Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 130

"Yes, I do think so myself. Let's pour her a drink as well. I'll add just a little something to it."

I watched dumbfounded as Father bit into his hand.

He raised his arm. Droplets of blood splashed into the gla.s.s, turning the liquid onyx black. I stared in amazement as a trail of smoke rose from the gla.s.s.

"As I told you, wait for me to make a toast. Then give it to her. Her death will be quick and painless. I have to attend to my guests. Do you mind?"

"Of course not, your Highness." Blick took the wine from Father.

"Stephanie, Cedric, shall we?" With Stephanie on his left arm, Father opened the doors leading to the courtyard with much pomp and circ.u.mstance. Cedric followed, making sure to leave the French doors open so I could hear and see everything. I noticed a few guests glanced at me, recognized who I was, and quickly looked away. I wondered what they thought of me being tied to a chair. One daughter was certainly not escorted on her father's arm. She was left behind. That was me.

When Blick moved near me, I pulled away from him. "You can't do this!" I wrestled against the wooden chair I was bound to, hoping to break free.

Father's voice rang out as he began his speech. "My guests, I apologize for the delay. Thank you for coming. Today, I would like to present a new wine of mine to you. The color may seem startling, but the taste is quite delicious. If my plans come to fruition, I will create many blends from this one. I have selected all of you to be a part of this special project my youngest daughter, Stephanie, will lead. Let us toast to my favorite child." I heard cheering and applause in the tasting room.

In response to my father's order, Blick pinched my nose shut and forced the liquid in my mouth. The mixture burned as it coursed down my throat. Blick whispered in my ear, "You'll be okay. I'm going to get you out of here." Then he vanished into thin air.

I stared blankly at the s.p.a.ce he had occupied. He's gone. What am I going to do? I wanted to steady my thoughts, but I couldn't. The blood destroyed any concentration I could gather. I couldn't focus enough to reach out to Blick telepathically. The pain was too great. It was useless.

After a few moments, my breath started coming in shallow gulps. I couldn't inhale. I tried to calm my heart as it raced, slamming against my chest. I felt the blood sizzling through my body. My whole being was convulsing, surging, and rocking back and forth. Then it stopped and I screamed. I felt the wall against my back. My scream had propelled me backwards across the floor, shattering the wooden chair. I sat dazed.

When Father entered the tasting room, I caught his gaze. His green reptilian eyes were wide with delight. Quietly, Stephanie and Cedric entered the room, followed by the guests. He motioned for them to keep their distance as he approached me. He knelt down, carefully examining my body. "Let's have a look at you."

Amazed, I watched as he lifted my arm. The injured shoulder had no pain coursing through it. It was healed and felt better than ever.

"You still have your white skin unfortunately. But you have my eyes now. And what have we here?" he asked fascinated. Without my consent, he touched my lips, running his finger over newly formed fangs.

I snapped at him and grabbed his hands in mine, holding them still in my clutches. "Don't touch me," I snarled. My fangs ached to rip into his neck. What was this bloodl.u.s.t I was experiencing?

Father tried to pull his hands from my grip. "What are you doing? How dare you?"

My rage was turning into something I'd never felt before, a strength building inside me. I could feel my mind entering his, making its way to his soul. What have you done to me, Father? My thoughts surged into his mind before I could stop them. I heard one of the guests scream from the other side of the room.

Flames shot up the side of Father's neck, leaving a trail of black soot on his green skin.

"Stop this. Get her away!" Stephanie shouted.

She and Cedric raced towards us and broke our embrace. From out of the crowd, Blick appeared and a.s.sisted Cedric. They pinned me against the wall while Stephanie blocked my path to Father. "What is wrong with you?" she yelled at me.

Calmly, Father extinguished the fire. He touched his burned flesh. "I wasn't expecting that." Dismissing the injury, he began, "I've always wondered what demon blood would do if mixed with that of a human's." He stood and paraded in front of the guests, directing their attention to me like I was a lab rat. "With my blood, that green wine, and a blessing from the ancient snake G.o.ddess, Mehen, I have created a vampire like no other." The guests roared and cheered. Father raised his head and basked in the glory.

