La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

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librarian_7
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La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

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Standard disclaimers apply...if you recognize it from tv, I don't own it.

A/N: Okay, I told people there was one more chapter to this story. I lied....but the next chapter will see the close of this little vacation piece I started in August. --Lucky


La Posada

Chapter 16

This has got to be the definition of awkward, Guillermo thought as he trailed behind Carmencita towards the small private lounge Marla had indicated was reserved for them, “to get acquainted” as she’d put it. Not that he didn’t find the girl appetizing. That nicely curved figure and a mass of blue-black hair hanging down in soft waves just brushing his hand at the small of her back. And her scent…he’d been subsisting on morgue blood for so long, he’d almost forgotten what it was to feed fresh. He’d been cautioned, of course. She was not fit to be bitten yet, not recovered from her suicide attempt, and he had every intention of being careful with her. Even so, the combination of sensory input was making him increasingly aware of her, as an ache deep in his fangs. She turned her head, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Guillermo caught not only a fresh wave of scent, but also a flash of the pale, fine skin of her throat.

He had no idea if she would wish to continue her contract. He had no idea of he could afford her upkeep, if she did declare herself willing. Guillermo sighed. Obviously, they had a lot to discuss, and his best move was not to be hanging his tongue out like a lovestruck pup.

Carmencita was not terribly impressed. This vamp, she thought, he had not the presence, the…the stature of her beloved Don Diego. Still, the cool touch of a vampire hand, the first she had felt since her lost one had bid her farewell in Miami, those long weeks ago, stirred something compelling in her. She had not expected that, although, she reflected, she was bred for such things, she should not be surprised.

The light was fading, outside, as they walked into the dimly lit lounge, and the picture window showed the valley already in shadow, even though the mountain peaks were gilded with sunlight.

Guillermo supposed he ought to try and make a little conversation with this girl, put her at ease. He frowned in thought. For so long, his life had revolved around the morgue, and most of the people he talked to were either dead, vampires, or medical personnel. Outside of trips to the movies, and poker nights with some old vamp buddies, really he had led a circumscribed life. When he’d claimed, talking to Mick, some acquaintance with local vamp women, he’d been blowing smoke, and he suspected St. John knew that. Now here he was with that most exotic of creatures, a human woman, and a clued in one at that. One who was used to a high-level, old-school vamp, and all the formalities that went along with that lifestyle. And he had to try and convince her he was not a complete waste of fangs. On the way to Colorado, he’d told himself this was just another stupid situation Tommaso had gotten him into, and that it really didn’t matter what happened. Not knowing where to start exactly, he decided to try a neutral topic. “The, uh, the mountains here are very beautiful.”

Carmencita shrugged. “Some like them. But it is so cold here, and the air. So thin I can barely breathe, the first few days.”

“I—hadn’t really noticed.”

She giggled, and if it sounded a little forced, neither wished to comment on that. “Of course. How foolish of me.” Carmencita gestured toward the couch along the wall facing the window. “Perhaps you would care to sit down?”

Guillermo was staring at the bandage on her wrist, exposed by her belled sleeve when she had lifted her hand. He caught a faint whiff of old blood from the dressing. This was something familiar, something he knew. He was not much accustomed to displaying the fluid, graceful movements of the vampire; although capable of it, usually he tried to practice disguising his nature, even when only the dead were there to see, but now he found himself standing in front of the freshie, his hands loosely grasping her arm, before either of them was fully aware of it.

She gasped slightly, but did not tense or pull away as he pushed back the sleeve and began to examine the bandage with that peculiar intensity of the vampire. “Don’t be afraid,” he said.

She nodded, even though her arm was trembling as he unwrapped the gauze from her wrist, and ran a blunt finger across the stitches with surprising delicacy of touch.

“I don’t know what they told you about me—“ he began.

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” she whispered.

“I work with the dead, Carmencita. I go for weeks, sometimes, without touching living flesh.”

“But wounds and stitches, you know these things well.”

He nodded with a crooked smile, stroking her injured wrist. “Yes.”

On impulse, she reached up and laid her other hand against his cheek. “If you do not touch the living—how do you survive, if you do not feed properly? Should you not take better care of yourself?”

Guillermo was unexpectedly moved, both by the warmth of her hand on his face, and the honest concern in her voice. It was the last thing he would have anticipated. No wonder Josef seems to find such comfort in his girls, he thought. No wonder. He smiled at Carmencita. “Let’s sit down. I think we need to talk.”

&&

Josef looked around the conference table, calling the meeting to order by eye. “I’d like to thank you all for making this journey on short notice.” He acknowledged each of the other board members with a look or a nod. “Since our last formal meeting was in 1993, I trust no one is feeling overburdened.”

Harald Bergman narrowed his bright blue eyes. “I had no desire to leave Chicago, and fail to see the urgent need to meet now, Kostan.”

