Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series)

by Virgil Allen Moore

  “No. Yugo has helped me enough. He is cruel and far more insensitive than you are. I could never go to him again with my feelings about this.” Moira held back the sobbing to speak.

  “Then why defend me in there?” Lucretia asked.

  “If I'm going to die, I want my life to benefit someone.” Moira had high hopes for what she might accomplish before her death. She wanted to become a martyr.

  “What about Orhn? Why can't he help you?” Lucretia brought up a good point.

  “I don't want him to know about it. We just found each other. I don't want him to know that I will slowly lose my mind and die, or worse. I don't want to burden him with that.” Moira wiped the beads of tears away from her face.

  “Then can I help?” Lucretia was planning something. Moira could feel it.

  “What do you mean?” Moira asked.

  “The men that did this to me were looking for a demon gift. They thought that I might know someone that knew you. They got nothing out of me.” Lucretia shocked Moira with her confession.

  “You let them do that to you to protect me?” Moira was amazed.

  “Not exactly. I did it out of principle. I never give up personal information to strange vampires that want to take it by force. Fuck 'em if they fuck me. I didn't give them a damn thing.” Lucretia was quite proud of her will power. “No I wanted to ask you about it and maybe go back there to kill them all if your gift was as strong as they said it might be.”

  “They mentioned my gift directly?” Moira asked.

  “They were looking for a demon gift that could read minds. My idea was that if the bastards wanted you so badly, we should come to them and fuck back.” Lucretia's crude use of language was inspiring Moira. “That is if you think my cause is worthy enough?”

  Moira looked up at Lucretia. “Yeah, I would like that.”

  Lucretia walked over to Moira, put her arm around her back and comforted her. “Okay, let's rip their nuts off and set them on fire.”

  Lucretia's words were taken with a grain of softness. Moira was in no position to argue the way in which they were going to exact their revenge on the men who hurt her. She only wanted to be there to help with her gift. Moira knew that if she was able to use it, or rather die using it to help her friend, her life would be justified. Orhn never had to know about it. Moira wanted him to move on and forget her.

  * * * *

  In a small room on the other side of the port town that Yugo, Lucretia, Moira, and Orhn were staying in, seven men played cards. The room was filled with smoke from several cigars, a roasted pig on a nearby spit, and the constant squirts of fresh blood basting it. All of the men were dressed in the same thick black robes. On the left shoulders of every man there was a crest. The symbol of a red moon with a silver sword dividing it down the middle. The seven men were all involved deeply in the game at hand. It seemed as if they were passing the time just to kill time. The men were pale, and very clean shaven.

  “How long do we have to wait here?” One of the shorter men said, sitting calmly at the table. His face was small and stout. Short blond hair and white full eyes made his face stand out.

  “Yeah, she said within a day she'd be back.” A tall, larger man spoke up. His eyes a light red with tiny black pupils. His hair was white and gray.

  “That bitch said she'd have her here. Someone tell me why we let her go again?” A man with black hair and full blue eyes said. His body taller than the other man but thinner.

  “She said she'd kill us if we didn't let her go, remember?” One of the fatter men said. His hair light red and his eyes orange.

  “So what's a little whore like her to say if it's all seven of us at once?” A medium sized man said. He had brown hair and completely hazel eyes.

  “Yeah!” The first man cheered. His blond hair rose with excitement and his white eyes were flaring.

  “She knows death far more than we do. If we had attacked her as she wanted, we'd all be dead by now. If you don't believe me, try it.” A young looking man with a small thin body said while mulling over his cards. His silver hair and eyes glared at the center table.

  “Yes, but leave your money at the table before you do. We don't want to fund the demons directly now do we?” The last man at the other end of the round table jeered. His hair was dark red and his eyes a bright pink.

  “Remember that we choose to hear her out when she returned. The chance to find and kill a demon vampire is something we can't pass up.” The silver haired young man stated.

  “Yeah, the idea of gaining an ally is much more favorable than getting our asses handed to us by a ninety pound girl.” The man with the pink eyes laughed.

