Discworld and Member Articles
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Written by Mynona
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Friday, 26 August 2005 |
The house that once had been rather nice now sported three broken windows, a kicked in door, several holes in the wall and not a single piece of furniture on the first floor was intact. I was rather pissed off. I decided to send the other fledglings home since I couldn’t be sure the sun wouldn’t reach them. I trusted my guards so I wasn’t going to go home yet. And I’d decided that there was no way in hell I was going home, I was free, relatively speaking, for the first time in two years and I wasn’t going to back down now, idiots or no. In hindsight this was, of course, really stupid.
The house that once had been rather nice now sported three broken windows, a kicked in door, several holes in the wall and not a single piece of furniture on the first floor was intact. I was rather pissed off. I decided to send the other fledglings home since I couldn’t be sure the sun wouldn’t reach them. I trusted my guards so I wasn’t going to go home yet. And I’d decided that there was no way in hell I was going home, I was free, relatively speaking, for the first time in two years and I wasn’t going to back down now, idiots or no. In hindsight this was, of course, really stupid.
The sun had barley risen before I was woken by the sound of four cars on our driveway, considering that the house was a bit remote and we only had three neighbours it was definitely something strange going on. How right I was, ten policemen crashed our already badly beaten house. I was not happy and neither were any of the others. Vampires are nocturnal, despite magic rings and ability to walk in sunlight. It takes lots of energy to stay awake at day and the fight, the lack of blood the night before was not a good combination.
“FREEZE!” A policeman, sorry policewoman, had kicked my door in and was currently pointing a gun at me. I considered starting to shake but I doubted she’d get the joke.
“Hands on your head!” Couldn’t she stop shouting? I have very sensitive hearing. I also did not want a fight with the police, human or not, and I hoped the others wouldn’t attack someone. I slowly put my hands on my head. I just knew I’d hate this woman before the day was over. She came to my bed and did the usual ‘take the hands down again that I’ve ordered be put up while slapping on the handcuffs’ routine. Why order the arms up in the first place anyways? I allowed her to take my arms though I could easily have refused. Vampire strength and all that crap.
I stumbled up and staggered towards the door. I hadn’t until that moment appreciated how hard it was to rise from a bed while having my hands cuffed behind me, or how hard it was to walk in step with someone who kept pulling me sideways. I would have walked freely but I wasn’t given the chance, pretty smart but how annoying.
I exited my bedroom and saw that the others had, indeed, allowed themselves to be captured. I would have to remember to thank them later. I think I staggered one time to many because the woman shot me a disgusted look.
“Are you on something?”
“No, I’m just very tired.”
“I bet you are, abusing people will do that.” She sneered. I decided that once this was over and done with I was going to snack on her, not kill her just worry. And I’d gotten to know why we were dragged up at the crack of dawn, someone had seen the attack by the Gradeft vampires. Or at least seen part of it since we were accused of abuse. I really did hope that it wasn’t the Yiorgos himself because if that was the case I’d do something far more permanent to him than just scaring him off.
The others looked as confused as I felt, though they were in better shape than I was. Them being older meant that they didn’t need to feed as often or as much and they did have a natural resistance to sunlight. I would have to feed soon and police business is always slow. Bummer for me.
We were taken to the police station and put into cells without explanations. This really did not look good. And the coven wasn’t expecting us back in another two and a half months. The cell I was put in was small and had an even smaller window set high in the wall. Sunlight was flooding it, I felt drained as I crept to the darkest corner where I curled up and fell asleep. I knew sleep would only do so much, our only source for energy is blood, someone else’s blood that is, and I couldn’t get that in here. Sleep was the next best option, that and my whole being was telling me that I ought to sleep during the day.
I was roused rather forcefully by a guard that had opened the heavy steel door and was now hitting it with his baton.
“Get up you piece of filth!” He yelled, what was it with police officers and screaming? Maybe it was taught in police training, ‘How to yell: basic course 1’.