Josef returned him a sour look. “None of us desired to come here, but there are serious questions about the day to day management…and a site visit seemed called for.”

“Then dispose of the current managers, and put in new humans.” The smaller, dark vampire shrugged. “This is a minor matter.”

“Michel.” Josef’s tone was sharp. He’d never had a great deal of patience with duBois. New Orleans vampires, he thought, buying into their own p.r. “As attractive a philosophy as ‘kill them all’ can be, it is less than effective as a long-term management strategy. Particularly as a recruitment incentive.”

Philip Lewis yawned eloquently behind his hand. “Bored,” he said succinctly.

“Another region heard from,” Josef replied. He looked over at Slade. “You’ve got a better grasp of what’s been happening here. Comments?”

Slade leaned his chair back with great deliberation, feeling the eyes of the other upon him, and propped his worn cowboy boots up on the table. Not for the first time, he regretted that he no longer needed to wear spurs, but he supposed pissing them off this way was sufficient. At 169, he was the youngest vampire on the Posada’s board, and he had to exploit that to his advantage. “As it happens,” he drawled, “I do.”

“Judging from your greeting to the lovely Marla,” Philip said, “I’d think you would vote for the basic change in leadership model.”

Slade locked his hands behind his head, smiling up at the ceiling. “Yeah, well, I’m not saying she doesn’t have her faults.”

“That much is plentifully obvious,” Bergman growled.

Straightening up, Slade shot him a look. “However, tell me one thing she’s done that was outside what she’d been ordered to do? She deserves a reprimand. Which she has already received.”

Josef frowned and snapped his fingers. “I understand that it is contrary to our custom, but I think this might be useful.” The door of the conference room opened, and Sam Logan came in, moving like a shadow.

“Sir?” he asked.

“Sam, these gentlemen have a few questions for you.”

Sam nodded. He’d learned a few things since he left the Posada. Josef had made sure of that, and he’d been promised he could speak the truth about his experiences at this place without fear, even if he did feel like a mouse in a room full of hungry cats. He took a deep breath and waited for the first question.

&&

Marla crossed her arms, hugging herself, and paced her office, wondering what was going on in the conference room. She wished she’d been clever enough to hide a camera in there, but if it were found, it would seal her fate for good. This was a pleasant office, she thought, that she’d called her own for all these years. The view was spectacular and soothing at the same time, the tranquil ageless majesty of the mountains soaring against a crystalline black night sky. The moon was nearly full tonight, and even if it wouldn’t crest the shoulder of the mountain for hours yet, the fulgent glow of its soft light was already visible. And inside…over the years she’d indulged herself, spent some of her salary on the Native American arts that were so prevalent in the area.

In addition to her jewelry, all that silver locked away today, she had a shelf of Hopi kachina dolls, supernatural protectors against evil spirits. Fat lot of good they did her now. And her pottery, so beautiful, so precious to her. The polished, russet Jemez wedding jar, with its two spouts and fanciful bird decoration. A simple bowl of glittering golden micaceous clay from Tesuque pueblo, that the potter told her represented a pure thought in its clean, unadorned lines. The black pottery pieces from Santa Clara and San Ildefonso she’d purchased one by one. She’d miss all this. She picked up a little black clay turtle, running her fingers lightly over the rough designs on its shell. She hadn’t looked at it really closely in months, maybe years. It seemed a simple thing, but the art that had gone into shaping it, decorating it, firing it just right to gain that prized black color was complex. Everything was complex. She placed it back on the shelf, carefully.

Who was she kidding? She’d probably be missing breathing, soon enough. One of the silent assistants that had come in with the Board members was stationed motionless outside her door, making sure she didn’t try to bolt. She knew the Board hadn’t come here for nothing, and she knew she was the one who would get the blame for anything they found unsatisfactory.

Her hand went up unconsciously to the fresh marks on her neck. That might be her only hope, her only chance at survival. Then again, maybe she’d imagined it. Maybe she hadn’t really heard Slade whisper in her ear, as his lips brushed by when leaving her neck. Maybe he hadn’t said what she thought she heard, so soft that the other vampire nearby couldn’t even catch the sound.

“Be strong, darlin’. What I bite, I protect.”
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by cassysj »

Slade is getting more interesting to me. I was never a Sam fan but he must be terrified, no matter what Josef has told him.

I thought Guillermo is so sweet and unsure of himself. Carmencita could do a lot worse in life, like Sam's vampire.
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by jenstc2003 »

Oh, color me intrigued! I will be anxious to see what comes next! Guillermo recognizes something about his new Freshie... wonder what this could mean??? And the meeting is fascinating.*waits on pins and needles*
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by ari »

*squeal* An update!!!

As usual, very well written.. very interesting! I can't wait to read the next part! What will Guillermo decide to do? and what will Carmencita want to do? he seemed rather intruiged and so did she...

What's gonna be the outcome of that meeting? What's gonna happen to Marla? and of course... where did Lucky go? and how is she going to find out Josef is not Carmencita's new vamp?

