“Yugo.” Orhn swam in place, thinking of how to word his next question. “Can we live if we have our hearts ripped out?”
Yugo answered quickly and without thought. “Do you plan on ripping out your heart to find out?”
“No, I want to know.” Orhn was eager.
“Our bodies have an indomitable knack for surviving unless great damage is laid upon us. That's all you need to know Orhn. It takes a hell of a lot to stop one of us, an enormous amount of power. What Lucretia is doing is tempting death. Flirting with the one thing she fears most, and trying to familiarize herself with it. She is troubled, but not sick. She's preparing for something that will come so quickly that it will render all the preparation she has undergone useless. We are truly alive until the very moment we are not.” Yugo said while gazing off into the distant clouds above the mist.
“Is it really okay that she does that to herself? Will she ever not come up? Is there a limit to how many times you can be revived?” Orhn battered Yugo with more inquiries.
Solemnly, Yugo answered. “No.”
A loud gang of footsteps echoed from the shoreline. Yugo and Orhn looked back. The sound of someone being chased was clearly heard. Through the shouts to stop, the angry rants of religious folk were cursing a fleeting monster. The crowed was screaming that the bloodsucker killed the child. Everything pointed to a large mob hurrying after a fledgling vampire.
This raised Yugo's spirits. “We should see what's going to happen.”
“Are we going to help?” Orhn was excited as well.
“No, we're going to watch.” Yugo corrected him.
Lucretia popped up from the water again. “What did I miss?”
“The locals are chasing a new vampire.” Yugo informed Lucretia.
“Let's go, if we hurry, we can see them burn it.” Lucretia obviously had no compassion for other vampires.
Orhn swam to the dock as Yugo helped both him and Lucretia up. Orhn put his shirt and shoes back on, while Lucretia simply shook off like a wet dog drying itself. Orhn could see her entire body from where he was standing. She was luscious, sleek, and perfectly damaged. Lucretia threw her black cloak around her shoulders as Orhn placed his second shoe on and buttoned a single knot on his shirt. Lucretia had noticed Orhn's eyes on her.
“Did you enjoy the show?” Lucretia said to Orhn with a smile.
Taken back by Lucretia's sheer audacity, Orhn paused.
“If you want your hands to experience what your eyes just did, all you have to do it let me know.” Lucretia was propositioning Orhn in front of Yugo. Something Yugo did not appear to like.
“You two don't want to arrive as a pile of ash do you?” Yugo barked.
Orhn came to his senses. “No, let's go.” There was a moment, however brief that a part of him did consider Lucretia's offer. He thought he had become immune to her constant state of dishabille. Orhn had never been with another vampire and it was tempting, she was tempting.
Yugo perched himself on the roof of a two story apartment with a clear view of a large open pile of timber that had been placed in the shape of a cone. There was a young woman lashed to a center post. She was wearing an off-white long cotton dress. She had long, wavy, pure red hair. Orhn and Lucretia came as the mob gathered around to make a small speech before setting the presumed vampire a blaze.
One of the shorter men in a big flowing brown coat spoke first. His hair was as red as the girl's and his beard was short, yet full. He was an ugly man, and carried a tall knotted walking staff with him. “We are gathered here today to see this creature burn before god almighty.”
“Those words were never the start of anything good.” Lucretia said pessimistically with a smirk.
“Do they really mean to burn her alive?” Orhn was worried for the girl.
“That's usually how these things go, Orhn.” Yugo broke the news to him.
“Then why don't we go down there and save her? She's a vampire right?” Orhn suggested.
“Yeah, and let the whole city know there are three more? No thank you.” Lucretia explained. “That is not what I'm doing tonight.”
“By the hand of god, we shall burn this unholy demon!” The religious figure shouted.
The girl strapped to the wood pile was struggling to get free. “No! You can't, I'm not a vampire! I'm just a girl! Please don't do this, don't kill me!” She was crying as she spoke. Her voice was faint, feminine. It was honey to Orhn's ears.
“Does she know what she is?” Orhn asked.
“No, of course not. This is the work of some sloppy vampire that probably bit his own hand as he was drawing blood from her. She's a mistake, not a vampire or a person now.” Yugo was heartless.
