by Thomas, Ally
***
It would not be the last time we saw our father, but I think Stephanie and I both agreed now that we did not really care if it was the last. As long as we did not invite him in again to be a part of our lives, he’d remain dead to both of us. It was time to put it all behind us.
Stephanie’s voice startled me when she called me by my name again, this time more composed and collected. “Rayea?”
Instead of saying anything, I faced her and held out my hands, palms up. I smiled at her.
As she placed her hands on top of mine, I saw tears brim in her eyes. “You saved me,” she quietly stated. “You didn’t give up on me. You’ve taken me into your home and have cared for me. I can’t begin to tell you…” She stopped talking as our eyes met. Stephanie smiled back at me, a human smile filled with gratitude and warmth. It was the first time I had seen her eyes radiate something other than hate. “Thank you, Sister,” she said.
Hearing those words brightened my heart, but I remained cautious. “I won’t walk away unless you give me a reason to do so. Let’s work on healing and get past the pain he inflicted on us. Okay?”
“I’ve done so many bad things. How can you forgive me?” she asked, another wave of grief ceasing her.
I wrapped her hands in mine, reassuring her. “That’s the past. I’m willing to move on if you are. We can at least try, right?”
She nodded emphatically at me. “We can do just that. I will if you will.”
I tried not to act stunned when she pulled me into her arms, hugging me as if we had been the closest of sisters from day one. Thoughts of doubt remained at the back of my skull ready at any moment to leap forward and tell me how idiotic I was to trust Stephanie and welcome her into my life with open arms. As Blick and J walked over to us, I smiled up at both of them. They knew my thoughts. I could see it on their faces.
I knew all too well the gamble I was taking, and yet I was prepared to do the right thing by her. My sanity depended on my being able to turn the other cheek. I did not have to be a bitch to Stephanie and fight with her just because she had tried to kill me more than once. If it came down to it, I could leave her to her own devices. We had renounced our father, Satan only moments before, and I knew keeping Stephanie close would be the best plan…for now.
As J asked Stephanie a question I could not really hear, they walked ahead of us as we left the house and wandered down the driveway. While I locked the door, Blick wrapped his arms behind me and slightly picked me up off my feet. “You’re truly amazing, my love.”
I let him gather me up in his arms and carry me. “I’m so sorry about all of this. I had to save her.”
He winked at me and leaned in close to me. As he nuzzled my nose and lightly kissed me on the neck, he said, “You did the right thing. I am glad she’s free of him now. You both are.”
“It’s time to tie the knot now. Isn’t it?” J’s voice drifted over the air towards us as he got to the end of the driveway and hailed a taxicab.
I blushed and buried my head in Blick’s neck. “I burned my wedding dress by the way,” I announced to the party of four.
“We’ll get you another one. We’ll get some lunch and then do some shopping. Right after I talk with my dad.” J flipped out his phone.
Sitting me on the ground again, Blick nudged me and motioned towards Stephanie. “Ask her.”
“What?” I whispered.
“Bridesmaid thing,” Blick stated. “The Bridesmaid thing.”
“Oh.” I laughed, the nervous uncertainty of my new friendship with my formerly evil sister weighing on my mind.
“J, you know about this wedding thing. Can I have more than one maiden of honor?”
As he put his hand to the phone, J asked his dad to hold on a moment. “You can have any wedding you want, Rayea. That’s the beauty of having friends in high places. Oh and being a blood god in your own right.”
I saw Stephanie whirl around at Blick and me as we approached them. “Blood god?” she asked, almost too stunned to move.
“He means vampire. I am first and forever a vampire.” I laughed casually, trying my best not to see the jealous glint in her eyes. My stomach flipped over as a warning sign flashed in my head. “Could I truly trust Stephanie? Even now?”
Quickly J swooped in and put his arm around Stephanie. “Isn’t she humble? I just love that about my maker.” He winked at me and I heard Blick grunt under his breath. Both of them knew something I did not.
“Your maker?” Stephanie purred, slipping her hand over J’s elbow. “When did this happen?”
Raising his head a bit, J strolled before us with Stephanie latched on to his arm. As he flipped his suit jacket over his shoulder, his exquisite suit moved perfectly over his tall frame. “Let me tell you…” he said to Stephanie. He opened the taxi door and glanced back at us as she got in. J smiled and winked at us.
“His storytelling skills seem to be improving. I’m sure this will be a whooper he tells her.” Blick stood patiently as I hopped in the backseat of the cab with Stephanie and J. As Blick shut the car door and got in the front, he told the driver where to go. Staring out the window as J chattered on, I wondered if I’d be able to change the subject any time soon, especially if J embellished my victories too much to my sister. The drive across the bridge to Sausalito would be thirty minutes or more. Hearing Stephanie chuckle and giggle at J’s interpretation of how I saved him from going dark and gave him the immortal gift, I listened quietly. Finally, I searched out Blick’s thoughts.
“I love you,” I whispered to him telepathically as the taxi slowly made its way through the evening traffic along Embarcadero Street. “Thank you for saving me…again.”