I was once again handcuffed and brought to a cell, though this one was for interrogations. There was already a man in there, he had greying hair and he wore the ugliest brown suit this side of eternity.
“I’m superintendent Black, Tony Black. Do you know why you are here?” The man was middle-aged but fresh as a spring morning. I was very tired and felt as if glaciers could think faster than I did at the moment. I shook my head in negative; I had no idea what I was doing here.
“You’re here because your neighbour saw several badly beaten up men leave your house at 4am this morning. Someone had hurt those men and it’s your house. Let’s start with the basics, state your name and age for the record.”
“My name is Alexis Smith, I’m 24 years old.” I did not want him to know my real last name, it’d be too suspicious even amongst humans. He’d probably just think that I was making fun of him. “May I ask a question?” There was one thing on my mind. I needed to get it confirmed.
“Yes you may, I won’t promise you an answer though.” The superintendent had a funny accent it sounded very soothing and if he continued to talk I’d fall asleep again. I was already lilting in my chair.
“Has the ‘injured men’, as you call them, been seen by anyone else, have they contacted the police?”
“No they haven’t but we’ve seen enough evidence of violence in your house to confirm the allegations.” What to answer to that? “That doesn’t matter. I want to know what you did that evening.”
“We went out, to The Grey Cat, we partied, we went home and went to bed.” I wasn’t feeling up to complete sentences, he’d have to take it though. It wasn’t my problem.
“You’ll have to be a bit more concrete than that, lady.” He called me, ‘me’ a lady, I wonder what he’s on.
“I’m sorry but what do you want me to say?” I blinked real slow, the eyelids didn’t want to go up again. Sleeping sounded like a really good idea. Unfortunately the policeman didn’t think the same thing.
“Who were ‘we’ in this?” He startled me awake.
“Me, Emilio, Julio, Sandra, Rashid, Goran, Steven, Clay.”
“Where are Julio, Sandra, Rashid and Goran now? We caught Emilio, Steven and Clay with you.”
“They went home.”
“When?”
“Last night.” Damn him for keeping me awake. Damn the neighbour for calling in. Damn Yiorgos for making me get in this situation in the first place. Damn a lot of things, including that fly on the wall over the head of Tony Black.
“Why?” He thought he had a lead. Go him.
“Because I told them to.” He looked at me perplexed. What? It was a good answer wasn’t it?
“Why would they do as you told them?”
“Why not?” Weren’t I avoiding things today? I needed time but more time passing meant that my hunger would grow and I’d be sitting here going stir crazy anyways.
“All right, friends do as asked, don’t they?” He smiled, I nodded. Be friends, nice. “Who was it you beat up?”
“No one.” He looked angry again. Don’t go me.
“We’ve got evidence of the fight, we’ve got witnesses…”
“But you haven’t got any victims, besides, look at me. Do I look like I can beat a guy?” He looked at me and I saw that in his mind he had to agree. I did not look like someone who could beat up a guy. It didn’t matter that he was wrong, I surely wasn’t going to correct him.
The superintendent asked me several more questions but he looked and felt disappointed when I left. I was once again taken to my cell, where I promptly fell asleep.
I woke up at full dark, for the first time I understood what hunger meant. Real hunger, the one that would soon become bloodlust and make me go mad. Survival traits in all glory but bloodlust can’t really be counted amongst the smartest survival technique out there. I needed blood and I needed it yesterday.
Huddled in ‘my’ corner of the cell I slowly rocked back and forth, trying to take the edge of my craving, too bad it wasn’t working. Three hours after sunset a guard entered and tried to talk to me. It wasn’t helping any. I could taste his scent, I could feel his heartbeat wash over me in steady pulses. I called on every scrap of mental power I owned to control myself. When he didn’t get an answer he left. I relaxed a tiny fragment, it was then he returned with company. The prison physician.
“Ms Smith, ms Smith, can you hear me?” What an idiot, of course I could hear him. I wanted him out though, and far away… for his own safety. Blood smells sweet, even to human noses. But it tastes even better. I admit that it could be because it’s life, for us at least, and life is always sweet, bittersweet. I decided that I could nod, if only to get the annoying person of my back and into safety.
