Part 7
 

******

After everything that had happened at the precinct last night, sleep came
easily to Natalie.  Having been too tired to drop off the candlestick with
forensics this morning, she had come straight home.  Now, as she went to
make her breakfast cup of coffee, her thoughts drifted over to the velvet
pouch that lay on the table near her sofa still wrapped in the plastic
evidence bag. Trying to recall the candlestick proved difficult, she had
only had a small chance to view it as Schanke had placed it into its
container for the gunman. But what she could remember hadn't been overly
impressive.  She really couldn't remember it being that special, but then
again she hadn't had a good chance to examine it.  There must be something
distinct about it, something that is very exceptional to have stirred up so
much desire.

Stirring her coffee, she could not shake her thoughts of the object so
surrounded in mystery.  With her eyes never straying from the bag, she
slowly walked towards the sofa and sat down before it.  As she sipped her
coffee her mind wandered to a comment that she had said to Nick after they
had first met. She had once told him that solving a puzzle was its own
reward.  While that was not totally true when it came to how she felt about
him and finding a solution to his cure, it was true for many other
circumstances.  And before her now lay a puzzle, a mystery waiting to be
solved.  There was something very intriguing about this candlestick, and she
wondered if Nick had any ideas of what it was all about.  From what she had
seen last night, it did look quite old.  Maybe Nick could come over and the
two of them could take a look at this together and come up with some
answers.  After all, he was well versed in many ancient cultures.  Of course
having actually lived through many of them, did give him an advantage.
Studying this candlestick would provide the perfect opportunity for the two
of them to get together.  The health department had taken over with the
decontamination of the precinct, and with the twenty four hour waiting
period following the vaccine, no one was allowed to be working tonight.
Thankfully one of the other precincts had doubled up on their shifts to
cover for them.  Tonight was already her night off, and now Nick would be
free as well.  As she finished her coffee, the excitement of the mysterious
challenge raced through her veins.  This was detective work, but she was not
beyond being a detective.  In fact, being a detective was her job. It was
her work that led to the investigations that solved many of the crimes.
Every autopsy provided clues that were needed to bring about justice. Each
part of the body that she dissected provided the clues and told her their
secrets.  It was her job to reveal all that each victim concealed.  Yes, she
was a detective in every sense of the word.  Uncovering the answers from
those who could not speak for themselves, her work provided the testimony
that was obscured by death.  Never before had she realized how much her job
and Nick's had in common.  Now, the anticipation of solving the origins of
the candlestick grew strong.  Her curiosity strained at her, demanding that
she open the bag and examine it.  If she could touch it, she could better
interpret it.  There was so much to learn by merely holding many of the
pieces that were brought to forensics.  Every item told a story, the trick
was knowing how to listen.  With all her inner strength, she grabbed for the
telephone.  If she did not call Nick now, she may never pull herself away
from pursuing this quest on her own.

Glancing at the clock, she guessed that Nick had to be awake by now.  She
really wanted to catch him while there was still some daylight, and thereby
increasing her chances that he had not strayed to far from home.  Knowing
that the sun would be setting soon, she quickly dialed Nick's number.
Luckily he sounded awake, and did not let his machine pick up.  Answering on
the first ring in the very professional tone of" Knight here," she grinned
and teased him about his greeting to her.

"Hello Knight, it's Natalie."

After recognizing her voice, she could hear him relax his tough cop demeanor
and she continued.

"Nick, you do realize that you can not go into work tonight?  I thought that
it might be sort of an adventure for you to come here and we can both try to
get to the bottom of where this candlestick came from."

After hanging up the phone she thought, that didn't take too much
convincing.

Immediately, her eyes shifted back to the bag.  Nick would not be able to be
at her place until after sunset.  That left about thirty minutes of
unrequited curiosity to endure.  There had to be a way to get her mind off
the waiting object, the object that begged to reveal its secrets.  With
false hope, she reached for the television's remote and thought that maybe
there would be something of interest to distract her while she waited.  It
took only two minutes to scan all the channels and discover that nothing of
value existed there.  Placing her empty coffee cup down, she looked over at
the clock.  Only twenty eight more minutes until Nick arrived and they could
explore the candlestick.  Shaking her head at her own impatience, she
scolded herself. What was she doing?  Counting minutes?  This was insane.
There was not one reason why the opening of this package had to wait for
Nick.  It may even help for her to have an advanced look, it would speed
things up.  Okay she could admit to herself that she was rationalizing, but
what was wrong with a little harmless rationalization now and again.
Feeling slightly guilty, she reached over and nudged the package closer as
she eased it on to her lap.  Carefully, she began to remove the plastic bag
she had placed it in earlier.  The velvet bag felt soft in her hand as she
pulled at the cord to uncover its contents. In a second, she found herself
extracting the candlestick from its pouch.  She had remembered correctly
about its appearance not being very special, and she shifted the tarnished
candlestick from hand to hand.  It definitely weighed more than a kilogram,
but not by much.  It did feel solid, and there was a faded inscription on it
which would take an expert to decipher.  That reminded her, where was Nick?
She grinned, guess what they say is true, never a cop around when you need
one.