So many questions... can't wait for you to answer them all ;) :lol:
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by francis »

Lucky, this was again a fantastic chapter.
Love Guillermos introspective assessment of his own shortcomings. And Carmencita seems to be just what he needs. They need each other. She needs to care for someone else for a change, it might be good for her. In my imagination, the late Don Diego could have been played by Viggo Mortensen, a commanding presence, not unkind, but with an attitude. Now she needs to get used to someone entirely different, and Guillermo seems quite fond of her already. Roles are almost reversed at the moment.

I can so picture the vampires in the meeting. Slade could be played by Matthew McConnag.. Conaghey... (damn how do you spell him) or Russell Crowe. Some arrogant bastard. What will Sam tell them, and what will they do with the information?

Did Shade grow a heart, or has he a motive for protecting Marla? Maybe he wants to keep her in, someone he can control, rather than someone new that the others choose. I can’t wait to see where this is heading.
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by AggieVamp »

*love* the update! Though I missed seeing Lucky in this chapter. Great how Guillermo is relating to Carmencita - I think they will be ok. And I'm really glad that Sam Logan is getting to tell HIS side of the story....though I would as petrified in his shoes in that meeting!

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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by RangerCM »

What a wonderful chapter! Each part advanced the story so well. That update was well worth the wait.
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by eris »

Well now, this is interesting. G's got himself a high maintenance freshie with a soft spot... they're too cute, btw. Slade - still pure snake oil as far as I'm concerned - may have a half a redeeming quality or two. I'm not liking the bored board, but I am curious as to what Sam's going to tell them and what their responses will be.
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

Wow, so many great comments...

cassy--yes, Carmencita needs to recognize a good thing, even if it is a very different thing. And Guillermo just needs to get out more. Slade, yeah, Slade is turning out more complex than one might have thought. No firm plans, but he may end up being a more important character in my fic than I'd thought. Hopefully Sam is growing on you!

jen, I swear the wait will not be too long...cross my heart!

ari--this is starting to sound like "How the Vampire Turns..." tune in next week for the answers to these and other questions! (No, it'll be before next week. How does Thurs. grab you?)

francis, I love your comments...you always put such thought and care into them! Glad to see you make it so visual. (hmm, Slade as Russell Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma...not a bad thought.) I've quite gotten to like Carmencita, speaking of characters that really came to life for me in the latter chapters of this little tale. As for Slade's motives, well, you know these vamps. Most of them have motives within motives within motives.

Aggievamp--no fears, we'll meet up with Freshie Lucky again very soon. :twisted: :twisted: And Sam has acquired a rather influential patron, since he left the Posada, so I think he might be all right. Still, dealing with a bunch of old, powerful vamps is never a safe thing.

Ranger, thank you!

Eris, all I'll say at this point is, wait and see.

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting.

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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by MoonShadow »

Yes! A new chapter!

Oh to be a wee mouse in the corner of that room. I agree with everyone else, Guillerimo and Carmencita are a delightful pairing. You've done it yet again Lucky, Thank you.
Now, time to reread and ponder through all the under currents and hints...

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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by mitzie »

Wow! This is packed full of innuendos and then some!! I like Sam, btw. I think he is very brave just being in that room. Spade I wouldn't go near with a ten foot pole! :twisted:

I'm glad you posted it here on this board, if you know what I mean??!!

Can't wait for more... :o :shock: 8-) :mrgreen: *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *thud*

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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by moonlight_vixen »

I just knew I stopped in here for a reason today! A new chapter!! I admit, Lucky, I squealed... :lol:

Carmencita is definitely an interesting aspect for Guillermo, and the two of them were so cute together. One spending his time among the dead, and the other a prima donna used to the highest care and attention. They both need each other :mrgreen:

I can't wait to see what comes of the meeting with Sam's presence. Slade hits me in a way that I can't describe :roll: One part of me hates him and the other part sees him as..I don't know?! I can't put my finger on it! I'm confounded... :?

And where is Lucky during all this, I wonder? In torment probably, thinking that Carmencita now belongs to Josef. I can't wait to see what comes of their "meeting." ;)

Great chapter!! :mrgreen:
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by one.zebra »

Question? Does this meeting take place after Sam had his first meeting with Josef, or before? Would make a lot of difference I'd think...
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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

O.Z--well, if you read, Sam went from Durango to Denver straight on to Los Angeles...so he was in Josef's house before this chapter took place.

Just sayin'.

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Re: La Posada --Chapter 16 --PG-13

Post by one.zebra »

I am direction challenged.....can't fly either, lol!

Ok, here's the part I skimmed over...--->
Sam nodded. He’d learned a few things since he left the Posada. Josef had made sure of that, and he’d been promised he could speak the truth about his experiences at this place without fear, even if he did feel like a mouse in a room full of hungry cats. He took a deep breath and waited for the first question. <---
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