“Do you know what’s wrong?” Idiot, of course I did, though it couldn’t tell him.
“Don’t like small spaces.” I managed to ground out.
“Oh. Well… it’s not much I can do besides asking the warden to let you out into the courtyard tomorrow.” I nodded and wished fervently that they’d leave, and they did, in the end. I curled myself into an even tighter ball and continued to rock back and forth. I didn’t even have energy enough to hope that I’d be alone in the courtyard. Father would not be pleased if he had to order me killed because I’d gone rampant.
Morning came, as it always does, though the night had seemed never-ending. Food was pushed into my cell but I ignored it. Vampires can eat solid food though it will not give any energy it will only take it as the vampire body wasn’t made for solids. It can handle them if it must but it’d have to take energy from somewhere else. And I didn’t have any to spare. The food was taken away again when they came to escort me into the yard. I was running on pure will and focused all my remaining power into putting one foot in front of the other. I almost missed exiting the building and entering the yard, almost.
I could feel life, I felt the life-force, the very essence of every living being swirl around me. The heady sounds of many hearts beating assaulted my ears, whispered promises of hidden power, of the secret to make the thirst go away. I was borderline bloodlusting, I could feel my eyes turn crimson, imitating the colour of what I craved the most. I had all but forgotten my surroundings but a pair of hands clamped almost painfully tight on my shoulders grounded me. Made me forget the seductive voices for a second or two. I raised my eyes slowly to meet a green pair. I knew those eyes from somewhere but I couldn’t be bothered to figuring it out. I was tired but yet so restless. Something was wrong but I didn’t know what.
“Alexis.” His voice was soothing yet desperate. “Oh, no, Alexis. You need to feed.” That made sense. Yes, I needed to feed but something was stopping me, something was wrong.
“Feed from me.” He held me close and bared his neck. A sign of trust and of submission. Still I hesitated but the answer came for me. This was a friend, another vampire who no doubt would soon have the same problem as me. I couldn’t feed from Emilio, it’d make it all worse for him. Another voice, deeper than Emilio’s began to talk.
“Don’t fear little lady, we’re stronger than you, he can take it.” It was Clay, I think, and he reached out and made a small incision on Emilio’s neck. Then he and Steven moved away to shield us from prying eyes. My fangs tingled as they grew and I could no longer stop myself. I bit him, I fed, took enough to clear my mind, to ease the craving. Vampire blood is more potent than that of a human. It was refined, so to speak. My brain jumpstarted and what I had just done hit me like a ton of bricks. I had fed from a vampire who couldn’t feed in turn. I felt helpless and disgusted with myself. Emilio only held me tighter. My guards closed in again.
“Don’t worry little lady, as I said, he can take it. We’re older than you are. We don’t need as much as you do. And remember you’re the one that’s important. We’d die for you. Let us help you while we can, calm yourself and let us worry.” His voice was a deep rumble, almost purring. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, safe, with them watching over me.
It didn’t last, of course it didn’t, no matter how much I wished it, and all too soon we were herded back to our individual cells. It was nice to be back inside, away from direct sun, although my cell was disgusting bright anyways. I didn’t want to part from my guards or Emilio, my protectors. It was wrong what they’d said, about me being more important than them but I think that my father would agree with them and what my father thought is what’s important. They’d keep me alive on the cost of their own health, and if it went as far, their own lives. Nice reward, wasn’t it? You’ve been loyal, now you can die for me too. I couldn’t do much about it though despite hoping that it’d all be solved soon and that they were strong enough. Please let them be strong enough.
I was once again taken to Superintendent Black, oh joy. I huddled in my chair staring across the table at Black. If there was any name apart from Dracula that fitted vampires that would be Black. I decided to ask father if I ever got out… alive. My staring was apparently unnerving because the man was starting to shift in his chair. Point to me, or maybe not since I’d most likely become more suspected if I acted strange. I’m a vampire for fucks sake, I act strange according to humans… that is what we do!
