I be if I didn‟t care about what matters to you?” Luc twisted in his arms so he could kiss Arrigo full on the lips. “Help me build the tree.” They got the tree up with maximal fuss. To Luc‟s surprise, Arrigo was not tremendously handy and had no patience for reading directions. By the time they tried putting up the lights, tempers began to rear their heads. “Arri, you start at the bottom and go up, not the other way round.” “Luc, one more word and I‟m strangling you with Christmas lights and staking you with the tree,” Arrigo growled, frowning when he saw Luc cringe and remembering the young man‟s upbringing a little too late. Arrigo flung the light strand around Luc‟s shoulders, hauling the fledgling to him. “Arri, you weren‟t serious!” Arrigo trussed Luc‟s arms down lightly with the strand and kissed him soundly. Luc relaxed in his Christmassy cage as his lover‟s tongue swept the far corners of his mouth. Arrigo ground his hips against Luc‟s, then tried to lower Luc into a pile of fake cotton snow and a sparkly tree skirt. Luc

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 17 squirmed a little, but Arrigo didn‟t free his arms from the lights, letting the strand drape freely while he opened Luc‟s jeans. “Arri, you can‟t expect me to do this tied up in Christmas lights. Something will break and cut me.” Arrigo ran a hand up Luc‟s hardening cock. “I don‟t think parts of you are getting that message.” He licked the tip of Luc‟s penis, making the young man groan. “Siobhan might walk in.” “Siobhan is off gambling with Fadil. Trust me on that one.” Arrigo sucked Luc gently. “Santa‟s watching.” Arrigo chuckled. “I‟ll make up for whatever Santa doesn‟t bring you.” “I think Santa‟s already brought me what I want,” Luc said, squirming free of the lights as Arrigo took him deeply into his mouth. Luc ran his fingers through Arrigo‟s hair as the Italian vampire‟s tongue and lips worked magic on him. Arrigo kept up the sweet torment until Luc was writhing on the tree skirt, begging incoherently. Arrigo got to his knees, rubbing the soft fabric of his trousers over his erection. “Now would be the time to lose the jeans,” Arrigo said, standing up. Luc shucked out of them while Arrigo retrieved a bottle of lubricant from the desk. The Cajun grinned, realizing

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 18 Arrigo had planned for this to be the final outcome of their decorating. When Arrigo knelt back down, Luc got his lover‟s pants loosened. He circled a thumb over Arrigo‟s nipple, feeling it stand up under his shirt. Their mouths met, blood teeth down, scraping against tongues and lips. Arrigo bore Luc back against the floor, his big hand surrounding their cocks, rubbing them together. After a few strokes, he tipped some of the lubricant onto his fingers and Luc‟s. Luc oiled Arrigo‟s shaft while the vampire slid one finger inside Luc, followed quickly by another. Their bodies intertwined, Luc‟s accepting Arrigo‟s cock readily. His hips pumping slowly, Arrigo nipped the skin of Luc‟s collarbone and then a nipple, sucking at the pearl of blood that welled up. Luc groaned under him, his fingers digging into Arrigo‟s muscular ass as if trying to pull the whole of the vampire inside him. Endurance was one of a vampire‟s best traits. Senses overwhelmed, they rocked together, no words exchanged as a jazz version of Christmas music played on the stereo. Finally spent, they sprawled on the floor. Luc laughed. “This was the most fun tree trimming ever.” Arrigo rolled up onto one elbow. “There‟ll be plenty more. Never could turn down a pole raising.” He grinned as Luc groaned. “We have eternity, after all.” He traced a path down Luc‟s sweating belly but the blond glanced away. “Luc? You‟re not thinking about what Fadil said about a cure, are you?” Luc sat up, twisting away. “Why not? I never wanted this. You know that.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 19 “Yes, but I thought you were happy with me.” “Couldn‟t I be happy with you, just for a little while, if I were mortal again? You said you‟ve had a lot of human lovers,” Luc replied. “It‟s not the same. I can‟t believe you‟re considering this.” Arrigo got to his feet. “It‟s crazy.” “Not to me. You just don‟t get it, do you?” Luc flailed around for his jeans. “You never will. You love being a vampire. I don‟t.” He yanked his clothing back on. “I don‟t want to talk to you right now.” “You‟re being ridiculous.” “And you‟re an ass who always has to be right.” Luc stormed out of the condo. He was halfway down the Strip before he even slowed down. His breath rasping, he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. He should still be lying next to his lover or arguing over what bulbs went where. He shouldn‟t have gotten that angry at Arrigo, but the older vampire shouldn‟t act as if, in rejecting a condition he never asked for, Luc was really rejecting Arrigo. If he went home now, they‟d only fight more, mostly because Luc wanted to fight. He wanted to be angry. He was only months into being a vampire. He hadn‟t adjusted yet, hadn‟t had the ability to give in to his rage. He‟d been numb. Now, with dawn just around the corner, he had two choices: go home and hope maybe to just lock himself in his room, or say the hell with it and prove he didn‟t need anyone at all.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 20 Casinos had no windows. He‟d be safe from the sun. Luc made his choice. He had his wallet and the bank card for Arrigo‟s saving account. Now all he had to do was stay awake and play the day away.

