A Vampire's Dominion

by Vanessa Fewings

  Ingrid grabbed my sleeve. “You have the right to remain silent . . .”

  I slid out of her grasp and continued pulling her along toward Blake.

  She tried to wriggle out from my hold. “Anything you say can and will be used as evidence against you in a court of law—”

  “What will your colleagues make of your slutty attire when you parade me through Scotland Yard?” I asked. “And just try to explain what you’re doing out of your jurisdiction.”

  She slowed her pace.

  Blake had exited the Rover and was closing in on us.

  Ingrid ignored him and faced me. “Where’s Orpheus, aka Daumia Velde?”

  “He’s dead,” I said flatly.

  She studied me with those all-seeing eyes of hers.

  Blake caught up. “Ingrid, where have you been? Is that my tie?”

  I glanced at the club, wondering if Marcus had realized yet that I’d left with her.

  Blake reached for his tie. “Where did you find it? One minute I was wearing the thing, the next moment it’d gone. Talk about freaky.”

  “Maybe you nodded off?” She threw him a scolding glance.

  He looked annoyed. “I didn’t.”

  Ingrid turned her back on Blake and stepped toward me. “How did he die?”

  “Who died?” asked Blake.

  “Long story.” I shrugged it off.

  “Ingrid, you told me you were going for a pee,” Blake interrupted. “You never once mentioned actually going in there.” He gestured toward Belshazzar’s. “Didn’t you get any of my calls? My texts?”

  She patted her jacket. “Shit, my phone.”

  “Well that explains it,” Blake said.

  Ingrid studied the inflamed circle on her forearm, her expression returning to panic.

  “What the hell happened?” Blake asked, horrified. “Is that a burn?”

  I wondered if she’d ever recall how the vampires had respectfully parted for her when they’d caught sight of it.

  “It’s nothing,” she whispered, though she was clearly in pain.

  Blake shook his head. “Does it hurt?”

  She peered up at me, her frown deepening.

  Ingrid, the woman whom Orpheus had tried to turn; Ingrid, the lover whom Jadeon had tried to save, was standing there oblivious that both her nemesis and lover were one.

  And back in Belshazzar’s was Marcus who was strong enough to do some serious damage to both of us if pushed hard enough.

  Tension hung so thick it felt like it could choke me. I’d just saved her life, yet Ingrid’s hostile glare stayed on me.

  “Let’s get you out of here.” Blake broke the silence and reached for her.

  Ingrid pressed her fingertips to her lips. “I’m going to throw up.”

  “How much did you drink?” Blake shook his head, annoyed.

  “I should go.” I strolled away from them.

  “I will find you,” Ingrid called after me.

  Tucking my hands into my coat, I crossed Grosvenor Crescent heading toward Mayfair, carefully dodging the cars. “Not if I don’t want you to.”

  Chapter 5

  WITHIN MINUTES OF LEAVING Ingrid with Blake outside Belshazzar’s, I was flying toward London’s Regency Graveyard, tracking the vampire I believed to be Paradom up and over the cemetery wall and heading fast through trees.

  Pausing briefly beside a sunken grave, I could no longer see the blur I was tracking and cursed myself for losing him. Wind chimes carried on the breeze; the weather turning colder and threatening rain.

  There was a bulldozer parked to the right of the deserted graveyard and something told me they were going to be using it here, making room for the encroaching city. Judging by the few remaining graves this place was hundreds of years old and anyone who might have disputed the desecration was probably dead. A terrible scent carried, and I wondered if the construction had already disrupted one of the graves.

  Something struck my back.

  I picked up the coin that had been thrown at me and examined the 1829 shilling crested with King George IV’s head on one side and a lion standing atop a crown on the other. Directly ahead was a grassy bank camouflaged by overgrown vines and enshrouded in rotting moss was a rusty old gate.

  I yanked it open and eased my way through, cautiously following the dirt pathway that seemed to run beneath the small hill.

  Ducking to accommodate the low earth ceiling, I proceeded, pinching my nose, trying to stop the pungent smell from stinging my nostrils, tasting putrid air and trying to find the will to continue.

  I’d smelt rotting flesh before but this was something altogether different and it stirred such disgust that I questioned going any further. Up ahead in the darkness, I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

  Hanging upside down in a bat like pose was a creature that almost resembled a human, but his flesh was leathery and his face that of a wrinkled old man with nothing but tufts of hair on his shiny bald head, his mouth twisted in misery.

  I brought up my right hand and covered my face with my sleeve, willing the nausea away.

  The myth that vampires turned into bats came to mind and I shuddered, studying this creature and wondering how he’d evolved into this.

  “Who are you?” I whispered, making sure my pathway was clear in case I needed to break for the exit.

  The creature’s crinkled eyelids opened.

  I gestured. “I mean you no harm.”

  He inclined his head as though trying to see me the right way up, but his body remained still. I unraveled my fingers to show him the coin in my palm.