“So, Alexis,” He was using my first name as means to discourage me, making me seem inferior. It wasn’t working. “I’ve heard that you don’t eat your food, isn’t the prison food good enough for you?” He sneered, he definitely didn’t like me.
“I don’t take to enclosed spaces very well.” It was the truth, though it was not feeding that caused me troubles, not enclosed spaces as such.
“Too bad isn’t it. Maybe you should have thought about that before you abused someone then.”
“I haven’t abused someone.” I beat someone up because they deserved it, according to vampire laws at least, and because he attacked me. “Tell me, superintendent, you claim to have evidence, how do you know that they didn’t wreck our house and then made a run for it? Maybe they were thieves? Maybe they were invited to a freak-party gone wrong?” In vampire terms a ‘freak-party’ was a party with ‘freaks’ people who liked getting bled… guess what happened during those. Also, if he knew the term he had had at least some contact with vampires or ‘freaks’.
“That was not a freak-party, besides those don’t go wrong.” That was interesting, he had been to freak-parties before, enough times to know what was supposed to happen. What he didn’t know, along with most freaks, was the parties did go wrong, usually when ‘less serious’ vampires held them. Not many lived to tell the tale though. He was also acting defensive. I wondered what he was hiding. He hadn’t picked up on my rings, which I still wore much to the chagrin on the prison staff. Usually you get your prison clothes and they take all personal affects from you but they couldn’t get my rings off, and I assumed the other’s didn’t come off either, and it wasn’t important enough to cut our fingers loose to get them.
“How do you know?” I asked, wasn’t it strange how I’d turned the interrogation around? I’d gotten my chance when he went defensive and I wasn’t about to relinquish an advantage.
“I can’t see how you know anything about them, though.” He answered me. “If you were a freak you wouldn’t be wearing rings.” How could it be that he knew the importance of rings but not what they meant? It should have been highly suspicious to in one raid get four people whom you can’t get their jewellery off.
“You’re right, I’m not a freak.” That I could be a vampire never touched his mind. Also, I gave him back the power over the questioning. I’d gotten some information on him. Too bad he was wearing a shirt and tie, I couldn’t see his neck. He continued to question me but with little success judging by his more and more sour expression.
I was soon taken back to my cell and shortly after that I was allowed out into the yard again. I was the only female there but thanks to the physician I was allowed out, I guess it’s bad PR to have prisoners go catatonic on you. Also, this wasn’t an ordinary prison, it was a place for ‘not yet judged’ prisoners. People who were accused for crimes of violence.
As soon as I’d entered the chain link enclosed yard the other three hovered protectively over me. I was once again safe.
“Little lady.” That nickname should have gotten him a fist in the face but it was, thanks to the surroundings, acceptable and quite endearing. Though you wouldn’t get that last part from me even with a crowbar.
“You know you ought to get hit for that, don’t you?” Despite my words I leaned into him, borrowing his strength as I would soon drink it.
“I know, I know. You need to feed, will you do it by yourself or will we have to force you?” Damn, they knew me too well. I really didn’t like the idea of hurting them to strengthen myself but it didn’t look as I had much of a choice. Pukkariffic.
“I’ll do it.” I sighed but I did it. It tasted so sweet, I didn’t want to stop but I knew I had to. “You’re too nice.” I was leaning on him again but I was tired and had three really strong men to lean on, so why not?
I was carefully awoken by Clay, whom I realised later, had stood still as a statue for the entire three hours with me leaning on him. And he didn’t seem to care. That’s almost scary.
“Wake up little lady, we have to go inside again.” I held on to his shirt with vengeance, no one would get me from there, I was far too comfortable despite the fact that I’d been sleeping standing up.
“No, little lady, you have to go. We have to go.” He carefully pried my hands from his prison issued clothes and led me to the door. Supporting me all the way, these guys really did deserve a reward if-when we got out of here.
