by Sophia North
Haan stared at him, the flickering torchlight reflected in his black eyes matching the uncertainty within him. He did not like it when he misjudged his enemy.
Clicking his tongue, Haan spun on his heel and started to pace. "What am I to do with you, Elder Barath? Just when I'm convinced your end is nigh, you go and do something that makes me wish it was you, rather than Darius, within whom I reside."
Bingo. Point of entry achieved. Let's see how the bastard coped with temptation. "Why not choose me now? I've read your journals and know what you are capable of. Haan the Great deserves the best, doesn't he?" Vlad asked convincingly.
"Ah, you remind me of my dear Anton. The first of my Underlings. Alas, he was only ever going to be the initial link in the chain. The brothers Polidori were always my true aim. So you see, Vladimir, you may be the vamp I'd prefer to be, but the strength I need can only be extracted from the brothers Dante and..." He swept his hand along the length of himself. "...this vamp known as Darius."
It was Vlad's turn to be surprised, but he was quick to keep it from showing. Darius was Dante's brother? That was one fuck of a secret. And from the recesses of his mind an idea sprang forth that might work in gaining Haan's trust.
"Interesting. I've recently begun to realise Alessio looked a bit long in the tooth than he ought, considering Dante's only child status. Now I know his randy old goat ways led him astray, the information, it must be said, is much appreciated. It confirms what I know about the curse."
"My, my Vladimir. You do know quite a lot. Those long nights in the Great Archives really have paid off. You've worked out what others have been shamefully ignorant of since the Great Fire of 1666. Wilhalf will pay for desecrating my genius like that."
Vlad would have liked to take the credit for being so clever, but he'd only just made the connection between what he'd read about the Terrors and Haan's journal entries regarding dragons and their powers. There had one obscure scroll he'd come across that referenced the curse being performed by Rahu and Keto - whoever the fuck they were - the salient point was what the curse entailed.
He hadn't thought much about the discovery, it had all seemed rather far-fetched at the time. But then the mystery of Godfrey's youthfulness had got him thinking maybe there was more to it than he'd first thought.
The curse had been placed on all male vampyres with the intent of curbing their desire to breed. The acts being performed during the Terrors in the name of progress were too heinous to continue unchecked. So Wilhalf, in his wisdom, had used the knowledge in Haan's journals to bring an end to it. And he called upon the power of Dragons to assist.
The long and the short of the curse was this: those fathering off-spring would start to grow old. So old, that their lust would eventually cost them their immortality. For no creature in this plane could avoid nature's decay leading to their final death.
As for those who'd already bred, rampantly or not, each child they'd sired had aged them a century. Which explained why there were quite a few shrivelled up fucks, like Igor the Alchemist.
The fact that so huge a secret had been kept for so long surprised Vlad to no end. And it led him to consider the possibility that most vamps were unaware of the curse's existence. As crazy as that was to imagine. What else could account for it?
Also, the ban on breeding had been an ideal mask for the truth to wear. It kept those born during the Terrors from ever suspecting they'd been cursed for their pleasure.
The magnitude of the secret and lies utilised by the powers that be in Lowerton were too much for Vlad to comprehend properly. He had to stay focused on getting Haan to talk and had only used the information about the curse as a way to prove he had something to offer in return.
Knowing Haan wouldn't be fooled for much longer by his deferential behaviour - he’d just vowed to defeat the bastard moments earlier - Vlad made his final play for answer number three. Haan's plans for Penny.
"So you think fucking Penny is going to break this curse because she's a dragon. Seems a bit out there, if you ask me. Don't get me wrong, she's a nice enough piece of ass. But curse breaking pussy? That's a tad far-fetched." Vlad purposely left out the other claims Haan had made about his plans for Penny. It had been hard enough to utter what he'd just said. There was no way he'd talk about Haan killing Penny.