Strange how the candlestick now looked so dark.  At the precinct she could
recall it glimmering with a silver reflection almost as clear as glass.
Perhaps it was its own candlelight that had brought out its beauty at the
precinct last night.  That was it!  Some sort of optical illusion caused by
the combination of the silver base and the lit candle wax.  An interesting
experiment might be to use different colored candles, and each could be
tested for their effect.  Standing the candlestick on the table, she sighed.
  There was absolutely nothing captivating at all about the object.  Again,
she caught herself checking the time, only five minutes had passed.  Maybe
Grace had some information on the latest Cholera victim.  Prepared with
paper and pen, she again reached for the telephone and dialed the Morgue's
number.  Tracking down Grace was not easy, but it was worth the effort.  The
gun that Schanke had disarmed from the gunman was the one that had been used
to kill the first Cholera victim at the radio station.  And of more interest
was the telephone number with a doctor's name that was found in his pocket.
They hadn't had much time to track it down completely, but it was a long
distance number from somewhere in Paris, France.  Meticulously writing down
all of Grace's words, she hung up the phone and studied the clues.  How did
they relate to this candlestick?  Still fifteen minutes until sunset, and no
closer to a solution. Frustratingly, she stared at the candlestick, the
answer was not presenting itself.  Intuitively she knew that the explanation
rested with the use of the candlestick.  It was a gut feeling, a hunch,
whatever anyone wished to call it but she felt compelled to put it into
action and analyze the results.  Getting up from the sofa, she moved towards
the kitchen.  She tried to remember which drawer she had stored the candles
she bought in case the occasion would ever arise for a romantic dinner.
Luckily candles do not have expiration dates she thought as she found them
and gazed longingly at them.  After a few seconds to reflect on her
loneliness, she removed the candles and the box of matches that lay next to
them.  Returning to the candlestick, she suddenly looked around her.  A
strange feeling came over her, she felt as if she were being watched.
Shaking off the feeling, she inserted the candle in its holder.  There was
absolutely no reason to feel uneasy, yet there was the sensation that
something was about to occur.  It felt like a premonition, but that was
ridiculous for there were no such things.  Discarding her irrational
feelings, she struck the match and lit the candle.  The flame instantly grew
into a dazzling burst of light, and she stared transfixed at it while it
readily transformed itself to a soft glow.  The glow seemed to fill the room
with tranquillity, and her thoughts drifted away from solving her puzzle to
how nice it would be for Nick to share this peace with her.  The flame drew
her into itself as it mesmerized her and sadness crept in to her voice.

"Why are you not here to share the candlelight with me Nick?  Why must we
always be in separate worlds?  If only we could share the same existence."