Adding some sarcasm to my tone, I challenged his declaration. "I'm just a demon, Father, like you and Stephanie. h.e.l.lo?"

He whirled around and hissed at me. "A demon. You? Hardly! You were born a human, a weak excuse for a being in any dimension. That's why you're drawn to those new arrivals and can't excel at our training sessions. Didn't you ever stop to think that you look nothing like me or your sister? h.e.l.lo?!"

Stephanie raised an eyebrow at me. "I told you so, stupid."

I sneered at her.

Father placed a rea.s.suring hand on her left shoulder and persuaded Stephanie to step aside as he moved closer to me.

"You know how you have hounded me about who your mother was? Well, she was a sun worshipper of your favorite Egyptian G.o.d, Ra, when I met her. I raped her one night and later she conceived a child. I took you from her and ripped her to shreds with these." He pointed at his snake fangs and smiled. "She was no match for me. And neither are you."

"Is that why you named me Rayea?" Suddenly, I was ready to forgive Father everything if I could find out just one more fact about my mother.

Father roared with laughter. "How arrogant we are, aren't we?"

"I deserve to know the truth!" Baring my fangs, I lunged at him. Cedric and Blick slammed me against the wall.

"You are a killing machine now, daughter. Think of what this means. As a vampire, you are useful to us. You'll create an army of warriors for me, straight out of h.e.l.l. And my favorite child here will lead that army and bring down the House of G. I will take back what is rightfully mine, and you will help me." Father glared at me for a moment. Then he dismissed me and returned to gloat in front of everyone. Several guests slowly approached him and shook his hand, offering their congratulations on his triumph.

Visions of all the Earth vampires I had seen in movies ran through my mind. Nosferatu. Dracula. Lestat. The hottie from the TV show that my online friends and I drooled over. They were monsters, not real monsters, only fictional. Was that what I was now? A monster? A flame throwing vampire forged from Lucifer's demented mind? I shuddered at the idea of it. It couldn't be true.

"Rayea, hear me. When I let you go, set Cedric on fire. Do you hear me?"

I glanced sideways at Blick. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that his mouth had not moved, but I had heard his command. "Do what? No, I can't. I won't," I thought.

Firmly, he squeezed my arm. "You have to do this. We must leave immediately. Your father's blood is poison. It'll kill you if we don't heal you and fast! Make contact with Cedric's mind. Force your way into his thoughts like you did with your father. Trust me. You can do it. Open your mind."

He gave me a moment to collect myself. Then with a jolt, he released me. I stumbled in front of Father, Stephanie, and the guests.

Father yelled, "What is this?"

Immediately Blick transformed again, into his h.e.l.lhound form. The green demon look, similar to Father's, quickly became a memory when he shifted a second time. He stood larger than life on his hind legs. Thick black fur covered his entire body, and his muscles underneath expanded amid his physique. They bulged out along his arms and legs, flexing and pulsating. His face was that of a large wolf, broader and fuller than Cedric's thin jackal head. Blick towered over Cedric's size by several feet. He seemed to be taller than his stature of seven feet, maybe eight or nine, or more.

As Blick blocked the others from me, he glanced around the room. Many guests had fled. Only Father, Stephanie, and a few stragglers frozen in fear remained. I caught a glimpse of Blick's eyes glowing an intense gold. His demeanor turned savage, like a crazed animal, as he stood before us. He stomped his enormous paws over and over as if he were gathering strength from the repet.i.tive movement. Finally he let out a howl that brought a chilling silence to the entire room. He had everyone's attention.

I totally forgot myself as I observed this beastly side of my best friend. Father and Stephanie stood motionless watching Blick. It was awe-inspiring and frightening at the same time. "Mutt, my a.s.s," I thought.