Haan smirked. "Oh Vladimir, the fucking will be for my pleasure only. The throat slitting ends the curse. My thanks, by the way, for finding her. Your cock has exceeded all expectations. I knew it would find me a dragon, but couldn't believe my good fortune when your prick ached for the very Dragon bloodline responsible for the spell. Talk about a two birds, one stone moment. And once I am sure Penny is ripe for the taking, I'll happily kill her and take your child for myself."
Vlad reared back, rising to his full height, he stared menacingly at Haan. "What the fuck are you saying?"
Widening the black orbs his spirit peered through, Haan feigned shock. "You mean you didn't know? I find that rather laughable, Viking. Finder of Dragons and seed from whence they spring forth."
No, it couldn't be. He was a vampyre, not a fucking Viking. His seed would be useless, wouldn't it?
"It's not possible," he hissed, shaking his head in denial.
"Oh but it is," Haan parried. "And from the look on your face, I can see that you've finally fucked her. I have to admit, I was beginning to lose hope your word was indeed your honour. But you know what they say about power of the chase...it's always enhanced when another enters the race. It pleases me to know my courtship of Penny helped matters along. Fingers crossed your seed has already taken. The child will give me all I require to carry out the next phase of my plans. And I've always wanted a pet dragon."
Nothing the lunatic was saying made any sense. Vlad's mind tried to grasp the fractured strings of information, but failed to weave any fragments of understanding together.
"Goodness, you still appear rather confused. Must I really lay it all out for you? How disappointing..."
Haan's sanctimonious tone was cut short by a series of violent shudders and shakes overcoming him. Vlad watched in amazement at Haan's distorted features. Maybe the Creator had decided to take pity and finally intervene.
Haan's black eyes of doom were once again chocolate.
"Brother, forgive me," Darius, the real one, pleaded, dropping to his knees at Vlad's feet. "I try to control Haan, but he overpowers me every time."
"Darius! If that's really you, get these fucking chains off me."
The vamp shuddered violently in front of him again. "It's not Darius anymore," Haan's spirit roared from Darius's mouth. Readjusting his head with a swift jerk which produced a decidedly loud crack, Haan remarked, "I have to hand it to your brother, he's quite the fighter. Almost as annoying as you," he rubbed Darius's chin, "but much more handsome. At least, I hope Penny thinks so. I'll be off to visit her next. We may have a ritual to plan, if all goes well with the pregnancy test. And my cock, I have to say, is also itching to try her out. Rehearsals, I hear, are key to a well orchestrated ceremony. And who am I to naysay the experts? Tell me, how does she feel about a little bit of choking? I reckon that feisty minx gets off on it."
Vlad composure deserted him. He strained his silver chains as far as he could take them. "If you lay one finger on her, I shall shatter your sick existence from every plane in the universe," he roared.
"Such venom, Vladimir. I only wanted to know how best to please her, in case, you know, she needed warming up. Why must you be so quick to judge my motivations? And here I was, about to fill in the blanks for you, after we were so rudely interrupted by Darius."
The red rage he felt gave way to confusion once again. The fucker was as nimble as Jack jumping over candlesticks with his strange confessions. They kept Vlad guessing as to what he was really trying to say.
"Ah, good. I can see I've got your attention once again. Have you worked out yet why you're still breathing?"
"You need me to be your sperm donor, to ensure Penny co
nceives."
"Eureka! He gets it," Haan cried triumphantly. "And you know what this means, don't you mate? You may yet get to fuck your Dragon again.”
Seeing Vlad was gearing up for another round of 'fuck yous' and threats of death, Haan held up a hand. "Wait, don't say it. I know what you're thinking...and you're welcome."
Laughing at his own wit, Haan turned and marched out the door, leaving Vlad with a mouthful of curses and no audience to hear them.
Chapter Thirty-Five
TRUSSED UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS goose, Penny lay bound to a large oak bed with only her Dragon cloak for warmth and a modicum of dignity. She'd been awake for a little while, but had no idea where she was, what time it was, or even what day. Her Rat captors had knocked her out with some sort of strong sedative, which even now, she could still feel it's strange effects. At times the room would appear to pulsate, like a beating heart, and distort slightly. All in all, it made her feel horribly queasy, or perhaps it was her gut's way of telling her to stay alert. Danger was close at hand.