AS

HARD as it was to stay awake, Luc had used the money

he‟d taken from Arrigo‟s account and wandered around inside the MGM casino all day. There were so many stores and gaming floors, all without windows, that he always had something to entertain himself with, keeping awake without fear of getting hit by sunlight and dying. Finally, when dusk came, Luc headed out onto the Strip. He‟d have to go home and apologize. Luc felt the presence of an elder vampire hit him hard as he crossed the street. As the distance between them closed, Luc recognized Fadil. “Good evening, Luc,” Fadil said, smiling as if nothing was wrong. Surely he knew that Luc had disappeared all day. “How‟d you know to find me here?” Luc turned his face away, embarrassed. “I didn‟t. When you didn‟t return to Arri‟s or turn up at Siobhan‟s, we set out looking for you. Casinos have no windows, so they were the logical place to look for you. There are just so damn many of them. With all their slot machines, stores, and crowds, it wasn‟t exactly easy to find one blond

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 21 in the bunch. Fledglings like you don‟t put out much of a signal to home in on,” Fadil said matter-of-factly Luc glared at him. “I wish you hadn‟t come here with your promises of a possible cure.” “It‟s only making you face a decision you would have had to make sometime, Luc. Most vampires don‟t survive the first few years; they commit suicide. That might be the path you eventually would have chosen, despite how abhorrent it may sound to you now,” Fadil pointed out. “Maybe. I just wish Arri could understand. I‟m not sure what I want, but he thinks his way is the only way!” “It‟s not that. Arri is open-minded except when his emotions get involved. He tends not to think clearly then. He can‟t help himself. He‟s Italian; they‟re naturally passionate.” Fadil smirked. “Whatever.” Luc shrugged. “I wish I had never heard of you or your damn promise.” “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” “Screw philosophy,” Luc shot back. “You know, the people around these parts really know how to build. I should have stayed in the Luxor," Fadil remarked. “From a professional point of view, that is.” “What does that have to do with anything?” Luc asked. “Absolutely nothing. That‟s why I said it. We‟ve run out of conversation on the other topic. It‟s something you and