A gust of wind burst into the room, and she shivered as it brushed past her.
Startled and confused, she stood up to see which window had been left open.
As she attempted to examine the first window, a sharp searing pain tore
through her body.  Recoiling from the window, she cried out and backed into
the room.  The pain began to fade as she looked down at her shaking arms.
Panic almost took her breath away as she watched her burnt skin begin to
heal before her eyes.  Her skin was blistered and red, she had been burnt
but by what?  Frighteningly, she stared at the window.  Nothing was there to
burn her.  It remained as it always did for this time of the day with the
last rays of the sun streaming through the glass.  A sobering theory
traveled through her mind.  Was it the sun's light that had injured her?
How could a sunburn so rapidly appear and fade?  With apprehension, she
glanced down at her arms again.  They were fully healed.  In disbelief, she
raised her hand in front of her face.  Maybe something electrical produced
the burns and pain, but how had her skin managed to repair itself with such
speed?  Cautiously, she approached the window with an outstretched arm.
Holding her breath, she cringed as she anticipated more possible pain.
Something near the window had hurt her, but what?  Taking a deep breath, she
placed her hand back into the light, and held it there as the sunlight
scorched her.  Smoke filtered between her fingers until she no longer could
stand the agony, and retreated back into the sanctuary of the room.  Curling
up on the sofa, she tried to regulate her breathing as the pain subsided.
Her thoughts raced.  What was happening to her?  Feeling her stomach
tighten, she remembered that she had only had coffee for breakfast.  The
pain from her burns had vanished and were now being replaced with the
ravenous need to fill her stomach.  It had been so long since she had a
decent meal, and her body was now reminding her of her neglect.  Thinking
back, she tried to recall the last time that she had gone shopping, there
was so little food in the apartment.  But hadn't there been some left over
pizza from the other night?  Her hunger pulled her to the refrigerator, and
she eagerly reached for the half empty box and pulled it out onto the
counter.  Lifting the pizza box's lid allowed for a strong scent from the
cold pizza to reach her.  The odor both weakened and nauseated her, its
smell of garlic made her feel as if she would suffocate.  The coffee that
she had consumed, boiled in her stomach.  There was no time to reach the
bathroom as she barely made it to the sink in time.  Thankfully, there was
only coffee in her stomach, but her body continued to rid itself of its
contents long after the coffee had been purged.  With most of her physical
strength drained, she felt her stomach's emptiness.  As the need to vomit
subsided, her eyes began to tingle as though being lightly stroked with a
feather.  Raising her hands to her face, she rubbed at them to stop the
sensation.  With heaving hunger pulling at her stomach, the sensation in her
eyes grew stronger and then her mouth began to feel strange too.  Her hands
dropped from her eyes to her mouth as she nervously ran her hands over her
lips.  An incredible new awareness filled her mouth as if a thousand pins
were piercing her gums.

Running to the bathroom, she first went to the mirror and gasped as a
monster with burning red eyes stared back at her.  Her voice came out as a
growl.

"NO!"

As she spoke, she caught her first glimpse of two long white fangs that were
now apart of her teeth.  Standing motionless, she stared at her reflection
in the mirror.  She tried to not panic, and to make sense of the impossible.
  A strong hunger pain ripped through her making it almost impossible to
stand. She needed to eat, no, she needed to drink!  Turning to leave the
bathroom, her hand automatically went to turn off the light.  However the
light was off, it had never been on, yet she saw clearly in the darkness.
Suddenly, she heard a noise in the apartment, and she was drawn to its
sound.  It summoned her to seek it out, and she followed her instincts.  The
sound became louder as she moved quietly out of the bathroom.  It was
clicking rapidly, and it was so enticing.  Whatever it was, it was
compelling her to possess it and experience it.  What was this most needed
sound?  Its rhythm was like music, soothing and touching her soul to great
depths.  Stopping in her tracks, she reached out for the rapidly clicking
sound, and captured its rhythm, its scent.  Sydney screeched as Natalie
seized him.  The frightened cat struck out with its paw and scratched her
face.  The cat's painful reaction shattered her resolve and roused her from
her determination to consume his life.  As Sydney dropped to the floor, she
retreated back to the sofa more frightened by her own uncontrollable actions
than anything else at the moment.  Beginning to shake, she tried to restrain
herself from losing control over her unrelenting craving to have blood.
With all her effort, she once again began to master her desires.  Although
she felt her strength increasing far beyond that of any mortal, she also
felt powerless to the intense hunger.  The hunger was dominant, forceful,
and ruthless.  This compulsion to feed overpowered all reason and morality.
Too fearful to move, she glanced around her apartment through the eyes of
the vampire.  The sun had set, and not one light was on except for the
candle she had lit.  Yet the room seemed lighter than the middle of the day.
  Then some rational thoughts kicked in, "Nick!"  It was after sunset, he
could help.  The telephone was nearby, and she removed the receiver and
began to call him once again.  However all her promising thoughts of Nick's
reassurances were swept away when his answering machine picked up. Listening
to his recorded message with dread, her fears once again spread quickly.
When the machine turned on to record her message, she pleaded for him to
pick up the phone.  Her imploring words went unheard, but was he on the way
to see her?  With no response to her pleas, she returned the receiver to its
holder.  Trying to settle her anxiety, she regained some control and decided
to stay in one place until Nick arrived.  The peace was soon shattered as a
crushing sensation to feed compelled her to seek out her pet cat again. In
an instant she found herself at the other end of the apartment, and she
realized that she had moved a large distance in less time than the blink of
an eye.  Even knocking over some chairs on her way to hunt Sydney.  Closing
her eyes, she tried to recall how she had moved so fast.  Everything was a
blur, both her thoughts and her actions.  If she had moved so quickly, did
that also mean that she had the power to fly?  Trying to recall the manner
in which she had witnessed Nick and other vampires fly, she lifted her head
and looked towards the ceiling.  Her body became weightless, and she laughed
out loud as her feet left the ground and she drifted towards the ceiling.
Instinctively, she stopped before her head reached the top, and she looked
down.  There was less than a meter between her feet and the floor, but she
was floating above her furniture.  Levitating seemed so natural that she
could not imagine how it never happened before.  Unable to resist the
sensation of restlessness, she glided from one end of the room to the other
until another bolt of hunger tore internally at her.  Pushing the thought of
her pet away, she knew that for Sydney's safety she could no longer remain
in the apartment.  Staying there was too dangerous for Sydney, but what of
all those outside if she dared to leave to find a source of blood?
Desperately, she tried to devise a plan that would allow her to locate blood
without harming anyone.  Only two options came to mind, the Raven and her
office at the Morgue.  If she went to the Morgue, would she have the
willpower to resist biting her coworkers?  If she patronized the Raven, how
would she explain to the others that she had spontaneously become a vampire?
  Neither option was perfect, but her situation was becoming serious.
Although the Raven seemed to be the perfect place to appease this hunger,
there would be too many to answer to.  If she could only hold on to some
control, it would be less conspicuous for her presence at the Morgue.