And so, Penny steeled herself for what was to come. One of the last things she remembered hearing was that Darius was in fact Haan in sheep's clothing. A revelation that still shocked her to the core. The other concerned her Mystery paintings. Reginald Reilly had ordered his rats to ensure they were secured and brought along with them. He'd claimed they'd belonged to his Master and would be required for some sort of ceremony.
That their enemy had been hidden in plain view was rather unsettling. And his obsession with Penny and her paintings raised many questions about what Haan did, or did not, know about her secret identity.
The door to the chambers where she was being held opened with a loud bang.
Startled by the abrupt arrival, Penny's gaze widened in horror as a truly grotesque looking creature, dragging it's left leg, shuffled its way into the room. "Excellent, you are awake," it hissed, limping towards her with a large wooden crate. "The Master will be pleased."
By the goddess, the thing was a vampyre. His emaciated pure white face made his fangs stand out clearly. His long greasy hair hung round his face, its once midnight colour now faded to varying shades of grey. Penny had never seen a vamp like him, and suffice to say, he was really bloody creepy.
Swallowing down her fear, Penny tried to sound courageous. "Inform Darius, I wish to speak with him immediately," she demanded in as haughty a tone as she could muster. Inside she was petrified. But this bag of bones didn't need to know it.
The vamp cackled. "My Master is close at hand. And eager to be with you too." Hefting the crate onto a rickety table nearby, he rummaged through its bottles and boxes to remove various powders and potions. "But first, I need to run a few tests."
Penny watched as he poured various ingredients into a stone mortar and pestle, and started to hum an odd little ditty. Whatever these tests were that he hoped to perform were obviously quite pleasing. For Penny, the thought of him touching her sent a shiver of fear right down her spine.
Alarmed by the prospect of him coming any closer, she pulled on the ropes that bound her, hoping to free herself and flee. The effort failed.
"Stay away from me, you...you vile pestilence," she bellowed, as he approached the bed, the foul concoction he'd brewed in hand.
"Pestilence, I like that. Igor, henceforth you will be known as Pestilence." Darius stood in the door to Penny's chambers, leaning against its frame.
Igor stopped midstride, surprised by his Master's sudden appearance. Penny saw an opening and leapt at the chance.
"Darius! Thank the goddess you're here. I think there's been a terrible misunderstanding. This strange vamp claims you are his Master. Surely he must be mistaken. Haan is behind this, not you," Penny exclaimed, feigning ignorance. Her experience told her the male species, be it human or vamp, would buy the damsel in distress act every time.
Igor reared back, his blood-filled eyes shocked by what she'd said. Why was the woman lying about knowing who his Master was? "She lies, Master. She asked for you by Darius's name but minutes ago."
Penny's eyes filled with fake crocodile tears. "I swear, I did not. Darius, please. I don't understand what's happening." Goodness, she wished the Academy were watching, she'd be sure to win best female lead.
Igor couldn't believe it when his Master brushed past him to go and comfort the forked-tongued witch. "Shh," he soothed, sitting beside her and gently smoothing back her hair. "I can see why you are confused."
Gripping her chin, he tilted it upwards so their eyes met. The malevolence in his black orbs filled Penny with terror. "You believe me to be an idiot."
He pushed her face away roughly and took hold of her hair at the base of her turned head. Yanking it back, he exposed her long neck.
Penny cried out in pain and fear at being so vulnerable to his attack. Haan exposed his fangs and leaned closer. Closing her eyes, Penny felt his breath on the nape of her neck, followed by the tip of his tongue as he traced his way to her ear. His lips hovered there briefly before he started to speak.
"Is that what you believe?"
"N..n..no." Penny stammered, the thump of her heart stuck in her throat.
"Good. It would be a shame to mar such beauty needlessly. Igor, leave us. I'd like a bit of private time with Penny."
