"What are you thinking?" Lilith snapped, before understanding why her mentor was in the forest. "Animal blood? That is disgusting and pathetic."
Sadden leaned against a tree, her senses dwindling, her voice weak. "I will not drink human blood."
"The blood of one human won't be enough to heal you. Though I'm sure, you do already know that."
"I do."
"Drink from me then," the young vampire responded with unusual seriousness.
A dumbfounded look from Sadden hit her, as Lilith pulled up one sleeve of her top, revealing her arm. "Drink from me. I am serious!"
"No. I cannot do that. It is forbidden."
"Do you want to painfully perish?"
"These powers, your blood does not belong me. Besides, you know what this would mean."
Lilith nodded and held up her arm for Sadden.
Sadden shook her head.
Lilith stubbornly repeated, "Drink from me! It will save you... at least for tonight." She pushed her arm directly under Sadden's nose.
The hungry vampire's eyes fixed onto the pulsing vein beneath Lilith's nearly see-through skin. Hesitantly, Sadden reached with her slender hands for her protégée’s arm, her fingers digging deep into the flesh. Torn, she looked at her with big, blue eyes, wishing for nothing more than to thrust her teeth deeply into Lilith's arm, to taste her immortal blood.
"Well, you didn't lose the lust to bite, while you held yourself imprisoned, did you?" Lilith nudged.
"It is not lust I feel. It is distress."
"Perhaps one thought will help you. I am not human. I am like you."
Without warning, Sadden's eyeteeth pierced through Lilith's pale skin, and she started to feed greedily.
A moan escaped her as the young vampire's eyes rolled back. Her fingers buried themselves into her teacher's long, black strands. Lilith had a strange feeling of pleasure and pain as Sadden sucked the blood from her veins. Willingly she let it happen, while she grew weaker and weaker, until her legs threatened to give out. "Enough." she muttered.
Sadden tasted the unique elixir on her tongue and the strengthening effect it had on her weak body. Her skin regenerated itself and her former beauty returned. Only with great effort did she let go of the wonderful taste. Lilith lay exhausted in her arms. "Oh no! What has gotten into me? I overdid it."
The bite wound sealed itself and Lilith regenerated. "Don't go bursting into tears. I'm tough, I drink enough blood. Even though I didn't get to taste any Transylvanian yet." The young vampire swayed from side to side.
Sadden caught her and supported her. "Do not be unreasonable."
"I'm not, but you are."
After she was able to stand on her own, Lilith dragged her mentor along. At the edge of the hunter camp, they stopped. The young vampire pointed at the dead wolf and the piles of pelts. "How could you let that happen, year upon year?" she forcefully reproached her teacher. "Here, where you rule. How could you not know about this?"
"I keep away from the life of the inhabitants, as you should also do." Deep inside, she knew there was no way of convincing Lilith.
Sadden motioned to the blood-soaked men and their comrades, who were trying in vain to stop their bleedings and to bandage the open wounds at their ankles. "How could you cause such a chaos?"
"If they were to amputate their limbs and burn out the wounds, they could still live with the help of crutches," Lilith replied, coldly.
"It is more probable that they will die from gangrene," Sadden countered.
"So what? Good for them. They made the wolves suffer. The animals couldn't even defend themselves and died in a cruel way. Sadden, they let them bleed out while still alive!" There were tears burning in Lilith eyes.
Her mentor didn't respond.
"They deserve to die just like that!"
Sadden wrapped comforting arms around her protégée."Yes, I did not take care of it, even though I could have done it. I live by one ground rule, which is to retreat as far as possible. I have never been to Ardeal, nor will I ever enter it. The inhabitants know nothing of my existence."
Taken aback, Lilith looked up. "You mean, they think that this human is the master of the castle?"
"Exactly, and it will stay like that. Andrej makes it possible to live my life in seclusion. It is my obligation to return the favor. That is why I ask you to be more discreet, because they shall not know anything about your presence either. It would be horrible if they were to find out what we truly are."