With the decision made, she was out the door and outside in no time.  The
brisk cold air went unnoticed as it whipped around her.  As she momentarily
stood outside the front of her building, she heard the heartbeat of a man
walking down the sidewalk towards her.  This was her test.  Did she have the
control?  Soon she would know, soon she may be a murderer.  Taking a deep
breath, she closed her eyes and clenched her fists as she tried to fortify
herself against the pain of opposing what was her instinct.  Her eyes began
to burn as each sense sprang to life with renewed strength.  Her control was
weakening as the sound of each beat came closer, and the scent of his blood
cried out to her needs.  Reminding herself of the blood that awaited her at
her office, helped her to gather the needed strength to calm the beast.  She
opened her eyes as the stranger greeted her with, "good evening" as he
walked by.  Her head nodded in reply, but she dared not opened her mouth in
fear of revealing her fangs.  This time she won, but would she be able to
withstand the urge to kill at the Morgue?  There was no time to debate the
issue, the beast demanded its reward now for not killing the man.
Remembering a secluded area behind her building, she rushed to the spot then
took to the air.

As soon as she was high above the city, she was sorry that she had not taken
her car.  She was lost, nothing looked familiar to her.  Where was her
office building?  She had flown towards Downtown Toronto, but there were so
many rooftops and they were beginning to all look alike.  The hunger ripped
at her again, and she decided to land and take her chances by foot.  Looking
for a darkened area, she was relived to discover that she had landed only a
few blocks from where her meal was waiting.  As she arrived at the Coroner's
Building, thoughts of sneaking in faded as the day shift started pouring out
the front doors.  Quickly she moved to the side as dozens of unaware
potential victims paraded down the front steps before her.  A few recognized
her, and waved as they passed.  Aside from being bombarded with the taunting
heartbeats and tantalizing blood of the day shift people, the timing was
perfect. Reminding herself of the feast that awaited her in the Morgue's
refrigerator, she fended off the vampires desires and slipped into her
office before any assistants showed up.

The scent of blood assaulted her as she entered the silent Morgue causing
her to double over in pain.  Slowly she recovered, and stopped to quickly
listen for any newly arriving heartbeats.  She could hear none, and she used
her vampiric speed to rush to her blood supply.  Tearing open the first bag
she saw, she suddenly stopped.  This was human blood, this is what she had
told Nicholas was keeping him from becoming mortal.  This glorious liquid
was what she denied him, what she harassed him into denying himself.  If she
had only known of the pain her insistence had brought him, she would never
had been so demanding.  Now she realized how difficult it must have been for
him to have been surrounded by such stimulation and desire.  Now she knew of
his pain and conviction to never partake of what his body demanded, and
never to calm the need.  Guilt of how she had unknowingly contributed to his
suffering overcame her, but her need for the blood was stronger.  Starvation
would soon take control, and knowing that trying to find cow's blood would
be impossible and might prove fatal for some mortal unlucky enough to be in
her path, she brought the plastic bag to her mouth.