“And now she's gonna die.” Lucretia said bluntly.
“She has no idea? Then why did I hear one of the town's people screaming that she killed a baby?” Orhn asked.
“She might have in a momentary need for blood. When we are young, if we go too long without blood, we eventually lose it and murder the nearest person. It may seem odd she doesn't remember. But if you were a sweet innocent twenty something, would your mind want to recall the sight of tearing the entrails out of your neighbor's child and enjoying it?” Yugo saw the disgust on Orhn's face. “I thought not.”
“Why can't she just break free of those ropes and tear them all apart? Since she's already had a full meal?” Orhn figured it was still possible for her to save herself if Yugo and Lucretia weren't going to.
“No, she's too weak.” Yugo said plainly.
“She'll burn for sure.” Lucretia stated.
“She'll die if we don't do anything?” Orhn was distressed, he didn't want to see her die.
“Now by god, let this monster burn in hell! Set the fire and shut your ears to her screams. She is no longer human, she is damned.” The stout religious man commanded.
“Yep.” Lucretia answered Orhn's question.
Orhn watched as a small boy with a torch, set fire to the many branches at the girl's feet. Yugo viewed not the scene, but Orhn's face. Orhn wasn't accepting her fate. The girl began to scream loudly as the fire slowly caught the surrounding twigs. Orhn clenched his fists, he was angry. Yugo watched his reaction well up inside. Lucretia gazed onward as the fire claimed more and more area. The girl pleaded to god, the town's people, and anyone that would make eye contact with her. She knew she was going to die, she wanted to be saved.
Orhn answered her call.
Orhn leaped down into the crowd. Lucretia and Yugo ducked, but kept an eye on what was happening from the corner of the rooftop. Orhn immediately rushed to the burning fire. With one thrust he broke the ballast she was tied to. The girl fell a few yards away from the danger of the fire. Orhn stood with purpose as his clothing was engulfed in flames. He was quickly overtaken by it. The people cried out and cursed him.
The short man cussed at Orhn. “Away with you monster! Do not trifle with god's work!”
The rest of the town's people flocked around the man and Orhn. They were ready to attack him at the man's order. Orhn moved first and once. Appearing so fast at the man's throat that the flames nearly extinguished themselves. Orhn paused, saying nothing.
“You can't harm me vampire! I have the fire of god within me!” The man proclaimed to Orhn.
“Poor choice of words.” The blue stunted flames on Orhn's body began to reignite into brilliant reds and yellows.
As the fire re-grew, it spread. The flames ran up Orhn's arm, catching the stout man's robes on fire, taking with it the short preachy man himself. His screams were effeminate and undignified compared to the young girl.
No one dared contest Orhn as he stood there literally burning with the desire to save the woman. His clothes burned to ash as he walked to the still restrained girl laying on her right side. Orhn's skin had not been damaged, nor his hair. Regardless, as he struck the post with his fingers, breaking the rope binding her, he was completely naked.
Orhn scooped up the young woman in his arms and
looked back at the mob. “You people are the reason I find pleasure in finding my food.” He sped off away from the group with the newly rescued girl.
Yugo and Lucretia followed Orhn above the streets to a dark alleyway. The sky had lost its daylight hue and it would be hard to find them in such a dim place. Yugo and Lucretia jumped down and stared at the young girl. She was sitting, staring only at Orhn. She was marveling at his sight. She was awe struck by his sheer presence, by his will. This girl, that was stunning in her own right held her attention to Orhn. Her skin was dotted with bright red freckles a plenty. Her eyes as she stared at Orhn, showed a dark blue. She was well proportioned, with cleavage that made Lucretia feel shy. Her face was tall and slender, her eyes round, her nose sharp and pointed. Her jaw thin and attractive. She was perfection before Orhn, and this girl seemed to think the same of him.
“What's your name weakling?” Lucretia asked unsympathetically. “Or should we just call you, neophyte?”
In a shy sultry voice she spoke. “Moira.”
“Last name child?” Lucretia was being harsh, she was nearly making Moira cry after being saved. Lucretia disparaged her.