  “I don't want to hear anymore bickering about what we should do. We already agreed to accept her if she did this. Now settle down and play.” The silver eyed vampire commanded the rest of them as if he held the sole authority of the group.

  * * * *

  In a dark alleyway in the middle of the night, Lucretia and Moira crept up to a wooden door. Light emanated from it, there were people talking inside. The shadows of the tall buildings around them hid all but every detail from even their keen eyes.

  Lucretia peeked through the keyhole to make sure the room was full. She turned to Moira and whispered. “Yeah, that's all of those bastards. I'm ready when you are.”

  Moira took a moment, she was eager to kill these men, but something was wrong. She hadn't heard Lucretia's thoughts all night long. The men inside were also blank to her. Normally she was able to listen to surface thoughts easily, but something had changed. “I don't know about this. I need a minute.”

  “What's wrong? Are you having doubts? Moira, they violated me. Again and again they used me through the night. They even passed me off to their dog! These men need to die, now.” Lucretia tried to keep her voice down.

  Moira felt something was off, she needed time to think. Lucretia was pushing this and she didn't know why. “No, I need to talk to him first.”

  “Who?” Lucretia had no idea who she was referring to.

  “Salas, my demon.” Moira forgot to lower her voice. Instead she had accidentally shouted out his name by mistake.

  “What was that!?” The silver eyed vampire in the room asked everyone there. “There's someone at the door. Go check it out.”

  Two of the vampires got up and walked to the door. The fatter one with light red hair and orange eyes went first to open the door. The other vampire stood back and watched. His tiny frame ready for whatever was to come. His eyes glared white as the blond hairs on the back of his neck raised.

  The door burst open. Lucretia pushed the fat vampire back into the opposing wall, knocking him down. Surprisingly, he did not break through into the adjacent room. The blond haired vampire merely watched the splinted wood dance around him. He didn't bother to help his friend laying on the floor unconscious. The card game continued to play out. None of the men at the table decided to interact with what was going on. They were simply ignoring the ruckus.

  “Payback bitches!” Lucretia yelled and ran towards the blond haired vampire before her.

  “Not really.” The silver eyed, silver haired vampire said to Lucretia calmly before she could reach the short blond in front of her. “You're late chick.”

  The fatter, shorter vampire that had been on the ground was now gripping Lucretia's left hand. “You don't look like much.” He said while examining Lucretia.

  “Well not to you tubby. I'm not much at all.” Lucretia snapped.

  “Oh well. You're still a snack none-the-less.” The nameless vampire bit into Lucretia left forearm. His fangs pierced her skin, her flesh entered his mouth, as he chewed.

  Lucretia screamed aloud. The vampire pulled back, leaving an empty void in Lucretia's arm. His mouth was full of skin, muscle, and bone. He swallowed.

  Moira watched from the darkness. Horrified by what was happening to Lucretia, she wanted to help. She had to help her, but she didn't know how. So far only one of the seven vampires wa
s fighting and Lucretia was already immobilized. This would be a short fight if Moira joined in as she was. She needed more strength and unfortunately she knew exactly where to get it.

  “Rip, tear, rend, and swallow the blood like milk.” A dark voice boomed as Moira closed her eyes. Salas was inviting her inside.

  In an instant, Moira stood on the shoreline of a beach. The ocean was blood red, as the tide stormed in the distance.

  “I need your help, Salas.” Moira asked the ocean before her.

  “You should not have come, Moira.” Salas answered her with a stern tone. His body still not materialized.

  “What do you mean? I came here to take part of your deal. I thought you would be happy!” Moira yelled out to the sea.

  “No Moira. The place you are in now. You should not have trusted Lucretia. She has betrayed you and I.” The shape of a man gathered from smoke on the water. Salas stood before Moira.

  “No, I'm the one who is helping her.” Moira argued.