Although her body demanded the blood, her mind still resisted it.  Taking a
sip, she held it in her mouth afraid to swallow.  But her stomach felt as if
it would jump up into her mouth to retrieve what it needed, so she swallowed
hard.  It was cold from being refrigerated as it rolled down her throat.  It
was sweet, it was salty. it was ecstasy!  With the first swallow, the hunger
grew.  She needed more, so much more.  Tipping the bag, she drank as fast as
she could without drowning.  The bag was soon depleted and tossed to the
side, and she went back for a few more.  With each bag the beast within her
became more appeased.  Drinking blood was not about its taste, it was so
much more. The blood was the magic, it provided the power.  It contained the
life force. It was so many feelings competing at once.  It was good and bad,
love and hate, joy and sadness.  The blood contained every sensation to calm
the soul, it was every emotion condensed and put into liquid form to be
savored.  As it had given life to its former owner, so did it now fill her
with life.  Feeling satiated, she grabbed a few more bags and slipped them
into her pockets.  Then she slid out the back door and into the night.

Standing near the corner behind the Coroner's Building, she lurked in the
shadows and watched the world move by with her heightened senses.  Colors
were more vivid and she could even smell the scent from the lake in the wind
that had once passed over the water.  There was no desire to drink blood
now, only to experience every sensation to the fullest.

The wind blew strong and she watched as those who walked on the street
covered themselves as they hurried to find shelter.  Moving out into the
opened air, she stretched out her arms.  The strong winds that pushed her
clothes against her and tossed her hair were barely noticeable.  There was
no sensation of the cold, she never felt more comfortable.  Turning herself
in circles, she could not remember ever feeling more liberated, so alive.
Feeling unencumbered by mortal bonds, she looked up towards the stars and
soared out of the shear pleasure of having the gift of flight.

End Part 7

A few hours must had passed before she remembered that she had invited Nick
over to examine the candlestick with her, and she headed in the direction of
her home.  After a few hours of soaring the starlit skies, she had become
accustomed to finding her way.  Landing behind her building, she hurried
around to the front and was up the front stairs and through her door in a
second.

Nick looked up from the telephone as she walked in smiling.  Staring at her
for a moment, he then turned back to the telephone and continued to speak.

"No, no cancel that APB.  She's here, and appears to be fine."

Most of the lights in the apartment were now on as Nat acted so giddy that
she seemed intoxicated as she jumped onto the sofa.  Suspiciously glancing
at her from across the room, Nick hung up the telephone as he angrily
approached her.

"Half the Toronto police were out looking for you!  Where have you been?"

Still euphoric from her new powers she looked up at Nick.

"Sorry about leaving like that, but I had to fly."  She couldn't help but
laugh at her own comment.

Looking puzzled, he again approached her.

"Do you have any idea of how worried I've been?  When I got here I found you
gone, chairs turned over, your car still outside, your coat and purse still
here, your cat scared senseless, and when I checked with my machine there
was a frantic message from you!"

Looking up at him she giggled.

"Wow, did I do all that?"

"Yes Nat, now how about telling me where you have been and what happened
here.!"

"Are you upset?"

"NAT!"

"Oh you are way too serious.  What did I ever see in you?"

"Have you been drinking?"

"You could say that."  She started laughing again.  Feeling both frustrated
and confused, he moved closer to the sofa and looked down at her.

"Nat, what's happened to you?"

"The most wonderful thing.  I finally understand."

Bending down, he grabbed her arms and pulled her up in front of him.  Still
holding each arm tightly, he tried to break her of her drunkenness by gently
shaking her.

"Natalie, what has happened?"

Frightfully, he pulled her towards him and held her, not knowing what was
wrong.  His touch calmed her, and she pulled away to look at him.

"Look at me Nick, I am different now."

Her cryptic words did not make sense to him, and his look was that of
uncertainty as he tried to figure out her strange behavior.  He did not know
what she was trying to tell him, but he was becoming as concerned as when he
could not locate her.  Her words were too vague, and he did not know how to
approach her.  She could see his pain as he reached out to her and softly
whispered.

"Natalie."

It was not necessary to say anything more.  The way he said her name told
her how he cared, how he had worried when she had disappeared, and how he
wanted to understand now and help her.  Taking his hand, she looked deeply
into his eyes.