“Moira O'Brien.” Moira said a little louder for Lucretia to hear.
“Great, a commoner. Wonderful Orhn, you could have at least rescued the daughter of a wealthy family.” Lucretia was ranting now, making piss out of rain.
“Ignore her, Moira. My name's Yugo.” Yugo introduced himself with a slight bow. “This is Lucretia. The man not wearing any clothes that saved you is Orhn.”
“I know.” Moira happily proclaimed. “When she said his name, I took mind to remember it. I owe him everything. He saved me when they all called me a monster. They called me a vampire. I don't even know what a vampire is.”
The rush of what Lucretia could do in this situation was palatable to her. She smiled. “Well, well. Where do we start?” Lucretia's face twitched, her hands began to rise as she eased forward with ill intent.
“Be nice Lucretia.” Yugo warned. “Orhn had the will to save her, he has the right to explain this to her. Let him talk.”
Lucretia glared at Orhn. “You better tell her what she is, or I will.”
Orhn helped Moira up to her feet and put one hand gently on the small of her back. Still nude, Orhn's well proportioned and toned body made Moira blush. “I'll take care of her.”
“I bet you will.” Lucretia scoffed.
Moira smiled and turned to Lucretia. “I hope he will.” She walked deeper into the dark alleyway with Orhn.
“You need to realize something.” Orhn began.
“Wait, first this.” Moira pulled at her long cotton dress. She ripped it, tearing it off at her mid thigh. “This should work.” Moira slipped the torn fabric down and wrapped it around Orhn's hips. She carefully tied it off at his right hip while staring unintentionally at his unmentionables.
“Why are you doing that?” Orhn asked innocently. He didn't care about being naked. He had lived over a hundred years at this point and modesty had long left him. Especially with Lucretia near him.
Moira got back up to her feet. “Well, I'm not used to having such a stud of a man naked before my eyes. So forgive me if I'm a bit embarrassed.”
“Fair enough.” Orhn looked down at the make-shift loin cloth Moira had made him. “Not bad, I think I might actually be wearing more than Lucretia right about now.”
Moira laughed. “Thanks for lightening the mood. I've been scared to death ever since those nuts had captured me and roped me to that pole. Until you came along, I thought I was going to die. Thank you Orhn.” Moira hugged Orhn tightly, with her chest pressing against his.
Orhn embraced Moira in return. He was supposed to be telling her she was a vampire. Their conversation had taken a friendlier route. Orhn knew he needed to tell Moira what she was, but for the moment, the feeling of her skin against his was irreplaceable. He wanted it to last a little while longer, just to enjoy it for what it was.
“What's wrong?” Moira asked, forcing Orhn's reply.
Orhn answered with a sincere voice. “Moira.” Orhn squeezed her gently, taking a deep breath in with the moment. “You are a vampire.”
Moira didn't answer, she was in shock, not knowing what to say.
“You were turned recently. That's why you are so weak and why they were able to catch you.” Orhn said with consolation.
Moira remained silent in Orhn's arms. Her eyes were wide open, staring into his.
“You must have attacked the child out of hunger. You were probably feeling weak for the last few days and finally acted out of a physical compulsion to feed. It's not your fault, Moira.” Orhn explained.
“So I am a monster? Am I all they said I was?” Moira's shock was getting the better of her. “I ate that child? I actually did the horrible things they said I did?”
Orhn held Moira firmly and with intention. “You are a vampire, not a monster. You can learn how to control your cravings. This doesn't have to happen ever again. I'll show you how. You can live a life beyond all this.”
“Beyond what? Being human?” Moira asked.
“Yes. Moira, you are no longer human and you will never live a normal life.” Orhn knew his words were harsh. “You have been given a choice. Live as a vampire immortal, or die as a nameless beast from your hunger.” Orhn was not helping. His intention was good, though not what needed to be said to calm her.
“Will you help me Orhn?” Moira was scared as she clenched Orhn's back. Not knowing her own strength, her fingertips bore into his skin. “Oh my god, I didn't mean to hurt you.” Moira pulled away from him.