  His lips moved sluggishly, his crooked mouth revealing the sharpest teeth as he formed silent words. I held up the coin.

  He pointed a long wizened finger, exposing his claw. “Someone did it to you, too.”

  “Did what?”

  “Exactly!” he said.

  “Who are you?” I feared the answer.

  He grinned. “Paradom,” he murmured.

  I barely stopped myself from stumbling and checked the ground for anything else that might trip me up or trap me in.

  “They sent you to kill me?” he mumbled.

  “No.” I motioned my sincerity.

  “Pity,” he muttered to himself. “Can you pass me that?”

  Before me stood my worst nightmare and Catherine’s threat that I’d become him was too much.

  The cruelest revenge.

  “That.” He pointed to the wall.

  All I saw was a scurrying rat searching for a way out, seemingly with a lot more sense than me. And then I realized.

  His mouth twitched. “Quickly.”

  Trying to hide my repulsion, I grabbed the vermin by the scruff of its neck and held up the squirming rat. “I’ll get rid of it.”

  The bat-like creature became flustered and he did for a moment show a flicker of excitement in an otherwise frozen face. He gestured for it, revealing a glimpse of crinkled flesh dangling from his upper back. This creature had wings.

  Holding the rat out in front of me, I stepped forward and Paradom snatched the rodent out of my hand. He bit into the creature’s throat, sucking furiously as it squealed and writhed against his mouth.

  I took in his den, trying to find clues to who this being was from the things surrounding him, working hard at keeping my composure and my own expression polite.

  There was a stack of old dirty clothes in the corner, and resting beside them, several moldy looking books. Almost hidden behind was an empty collection of bottles stacked in a heap.

  “Are you really Paradom?” I asked, hoping there was another.

  He continued sucking, closing his eyes to further appreciate the now dead creature, its eyes bulging.

  Nausea welled and I warned myself this was a bad time to throw up. “What happened to you?” I tried to say it gently.

  “Mustn’t say his name. Don’t say his name. Don’t even dare to think his name.”

  “Who’s name?”

 
He gawped and dropped the rat. “Nothing bad happened, right?” He hesitated. “I’m still here.” He licked the sticky blood off his fingertips. “Listen, do you hear that?”

  I wondered whose name mustn’t be mentioned.

  He cocked his head. “The one I’m joined with.”

  My head felt light and I leaned against the wall to support myself.

  “You’re a pretty one.” He somersaulted off the ceiling, his black wings expanding wide and then raveling again. He was now standing upright before me. “Such a shame it won’t last.”

  I tried to rally my courage and fight this urge to bolt. “Clearly you’re a vampire and yet . . .”

  “We’re the same, you and I.”

  “Yes, Paradom, I too am a vampire.”

  He shook his head in frustration. “No, of course that, but you and I are the same.”

  “Oh God.” It came out.

  “They did it to you too.” He shrugged. “Two of you, now one, yes?”

  “How do you know?”

  He stepped closer. “In your eyes. And in your head.” He pointed. “See.”

  “You read my mind?” A strange gift, considering I thought I’d locked down my thoughts. “You say someone did this to you on purpose?”

  “His purpose.”

  “Who?”

  He waved a long wrinkled finger at me. “I disgust you.”

  “No.”

  “William?”

  “How do you know my name?”

  “You told me.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut and gave closing my thoughts down another go.

  “Must shut down my thoughts,” he mirrored.

  “How do you do that?”

  “Because I’m twice the vampire I once was!” He let out a maniacal laugh.

  Stale blood rose in my throat. “How long have you been joined?”

  “A century. Centurion. Center.”

  I held back, not wanting to ask the question that was screaming so loud in my head. I was sure Paradom would hear it.

  He shot up a finger. “You want to go back.”

  “Separate, yes.”

  He pointed upward. “Stay here with me.”

  I could have sworn the rat jerked.

  “When you were joined . . .” I braved to say. “Did you look like me, like a man at first?”

  “I was beautiful just like you are now.” He raised a sparse eyebrow. “I could have anyone I wanted,” he said triumphantly. “And did.”

  “If I may ask . . .”

  His jaw clenched and then relaxed like a toothless old man. “He seduced me in with poetic words. He told me he loved me.”

  “Who?”

  Paradom shrunk low. “I was everything he wanted to be.” He scurried toward me, closing the gap between us, reaching for and grabbing a lock of my hair. “He wanted to be me so much that he . . . dug out a bit of my brain and ate it right there in front of me.”

  I tried to close my gaping mouth, ready to duck away, threatening to break his trust.

  Paradom tugged on my hair. “No, wait, I think I dreamed that.”

  I wanted to tell him that was more like a nightmare, but he appeared too unstable to push.

  “I am too unstable to push.” He stared off.

  It was disconcerting that despite having locked down my mind he could still penetrate my thoughts. “Are you saying a vampire tricked you into joining with them?”