Igor wanted to protest, fearing his Master may be vulnerable to the witch's sly charm and manipulation. He'd seen a gleam of lust surface when the Master had been toying with her. But being the dutiful servant, he kept his mouth shut and shuffled from the room.
Penny kept her eyes clenched shut through the entire exchange, foolishly hoping Haan would back off if she refused to look at him. The creak of bed as he moved to straddle her, stirred a small yelp from her lips. So much for her theory.
"Look at me," he demanded, settling himself across her hips.
Pinned by his weight, Penny tried to buck him off by thrashing about. Haan merely laughed and clamped her between his legs.
"Easy, love. Much more of that, and I'll have no restraint left. And I have few things I'd like to discuss before we get down to the fucking."
Penny stilled. She felt like retching but swallowed it down, refusing to give him the pleasure of knowing how much his threat had upset her. "Vlad will kill you if you touch me," she said, steeling her voice and opening her eyes.
Darius's handsome face smiled down at her. "Yes, he claimed the same. Pity he’s rotting in the bowels of this fortress, awaiting death. Makes his threat rather unconvincing."
Vlad was here! Penny's heart sang at the thought.
"Which brings us neatly to the subject I wish to discuss." Haan shifted his weight from her and rose to stand beside the bed.
Free from his bulk, Penny scrambled as close as she could get to the headboard as her bound wrists would allow. "And what in particular would you like to discuss about your upcoming demise?" she asked sweetly.
"Don't push me, Dragon. Believe it or not, I'm trying to be reasonable."
Penny did not, but refrained from saying so. Her head was still spinning over his use of her title. Haan knowing she was a dragon did not bode well.
"You thought I didn’t know what you were, my dear," Haan chided. "I will admit, for months it was nothing more than suspicion. Vlad's unquenchable Viking lust for you was what first drew my attention. However, it wasn't until seeing your paintings as Reginald that confirmed your true identity. And what a tale they tell when they're placed together. Without them to guide me, we wouldn't be here."
Penny thought back to the encounter and remembered the art dealer's strange behaviour that day in her studio. She'd dismissed the incident as nothing more than a quirk of her senses. "It was you who came through," she accused.
"Hmm? Yes, of course. I enjoy jumping bodies when the need arises, but the time has arrived to take up permanent residency. Darius's preparations are now complete and he is ready to accept me. Wilhalf and his Fae Queen should have known I always have a Plan B. I taught them better than that."
&n
bsp; Unnerved by his rantings, Penny tugged at her restraints, praying they'd give way. And to her utter amazement, they did.
Thank you newly minted dragon powers, she offered up in silent gratitude. She was still getting the hang of being a dragon.
Haan seemed too distracted to notice she'd freed herself. He wasn't. Flying across the room, he had her in chains before she knew what had hit her.
"I tried to be kind," he barked in her ear as she laid pressed beneath him again. "But it appears there is no reasoning with you. Igor, get in here," he shouted.
The chamber door opened. Igor had been diligently awaiting his Master's call. Limping into view, the Alchemist eyes darted over to the bed. He'd been straining at the door to hear what was going on in the room, but their low voices made it impossible to know what might await him.
Relieved to find his Master wasn't fucking the Dragon, as he first feared, Igor bowed in deference. "You bellowed, Master."
Haan didn't appreciate his humour. "It's time to see if the bitch is marinated yet," he snapped angrily. "She bores me already and I'd sooner see her dead."
Igor retrieved his brew from the table. "Hold her steady, Great One. We will know momentarily if the ritual can move forward."
Penny twisted and bucked, trying to keep the creepy vamp's hands from her. But Haan held her down under immense pressure, so she could barely move. The feel of a cold, wet paste being spread on her lower stomach, almost made her hurl, it smelt so bad.
A few moments passed before Igor decreed the verdict. "Congratulations, Master. It's a girl!"
In the distance a trumpet sounded. Haan smiled. "And that makes three. Two for the Ancestors, and one for me. Igor, make the necessary arrangements for tonight's ritual. We can now proceed."
Chapter Thirty-Six
