Paris: The Adams Brothers Meet Miss Scarface

She watched him cook, almost envying him a little. But he was much older and knew much more then she ever would now. That may have been why she was drawn towards him almost like a magnet. But she had learned not to trust until they proved them self. She learned that the hard way.

He moved over to the table and sat down. She followed him and st down as well. "I have your answer," she didn't touch the food as she talked.

He studied her facial expressions carefully, then picked up the book he'd laid on the table earlier, opening it to the last page he'd read. He crossed his legs and his eyes returned to the pages. "Then tell me, child. Stalling will only make me think you have no confidence in your answer."

She glanced over at him watching his movements. No eye contact was fine with her. She rarely made any herself. "It was a mistake on mankind. A genetic mistake," she answered him leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. "Once the mistake was made, the mistake destroyed the creator and eventually over time our kind have flourished." She was calm and no emotion spread through her voice. OF course sorrow was underlined in her but only if Sodom knew she was feeling it would he pick up on it.

He snapped the book shut. "Wrong," he answered calmly. "But you will learn the true story soon. Being correct is not always the key to a keen mind. Being able to think in abstract ways is essential to survival. That you took the time to think through a story you already knew and pull out what was not written from the words shows me that you possess this ability."

She passed him a slightly confused look when he said wrong. He didn't seem angry at her but almost as if he knew that the answer that was coming from her would be that. She didn't think she would be right but it was worth the shot she took. It could have been worse, he could be taking her life dew to it and so far he wasn't.

She however now more curious on the real story about how their kind did come about. What got her even more was how he knew.

He paused. "I'd like to show you something," he said. "It won't take long, and I think you may have an appreciation for it." He stood, crossing over to the doorway and glancing over his shoulder before turning down the hallway.

Monica stood and started to follow him. He glanced over his shoulder before turning down the hallway. She followed him not saying anything. Her curiosity had gone up with what ever he was going to show her.

Down the hallway was a door leading to the cellar. Sodom produced a key from his pocket and unlocked it, going down the stairs without checking to see that Monica was following. At the bottom of the staircase, he opened another door. Inside was a series of display cases. He turned on a dim lamp that threw just enough illumination throughout the room to reveal its contents.

He stepped to the side to let her in and gestured at the many scrolls within the display cases. "Do you know what these are?" he asked.

She paused and waited for him to unlock the door then followed him more. A voice rang through her head about this. Thai was how she met Damon, going into a cellar. It was a mobish story. She pushed the voice out of her head and let Sodom lead the way.

He switched lights on and display cabinets with scrolls appeared. They were old, from the aged paper. "I'm assuming the first of many stories but then I'm not really sure." She turned to look at him. "You have my attention if you wish to share what they are."

He walked about the room, running a pale hand over the cases as he spoke. "All from the prime of my career under Alexander," he said. "Some are my own writings. Others are blueprints, maps, and documents." He paused. "Almost all are from Alexandria--the only texts to have survived the great fire set forth by Julius Caesar's foolish mistakes."

"This, however, was not the time of my mortal days. But, I however, was not your kind at the time. Can you explain this to me?" His eyes turned to her. He didn't expect an answer. "You see, at some point there had to have been a first vampire. I cannot tell you whom, for there were several created at once. And not all were born as such--in fact, none were born as such until there was a large enough population for us to procreate. The first were simply given gifts. I, for example, was given the ability to keep my youth, but I could have been killed, if anyone were to have tried. This is how I gained the scar, as you can see, but that story is another for a later time."

"Is there anything I have left out, child? What else do you wish to know?"

She listened to the old man tell what they were. They were his life. They were part of him and she held respect for that. When He looked at her and asked a question she didn't have time to respond with she didn't know. She smiled at him as he went on. She would nod to indicate she understood.

"Why are you showing me this," she asked still awestruck. "Why are you telling me this? But what questions do you have for me?"

"First, I wanted you to know to what extent my knowledge goes, and how I can help you. Much as Plato was the teacher and Aristotle his student, then Alexander the student of Aristotle, and so forth, I wish to take you on as my pupil. I only take on those in whom I see potential, and you are one of the few. What you do with the knowledge I give you is entirely up to you, but you must know that I will not continue to teach you so long as you put forth anything less than your utmost effort."

He fixed her with a stern look. "You wouldn't want to let down your father, would you?" His voice lost some of its harshness. "Leo knew that you would one day come to me for help, and I gave him my word that I would do my best. If I do my best to teach you, you must do your best to learn. You must understand that anything I ask of you is for your own good, that I am providing you with training whether it appears to be so on the surface or not."

As he answered her smile faded away. Smiling wasn't the most important thing as he answered. He was going to teach her. The last time she tried that she ended up on the streets. Her lovely teacher threw her out after she passed him in learning, which was three days from the start. Sodom may be different but taking a chance on him was something she didn't know if she wanted to do.

Then he said one thing that made her eyes grow wide. He had said Leo. His death still got to her. She looked away from him and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Leo wouldn't have done this if he didn't care. She wiped away a tear that was about to fall before looking back at Sodom. Her eyes were dark and wet. "I'll do my best to learn what ever you have to teach," her voice cracked a little.

Sodom smiled, a genuine smile this time. "Good," he said promptly. "Your lessons will begin in a fortnight. I will be in Athens then." He handed her a piece of paper with the address written in elegant calligraphy, then leaned gracefully against the wall with a hand, glancing at an open scroll on the single desk in the room. "Is there anything else you need before then?"

He handed her paper with neat writing on it. If he had written that she wondered how. Her writing was neat but nothing like that. It had to be something lost in time. "Very well," she looked up at him to see him looking at something else. "Was Leo like you? I never did ask him." She looked down at her feet. "I miss him."

He glanced up from the scroll. "Was he one of the first? Yes, he was." Sodom placed a finger underneath her chin gently, in a touch so slight that his skin might not have even brushed hers. "I know you do, which is why I intend to keep my promise, child. Do not give up hope. You will have your vengeance. I swear it."

She really wanted to hug him but held back. His finger was under her chin, making her look at him. He didn't feel his touch but it may have been there. She would be looking forward to learning from him. "Thank you Sir," she said in barley a whisper. Hope was something she would have to find again. She then remembered something important to her. It had just hit her. "What about Damon, my friend?"

"What about him?" he replied coolly, letting his hand drop.

"He is living with me and sort of my apprentice," she she gave a feeble half smile. "So what do we do there? I can't exactly drop him."

"I have only made one such exception, and that, my dear, was so that Donnovan and Will would have each other's company. If you can find a place for him to stay in Athens, you may bring him along, but that is my only offer."

"That is not going to go over well," she sighed. "You don't happen to have any chains do you?" If she wanted Pairs and herself to stay in one piece she would have to tie him up. And that was just for telling him. "I'll think of something."

He nodded. "Very well." He sat at the desk and examined the scroll, ending the conversation.

Just like Leo she thought. She left the cellar and went back up to the kitchen. She sat down by a window and looked outside. The night was a wonderful thing to her. She stood and left the house, walking into the yard. She made her way into a tree and climbed up high enough to see the stars. She rested her head on the branch and lost herself in the stars.