Chapter 7. Broken Promise

“What size are you ordering?”

Huh? My eyes met Max’s confused face. What was going on again? Realization dawned on me. I was standing on my favorite café in the mall, ordering with Max, while Marley waited for us at our table in the corner. It seemed that I spaced out again.

“Oh sorry Max, I’m getting the Grande.” I shook my head slightly, trying to get rid of my own confusion.

“Damn woman. I thought I lost you for a second there. What were you thinking about anyway?” Max drawled on with his Brit accent.

“Nothing, I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

“I see. . . Just go and sit with Mar. I’ll follow you in a second.”

Max turned back to the counter and ordered up. I walked back to our table and sat ungracefully, putting my hands under my chin. I let out a puff of air.

“You look so glum Clover. Did your pet die . . .?” Marley choked on the last word, suddenly remembering my crazy predicament.

I just stayed silent. I knew the cause of my depression all too well- Emiri. It was probably because it has been one week since I’d seen her. Ever since the night of the sleepover, I haven’t caught a glimpse of her once, even her shadow. Because of that, I felt empty, bothered, and aching, which was strange for me considering I’d never felt these raw emotions before. I never knew it could be this . . . unsettling.

Max arrived with our orders in his hands. “I know just the thing you need Clover.”

“Peppermint Mocha?” I said while taking my own cup from Max’s hand.

“Nope! You my friend need a man in your life,” he replied cheerily.

I snorted in response. “In case you’ve forgotten, the doctors told me I’m dying.”

“It’s a modern world where miracles happen. Besides, I don’t believe you’re, you know. . .” he trailed and looked pointedly at me.

“Thanks Max. . .” I murmured while taking a sip from the cup.

“My baby always knows the right thing to say,” Marley said proudly while pinching Max’s cheek. I turned away from their display of affection. I didn’t need to be reminded that my own semi-girlfriend haven’t contacted or talked to me yet.

“Anyway Clover, my old buddy Xavier from London is coming for a visit soon. I showed him your picture and as per his words- She’s perfect mate I’m dying to meet her.” Max gave me a wink. “Trust me, one look at him and all that sickness business will vanish in an instant. I mean Xavier has always been a heart breaker.”

“Come to think of it, it’s strange for him to want to meet someone so badly, considering he always snubbed his admirers before. Maybe you’re really his type.”

Max said a couple more things after that, but I only half-listened as I stared out the café’s glass window. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone familiar. My heart pounded. I got up quickly and ran outside, leaving my two companion baffled. I scanned the place, but didn’t see her again.

“You gave us quite a scare Clover. What’s wrong?” Max said while trying to catch his breath. Apparently, he ran after me.

“I- I’m not feeling well Max. I’m so sorry. Let’s do this another time. Please tell Marley that I’m going home first,” I lied.

I couldn’t stay with them like this. All I could think about was her. I needed to go home and sort this out. I was like a walking time bomb- the thoughts of Emiri ready to burst. I gave Max one last wave and ran all the way to the car.

That night, Emiri surprised me by coming in through the window.

“Long time no see,” she greeted. She sat next to me on the bed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

God, I missed her. I studied her face and noted that she looked paler than usual. I reached out and touched her arm, a concerned expression on my face. “Are you alright?”

“Yes I’m fine. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit. Things have been . . . interesting.” It was clear that she didn’t want to talk about it. I nodded and pulled my hand back. I was just glad to see her again.

She continued, “This will probably happen often, but I promise to visit at least once a week. After all, I can’t really stay away from you even it’s for your own good,” she said with a smile.

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just trying to sound all mysterious and dark so you’ll fall for me. Think of it like a book Clover. If our audience is reading this right now, they’re probably thinking that the character Emiri is demented or something. It’s that or they love me by now,” she said with a smirk.

I just smiled at her, not sure where this conversation was going.

“Anyway, you’re coming with me tonight. We’re having the talk that I promised last week. I’ll wait by the Ducati while you get dressed.”

After saying that, she disappeared from the bedroom, not even bothering to wait for my reply. What was going on? I dressed quickly and tried to copy Emiri’s fashion sense. I changed into a clean v-neck shirt, tight jeans, and threw in a bomber jacket. Since I had no boots of my own, I just donned a pair of chucks. This time, I left the house using the front door, knowing full well my mom and siblings were fast asleep.