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 22 Arri have to work through for yourselves. I figured the Strip would be a nice, neutral subject.” “Yeah, Vegas is interesting; not quite like home is.” Luc shrugged. “Why the Luxor? You like pyramids?” “What do you know about the pyramids, Luc?” Fadil asked as they headed for Arrigo‟s condo. “Not much. I don‟t know much about anything. Père didn‟t like me going to school. He didn‟t see the need,” Luc said bitterly. “Pulled me and my brother out when we were twelve.” “I think Arri mentioned something to that effect. Remind me to tell you about them sometime.” “Whatever. Let‟s stop somewhere. I don‟t want to go home yet,” Luc said sheepishly “How about that place?” Fadil said, pointing to the Bellagio‟s gardens. Luc nodded. “The water dances to Christmas music.” His shoulders sagged. “I could use a little cheering up—this works.” They settled into the fringes of the crowd, listening to the splashing of the famous fountains moving in time to holiday music. Confident that their voices would be drowned out, Luc asked what he‟d been dying to ask ever since the ancient vampire first mentioned it “Do you think this cure might work, Fadil?” “Maybe. I honestly can‟t say. I‟m no scientist. I was always better with architecture and writing. Mikhael thinks it has a chance.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 23 “How does he even know it might work?” “Some in vitro experiments or some such. I didn‟t ask him. I know it hasn‟t been tested on a vampire yet.” “You won‟t try it, will you?” Luc turned his gaze back out to the fountains, not wanting to see the judgment in the older vampire‟s eyes. “No, and neither will Arri or Siobhan, I can promise you that. Nor will we try to stop you if it‟s what you want,” Fadil replied. “Arri will be upset if I do.” “Yes, he will, but your well-being is his greatest concern and if this is what you want, he‟ll not stand in your way,” Fadil assured him. Luc fell silent for a few moments and then said, “I know you made Arri what he is, Fadil. Why did you do it?” Fadil cocked his head to the side. “Did he never tell you that story?” “No. I never asked.” “Arri was a young soldier in Caesar‟s army, having started with the cadre as a young boy as a....” Fadil trailed off, searching for the polite term. “Boy toy,” Luc put in. “He told me that much.” “If you put it that way, yes. Anyhow, he must have seen me at night, saw me feed, knew where I slept. He didn‟t know what I was, but he knew power when he saw it. He wanted that power for himself. He cornered me coming out of my bed

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 24 and demanded I show him my magic and teach it to him. He had balls, I‟ll give him that. He couldn‟t hold me there, of course, but his gutsy move intrigued me, so I showed him what I was, what being a vampire was all about, good and bad. He wanted it despite that, so I honored his wishes. We were together a very long time. He is very special to me,” Fadil said, pointing to a spectacular leap of water. “Neat.” “And to me,” Luc conceded. “Maybe it‟s time to go home. I know he‟s worried.” Fadil dug out a cell phone. “They‟re out looking for you. I‟ll call them. We can just wait here.” Luc nodded. It took Siobhan fifteen minutes to arrive. After a bit of fussing over him, she was content to sit back and wait for the next fountain show. Arrigo arrived five minutes later. “Are you all right?” Arrigo caught hold of Luc‟s elbow. “I can take care of myself. I‟m sorry I lost my temper like that, Arri.” Luc shrugged him off. “I‟m sorry, too. I lost it first and I shouldn‟t have. You‟re certainly old enough to make your own decisions without any help from me. Whatever you decide, Luc, I‟ll support it.” “Thanks, Arri, I appreciate it. I really do. I‟m tired, though. I didn‟t sleep. Do you mind?” “No, go get some sleep. You look wasted,” Arrigo said. “Thanks.”

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 25 “And we‟ll talk about the pyramids later, too, Luc. I can tell you anything you want to know,” Fadil offered as they started back toward the condo. “Thanks, Fadil. I‟m looking forward to it.” “Oh, you didn‟t agree to let him lecture you about the damnable pyramids, did you?” Arrigo wagged his head. Luc turned back. “Sure. Why? I don‟t know much about them. You‟re the one always encouraging me to learn,” he pointed out. “You don‟t understand. Fadil was Imhotep! He built the very first pyramid, a step pyramid in Saqqara, for King Djoser in the year 2630 B.C. or so. Later, after his supposed death, he was made a demigod for his architectural achievements. To this day, archaeologists look for the tomb of Imhotep with no luck!” Arrigo said, talking with his hands to emphasize his point. “I‟ve heard the story a million times. He‟ll go on about the pyramids until you‟re ready to be laid in one!” “The pyramids are a wonder of the ancient world!” Fadil cupped a hand over his heart. “My name has lived for over four thousand and six hundred years! I was a god!” “He still thinks he is one,” Arrigo said wryly. “I recall you calling me one from time to time,” Fadil shot back. Arrigo stuck his tongue out at his oft-time lover and then added, “He‟ll bore you to death about the pyramids!” “He will,” Siobhan threw in.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 26 “Tell you what, Fadil, if you begin to bore me, I‟ll tell you to shut up,” Luc said brightly. “I‟m not telling you now! Watch the History Channel, read a book if you want to know about the pyramids,” Fadil snorted. Luc just shook his head. By the time they reached home, he was barely still on his feet. He fell onto the bed fully clothed, asleep before he could worry about it.