Orhn closed the gap taking her hand in his. “Don't apologize, you didn't injury me. Time has tempered my flesh. God has granted me many gifts and fate has brought me this night with you.” Orhn's mind was not set on impressing a sense of romance upon the situation, he had done so naturally. He wished to settle Moira's nerves. What he had done was paint a beautiful picture of himself in her mind instead.
Moira was in awe. Orhn was like no other man she had ever met. Moira had never seen the vampire that attacked her and therefore had no reference of what a vampire was. Before Moira, Orhn was a god come down to save her personally.
Realizing Orhn was still mostly naked, Moira blushed.
“You look flustered, we'll need to get you some blood.” Orhn said while examining the surrounding buildings.
“I'm not flustered.” Moira thought about what she actually wanted and how she could repay her savior. “I am cold though, dreadfully cold.” Moira was not cold. She was returning to herself as she decided to take the situation for all it was worth. “It would be nice if you could help me with that until morning.”
Not even Orhn was blind enough to miss such a signal from a beautiful woman.
Without a word Orhn placed his arm around Moira and led her back to Yugo and Lucretia.
“Took you long enough. I like the skirt though.” Lucretia commented on Orhn's attire.
“Thank you.” Moira replied.
Lucretia glanced at Moira's ripped dress. “Well, I guess that looks cute too.”
Moira turned to Orhn, confused.
Orhn glared down at what he was wearing. He was not amused by Lucretia's remark.
“Did Orhn help you to understand what we are?” Yugo was the only sense of reason among them.
“Yes, but I need Orhn to help warm me up. I caught a chill from the night air.” Moira locked her arm into Orhn's. I might need him all night long, so the fever doesn't set in.”
Now Orhn was blushing.
Lucretia resisted the urge to say everything that came to mind to ruin the moment and embarrass both of them.
“Be good Lucretia.” Yugo warned.
Lucretia rolled her eyes away from Moira and onto Yugo. "Well isn't she facile?"
Yugo didn't want to egg Lucretia on. So he continued his train of thought.“Let's all find a quiet out of the way inn at the edge of town.” Yugo gently smiled. “I'll carry Luc
retia's coffin. Moira needs you more.”
Moira grinned widely, she was effusive. Everyone knew what they were about to do and everyone was for it. Even Lucretia knew Orhn needed to relax more than he was. Although she wanted to heckle him about it, she was in favor. Yugo found them all a nice bottom level room without windows that they could hide out in for a few days while Moira had her way with Orhn.
Several hours passed through the night as the floor boards creaked and the ground shook. Lucretia and Yugo sat in the adjacent room listening to the overly vocal Moira shout out her joys.
Lucretia sat in a chair with one leg up on the single table in the room. She rolled her eyes as Moira let out a loud scream next door. “That makes eighteen.” Lucretia had taken umbrage towards Moira.
Yugo was supine on the small wooden bed. He shifted, awakening to Lucretia's update. “Ten more? How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long. They've picked up the pace.” Lucretia huffed a sigh of disgust. “Did we ever do it that many times? I'm surprised the bed isn't broken by now. They've been fucking long enough.” Her scurrilous temperament hadn't changed.
“No, not even on our first night. We did go longer however.” Yugo's attempt at helping Lucretia's mood was a moot point. “Quality over quantity, Lucretia.”
Lucretia turned to Yugo with a stern expression. “Oh they're quality from what I can hear.”
Yugo said nothing in return. Lucretia was jealous and there was nothing to stop her from pouting. The scene continued on until dusk the next day. The constant reminder of Moira's seemingly endless pleasure was driving Lucretia crazy. Yugo wanted nothing to do with Lucretia that night. He knew any sex with her was only meant to compete with Moira and Orhn, something that didn't sit well with him.
“Go to sleep or you'll tear the walls off.” Yugo joked at how frustrated Lucretia was. Then went back to sleep by himself.
Dusk did not bode well for Lucretia. She was irritated, mad, and bothered. She needed a release. When Yugo awoke, he found she had left a note. It read 'docks' and nothing else. Yugo knew exactly what she was doing. She had decided that drowning herself repeatedly was a welcome alternative to facing the newly fornicated couple again that night.
Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) Page 39