Once again the prison guard found me huddled in the corner. I thought that maybe they’d get used to it after two days but no. Perhaps ability to learn wasn’t something wanted in prison guards.
“You’ve got a visitor.” He looked at me. I looked back, it took some time for the words to actually reach that part of the brain that does understanding. When it did I slowly got up and looked harmless. It never hurts to have people around you to underestimate you.
I was taken to a room that was parted midway by two lines of bars, making it impossible for a person on one side reach a person on the other. There were chairs and tables littering both halves of the room, I couldn’t see why. Chairs were understandable but tables? It wasn’t like any of the prisoners had anything to put on them. The door at the other end of the strange room opened and in came father with two guards and a vampire I’d never seen before. Maybe, just maybe, I’d get out of this without having to kill someone.
“Alexis. How on earth did you manage to end up in here?” He looked more amused than angry, maybe I’d get out of here alive and even get to live after I’d gotten out. My future looked brighter for every passing minute.
“Is this room bugged?” I asked and one of the guards shook his head ‘no’. “Some vampires attacked us in our house but we drove them off, apparently not before someone had seen them. That someone called the police who came to investigate, I didn’t want anybody to become hurt so we went along with the police.” While I explained what had happened I saw that the, for me, unknown vampire was looking at me as if he was taking notes. Father caught me looking.
“Alexis, I’d like for you to meet Peter, he’s a lawyer.” A vampire lawyer, who would have guessed?
“Hello Peter.”
“Hello, so, if I understood this right, they have no evidence at all against you? Have the other vampires pressed charges?”
“No, you are correct, no evidence except that the first floor of the house was wreaked but that’s hardly a crime and no, the other vampires hasn’t pressed charges. Neither has anyone with signs of fighting been reported from any of the hospitals. I’m not surprised but Black is.” I looked at Peter while talking, daring him to react.
“Who’s Black?”
“Superintendent Black is the one who is responsible for the investigation. He’s also a freak.” Father looked faintly amused by this, as did Peter, the guards looked indifferent, as always.
“And he hasn’t recognised the rings or what they stand for?” One of father’s eyebrows rose.
“Nope, all he’s concluded is that I’m not a freak since I wear rings and that’s supposedly not something a freak wears.” Father knew me well enough to pick up on the question I hadn’t voiced.
“It’s because humans aren’t vampires, they are food. Food does not have rights.” Oh, slavery, how quaint. Even better was the fact that the slaves didn’t know they were slaves. I just wondered how serious my father was about the whole slavery business, I knew that we had ‘pens’ in the coven, it was from there I’d gotten my ‘food’ for the last two years but were they really slaves? I needed to find out but I also needed not to do it now, I had more pressing matters at hand.
“Next time this ‘Superintendent’ questions you I’ll come with you.” Peter said just before their door opened and they were ushered outside. Well, at least someone on the outside knew where we were. Things really were looking up.
The next morning I was taken to the interrogation room but Peter was already there. He rose as I entered and looked at me. It was unnerving, he started out almost, but not quite, meeting my eyes, then he lowered he gaze to my hands before looking up again.
“You don’t look too good.” He watched me nervously, as if expecting me to get violent. Maybe I should have done something but I wasn’t going to waste what little energy I had on something so trivial. I simply glared at him and answered in kind.
“I hadn’t eaten the night of the attack, nor the day before. Feeding in here is a bit precarious. Atop of that is the fact that there is direct sunlight in my cell, as in the yard and they keep forcing me to be awake to go to these stupid things. I’m only two years old, I can’t handle it.” I stared at him, daring him to say something inappropriate, daring him to say anything at all. He backed down, performed a sketchy half-bow thing and waited for me to sit down before doing so himself, right on time because the Superintendent was now entering.
“Good morning Alexis, I see that your lawyer has arrived.” I could see his mind working, not literally though even if there were vampires out there who could read minds. He was wondering how I’d gotten a lawyer, none of us in his case had been allowed to contact the outside world in anyway, shape or form. Bummer for him.
“Morning superintendent.” I wouldn’t volunteer any information. Mostly because I wasn’t all sure what was happening either.