  Salas shook his head side to side. “Don't you think it has been strange that you haven't been able to hear her thoughts as of late? That you weren't able to hear what the men in the room were thinking? That you aren't able to hear them now that you are so close?” Salas stepped onto the shore. “She has betrayed us Moira. She has brought you here to die.”

  Moira knew that Salas wouldn't lie about any direct danger to her. That he was just as much concerned about her safety as she was, possibly more. “How bad is it? What has she done?”

  “Lucretia plans to kill you.” Salas' words rang through to the trees behind Moira. The wind picked up, blowing their hair, tossing it to the ominous news.

  Moira was stunned. “I'm going to die tonight?”

  “Not you, Moira. We're going to die tonight.” Salas corrected her. “That is if you refuse my help.”

  Moira was crying, sniffling over the news. “What?”

  “If you accept me. If you take the deal. If you let me take what is mine.” Salas paused. “I will undo Lucretia's treachery.” Salas took Moira's hand, lifting her to her feet. “All of the deceit, all of the lies. None of it will matter when confronted against the absolute power I will grant you.” Salas embraced Moira as she let him comfort her.

  Moira was giving in.

  “Lucretia will finally be deserving of all her excessive and delusional fabrications.” Salas stated.

  Moira pulled back before letting Salas sink into her neck. “Wait.”

  “What's wrong. Lucretia's charade will not last forever. The time here moves slowly, but it does move.” Salas informed Moira. He cradled the back of Moira's neck. Softly holding her, he once again made his move.

  “Wait, no. I don't want this anymore.” Moira pushed Salas away and stepped back.

  Confused, Salas questioned Moira's reasoning. “She will kill you. Do you want that to happen?”

  “And you'll devour my soul.” Moira replied.

  “What's the difference?” Salas smiled.

  “Death is better than what you offer.” Moira told Salas.

  “Do you really want to die that badly? What about Lucretia and those men?” Salas was pushing back. He could taste her soul, it was timid and afraid before his lips.

  Moira smiled back. “You said yourself that she lied. Those men are all a part of the act. I know Lucretia, she will go all out if she wants something. The arm was just part of the act. If I die, she will be accepted by them as an equal.”

  “Then what?” Salas asked.

  “Then you die.” Moira answered confidently.

  “No, you have that quite backwards there. This will mean your death and my delay.” Salas explained.

  Moira shook her head. “No, my death will mean my salvation and more.”

  “And what, knowing that you were a patsy? That you played right into her hands? What will this really accomplish, Moira? What is so great that you are willing to die for?” Salas was holding his ground. He was injecting doubt into Moira.

  “Your exorcism.” Moira said proudly.

  Salas jumped back to the surface of the red ocean. “You would sacrifice yourself just to get rid of me? Why? What would be the purpose?”

  “To remove you from the world. Yugo told me what the demon gifts can do. You are destruction in the form of a cold inviting whisper. You mean to burn the world and force me to watch.” Moira shouted at Salas.

  “Who said I'd let you watch.” Salas replied with a fiendish smile.

  “You are evil.” Moira yelled at Salas.

  “Then you won't accept my offer? Do you really think I won't return and do this all over again? Time is forever my ally. I am eternal, you are not.” Salas reminded Moira.

  “Yugo also told me that you have to reincarnate. That it takes hundreds of years.” Moira defended her decision. “I can at least slow you down.”

  Salas backed away, off into the distance. “Then enjoy your betrayal.” Salas disappeared into the waters. The storm in the sky tore open, hailing down rain onto the shore. “This is goodbye.”

  Moira opened her eyes to see the fat light red haired vampire biting off Lucretia's ring finger. Her arm was dripping with blood. The blond vampire hadn't moved. He was still standing in the same place staring off towards the door where Moira lay hiding.

  “Stop eating me you bastard! Just fight me already.” Lucretia was kicking and screaming at the vampire to stop.

  Moira got up. She walked out of the darkness, her mind was resolute. Moira had decided and now she was going to commit. “You can stop it. I know what's going on.”

  The fat vampire bit off Lucretia's middle finger.