LUC stayed close to Arrigo in the lab‟s courtyard. It was full of more vampires than Luc ever expected to see in one place, nearly a hundred of them. Arrigo, Fadil, and Siobhan were being social butterflies, dragging him with them. They obviously knew many of the vampires present and hadn‟t seen them for a good long time. A pair of slender arms encircled Luc‟s waist, pulling him against a soft, yielding body. He looked back into the face of an oriental woman. “You‟re a handsome young thing. How‟d you like to play?” she purred, nuzzling his neck, her blood teeth scratching him lightly. “Nyoko, that one‟s taken!” Arrigo came to Luc‟s rescue. “Don‟t you share?” Nyoko laughed. “Not when they‟re this sweet.” Arrigo pulled Luc from Nyoko‟s grasp. The Japanese vampire shrugged and moved off to find friendlier game.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 27 “Thanks, Arri. This is incredible. I didn‟t realize there were so many vampires around.” “This is but a handful. Come on, I think Mikhael is ready to start,” Arrigo said, pointing to the head table. The short, slender Greek vampire was on his feet, trying to quiet the crowd. Slowly the dull roar of party atmosphere died away as the vampires settled down. When quiet was achieved, the scientist spoke. “You all know why you‟re here, and unfortunately it‟s not merely to celebrate the winter holidays. I‟ve been a scientist for a very long time, studying in secret the intricacies of our condition. It‟s a virus unlike anything I‟ve ever seen, and an unusually stable one, genetically speaking. I‟ve been studying it for nearly twenty years and it has never mutated. Of course, I haven‟t been able to study it to its fullest, not without revealing it to my colleagues and having to explain where it came from, thus threatening our existence. It‟s still better mortals don‟t know about us. “At any rate, this virus seems to rewrite human DNA, changing it to something different, unique to us. I‟m sure that‟s where our changes come from, even if I don‟t understand exactly how it all works. That‟s the nice thing about medical science; you don‟t have to understand something completely to find possible cures. “I‟ve found something that inactivates the virus in vitro. It‟s not toxic to human tissues. However, it hasn‟t been tested in vivo. I‟ve no desire to lose my immortality, but I know there are some of us who‟ve tired of our existence. There‟s been no animal testing, either, since this virus

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 28 doesn‟t affect animals. It may be that my so-called „cure‟ will only inactivate the virus, making us sterile as far as creating fledglings, and not reverse our condition. Maybe it‟ll make us mortal again. Maybe it‟ll kill whoever takes it. I just don‟t know. I need a guinea pig.” Mikhael looked out over the crowd, and there was a dead silence as the vampires absorbed all the information. “Are there any volunteers?” he asked hopefully. Still, nothing but silence as they all looked each other over. Finally, a small, thin blond stood up, looking very nervous. “I‟m Gustaof Vandewater. Some of you know me. Don Dario Pena brought me into this against my will. I‟ve never been happy with it, but coming to a painful end isn‟t exactly appealing either. I‟m willing to try.” “I can‟t promise you anything, Gustaof. And, of course, you‟ll need to stay at my lab for observations and follow-up, since I don‟t know what might happen once we start this,” Mikhael said ruefully, motioning Vandewater forward. “Follow me.” He led the way inside and into the sterility of his workplace, many of the other vampires following. “I understand,” Gustaof said, taking a seat where Mikhael indicated. “Pull up your sleeve for me, then.” Luc leaned forward in rapt attention as Mikhael filled a syringe with a bright red fluid. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arrigo looking at him in concern. Luc flushed, a wave of guilt coming over him.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 29 “I‟m sorry,” he whispered. Arrigo‟s expression saddened, knowing Luc had made his decision. Luc looked away. Their attention was drawn back to the front of the room as Vandewater cried out. “God, it burns!” he hissed, clutching his arm where Mikhael had injected him. Mikhael did a quick check of Gustaof‟s vitals. Reassured that the vampire wasn‟t dying, the Greek scientist drew blood out of Gustaof‟s other arm. He extracted a few picoliters out of the draw tube and made a smear. “No disintegration of the virus yet,” he reported. “How long does it take?” Gustaof asked, still in pain but looking better. “It was immediate in vitro, but maybe it takes longer in vivo.” Several more blood draws left Gustaof bruised and discouraged. There had been no change. Mikhael looked keenly disappointed. “I don‟t think it‟s going to work. Maybe it‟ll take time. Antivirals can take a few weeks. I don‟t know the dosage,” he said sadly. “Maybe more of the serum will work. I can do this for anyone who still wants to try it.” Mikhael only had a few more volunteers. The rest of the vampires tried to regain the holiday mood. Luc got up and walked out of the lab, hurrying up the street in a tearblinded state. He heard footsteps behind him, but didn‟t stop

