64: Against the Instinct

It was about to get dark. There was an air of relief in the Hotel Rose Royale. Aaron and Sophie sat in the lobby of the hotel and waited for Mike to book rooms for them. Boris stood guard at the gate of the hotel, forced by his habit. The hotel had a medieval theme to it. There were random Coats of arms and shields with different emblems hanging on the walls. There were large chandeliers with candles on them. Large tapestries sprawled down from the ceilings. Even the furniture in the lobby looked straight out of a castle. The visit to the town had been more fruitful than they had imagined. Aaron had engaged with the vampire High Lord and had lived to tell the tale. Sandra Hudson had seen the light but her husband was still a threat. Aaron was certain that the temperature in NYC would be a tad cooler after the dialogue with his enemy. The memory of New York reminded him of what he had left behind in that city. The house that he was living in was nothing but a pile of ashes now. The man who was responsible to keep him safe was lying buried under the ground in pieces. As far as Aaron was concerned, he was done with the city. A part of him wanted to return but he knew that even if he did, the elders would arrange his refuge in some other city and no matter how much he thought less of them, he would have to concede. He looked at Sophie and found her looking drained as she wanted the day to end. The hotel was no holiday resort and it was off season so Mike had the option to book a separate room for each of them. He consulted Boris over it who suggested that they get two, one for the kids and one for the men. Mike agreed and handed over his credit card to the receptionist. Aaron saw Boris go back to the gate to stand there like a scarecrow. The receptionist was taking forever to put their booking in the system. She was giving Mike a robotic smile as her computer struggled for its life. Mike didn't mind. There was no queue behind him and he didn't have much to do. Aaron approached from behind him and wanted to have a word. The receptionist advised Mike to take a seat in the lobby while her computer tried to pull off a miracle. Mike nodded in agreement and walked to the nearest seat.

“So, what’s the plan?”, Aaron asked as soon as they had found their seats. Mike was in deep thought as he pondered over his options without making eye contact with Aaron. He looked around for his daughter and found her dozing off on a couch. Aaron restlessly awaited an answer.

“We’ll be leaving for Kentucky first thing in the morning. I can control things over there”, Mike softly responded and waited for Aaron’s reaction. He seemed fine with it just as Mike had expected. “I have connections there. You’ll be safe there too”, he added enthusiastically. Aaron didn't seem to share his passion. It hit Mike oddly. Aaron looked away and slowly shook his head. “What’s the matter?”, Mike inquired. Aaron sat there silently for a moment.

“I can’t come with you. Sophie needs to get far away from me”, Aaron declared in a hushed tone. Mike was puzzled.

“But didn't we just avert the threat?”, Mike asked, sounding genuinely confused. He couldn't see a reason for Aaron to be that worried. Aaron kept shaking his head.

“For how long? How long until Rick and Sandra decide to come after me again?”, Aaron expressed his worry as Mike listened attentively. It made sense to Mike as well but he was of the opinion that Aaron would be committing suicide if he decides to stay behind and his fears become a reality. “They’ll just follow me to any corner of the Earth. I can't put Sophie at risk”, Aaron added. Mike stared at him and Sophie repeatedly. To him, his plan was still the best way to proceed. Mike had skilled mercenaries waiting for him at home. The police were friendly and his house had become a fancy looking fortress after the tragedy of little Jack. To his knowledge, not even the mayor’s office was that tightly secured. If Aaron came with him, no human being would be able to touch him. Then he realized that they were not up against human beings. The display of unimaginable power at the flower exhibition had made him question everything he knew about the human body and its potentials. He had a crippling fear brewing at the back of his mind that made him doubt if even the small army hired by him would be able to stop a vampire if it decided to come after Aaron. The thought of a simple vampire was giving him goosebumps. The High Lord was another story altogether. Mike decided not to dwell on the thought and shook it off. The last thing he needed was more fear.

“Let’s sleep on it and decide tomorrow!”, Mike abruptly spoke, put a hand on Aaron’s back and stood up to check on the receptionist. She was just about to call on him. The computer had pulled off a miracle and printed a piece of paper that would have taken half the time on a typewriter. He went to receive the key cards and Boris accompanied him as soon as he saw Mike approach the reception again. Mike handed one key card to Boris and one to Aaron. Both the rooms were on the same floor. Boris and Mike made their way to theirs as Aaron approached Sophie to wake her up. He gently placed his hand on her cheek and she startled out of her sleep. Aaron hated the state he had put the girl into. She caught the key card in his hand and immediately stood up to move with him. She needed a bed more than she needed oxygen. The duration in the elevator was extremely silent. So silent that it pained Aaron. She yawned all the way to the room.

The room looked well maintained. There were no furnishings of the medieval theme. Everything was bold and modern. Sophie walked a few steps inside and collapsed on the spring mattress. Aaron wanted to eat something before hitting the sack but he was too tired to even think straight so he decided to keep the dinner on hold. He checked the wardrobe for any extra blankets and found heaps of them. He pulled them all out and placed them on the ground for his bedding. Sophie sat up and saw his setting for the night. She stretched her arm, grabbed him from his shirt and pulled him onto the bed. Before he could move a muscle, she was clinging onto him like a child on a teddy bear. She cuddled with him to sleep in an instant. He decided to let it be and enjoy the blissful moment to its fullest. No words were spoken between the two. Only the beating hearts of the two lovers were felt on each other’s bodies. Aaron felt her warm breath on the back of his neck as he wished for the time to stop.

A knock on their door shook them out of their sleep. Sophie wanted to murder whoever had disturbed them. She knew at the back of her mind that it must be her father who had also done it before. ‘I swear this man needs to learn to stay away’, she thought to herself. Aaron was in no cheerful mood either. He was getting up to check but Sophie stopped him. She got out of the bed and put on a robe. She pledged to turn away whoever it was and jump back into the bed. She peeked through the peephole. Aaron called out to her but she didn't respond. After several attempts, he decided to check on her himself. He walked to the door and found Sophie frozen on the spot, sweating with fear. Aaron lost the sensation in his body as well when he saw the look on her face. She couldn't manage to make a sound but only barely mouthed “Run!” to warn Aaron.