  “Stop that!” Lucretia screamed.

  The fat vampire chewed and turned to Lucretia. “What?”

  Lucretia only had her left thumb and index fingers intact. “You don't have to actually eat them!”

  “So what he said was true.” Moira said as she stepped into the center of the room. “The demon was right. This was all a set up to lure me here.”

  Lucretia shoved Moira across the room and into the far wall. She ran swiftly enough to pin Moira down with ease.

  Moira didn't resist.

  “What? Aren't you going to fight back? You know what I'm going to do to you, right?” Lucretia was waiting for Moira to lash out at any moment.

  “No, I've made my choice. It wasn't him. I'm ready to die.” Moira went limp in Lucretia's arms.

  “Then do you know why I did this? Why I brought you here?” Lucretia wanted answers.

  “No, but that doesn't matter now. All I care about now is severing that demon's only chance at getting what he wants. I want to die and put out his evil flame.” Moira explained.

  Lucretia let Moira fall to her knees next to the wall. “I can't. One of you do it.”

  “Gladly.” The vampire with white eyes spoke up first. He flashed before her, ready to deliver the kill.

  The vampire with silver hair and eyes slammed his cards on the table. “NO!” Everyone in the room turned to him. He had shattered the wooden table, smashing it into the ground. “This is her mess. She is the one that must kill the demon host. This task is for our venerable founder. This will be her offering.”

  “But she doesn't have the will to defend herself. It would be easy enough to-” The white eyed vampire salivated over Moira.

  “-No. If Lucretia wants to earn her membership. She must take this demon's life herself.” The silver eyed vampire commanded.

  “Then I want to know a few things first.” Lucretia took one of the empty chairs from the card table, her left hand was still dripping with blood onto the floor. She turned it around and sat down with her legs open, facing Moira. “What did the demon tell you about me?”

  “This is pointless, she's just given up. Why can't I just?” The white eyed vampire raised his right hand in an attempt to touch Moira's neck and chest. He failed.

  Without sound and seemingly without motion, the silvered vampire had broken the white eyed vampire's arm in tw
o. The cut was clean and only began to bleed a moment after the injury. He was fast, without a doubt he was the undisputed leader of the group.

  “You didn't have to do that.” The white eyed vampire's arm bled onto the ground from the remaining nub.

  “You didn't have to make me.” The silvered vampire held the dismembered arm in his right hand. Blood dripped on the floor, nearly matching the rhythm of Lucretia's wound.

  “He told me that you needed me. That you wanted to kill me for some reason. That's all.” Moira leveled with Lucretia.

  “And you'll just let me kill you? Just like that?” Lucretia wanted to make a few things sure concerning what she was doing. The idea of being treacherous wasn't difficult for her. It was the concept of complete pacification that Moira was adopting that bothered her. Killing her best friend wasn't the issue, it was killing someone that was asking for an honest death. Lucretia had been thrown off and she wanted to have a clear conscience about it.

  “Yes.” Moira closed her eyes, welcoming the final blow. She capitulated to her fate.

  “What about Orhn? Does he know you're here?” Lucretia brought up a valid point.

  “No, he doesn't.” Moira answered.

  “Don't you want him to know what happened to you? You are his lover. Aren't you afraid he'll try to take his revenge on me for you? What do you think about him dying for your sake?” Lucretia was reaching for buttons to press.

  “I don't want him to know anything. If he thinks you killed me, fine. But I'm not scared that he'll end up dead chasing after you. You've seen his gift, he's practically invincible.” Moira had made her counterpoint. “Whatever club you're getting into with my death is sure to have some kind of protection program from people like Orhn. It's my hope that he'll just never find you.”

  “And what if I tell him that you let me kill you?” Lucretia pushed.

  “He wouldn't believe you even if you had the guts to say it to his face. Besides, telling him doesn't help you, it only hurts me. With my death, you would have no reason to do something like that.” Moira knew how to manipulate Lucretia in a way that few people, including Yugo were able to.