Lilith agreed. She had no strength to argue. "I will protect the wolves from being hunted. You cannot dissuade me from that."
Sadden sighed and let go of her protégée. "You should release the men."
Lilith scowled, but did what her teacher asked. She quenched her thirst, before killing the hunters.
Sadden turned away. She couldn't bear to watch and it was hard to turn a blind eye to Lilith's deed. She clicked her tongue, Stardancer heard it and came towards her. Lost in thought, she stroked his silky fur, until Lilith appeared next to her. "We should hurry. The sun is about to rise. We both need to rest." With her newly regained strength she mounted the stallion effortlessly and pulled Lilith up to sit behind her. A slight press of her thighs was enough and Stardancer broke into a gallop, racing back to the castle.
Still a bit weak, Lilith held onto her mentor, her forehead leaning against her back.
'Your decision to protect the wolves obviously means that you want more of our hospitality.' Sadden thought.
Underneath the big, bright moon they returned, crossing the stone bridge. A big grin of liberation formed on Sadden's lips as the cool night wind blew in her face. An old power began to grow inside her.
*****
The stables' door had been wide opened upon Andrej's return. He had noticed immediately that Stardancer was missing. Patiently, he was sitting on the stony watering trough, waiting for Sadden to come back. As soon as he heard the stomping of mighty hooves in the courtyard, he leaped up.
Lilith had already slid from the horse's back and retreated to her catacombs.
Like a wild Amazon, Sadden came riding in.
Stardancer reared up so high that Sadden's head nearly touched the stable's ceiling. High-spirited, he neighed loudly.
His mistress jumped off his back and greeted the young man, beaming with happiness, "Oh Andrej! It is good to see you." She led her beloved stallion to his stall and rubbed down his sweat-soaked fur with a handful of straw. Engrossed in her task, she moved it in circles over the heavily breathing animal.
Andrej just stood there, speechless.
"Speak frankly, my friend," Sadden said. "I can see that there is something on your mind and I really wish to hear it."
Undecided about how he should start, he went to Stardancer, who lowered his head, searching for a carrot inside Andrej's pockets. The man stroked the stallion between his ears, until the horse snorted in satisfaction and shook his long mane. Finally he blurted, "I have never seen you so happy after a time of abstinence. But today... how is that possible?"
Sadden hesitated, then said, "Let me tell you, I received a new power, to which I must not get accustomed, and leave it at that."
Not satisfied, Andrej answered, "You are talking in riddles. And to be truthful, I don't like that. But it is not only that." Urgently, he gazed into Sadden's flashing sapphires. The young man's heart grew heavy, because behind the apparent happiness, he could see the great precipices of pain. He realized that Sadden must have visited her sanctuary after her long stay at the tower. "Forgive me. I was rash and presumptuous."
Tired, he rubbed his eyes and sighed. "There is so much going on inside my head. I'm a bit confused and my sensitivity is suffering because of that." Disgruntled, he put his hands inside the pockets of his trousers and began to pace restlessly.
"That is not the truth. Is it not rather that somebody is confusing you?" Sadden suppressed a grin and hugged Stardancer's neck.
Andrej showed no sign to continue talking.
"You do not have to explain anything," Sadden said, wishing to ease his obvious anxiety. "I met Lilith and we settled the matter. Please, do not be worried. We do not need to talk."
The young man refused to believe that, but he didn't say anything more to it. Instead, he mentioned sadly, "After my conversation with Lilith in the woods, I realized that I know very little about the world of vampires. Even though until now, I always thought that there are no secrets between us. Maybe it is my own fault, fore I never asked you."
"There are no secrets between us," Sadden clarified. "You just do not know everything about me. That is something completely different. It is also much safer for you, because I do not want to put you in any unnecessary dangers."
Uncomprehending, Andrej looked at the vampire. "I want to know more about vampires. I find myself asking questions, which I never dared to ask before."
Embarrassed, Sadden gazed at the floor and answered, "Please, talk with Lilith about this. She will be able to give you more information than I ever could. For too long I have lived apart from my kind."
