Bel pulls us into an underground parking garage like the one in her home and parks. She turns to me, ready to give me a speech, I’m guessing, “Look, Caspian. This place can be a little overwhelming. Just stay with me, please, okay?”Oh, is that all? Easy enough.
“I will not leave your side. It seems a bit dangerous, I wouldn’t dream of allowing you to come to harm,” I assure her.
“You tried to kill me… three days ago,” she phrases this almost like a question.
“That I did. I was under the impression you were responsible for the murder of an innocent in your quest for power,” I explain, “Simple mistake.”
“Then you killed three cops. Were they not innocent people?” That is a bit more of a gray area.
“Simple answer, no. The more complicated answer? At that moment, yes, they were innocent. They were simply doing their jobs, but the stench they all carried assured me that they deserved the end they were given.” She doesn’t seem to understand, so I attempt to explain more clearly as we walk back onto the street to join the throngs of people, “Wickedness has a scent; a calling card, if you will. It stinks like poison seeping out of evil peoples’ skin. Those who want to cause harm, those who kill and hurt others, they reek of it.”
“So you only eat evil people. Not good ones. Why, then, are you considered evil?” she asks as we walk.
“I wish I had an answer on that,” I shrug before adding, “However, let’s not trick ourselves into thinking I’m some kind of savior. Almost surely, I have killed innocent people. But their blood doesn’tusuallysing to me the way other killers’ does.” I tell her.
“Usually?” she asks, seemingly terrified to hear what she must already suspect.
“Your blood, my little offering, is the sweetest I have smelled in all my years. It calls for me constantly, begging to be close enough that our hearts beat in time, pressed against each other.” Her jaw drops, and I continue, “So it is very different from the way I hunger for their flesh, but I constantly crave you, nonetheless.”
She has no response to that, so she walks on. When I can pull my eyes from her stunning figure, I see that every few feet, there are cards covered in lewd photographs of women, piles of trash, cigarette buds, and tiny liquor bottles. The whole place emits the stench of drunken vomit and smoke.
“This is not what I was expecting,” I confess.
She laughs without humor before gesturing around, “You said you wanted a city of sin. This is it. Greed, lust, sloth, gluttony, pride, envy, and wrath. You’ll find each one in a surplus here. Did you think a place nicknamed Sin City would be beautiful and spotless?”Well, I had hoped.
I wrinkle my nose when I’m hit with another layer to the cacophony of smells. “Why on earth does it smell like people are fornicating nearby?” I ask.
“They probably are. There are basically no enforceable rules here. And the idea of public sex gets a lot of people off.” Well, I guess that makes sense. The idea of having Bel where everyone can watch as she falls apart for me alone is slightly intoxicating. But there are too many uncontrollable factors around for me to consider such a thing.
We stop and get a late lunch, eating burgers and fries while we watch the city grow busier and busier. I watch a couple throwing coins into the largest fountain I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of something we might have seen in the old world in Italia. The statues watch over the wishes of mortals, blessing those they find worthy.
Bel catches me staring and grins, full of excitement, “Oh, if you like that fountain, wait until you see the Bellagio. We won’t see it now, cuz it’ssomuch better at night.”
“Is the Bellagio another fountain?” I question.
“Well, the Bellagio is a hotel about a half mile down the road, but it has one of the biggest fountains in the states. And at night they do shows with lights and music. It’s gorgeous. And well worth putting off our mission for five minutes.” Her eyes glitter with excitement. I want to be excited with her, but the reality of the city around us has me filled with trepidation.
During our meal, I feel… something. It’s been so long now that I can’t quite recall who it is, but someone familiar. Wherever we are, a demon is nearby, a terribly powerful one, at that. I have my suspicions, but I’d hate to get my hopes up and be disappointed.
“What is the closest large sinning space to where we are right now?” They are nearby. I can feel it.
“Well that fountain you were looking at is part of the Caesars Palace hotel. From what I remember, it has several casino areas, a nightclub, pools, shopping. That’s as good a place as any to start.”
“Let us go. Someone is here,” I announce.
Her face drops, “Already?”
My black heart flutters at that, “Are you not ready for this excursion to be over?”
She clears her throat, “Well, we only just got here. There are a few things I think you’d love to see.”
I stand up and reach for her hand to help her up. “Once we have accomplished what we must, we will do anything you desire, yes?”
That beautiful red blooms across her face, and I knowexactlywhat she must be thinking. She can have that, too. But not yet, and definitely not here. She puts her hand in mine and gently places some cash on the counter as she stands. I’m going to actually need to find a job because I cannot allow her to keep paying for my existence in her world.
She tries to let go of my hand, but instead, I lace our fingers together and wave a hand in front of us, “Lead the way, my warrior.”
She leads me past the fountain towards two huge sliding glass doors, entering a room so large, I wouldn’t have believed it possible just two moments ago. Loud clanging and chimes assault us from every angle, people shouting and smacking the machines adding to the overwhelming sound. There is scattered drunken laughter even when patrons lose their tokens.