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 30 until Arrigo grabbed him. Neither said anything for several long moments. “I‟m sorry, Luc. You could go back, give it a try if you really want,” Arrigo said softly. “No. It‟s not going to work, not now, not weeks from now.” Luc‟s fists balled up. “And I‟m not sure what I want, not really. I know I only have two choices, life or death. I have to decide which I want, just like you all did at one time or another.” Luc fought for control over his rampant emotions. “In time, you may find that immortality isn‟t such a bad thing. I‟ve quite enjoyed it myself,” Arrigo said. “I know.” Luc clutched Arrigo‟s hand. “Take me home, Arri, please. I can‟t stay here.” The vampire‟s pupils dilated and he fumbled for his cell phone, easing his hand out of Luc‟s. “Siobhan? Yeah, look, Luc needs to go home. You and Fadil stay and enjoy the party. Right, I‟ll take good care of him.” “You always do,” Luc whispered as his lover hung up. Luc sank into silence as Arrigo led him to his car and started for home. He couldn‟t think about the loss of hope right now. He truly wished he never heard of Mikhael‟s promise of a cure. Arrigo made a few attempts to draw Luc out before allowing him to stay locked up in his own thoughts. Luc moved ahead of Arrigo into their home. He headed into the den and stared at the half-decorated tree. He never

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 31 thought he‟d ever even see a luxurious place like this, let alone live in it. He'd grown up poor in New Orleans, and after Katrina forced his family out, he hadn‟t lived any better in Vegas. Arrigo had opened a whole world for him. He gave Luc a place to live safely, got him a job, was helping teach him so he could pass his GED‟s, and, most importantly, gave him love. When viewed through that lens, meeting Arrigo and becoming a vampire was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Maybe he was wrong to not want it. “Luc?” “I was thinking that the real meaning of Christmas is hope.” Luc turned to face Arrigo. “I lost a little of that tonight.” “I‟m sorry for that.” Luc waved him off. “Maybe I‟m hoping for the wrong things. Looking at the tree here, thinking about what it all means to me, I decided maybe I need new things to hope for, like that you‟ll keep me around for a long time.” “Luc, you know I wi—” Luc put a hand over Arrigo‟s mouth. “You‟ll drift away from me and then back again. I‟m a little dumb about some things, Arri, but I do get people. I watch you, Siobhan and Fadil. I know you‟ve all been each other‟s lovers at some point, maybe all at once. Maybe that‟s what will happen with me, too, and it might not be so bad. But for now I need you to myself, and I know you understand that. You haven‟t seen Fadil in a long time, but even as much as you two flirt, that‟s all it‟s been. I think I‟ve gotten what I need for Christmas