“You saved me actually. And yes again. I’ll always love you, Rayea. We don’t need a piece of paper to prove that. It’s in our hearts, and our minds. Yes?”
“Yes. Now and forever.”
Chapter 15
The Zombie Cure (Rayea)
***
“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.”
~ Robert Fulghum
***
“Both of your daughters are quite fetching,” Asmodeus said to me as we stood across the street, observing Rayea, Stephanie, and the misfits, J and Blick walk into the Neiman Marcus department store on Stockton Street. Asmodeus demon’s face was hidden behind shadows of the buildings. His cowboy hat sat low on his forehead as he wore his western wear. His breath smelled foul with decay and garlic. Flashing a yellowed grin, I saw only his demon teeth for a few seconds.
“Who is who?” he asked, raising his gnarled fingers. “I recognize the Wolf God. He goes by Blick now, yes? But the other man? Who is he?”
“The men are not my concern. You can kill them. I want my daughters. That’s all,” I barked. Quickly I regretted my comment and clamped my mouth shut. A long eyetooth, a former demon fang, accidentally pierced my human tongue. As my eyes watered, I turned away from the department store and faced the traffic as it whizzed down the steep hill. Having lost all my powers, I was now at the mercy of these twits, the so-called princes of Hell. Calling them into this family situation was a mistake. I knew that, but I had no other options. Glancing up the hill as I stood like any other human on the streets of San Francisco, I saw the others demons mingled through the crowd. Santero, Abaddon, Mammon, and Belphegor. Noticing how out of place they looked dressed in their long faded black trench coats, black jeans, clunky black boots, and faded cowboy hats, I decided then and there I’d re-evaluate my wardrobe if I ever got my powers again. For now, I had to ignore my common appearance. I put my sunshades on and folded my arms over my chest, waiting quietly on the remaining princes of Hell to join us.
Santero slithered up beside me first. “Cast out, are we? No powers anymore, have we? A groveling huma
n now, indeed?” His high-shrilled laughter made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as the others chimed in, their gloating reminded me of the screams of a pack of hyenas before going in for the kill.
I saw Asmodeus raise his hand.
The demons obeyed and shut up. They all knew who their leader was. Asmodeus was older than I was. Long ago, he had been my mentor. Originally, he had been a king of demons during the Talmudic years, before the birth of man and before my fall from grace. When I descended and needed advice and guidance, he immediately welcomed me into the fold. As that changed, we grew distance. When I challenged him and secured a place for myself in Hell, our friendship ended. I moved on. He did not. I knew he had been waiting a long time for this opportunity. He’d never let me forget it.
While Asmodeus was a deadly soul searcher like the others, he rarely used his powers. Instead, he enjoyed his preferred skill: lust and twisting people’s sexual desires. Our agreement? Win either of my daughters’ trust and pollute their dreams into bloodlust nightmares, so I’d have a chance to reclaim them, hopefully both of them.
As Santero and the others crossed the street to surround the department store, Asmodeus took me by the elbow. “This shouldn’t take long. We have the final payment to discuss, yes?”
I motioned to a coffee shop that I used to sell my wine too. “I need some refreshment,” I said to him. Ignoring his sinister nod, I led him into the shop.
Rayea’s bottled cure for my zombie rage wine had driven me out of business. I ordered two glasses of the Rayea’s Remedy wine, not commenting to Asmodeus what he was about to partake in. It had been hailed as the cure for anything and everything: cancer, AIDS, depression, anger, rage, the common cold. Drinking the wine laced with her blood was like drinking from the fountain of youth or the ever-loving Holy Grail.
I decided to not dwell on it, and again, move on.
If my daughter’s blood could take away my demonic powers with a few glasses, I knew it would do the same for my friend here. Glancing at my human reflection in the store window, I raised my glass. “To your heath,” I said to Asmodeus. “May we be happy and prosper.”
###
Thank You!
Thank you for reading the latest installment of the Vampire from Hell series. Visit www.allythomas.com for more information or email me at ally at allythomas dot com if you have a question. You can also shop at my site and buy a signed paperback of this book or others. Signed paperbacks are only available through my website. Access the direct link to the Vampire from Hell store - http://thevampirefromhell.weebly.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Up Next?
Zombie Wolf (Generation Z, #1) – SPRING 2015
At twenty-four Zachary has been through many zombie outbreaks and knows how to stay alive. He’s been so good at killing zombies for so many years that he makes a living at it. He claims it is the reason he has the nickname the ‘Zombie Wolf,’ even though he knows that’s not the case. With time and space travel being as common as the Internet and cell phones, Zachary and his team travel often to kill zombies and rid the solar system of total infestation. Now in the year 3015 A.D., more sightings of zombies are being reported on Planet Earth, but no one knows how to kill these snake-like creatures. Zachary’s destiny unfolds when he comes face to face with the next generation of zombie and an innocent bystander gets bitten. He considers killing the attractive girl because she’s as good as dead anyways. But when he sees she has a werewolf mark, same as what he has, he knows he must save her.
Read an excerpt.
The Vampire from Hell Part 7
The seventh installment in the Vampire from Hell series is in the works. A cover and title have been put on the deciding block. When an exact release date is available, it will be posted at www.allythomas.com. Stay tune!