“Your lawyer is too late, one of the others has already confessed.” Black was gambling but I’d call his bluff. I knew that none of them would say a word.
“No they didn’t.” It was short, simple and true.
“Yes he did, he told me everything about arranging for the victims to come, how you lured them with promises of sex and money to how you systematically tortured them until they, by a chance of luck, managed to escape.” He looked very happy with himself. Both I and Peter looked at him as if he’d grown a third head. Where in the whole world did he find that supposed plot?
“That isn’t true and we both know it. Also, I know that none of my friends has told you anything, no confessions but also no lies.”
“You know I tell the truth. People break under pressure and no matter how loyal they can seem during the crime, someone will always give.” He looked triumphant, he didn’t know that my three ‘partners-in-crime’ was loyal to death, literally. I was getting tired again, a few weak tremors had started to work themselves along my arms and legs. Peter shifted in his chair, very aware of why and what was happening but unable to do anything. I also knew that he was in the very uncomfortable seat of reporting this to my father later.
“I know you are lying.” I answered.
“Mr Black, my client has been very gracious this far but you can’t accuse her for something you’ve made up yourself. Neither can you keep her, or any of the others, in here indefinitely. You’ve got no proof, you haven’t even got victims. Do this easy on all of us and release them.”
“You are both lying!” Black had gotten up form his seat and I expected him to start frothing at the mouth any second now.
“My client have nothing further to say to you.” I wasn’t sure whether Peter stopped the questioning because Black was getting ridiculous or because my tremors had become worse. I didn’t particularly care though, I was just glad I was getting out of there. Today I was led directly to the yard, that way I missed lunch but it wasn’t as if I’d eat it anyways. I even managed to be the first one out, or maybe it was planned that way, but I didn’t have to wait long for first Emilio and short thereafter Steven and Clay to find me. Although Peter was one step up from a human, these were the people I trusted, the ones I could lean on without fearing a fall. I looked up at Steven.
“Your turn, eh?” I smiled a small, sad smile but I got a real one in return. It helped, a little.
“Yes little lady, my turn.” Clay and Steven were scarily alike, maybe all guards were but I’d only met these two for any longer period of time. His blood was stronger than Clay’s though, indicating he was older. If I had to guess I’d say 50 years older. What was different this time though was that I saw that the others were getting strained, not as bad as I but still. I also wanted to know if father had talked to any of them. It didn’t stop me from taking my new favourite position, leaning against someone.
“Father came by.” I wasn’t going to speak his real name or title when there was a chance to be overheard.
“I know.” Emilio answered, I motioned for him to continue. “He didn’t talk to us though.” That was what I needed to hear. I nodded and fell asleep.
I spent another day and night incarcerated, I slept the day away waiting for night to come with its blessed darkness. The prison physician once again nagged at me for not eating, I hadn’t eaten since I arrived he said, not normal he said. Fuck normal I said. That night I sat huddled in my corner thinking of things. What had brought me here. I couldn’t have been the first vampire to go to prison but what had happened to the others? Could humans really keep a vampire imprisoned, and if that was the case, what did they plan on feeding him/her with.
Most humans didn’t know of vampires outside of ‘Interview with a vampire’ and we were pretty happy to keep it that way. A select few did know but they didn’t tell others, if they did they’d lose customers. Sects were rich, being a vampire puts ‘long term savings’ in an entirely new light. Most humans knowing about us were those who did business with us, either as businessmen or as freaks, though sometimes both. Vampires has money, power and immortality, most mortals crave at least one of those, it makes it easy for us to make business. Also, business tended to stay in families, thus secrecy was rewarded. Also, how many non-believers would take anyone who cried wolf about vampires seriously? It was a win-win situation. Of course there were fanatics, people who had sworn to cleanse the earth of our befouling. They never did last long. A vampire is always superior to a human, in speed, strength and agility, though there has been cases in which the vampire has been outwitted. A long life didn’t guarantee you’d become smart.