"Now, Rayea," Blick roared at me.

Jumping into action, I ducked behind Cedric. "Been nice knowing ya, skunk pup." I wrapped my arms around him and focused on hearing his heartbeat. He struggled against me, but I held him tightly. I heard a snapping sound and realized I had broken his arm. He whimpered and remained still in my grip.

Once I heard his heartbeat, the sound calmed me. Feeling his pulse against my body, I reacted instinctually. My jaws opened, letting my fangs extend. I didn't think about my next movements. I exhaled and slowly sank my fangs into the side of his neck.

"Come to me," a voice inside my head said. It was a voice I'd never heard before.

Cedric moaned, moving only slightly.

Fearing he was trying to get away, I increased the pressure of my grasp around his neck. As if summoned, his blood rushed freely down my throat.

With little effort, my thoughts entered his mind and I released the energy I now possessed. Flames suddenly erupted from my hands and engulfed the h.e.l.lhound.

His legs wobbled and he fell to the ground, burning uncontrollably.

It was like watching a horror movie being played out in slow motion before me. I observed Cedric's body fall in front of me. Glowing embers and sparks floated through the air. Suddenly an overwhelming vapor of skunk odor escaped from his remains. It too rose above me, finally fading from view. The stench of charred flesh lingered in the air and brought stinging tears to my eyes. Poor Cedric. He didn't deserve to die like that.

Guilt seized me. I couldn't move my legs. Realizing I was in shock, I looked down at my body. Killing machine. A path of soot covered my shirt and jeans. Drops of blood stung my chest as they fell from my chin. I wiped the drops away, smearing them on my jeans with disgust. "No, I'm not," I said to myself. "I'm not!"

Then the rush hit me. I felt the new blood flowing through every fiber of my being. My body tingled and radiated. I felt alive. Exhilarated. Invincible. I was born anew.

Ah yes.

A single question entered my mind as I stood there. Could I stand up to my Father now? What about my sister? Could I be a good vampire? A vampire who fought against evil?

"Why not," the new voice inside my head replied.

Inwardly I agreed. Waves of confidence and euphoria washed over me, seemingly responding to my decision. Breathing slowly, I let it come. I didn't fight it. If this is what it meant to be a vampire, a true vampire, and not some snaky demon like my father or sister, then I was in. I could fight them now like this and I could crush them.

My mission was set.

As I scanned the room through a dissipating cloud of smoke, I licked my tongue across my fangs, feeling the heat quietly retreating within my teeth. Interesting. I savored the taste of blood on my lips. No turning back.

Spotting my father and sister only a few feet beyond where Blick stood, I stepped towards them. Ashes from Cedric's remains clung to my shoes. He was nothing more than a pile of smoldering bones that I had now trampled through. Crossover.

Noticing Stephanie cowering behind Father as they silently watched me., and I smiled back at her, fangs and all.

"Shall we?" I asked her.

Blick grabbed my arm. Before I could resist, he embraced me in a hug and said, ""Not today. We've got to go! G, open a pa.s.sage."

My eyes widened in disbelief. I went rigid. "The House of G," I asked. A flash of white light blinded me for a moment.

He lowered his head and touched his cold, wet nose to mine as he held me. "That's right." Blick replied.

I felt a warmth from the white light as it encircled us. Digging my fingers into his dark fur, I closed my eyes and returned Blick's embrace. Finally peace.

The voices continued to invade my mind. It was utter chaos. Was I sleeping? Was I dreaming? Was I dying? The voices were all around me. Some male. Some female.

Now and then, it felt like I was being dragged under, deep into a pit. No pain. No fear. Only ongoing confusion. Chaos. Endless.

Other moments I thought it was over and I tried to open my eyes to see. Nothing. I saw total darkness. But I felt no fear, only contentment.

At times, I knew Blick was near, somewhere close. I could hear his voice. He sounded so distraught. I wanted to reach out to him, but I couldn't move. I couldn't see him. I could only hear the conversations. Ongoing. Relentless.