I walked to the back of the house and saw Emiri sitting gracefully on the Ducati. She had her long black hair tied up like when we went to the beach. I saw her hungrily look at me.

“Not bad,” she muttered.

She handed me the black helmet, and I put it on before once again positioning myself behind her. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and we started to move. We left the neighborhood behind and made way for the city. It was around 11:30 in the evening, but I could still see the bright city lights. We sped up, and I gripped Emiri’s waist tighter.

After a couple of minutes, we finally pulled over in front of a large commercial building. It was one of those buildings you would aim to get in once you enter the work force. I saw the word ‘Tepes’ on the entrance, informing people that it was owned by one, if not the most powerful family in the country and the whole globe.

“Don’t tell me we’re breaking in?” I nervously asked Emiri.

“Relax, I know the guard on night duty,” she told me while removing her hair tie.

I moved up from the Ducati and placed my helmet on top of it. “Does he know you’re a vampire?”

Emiri gave me an amused look. “Not everyone is as accepting as you. So to answer your question; he doesn’t and I have no intention of telling him.”

She walked toward the marbled stairs leading to the entrance. I followed her quickly, praying we don’t get in trouble. Emiri came to the guard and whispered something in his ear, and in turn, he handed her a key. She smiled at him and signaled for me to follow. We headed inside the building without anyone stopping us.

Beside her, I marveled at how grand everything looked, from the polished floor, to the expensive looking lobby. We went through a corridor where the elevators were. She pushed a button and a few seconds later, one of them opened. Once we got inside and the doors closed, I grabbed Emiri’s arm.

“Did you use suggestion on him?” My eyes were wide in panic.

She looked at my hand and smiled. “I told you before, I know him, so there’s no need to worry Clover.”

My hand slumped to the side and I nodded. I needed to trust her a little more. Before long, the elevator doors opened. We already reached the top floor. Emiri took my hand and led me to another lobby. This one looked grander than the lobby on the ground floor. I wondered where the guards were.

As if to answer my question, she spoke, “This building has a guard for every floor, but this one is an exemption. It seems that the acting CEO likes his privacy.”

I was afraid to ask how she knew of such things. It was probably because I’d hate to find out that she did something inhuman- like snack on one of the employees of the building for example. I shivered.

Emiri eyed me with concern. “Shall we go another time?”

I shook my head and fixed my expression to make it more assuring. “I’m okay.”

“Let’s go then.”

She led me to another flight of stairs. On top is a metal door. All the while, my heart was beating fast, scared of what was on the other side. She took a key from her pocket, the one the guard gave her, and used it to open the door.

I was surprised to find out that we were on the rooftop of the building. I glanced at her nervously but she just ushered me near the edge. From there, I could see the whole city.

“Impressive isn’t it?” she said while taking a step near me.

“I’ve never been this high up. It’s beautiful!” The city lights below us sparkled like hundreds of gems. I felt a mixture of exhilaration from the height, nervousness because I was afraid to get caught, and flattery because no one did such things for me before.

“I appreciate the gesture, but why did we come here?” I glanced at Emiri.

“I wanted to make you swoon first before I tell you about me.”

“Well it worked,” I said flirtatiously.

“Did it now?” she smirked. “I’m glad. . .”

“So. . . What was it that you wanted to say?”

Emiri cleared her throat before speaking up again. “My family. . . We. . . We own this building.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“W-well. . .” I stammered. “I’m glad you don’t live under a bridge then,” I joked. She chuckled softly but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

I turned my body to her. “I can’t believe you got nervous over this.” I raised my hand and cradled her cheek, reassuring her. “Don’t worry, I won’t run away from you just because you happen to be a super gazillionaire. Don’t underestimate your charms.” It was my turn to smirk at her.

She raised her own hand and touched mine. “There’s more.”

“Oh, so the story gets better?” I teased again, trying to lighten the mood, though my own heart pounded in my chest.

“It’s about my kind. I want you to know everything about it.”

I gently released my hand from her cheek and placed it down. This is it. This is the part I wanted to know since I met her, I thought.

“You may want to sit down since this is a long and boring story.” I didn’t argue and did as suggested.

Emiri remained standing and began to speak. “Well. . . My kind, you know vampires, has been around since the time of the Sumerians. No one knew exactly how it began. Some say we were cursed by Gods, while others said it was a sickness. During those times, our kind was killed using stakes, sunlight, or something like that. We’re not immortals; we simply live longer than you do, though there are some of us who managed to survive for thousands of years.