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Visit Ally’s website and learn what new books are on the horizon. Go to http://thevampirefromhell.weebly.com/coming-soon.html
Character List
This section lists various characters in the Vampire from Hell series as well as what the author had originally visualized for each character and how the character’s path may or may not have changed during the writing of the first 6 parts. Please note that while not all characters in the series are discussed in this section, a majority are. Hopefully, this will help you recall the character or introduce you to him or her.
RAYEA
Rayea is the oldest daughter of Satan and is the Vampire from Hell. She is rebellious, honest, loyal to her friends, and a fan of mankind. Being a vampire is not a condition that defines her. Finding happiness and resolving her complicated relationships as well as resolving her family issues are constant struggles for her.
Why Was the Rayea Character Created?
When I was a teenager, I came up with the name Rayea, pronounced “RAY – ahh”. I swore one day I would write a story and create a character with that name. I have no idea where the name came from. As best as I can remember, I just made it up.
Writing first person in Rayea’s voice is a fun aspect of creating this series. Being a fan of vampire fiction since I was fifteen years old, I took leave of my senses a long time ago and will vehemently argue that supernatural creatures exist. If I still believe that, I don’t know. But I certainly like to mess with people and throw the idea out there if it comes up in conversation. Writers are naughty nymphs sometimes. We can’t be trusted. Believe me.
BLICK
Blick is a hellhound-turned werewolf Rayea meets in Part 1 – The Beginning. He is very protective of her and ultimately her best friend. As the story progresses, Blick and Rayea’s relationship grows more complicated, but ultimately Rayea realizes there isn’t anything she would not do for Blick.
Why Was the Blick Character Created?
I had no idea at the time I created the Blick character that he would become very popular. I planned for him to be simply a friend of Rayea’s like her online friend, Lynn. That idea has shifted and both characters are becoming closer with each installment. What awaits them I am not sure, but Blick will always be a part of Rayea’s life I think we can safely say.
STEPHANIE
Stephanie is Rayea’s evil sister. She and Rayea do not get along at all. Stephanie is devoted to her father and reminds Rayea as often as she can that Rayea is not like her or her father. After drinking her father’s and possibly the blood of the Snake Goddess, Mehen, Stephanie turned into a Medusa looking person with an attractive body, dressed in revealing attire typically a black leather bikini and high boots, maintaining a pleasant face, but having snakes for hair.
Why Was the Stephanie Character Created?
If you have good characters, you have to create really evil characters to hate, the bad guys. Stephanie is one of my ‘best’ bad guys. I love to write for Stephanie because I have to dream up the worst, the meanest thing I can think of for her to say and do. Sometimes that is a challenge. Sometimes it’s not.
The name ‘Stephanie’ popped into my head one day when I thought about a girl who bullied me when I was in elementary school. I don’t consider the name especially appropriate for an evil snake goddess character, but I wasn’t thinking about that at the time.
SATAN
Satan is Rayea’s father who wants her to fall in line and be more like him (evil) and his sister. Rayea’s rebellious nature is a thorn in Satan’s side and because of this fact Satan makes it his mission to constantly create trouble for Rayea and her friends.
Why Was the Satan Character Created?
Because I had the original idea of writing a story called “Satan’s Daughter,” I knew I would have to come up with a Satan character. I could have made the character far darker than I did, but I did not want my book to go in that direction. Instead, I think of the Satan character as a
big asshole, or a person who is a bumbling fool. He doesn’t know when to give up, and he never stops trying to get his way.
RA
Ra is a blood god usually referred to as the god of the sun in Egyptian mythology. He is from the House of the Dragon, a good god, and a shapeshifter who preferred to stay in the shape of a dragon until he met Rayea’s mother. Ra is a father figure for Rayea and friend who often gives her sound advice.
Why Was the Ra Character Created?
I love Egyptian mythology so early on while writing the series I looked for a way to incorporate references to artifacts and themes from the various deities I had studied.
RAYEA’S MOTHER
Rayea officially meets her mother in Part 3 – A Vampire On Vacation (see the Blood Tea chapter). She shares with Rayea her past and how Rayea was conceived. We learn of her mother’s history with Satan, Rayea’s father and that she became pregnant with Rayea while having an affair with Satan (then known as Lucifer). At the time of this situation, Rayea’s mother was married to a man referred to as Adam. It is alluded that Rayea’s mother’s name is Eve. Rayea’s mother is good friends with Maia, Typhean’s beloved daughter.
J & G
J and G are friends of Rayea who want to show her the alternative side of being a good person and being kind to herself. Many times the reaction Rayea fears she will get from either person is not what she actually gets.
Why Was the J & G Characters Created?
J and G are the flip side of the Stephanie and Satan characters. With having a Satan character, many people assume that J & G are initials for important names in the Christian faith. That notion is up for debate. Currently I have not decided on spelling it out one way or the other, but that may change in the upcoming installments. I have noticed that sometimes readers decide for themselves who these characters are and apply their own meanings. I tend to like that approach because it allows the readers to invoke their imaginations into the story, and explore they come up with.