Freaks are a bit different, they like vampires in… that way. Either just their power and strength or the ones who got of on getting bitten or bled. Though I’d met one human who swore it was the stamina that did it for him. Go figure. I’d never understood them, but on the other hand, I was on the other side of the fence so to speak. I don’t believe wolves get crew-cuts just to put themselves in mind of the sheep. My thoughts swirled between subjects, refusing to settle, it wasn’t strange though, I was beyond tired. I needed a real meal soon or I’d have to kill on of my own. I definitely didn’t like that option.
Morning came and the guards didn’t, to my utter surprise. I wasn’t taken to the interrogation room but neither was I taken outside. When I raised my arm I could almost see through it, my skin had become translucent. The tremors had returned and I was shaking almost constantly now. I didn’t have energy enough to spare getting mad at Black. In the end a guard came to rouse me and I stumbled along to a room I’d never seen before. It looked like a reception desk at your neighbourhood lawyer’s. To my great relief the others were there too, they moved in rather hastily when they saw me swaying on my feet, trying to remain upright.
“Little lady.” Clay reached for me but Emilio stepped forward and lifted me up as if I was weightless. He cradled me in his arms, though I could feel him straining. Even he was tired from the ordeal. I must have made a protesting sound because he started talking to me, soothing, calm words. Keeping me safe, keeping the humans safe. When the doors opened he carried me outside, to where father and Peter waited. Towards home. Father looked at me disapprovingly, although I’m not quite sure what the disapproved off. Maybe it was the sight of me starved or perhaps that I was in Emilio’s arms. It could even be that fly on the brick wall that wasn’t placed correctly. He never said anything but Emilio gave me up rather quickly. Traitor. Though I guess I wasn’t really opposed to being in father’s arms. He felt safe.
“Alexis?” He called me but it took some time before I nodded, showing him that I was listening. “You need to feed.” Once again I nodded. I knew that. “You may drink from me.” If I hadn’t been in his arms I would have sat up in shock. Lowly young vampires as me did not get to drink from a High Prince, even less from the Rector Lamia. Despite me being his daughter. I needed the blood though and he was strong as would his blood be. I drank… and managed to get drunk. The power was too much, I was giddy when he let me down. I still had to struggle to stand up but this time the ground was tilting not because of hunger but because of power. Go me.
Once I was relatively steady and the others had stopped laughing at me, for the umpteenth time, father looked at me.
“The blood you took from me was only enough to quell your most immediate thirst. You need to feed more. So does them.” He indicated that with ‘them’ he meant Emilio, Clay and Steven.
“I know father.” I looked at him understanding that he wanted something from me but not sure what exactly that was. I also looked back on where Emilio and ‘my’ guards stood. They were kind of huddled and I could see the strain in them. They weren’t starved as I was but they were no longer strong, healthy vampires. I returned my gaze to my father with a questioning expression. I really didn’t understand what he wanted.
“You all need to feed, badly. Preferably before the sun rises and within that time limit we cannot make it back to the coven.”
“We must hunt, now… and possibly even drain to death because dawn isn’t far.”
“Only a Royal can order a kill, otherwise it’s a rogue killing.” He stared at me, hard eyes meeting mine until the light of understanding suddenly lit.
“I, Alexis Dracula, Heir of Vlad Dracula of Camrille, will allow three of my subjects to kill one human each tonight.”
“Good.” With that single word he came closer, pressed a kiss to my forehead and backed off again. “Now, I wish you a good hunt and I’ll see you back in the coven as soon as you’ve all feed. Is that understood?” We nodded, Emilio was already planning the hunt, Clay and Steven were looking forward to sinking their fangs into human flesh and I because I suddenly realised what I’d done. I’d ordered the death of four humans. Just like that. I’d never killed anyone before, true when father awakened me I killed but I remembered nothing off it and even if I tried the only thing I managed was feeling guilty because I wasn’t feeling guilty. My first feedings had been closely supervised so that I wouldn’t harm our ‘cattle’ and to learn me to control the need. Craving blood isn’t exactly as a human hungers, the craving grows stronger while hunger can be ignored after some time. The craving also makes us more violent, more prone to shows of aggression, which makes us act stupid. Acting stupid is what get most vampires caught. I didn’t even know if I could kill a person. I did what I usually did, I ran, metaphorically speaking. In the real world I turned to ‘my’ group as the others had left with my father.