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 32 already—people around me who finally care about me and how I feel. I‟m not used to nice people, Arri. I don‟t even trust them sometimes, but I‟m getting better. Even if I get mad when you get bossy—and you know you do—I still appreciate that you‟re trying to look out for me.” “You deserve that.” “Thanks. Now, give me something more to hope for, Arrigo.” Luc crushed his mouth to Arrigo‟s, less a kiss than a war of dominance as teeth clicked together. Pressing against Arrigo‟s lean body, Luc bit into the older vampire‟s neck, making Arrigo groan, relishing it. The spicy blood, so different in taste from a human's, seemed to shoot straight from Luc‟s mouth to his groin. Instantly hard, Luc flexed his hips against Arrigo‟s, seeing the delight in his eyes as Luc‟s aggressiveness took Arrigo by surprise. Luc dropped to his knees, clawing Arrigo‟s trousers down. He bit into Arrigo‟s firm thigh, drinking while he stroked the man‟s cock. “Oh god, Luc, yes! More,” Arrigo begged. Licking the spiciness from his lips, Luc then laved his tongue around the tip of Arrigo‟s cock, chasing away the salt pearls gathering there. He swallowed Arrigo down, sucking and licking until the man‟s legs shook. Luc let him pop free, glancing up the lines of Arrigo‟s body. Arrigo had pulled his hair out of its ponytail, letting the dark strands fall over his shoulders. The man‟s blood teeth were out and Luc wanted to feel them in him.

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 33 “Still got that lube in here?” Luc rasped. “I‟ll get it,” Arrigo replied, as Luc finally freed him completely of his pants. Walking on unsteady feet, Arrigo found the bottle of lubricant while Luc stripped. Stretching out on the carpet, Luc stroked his own cock. Arrigo watched him for a moment before joining him on the floor. “Do you know how alluring you are?” Arrigo pushed Luc‟s curls back off his sweating forehead. “Show me.” Mouths warred again. Somehow, the lubricant managed to get where it belonged, not that Luc had any conscious sense of anything but his overwhelming need. He pushed Arrigo back onto the carpet, still needing to be the one in charge tonight. Straddling the older vampire, he gently guided Arrigo‟s slicked cock inside him. Luc‟s fingers bruised Arrigo‟s skin as he clung to him, riding him slowly at first, savoring the sensations washing up his spine and wrapping around his brain until all he was aware of was the feel of his lover below him. Arrigo‟s dark eyes were glazed over. Luc had never tried this position with him before, and while he felt a little clumsy at it, he could tell Arrigo liked this bolder side of him. Luc found it amazingly freeing. Arrigo‟s big hand caught Luc‟s cock, stroking it as Luc picked up his pace. The talented fingers brought Luc off quickly, earning warm wet stripes across his belly. Arrigo‟s hands clamped on Luc‟s waist, bracing him as he thrust

Crisis in Faith | Jana Denardo 34 sharply up into Luc. The Cajun met Arrigo‟s hips with equal force, moans dribbling past his lips. Luc splayed his hands on Arrigo‟s chest, feeling it quiver as his lover climaxed. Afterward, he rested in Arrigo‟s arms. “If I have to be a vampire, I guess I couldn‟t ask for better mentors than you and Siobhan.” Arrigo kissed him. “Thanks.” Luc didn‟t want to lose the good feeling he had now. He couldn‟t think about the cure again. Luc caught sight of the half done tree. That was a better thing to focus on. “So, think we can ever get the decorating done without killing each other?” Arrigo smiled, seeming to sense Luc‟s need to stay away from the other topic. “If we keep taking our usual break from it, I think we‟ll be fine.” “We won‟t be able to walk tomorrow, but I‟m not seeing that as a real problem.” Luc grinned. Arrigo laughed. “Once I catch my breath, we can finish the Christmas tree.” “Good.” Luc looked at the half-adorned green branches. His shattered hopes felt partially healed now, just knowing he was cared for. This might just be the most wonderful Christmas he‟d ever known.

About the Author

JANA DENARDO‟s career choices and wanderlust take her all over the United States and beyond. Much of her travels make their way into her stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and mystery have been her favorite genres since she started reading, and they often flavor her works. In her secret identity, she works with the science of life and gives college students nightmares. When she‟s not chained to her computer writing, she functions as stray cat magnet. She‟s also learning that the road to enlightenment is filled with boulders she keeps falling over and that the words gardening and Zen don‟t go together no matter what anyone says. Visit Jana‟s blog at http://jana-denardo.livejournal.com/.

Copyright

Crisis in Faith ©Copyright Jana Denardo, 2010 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Art by Anne Cain [email protected] Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America December 2010 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-776-4