“As things became more modern, the vampires began to adapt with the change. To keep up with the times and to prevent death, the leader at the time made a pact with a witch so she won’t get burned by the sun. Her name was Ishtar and her descendants became immune to sunlight, allowing them to live undetected amongst humans.”

Emiri’s lips trembled, and I attempted to comfort her, but she stopped me with a piercing glare. “Let me speak first. . . Please Clover. . .” she pleaded. I remained seated and signaled for her to continue. “Anyway, because of cunning, added endurance, and intelligence, vampires were able to enter politics, commerce, sports, even Hollywood,” she said with a hint of amusement.

I couldn’t help but blurt out. “What about food?”

“That’s not really a problem since we only feed on blood twice a year. Our stomach can handle normal food now.”

“T-then why did you keep asking to . . . ?”

“I’ll get to that part later,” she cut me off and continued. “Vampires flourished not only in the business world, but at everything else. We owned the most successful corporations, the biggest homes, and basically everything you can think of. What most humans are not aware of is behind every successful project in the world is a vampire, may it be in sports, music, literature, you name it.

“At the heart of it all is the Tepes family who vampires consider as their royalty. For them, everyone carrying the name of Tepes is considered an irreplaceable gem- a God even. It’s just too bad that the Tepes children kill each other for the crown.” Emiri inhaled deeply and stared at the moon, a pained expression on her face.

“You see, women are always the successor to the throne, but sometimes the other children don’t always agree, so they kill each other for it. About a year ago, the vampire Queen- the head of the Tepes family died. Her eldest daughter named Catarina should have been the successor, but she was murdered. Well, it’s not proven yet. . .

“Anyway, the next daughter to succeed the throne, Catarina’s sister, declined the position because she didn’t want to end up killing one of her brothers. Also, she was the one closest to Catarina, and when her sister died, well you can imagine her pain.”

“So what does this have to do with you?” I whispered, knowing the answer at the back of my mind.

Emiri turned to me and closed her eyes in pain. “I’m her sister. . . I’m supposed to be the next successor.”

My feet carried me to her in an instant, and I embraced her in my arms, not knowing what else to do to comfort her. My grip was tight, but she removed it easily and held me at arm’s length.

“C-Clover,” she choked. “There’s more,” she said hoarsely.

My voice was almost inaudible. “What is it?”

“Remember how I told you about Ishtar’s pact with the witch?” Emiri’s voice was trembling so much that it took all my strength not to reach out and touch her.

“W-we. . . The two of us. . . We’re c-cu. . . .” Emiri said before her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, choking and writhing in pain.

“Emiri!”

I leaned down to her and pounded on her back, not sure what else to do. Sweat trickled on her neck and she gasped and spasmed on the floor.

“Clover. . . Clover. . .” she repeated, her desperate voice ringing in my ears. Every time she tried to speak, her whole body raked with tremors.

“Stop! Oh my God Emiri just stop talking!” I heard myself say before everything went black.

I woke up a week later on my own bed. Emiri was nowhere to be seen. I asked my mom and siblings what happened to me, but they just looked at me strangely like I was going crazy. I had them recount what occurred during the week, but they said everything was fine as usual. They didn’t know that I was asleep the whole time, or was I awake and didn’t realize it myself? Nothing made sense.

The days passed by quickly, but Emiri never came. Each day, my body became weaker. There were times when I couldn’t get up from the bed and would require the assistance of my siblings and mother. Sometimes Max and Marley would come over to cheer me up, but I was always depressed and nothing they did could ever patch my broken heart. I longed to see my vampire, my Emiri. I didn’t know what happened to her, if she was alive and well. My heart ached just thinking about it. I felt suffocated without her.

A month after my last meeting with Emiri on the rooftop, I felt the tendrils of death at my doorstep. It’s only a matter of days now, I thought to myself. My short life was about to end. If only I could see her one last time before I die. It would be all worth it.

The Gods seemed to grant my wish because my curtains fluttered that night. I smiled weakly in my bed, thinking Emiri came to say goodbye. Instead, I saw another woman standing by the window.

She had curly red hair that ended on her waist. Though her beauty only came second next to my Emiri, she could beat any supermodel with her full lips and straight nose. Her slender body was alert, as if she was ready to go anytime. She looked at me with dark eyes that glowed with a hint of red.

“Clover Valentine,” she said with a dangerous voice.

“I have come for you.”