"Something has changed me Nick.  I can't explain it, but I have become like
you."

Cautiously he smiled.

"What do you mean that you have become like me?"

"I have become a vampire."

Shaking his head, he smiled and turned away.

"No, that's not possible."

"Look at me Nick.  What do you feel?"

He shook his head again.  "This is crazy."

"Why?  Because you don't want it?"

Becoming angry, he pulled away.

"No!  It's crazy because it does not just happen."

"Well, it did to me."

"No."

"Nick, try to sense what I am.  Am I mortal?"

"Stop this!  Nat, you can not wish yourself to become a vampire."

Natalie's eyes glowed and her fangs descended as she replied.

"Then explain this."

"This is some kind of a trick."

Grabbing his hand, she placed it over her heart.

"Do you feel my heart?  Do you hear it beating as you normally do?"

Pulling his hand away as if the touch of her burned him, he mumbled in
bewilderment.

"This can not be."

"You're right, but it IS happening."

The only reply from Nick was now silence as he suspiciously studied her.
Within a few moments he could not hold back his thoughts any longer, and his
resentment filled words lashed out at her.

"Who did this to you?"

Defensively, she snapped back at him.

"No one did this, it just happened."

Trying to control his rising hostility, he attempted to speak calmly.

"Do not try to protect them, I will find out."

In frustration, she once again answered.

"I have no master, no one did anything to me."

Moving closer to her he grabbed her wrist as he searched her eyes.

"Then what manner of science created this?"

"Not science, a miracle!"

Releasing her wrist, he turned his head in disgust at her comment and
bitterly muttered.

"A miracle?  You mean a curse!"

Using the same hand that he had recently held captive, she reached up and
lightly stroked his face.

"Nick, I do not know why this happened, but for once we can be in each
other's company without fear.  So unless you plan on putting a wooden stake
through my heart, you can not hurt me."

Seductively, she moved even closer to him as she shifted her caresses of the
side of his face to his lips.  Momentarily forgetting his anger, he closed
his eyes to her gentle touch, but then reopened them and began to break
away.

"Nat, I......"  Placing her fingers over his open lips, she interrupted what
he was about to say.

"We can talk later, not now."  Gliding her hand to the back of his head, she
drew him to her and they kissed.  Surrendering to her, he pulled back to
look at her then smiled.  Gently he initiated the next kiss as he
simultaneously pulled her dress jacket from her shoulders and let it drop to
the floor.  So long she had waited for his touch that she gasped at his
contact, and then mirrored his actions by unbuttoning his shirt.  Savoring
the feel of his cool skin, she guided her hands up his chest towards his
shoulders and allowed his undone shirt to join her jacket.  His eyes
followed the descending shirt, then slowly his gaze drifted back up the body
of the woman before him until their eyes met.  Luckily no words were needed,
for none existed as they lovingly gazed at one another.  Taking his hand, he
offered no resistance as she began to move towards her bedroom.  In silence
they stood near her bed in the darkened room as each took turns removing the
others clothes only pausing to savor the sensation of their closeness.  Time
moved slowly for them as they relished each touch, each caress.  Then with
immortal skill, he captured her hands and pulled her on top of him as they
landed on the bed.  Breathlessly, she pressed her body against his, and
passionately kissed him.  Closing his eyes, he dared not move as he enjoyed
each of her gentle kisses on his body.  As her kisses approached his mouth,
he parted his lips, and his hands moved up her body to her head as he pulled
her passionately to him to deepen their kiss.  Running her fingers through
his hair, she felt all her passions sharpen.  Then came the unyielding
desire, the hunger for the taste of his blood.  As if he could read her
mind, he rolled her onto her back while remaining on top of her and
breathlessly whispered to her.

"Do you want to have me now?"

She opened her eyes to his words, and they burned with the sparkling color
of the vampire.  Turning his head to the side, she moved her wet lips to his
neck.  He gave up completely as she drove her teeth into him.  It was the
most intense feeling imaginable as everything became revealed.  Everything
that was in his heart and soul rushed into her with the flood of hot liquid.
  When he felt that he could no longer wait, he opened his mouth wide in
anticipation of her glory.  He swallowed deeply as her complexity,
excitement, and love stormed into his body and finally exploded in his
brain.  There seemed to be no way he could have enough of her.  He wanted
her all, but knew when to stop and withdraw his fangs.  Still he let his
lips rest against her neck until she was finished.  Her body shook in his
arms from all his pleasures.  There was no defense of all of his delights,
nor did she want one.  Gradually, her breathing relaxed as her contented
sleepy eyes opened to find him gazing at her.  Seeing her look back, he
smiled and reached up to stroke her cheek.