After saying goodnight to Stardancer, they left the stables. Inside the castle, they parted ways, turned into different directions and retired to their chambers.
Lost in thought, Sadden walked through the corridors. In this part of the huge building there were as many windows as were in the catacombs where Lilith had taken up residence.
She closed the door behind her and freed herself from the dirty sheet she was still wearing. In the warm glow of the candlelight, her bedroom seemed quite cozy.
Her eyes traveled through the big room, over the dark curtains, which were closed, to a big bed that had been set up in the middle of a thick, soft carpet. It bore a canopy of night-blue cloth. Finally her gaze stopped at the masterfully carved dresser, made from light brown cedar. Several utensils lay scattered on top of it. She went to it and sat down on an over-stuffed bench in front of it.
Her hair, full and shiny again, fell across her naked, white body. Purposefully, she reached for the silvery comb and passed it through her long, raven tresses. After a while, Sadden put the comb aside and opened a small, silvery box. Beside valuable clasps, hair needles and buckles, there was also expensive jewelry. She reached for the golden seal ring and turned it in her fingers. A rising phoenix had been carved into the ring. Sadden placed a tender kiss on it and returned it to the box. Her elevated mood faded quickly. Pain was reflected in her eyes as the usual loneliness took hold of the vampire.
Like she had done countless times before, Sadden decided to bring her thoughts to paper. From a drawer, she took out a tiny bottle of ink, a quill and several pieces of parchment. She wrote down the words just as they came to her mind. I am on the run, running away from my memories, even though I know that I cannot escape them. They follow me, like the shadows follow the way of the sun. I am alone, alone with my dark thoughts. Sweet dreams are eluding me. Bitter is the taste of realization, realization that at the end of it all, only pain is left me.
Exhaustion, which came every day with approaching dawn, conquered her, after she had written down her thoughts. She returned the writing equipment to the drawer and was about to go to bed. As the vampire rose from the bench, her eyes fell on a black velvet cloth that covered the mirror on top of the table. Gray dust lay in the folds of the fabric. Sadden's fingers reached for it to pull it off, but she never did. "I do not need to see my face to recognize the guilt in my eyes." She turned away to go to bed and added sadly, "I am what I am."
Tired, Sadden slowly lowered her body to the satin pillows, brushed some hair strands off her forehead and stared at the starless sky of the canopy. Her shiny, raven hair spread all over the pillows. The slender, alabaster-colored body gleamed white, making Sadden appear like a beautiful Venus. Slowly her lids closed over her beautiful blue eyes. She became lost in the darkness, which lay behind them. Disconnected pictures appeared before her mind's eye. Restless, she squirmed on the sheets. Sadden's body quaked in fear and her hands clawed at the satin. Again and again, she saw flashes of emerald green eyes, looking at her full of kindness. In their depths lay so much compassion and sympathy.
Unsure, Sadden jerked up. Her whole body trembling, she whispered, "Should that have been a small speck of hope? Or was it just an illusion, send from my heart to punish me, because I tasted immortal blood? No, I cannot deny it. These eyes told me that I do not need to be afraid. Even without words, I understood these unique jewels. They showed me forgiveness."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Only I will never forgive myself." The vampire lay back down and closed her eyes, wanting to taste the sweetness of hope once more. "They speak of the salvation I am longing for," Sadden whispered in disbelief.
A long-lost emotion took hold of her. Sadden had thought she would never feel it again, this unconditional and sincere love. "Who are you?"
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE GAME BEGINS
Haunted by heavy thoughts, Kyrian sat on the stairs, which led to the main building. Alone, he was brooding in the silence of the evening. All day long, he had not wanted to see or talk to anybody, because his feelings had been in such an uproar.
Only two windows were illuminated on the second floor. The young man gazed at them, feeling defiant anger stir in his heart again. "Mama is getting ready for the hunt and I will be left behind like a little child. If only she would give me chance! Were she to see me fighting a horde of that scum, she would surely change her mind. I could show her that I'm just as good a fighter as she is. I don't fear anyone or anything. For me there is no difference between one or a group of those foul creatures. They are all the same."