“We will take care of your needs first. What I was given from my father makes me healthier than you are at the moment.” I said.
“But…” Steven started to protest.
“No buts!” I growled and all three of them bowed muttering ‘yes little lady’. I was feeling that I’d regret not calling them on ‘little lady’ earlier. “Lets hunt.” An unholy light shone in their eyes, although we survive on sips there is always a small voice in the back of the head urging us to kill, to take more, to continue. Strong willed vampires had easier for control than weak willed and because of that it was important that royals and councillors were strong. We needed to be to control the weak ones. It was also why we didn’t turn anyone into a vampire. They wouldn’t make it and someone would have to clean up their mess.
The three of them hunted efficiently and gracefully, I felt like a blind puppy stumbling on around them, making all kinds of wrongs and just floundering about. Emilio promised that I’d learn how to do it, eventually, but I was sceptical. These guys were just too good. When they actually killed I ignored it, ignored the lost and desperate look on the faces of humans who thought they were highest ranked in the food chain. I ignored the small suckling sounds the three made while they gently cradled their prey. Ignored the implications of the unmoving bodies left behind and the fact that I’d have to kill before the night was over. I can be very good at ignoring things like that, the problem is that sooner or later they rear their ugly heads and bite you in the ass. And by the look on Emilio’s face it was becoming sooner. A sudden movement by Clay had us all on our toes. He just smiled and pointed.
“I’ve found the perfect prey for you little lady.” We looked at where he pointed and there, in a brown parka and brown cap was someone, someone familiar. I smiled and decided that yes, this was the perfect prey. The man was walking alone, unhurriedly, sure of himself and his prowess despite that this was the seedier part of town.
“Isn’t it a lovely evening Superintendent Black?” Said man glared at me, not recognising at first but when Emilio came to stand beside me he did.
“Well, yes Alexis. But what are you doing here?”
“Just taking a walk, enjoying me freedom. If I remembered correctly you were interested in why I knew about freaks.” I made the last sound as a question while a
stepped up besides him and used his hand to gently guide him deeper into the empty alley. Didn’t his mother ever tell him not to go with strangers? He nodded and I ploughed on.
“As I see it there are two kinds of persons knowing about freaks, freaks themselves, which we have concluded that I’m not, and vampires.”
“But you aren’t vampire!” I looked at him, puzzled.
“What in the world would make you think I’m not?”
“You don’t have fangs, you survived sunlight… you were even awake during it. And vampires are nicer than you.” I shouldn’t have been affronted but I was… nicer, ha! He’d never met my father, and he never would.
“But I assure you, I am a vampire, and you as a human, are food.” I started out at his side. I swung him around to face me while holding in the arm closest to me, my other hand came up and closed over his mouth. Wouldn’t do any good if he screamed now, would it? I leaned in on him, closing the last scant inches between us while I tipped his head to the side, barring that smooth neck which would soon give me life.
My fangs sank in deep and my mouth was hit with the warmth and taste of human blood. It went to my head, a thick, blanket-y feeling. I went passed the point of a sip, I was still hungry, still craving and I was allowed to take more. If only this once. The craving demanded more and I gave it, I drank past the point of no return and stopped. Stopped drinking stopped craving stopped everything to pull back and look the superintendent in the eye. He was scared, for the first time in very long I presumed, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit. But he did believe me a vampire, now. I searched his eyes once more, looking for the answer to that which I was just about to do. I let go of his arm and tenderly stroked my way up to his neck, cradling the back of his head in my hand. And I broke his neck… it wasn’t as hard as I’d believed, vampire strength and all that. I had taken a life. I had allowed others to take lives.
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