"Nick, I never knew......"

This time he ran his hand across her mouth.

"Shhh, remember you said that we will talk later?  It's not later yet."

Beaming with happiness, she began to float off to sleep in his arms.

"Nick, no matter what happens, I'll never forget."

As he pulled her tightly to him, she could hear his almost silent
confession.

"Neither will I Nat, neither will I."

End Part 8

Sunlight was streaming through the open window blind at the end of the room
as she opened her eyes.  She could feel her heart rate rise as she
frantically scanned the room for Nick.  Even though she was covered, she
felt cold, and a feeling of doom crashed down on her.  Had everything been
only a dream? Something her subconscious had conjured up?  Sitting up, she
rubbed her hand on the bed next to her.  Had it all been her imagination?
Sadly, she stood up and moved to the unshaded window.  The bright early
morning rays from the sun caused her to squint.  Looking down, she examined
the light against her skin. It felt pleasantly warm, it did not burn.  Tears
fell on her sun drenched arms as she sorrowfully turned away from the window
to shower and dress.  After her waking up routine, she opened her bedroom
door, and immediately was surprised with the strong scent of something
sweet.  As she walked out into the other room she could see that all the
blinds were tightly closed, and Nick was sitting at the kitchen table
grinning at her.  On the table before him sat a plate filled with chocolate
covered donuts.  Seeing that she noticed, he commented.

"Did you know that the donut store is open 24 hours a day?"

Caught off guard, she smiled but then remembered her dream and despondently
looked down.

"You were right Nat."

With a confused look, she moved closer to him.

"Right?  About what?"

Mischievously, he grinned.  "About talking about things later."

Her confused expression transformed into astonishment.

"It really happened didn't it?  All those things really happened!"

"Well, I do not know about everything, you were on your own there for a
while. But I do know about the rest of the night."

Cautiously she looked at him.

"Then we were .........together?"

Teasing her, his grin widened.  "Oh Yeah, I believe that you could say that
we were together."

Her excited tone became serious again.  "But I've changed back, and you
knew. You went and bought donuts for me."

"Yes Nat, you are mortal again."

"How?  When?"

"You changed back to your mortality about an hour after you fell asleep.  I
felt your temperature rise against me, and your heart begin its normal
rhythm. I decided then that it was time to go into the other room."

"But I don't understand."

"I doubt we ever will understand, but something you said gave me a clue.
You said that your conversion was a miracle that had just happened.  And
when I left the bedroom, I witnessed the last wisps of smoke from the
candle."

Sighing, she shook her head.

"Sorry Nick, I'm just not following."

Standing up from the table, he walked over to the sofa and motioned for her
to join him.  By the time she reached him, he was already sitting and
holding the candlestick.  As she sat next to him, she watched him viewing
the candlestick from different angles as he turned it in his hands.  Holding
the candlestick up to her, he asked.

"Do you see the inscription on the side?"

She did not have to look at it, she already knew it was there.

"I noticed it last night, but I do not know what it means."

"It's an old version of Latin.  I've seen it used, but mostly with religious
objects."

"Do you know how to translate it?"

"Not all, but I understand the essence."

After watching him daydream for a moment, she gave him a nudge.

"Well, what's the essence?"

Seriously, he turned to face her.

"I do not have a good way to explain this.  Do you know the children's story
called Aladdin's Lamp?"

"You mean the story where this genie can grant three wishes to its owner?"
Nick nodded.  "Are you trying to tell me that a genie lives in that
candlestick and goes around granting wishes?"

"Probably not a genie, but I think that there may be something to the part
about the granting of wishes."

Staring intently at Nat, Nick stopped and waited for her response.

"Are you saying that we got Aladdin's lamp here?"

Rubbing his forehead, he went back and studied the candlestick.

"No, but a reasonable facsimile.  When Schanke lit the candle at the
precinct yesterday, the whole room lit up.  He had just been arguing with me
about how he felt that things are never done his way.  It was after his
words that Captain Cohen had to leave and make him acting captain."  Placing
the candlestick back on the table he turned to Natalie.  "Try to remember
what happened before and after you lit the candle."