The topic?

Me.

"You must save her."

"How much blood of his did she have?"

"I don't know. Enough. A cup or so? It was in her wine. You must save her. If the fever doesn't break, she'll die."

There's more blood here than a cup or so.

She drained Cedric I think before she set him on fire.

"It's too late then. She's made her first kill. I can't change her back."

"But the poison. She'll die! Or J will destroy her!"

"Blick, you know what this means. I can't go against J's wishes. It's part of my agreement. I'm on the council. I can't get involved. We'll have to see if she pulls through. I have herbs to keep her comfortable, but otherwise I can't get involved."

"To h.e.l.l with your agreement! You must do something! You must save her! She's your daughter!"

"Don't yell at me! I know that! But it's not up to me now. Her fate is in the hands of the G.o.ds. I can't get involved."

Part 2 A Vampire Among Angels

Prologue.

Earth Present Day A drunk guy b.u.mps into my table because he's not paying attention to where he's supposed to be walking. I stop typing and grab the sides of my laptop, so it won't fall. "Come on, buddy. I'm busy here," I say to him and bite my lip to keep my fangs from jutting forth as he pa.s.ses by. The hunger is making me irritable.

In the Golden Skull bar at the corner of Clayton and Haight in San Francisco, a few people are clicking away on their laptops. A few others are talking or watching the TVs hanging from the ceiling while they nurse their drinks. Typical evening in a bar. The customers aren't interested in me, but a waiter shows up wanting to chat. I consider hissing at him, maybe even baring my fangs, to let him know I don't want to shoot the s.h.i.t. Instead I order a cup of hot water and a package of green tea, so he'll go away. I know that's not an ordinary drink order in a bar, but this is California and anything goes, from what I can tell.

As he shuffles away, I slide my hand into my backpack, counting the vials of blood remaining. I retrieve one and place it on the table. Why didn't I realize I was low on blood? I'll have to get a new shipment soon. I add a calendar reminder on my iPhone and notice the time: 8:10 p.m.

The waiter appears with my order. He shifts his weight from one leg to the next, looks at me, compulsively picks up my iPhone, and starts playing with it. "Dude! Is this the new one? The one with Face Time?" he asks.

I nod back at him without speaking. My eyes flash.

Quickly, he acknowledges his mistake and returns my phone to the table. "Sorry," he stammers. "Can I get you something else?"

I contemplate the potential meal standing in front of me. He's not very old for a human, 28, maybe 30. Wearing torn jeans and a faded orange Jimi Hendrix T-shirt that must have been his dad's, the waiter seems disheveled, yet hip in his appearance. Anything goes here with the people's sense of style as well, I've noticed. His light brown hair is strategically tossed about in the Justin Bieber fashion I find rather amusing, and he reminds me of the surfer guy in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Compulsively, I open up my browser on the laptop and search for the actor's name. Then I realize the waiter hasn't left. I make eye contact with him, yet restrict my mind from invading his. The jugular vein pulses in his neck, tempting me, mocking me. His eyes widen. Fear has frozen him within inches of my grasp. Even without touching him, my telepathy powers are strong enough now to reach out and grab him. It's the hunger. I could hypnotize him, escort him to the restroom, and my waiter friend would be no more. Remembering the warm taste of blood running down the back of my throat makes me lightheaded. Instantly, I stifle the savage instinct rising in me. I hear my father's words in my head, 'You are a killing machine now, daughter.' "No," I answer a little too loudly. Then I mumble, "I'm fine. Thank you." The trance is broken.

Suddenly able to move again, the waiter dashes over to a few more customers who are staggering into the bar. He's happy to be away from me.

A sting of guilt tightens in my chest. The eternal dance between predator and prey. Sigh. 'Even if I'm a killer, I still have this under control,' I say silently to the voice inside my head.

It replies, 'Right, tell that to the angel.'