Morosely, he lowered his head and stared at the ground.
At a fast pace, two horses suddenly came up the chestnut avenue, pulling a carriage. Fallen leaves were whirled wildly around beneath the stomping hooves of the animals. The carriage stopped on crunching pebbles, right in front of the young man. The old coachman sat indifferently on the carriage's buck, not moving from his position.
Suspicious, Kyrian rose from the stairs, but the expression of his face changed instantly as he realized who was sitting inside the carriage. "Christine," he called out happily and opened the tiny door.
The young woman flew out of the vehicle and hugged him fiercely.
Immediately Kyrian blushed brightly and bashfully brought some distance between their bodies. He kept his hands on her shoulders, his adoring gaze never leaving her face. "Until now I had no idea why I was so sad. Now I know, since I'm holding you in my arms. Christine, you kept me waiting for so long today. I have missed you so much," Kyrian said elated, his heart jumping with joy.
Sighing, Chalice looked up at him. "Oh Kyrian, you are making this so hard."
The young man shook his head. "To me it seems very easy. You appear and all heavy thoughts flee. But it is not a good idea to stand here."
Chalice noticed the glances, which Kyrian sneaked nervously to the brightly illuminated windows. He pulled her around the carriage, out of sight from the house.
"I don't have much time," she breathed, looking to the west, where the sun had almost completely disappeared.
"I do not wish to say good-bye," Kyrian answered, disgruntled. "We have been meeting every day since the picnic, although secretly. You can't just leave me like that again."
Chalice was about to respond, but a second carriage, with only one horse, came up the avenue and stopped behind Chalice's vehicle. On the carriage sat a man in police uniform, who seemed to be very tired. He tried in vain to keep his eyes open. Another man dashed out of the wagon, not seeing Kyrian or Chalice. He hurried up the stairs where Monique welcomed him.
Chalice tensed up as her eyes followed the man and asked, "Who was that?"
Kyrian's gaze had followed the man as well. Surly, he answered, "That was the almighty police chief of Paris, Monsieur Michel Dutroit."
Chalice's eyes widened in astonishment and she repeated haltingly, "Michel Dutroit... the police chi
ef... one of the most influential men of Paris." Despite her surprise, she noticed Kyrian's disapproval and ran gentle hands over his shirt. "You do not seem to like him much, do you?" she asked matter-of-factly.
Kyrian hesitated briefly before he answered, "He is... he is kind of nice, but..."
"But?" Chalice urged with a disarming smile.
The young man felt his face glowing bright red again. "It is because of my Mother. At the moment, we have some disagreements and argue a lot... and she likes to spend time with him... but actually..." Nervously, Kyrian continued, "It is only... I've said too much already. I really don't want to talk about it," he added shyly, after seeing the questioning gaze of his Christine.
Chalice reacted right away. Horrified, she asked, "Disagreements? I hope not about me? I don't want to be the reason that you argue with your mother." She looked at him with sad eyes.
"No, Christine, please don't think that," he replied and lovingly stroked her hair. "Who wouldn't take a shine to you? You are so enchanting and I really like you a lot." This admission nearly made Kyrian's heart burst with happiness.
"Is that true?" Chalice whispered, lowering her head bashfully, but only to hide the victorious grin from him.
"Of course," the young man blurted. "You mean everything to me, Christine."
'Then get it over with and kiss me already,' Chalice thought nerve-wracked, 'I need to get back to my Master.'
Timidly, Kyrian lifted her chin with one hand and gazed deeply into the eyes of his Christine, but he didn't dare to continue.
So, Chalice took the initiative. She stretched a bit upward and wrapped a hand around his neck, while the other rested on his chest, and pulled his face towards her.
Without resistance, Kyrian let it happen, because part of him longed to kiss those sweet lips as they drew closer to him. Impetuously, he pressed his mouth against Chalice's, who was quite amused by his inexperience. "Have you never kissed a girl before?"
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