4. Bitter

Warning: Mild adult content and Mars' bad hair day 

________

Bridgeport, Same Day

 Kat had fallen asleep with the old diary still in her hand. That night she dreamt of the mysterious Mars Mortensen – what he might look like; putting herself in Arianne’s shoes and feeling the same fascination she had felt upon meeting him. 

On the other side of the city Nick lay in bed, listening to Amy’s light snoring. The launch had gone off well but they hadn’t had much time alone. It was exactly two hundred years since they had met; he was sure she had forgotten in all the commotion to get Hemisphere up and running in time. He wondered, for a moment, what his life would be like if he had convinced his brother not to undertake an internship with Dr. Livingston. He wouldn’t have met Amy; she wouldn’t be a vampire; she would have had a full life, grown old and had children like she had always dreamed of. If ever she blamed him for this kind of life, she never let on. He closed his eyes and recalled the day he arrived in Riverview.

Riverview, 1805

Nick's Recollection

Ileana gave a soft rap on the door before entering. She set the tray of tea down on the coffee table and began arranging the cups and saucers.

 Her breasts just peaked over the top of her blouse; a faint golden glow fell over her bosom as the fire cast its shadows around the room. Her chest heaved in rhythm with her quickened breathing as she felt his eyes rove hungrily over her. He judged them to be tender, juicy and untouched by any other man. Closing his eyes, he let out a low growl as he imagined sinking his teeth into her, her soft skin punctured in just the right way so as not to spill the blood.

 He felt her body stiffen; her hands trembled as she tried so desperately not to drop the Master’s finest china. He reclined, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

 “Thank you. You may go.” Nikolai’s voice travelled from the other end of the room, relieving the young woman of further humiliation.

Mars, dejected, watched her leave their quarters in silence and haste: anger and embarrassment burning furiously on her cheeks. 

“She doesn’t seem too taken with me.” Mars laughed, disguising his mild disappointment. Women generally fell under his spell quite quickly, but Ileana seemed aware of his little game. He guessed that the only reason she held back on giving him a piece of her mind was because in this house he was the guest and she was the servant. 

 “Perhaps she doesn’t fancy redheads.” Nikolai remarked dryly as he inspected one of the many paintings that hung on the wall.

“You make me laugh.” Mars stood up; a hollow laugh escaped from between his lips. 

“What is the matter? I sense that you are not happy here.” His fingers worked deep into the tissues, hitting the pressure spots right on.

 Nikolai shrugged his brother off. “I have expressed my concerns over this idea of yours. How many more doctors will you compel?”

“It is not as if I compelled you to accompany me.”

“Someone has to clean up after you.” 

 “I am only taking a leaf out of your book, Nikolai.” He paused, more for dramatic effect than to seek to convince his brother that this was a better idea than hunting. “Except, where you feed on the rats, I feed on the dying.” He frowned, taking in the disapproval etched on his brother’s face. “They all die eventually. You should be pleased that I have not fed on a healthy human in months.”  

Nikolai cast his brother a cold look before retreating to his bedroom. He was exhausted from it all. He never wanted this for himself and he’d never wish it on anyone – not even his greatest enemy. Mars was to blame. For everything.

His eyes shot open and fell on Amy, now snuggled up against him. He allowed himself to be selfish; to be thankful for having not convinced Mars otherwise.