"The candle did light brightly at first, but Nick I would have remembered if
I had wished to be a vampire."

Gently, he reached for her hand.

"Think back, what did you do and say?"

Standing up, she began to pace the area around where Nick sat.

"I remember thinking about the reason I had saved the candle.  Then I lit it
and then.......Oh no, I did wish for something.  I said something about the
two of us being in the same world for once."

Nick stood up.  "And your wish was granted."

"But that's not what I meant."

Leaning over, he kissed her lightly on the forehead.  "Maybe not, but it was
what you wished for."

Pulling away from her, he went to retrieve the candlestick and held it up.

"Nat, the story of the magic lamp of Aladdin goes back a long way.  It was a
legend for centuries before it became a popular children's story.  It has
had many names.  Think about it, a candlestick is a lamp in a way.  It is a
vessel that provides a holder for light in one form or another.  Legends are
stories that are handed down for generations, but usually they have some
historical basis.  What if this is the artifact that the legend was based
on?"

Slowly, she shook her head.

"Listen Nick, I know that finding an explanation for last night is
difficult, but I still can not accept that the answer is magic."

"Last night, you were willing to explain everything as a miracle.  Magic or
miracle both contradict the laws of science.  Call it whatever you wish."

Accepting his words, she sadly spoke.

"But the wish did not last."

Taking a moment to think back, he whispered.  "As long as the candle burns."

"Does it say that on the inscription?"

"No, it's from the legend."

Looking intently at the candlestick, she still tried to accept its magic,
but then turned to Nick.

"What do we do with it now?"

"Light it.  Light it again.  I want to know if it will give another wish to
the same person.  Do you have another wish?"

She smiled, "I think I can think of something."

Going back to the kitchen, she went into the drawer and removed another
candle.  Moving back towards Nick and the candlestick, she nervously spoke.

"I guess I should be careful what I wish for."

Warily, she placed the candle in the holder and took a deep breath as she
lit the candle.  There was no intense light, but she closed her eyes and
smiled. "I wish for Nicholas Knight to be cured of his vampirism and become
mortal."

Quickly, she opened her eyes and stared at Nick.  "Anything Nick?"

"I do not feel any different."  Walking to the window, he pushed aside the
drapes, and she could hear the sizzle of the sun touching his skin from
where she sat.  Jumping back out of the light, he turned in time to witness
her disappointment.  He tried to ease her pain by smiling.

"I didn't think it would work.  One wish ready or not."

"Nick, you could use it!  You could have that one wish."

Sadly, he looked down.  "I can have it for only as long as the candle
burns."

"Nick, I am not sorry for the time that I was given.  I will always treasure
it.  I now understand so much more about what you must live with.  You could
have the opportunity to walk in the light.  You could for a while become
mortal."

"And when it is over?  It will only be harder for me to go back to the
vampire.  No, the candlestick is evidence, and I'm taking it back to where
it belongs."

With a pleading voice, she called to him.

"Nick,..........."

Holding up the information that she had written when she spoke to Grace, he
interrupted her.

"You had written this about the case.  So I called and spoke to Captain
Cohen when you were asleep.  This candlestick was on loan to the Royal
Museum from the Louvre when it was stolen.  It was part of an exhibit of
ancient artifacts that were unearthed in a recent archeological dig.  The
officials at the Royal Museum want it returned to its owner immediately.  I
have been booked on a plane tonight to return it."

"Nick, your wish....."

"No Nat, it would not be without danger.  I'm returning it.  The perp from
the precinct had the name and number of the archeologist who had been doing
the research on this dig.  He probably wanted the doctor to translate the
inscription.  Somehow, he knew what it could do.  It will be in my
protective custody until I turn it over to Dr. Chasseur in Paris."

She reached over to hold him as the sorrow of what he felt he must deny
himself tore at her heart.

"You deserve a wish too Nick"

Pulling her close, he recognized that his wish would only bring him and
others more regrets.  With her securely in his arms, he looked over at the
old candlestick longingly.  There were no doubts to him that this could
provide him with the chance to feel and be human again.  Yet he understood
that he had no right to indulge his fantasy and rearrange all the balance in
the universe. What would become of the desire, the wish of a vampire?  How
much had he already interfered with nature by becoming what he was?
Abruptly, he pulled away, and she watched as he placed the candlestick back
into its velvet container.  Then slowly he turned to face her again.

"I need to rest now.  The flight to France leaves at 8:00pm."

End Part 9

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