  Paradom was biting his yellow claws. “We got up to so much. Our power together . . . we are so much better for being two. He was right about that.” Paradom seemed to be looking around for another rat. “Can you move things with merely a thought?”

  “Haven’t tried.” I offered the shilling he’d thrown at me back to him.

  He took it from me, clutching the coin in his palm. “The world will fall at your feet. It once bowed so low at mine that I felt like a god.”

  “Paradom, the name of the vampire who you’re joined with—”

  “Listen!”

  I tried to pick up on what he was hearing.

  “Can I stay with you?” he asked.

  My expression answered before I could. His shoulders slumped.

  “How did you become one?” I asked.

  “You have to die first.” He raised a pointed claw and pointed it my way. “Snowstrom knows how to reverse it.”

  It suddenly dawned on me that Paradom was probably mad and I wanted to kick myself for taking him seriously.

  I studied him carefully. “How long before you . . . became this?”

  He held up his withered hand before his face.

  “How long do I have?” I pushed.

  Paradom seemed to be counting on his fingers. “I think about . . .” More counting.

  My legs weakened. “What were the first signs?” I barely got the words out.

  He leaned forward, his expression riddled with confusion as though remembering.

  “I will find a way back,” I mumbled.

  His nose twitched. “You’ll need the scrolls.”

  “Yes, the scrolls?” I cringed, realizing he’d just read my mind again.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” he asked.

  I shook my head.

  “The Stone Masters have them,” he muttered.

  “The Stone Masters have the scrolls?” Frowning, I tried to relax my facial muscles, but with the dank smell mixed in with the rotting aroma, it was hard.

  “When you find the scrolls will you help me to reverse?” he asked.

  “Yes. Now are you sure they’re with the Stone Masters? This is very important.”

  “They have it all. All the books. All the letters. All the scrolls.”

  I drew closer.

  “They have the finest library,” he said, as though remembering. “I’m not allowed in there anymore.” He let out a sob.

  “I’ll find the scrolls.” I took a step back. “And then I’ll come back for you. I promise, Paradom.”

  The longest primal howl escaped his curled lips.

  I gestured my goodwill, trying to calm him.

  “He visits me once in a while and lets me drink from him.” He pointed to the collection of oddities behind him. “He brings me those.”

  “Who does?”

  “He’s a Stone Lord.” Paradom shook his head. “Very important.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Jacob.”

  “Not Jacob Roch?” I regretted giving him the last name so quickly.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “The priest.”

  I shook my head. “He used to be a Stone Lord a long time ago. He isn’t any more.”

  “He was wearing their signet ring last time he visited.”

  “When was that?”

  “Last night.”

  I studied him trying to work out who was madder, him or me for believing him. Jacob had told me to find Paradom but hadn’t mentioned he’d actually met with him.

  “Jacob gave me that.” Paradom pointed to several tins of cat food stacked up behind him.

  “You shouldn’t be eating that.”

  “I promised I’d be good.” He gave a grin, but it was out of place.

  My jaw fell open though I quickly closed it, hoping to act casual and not derail Paradom’s trail of thoughts, wondering again if he’d read my mind and extracted information and was now confusing both me and him with it.

  “What did Jacob say?” I asked.

  Paradom waved his claw. “They’re on our side you know. The Stone Masters.”

  “Not exactly.” My voice was low, unthreatening.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Jacob was once aligned with the Stone Masters, but that was in order to spy on them.” I said it softly. “Now though, we avoid them at all costs.”

  He gulped and a droplet of yellow bile appeared on his lower lip and trickled down his chin. “Jacob wouldn’t lie.” Paradom became thoughtful. “His father is a dark Lord of the underworld.
A Status Regal.”

  “Good for him,” I said, realizing he was talking about me.

  “Do you know him?”

  “Who?” I humored him.

  “Orpheus?”

  “What do you know about him?”

  “I just told you,” Paradom said, “he’s Jacob’s father.”

  “Jacob the Stone Master?”

  “Yes.”

  I shook my head. “Jacob’s a vampire.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Paradom, you have to stay away from the Stone Masters. They’re vampire hunters.”

  He glanced back down the long gaping earth tunnel trailing off behind him. “They used to be.”

  I tried to hold back and not rush him. “They still are.”

  “Can you move objects?” He asked the same question again.

  I shook my head no. “What other abilities do you have?”

  He rolled his eyes into the back of his head. “I get to see inside your soul.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I see the answers inside of you. That which is hidden deep. The truth that lies within that brings peace to your heart.” He looked excited. “We can break down walls with merely our mind!”

  I cursed Jacob for sending me to find Paradom and not warning me about what to expect when I found him. I was left with confusion and a real sense of dread that I was now further away than ever from a resolution.

  “Not that far away,” Paradom said. “And the plan is quite brilliant.”

  “What plan?”

  Paradom looked puzzled. “The one you’re part of.”

  A thundering filled our small space and a wall of earth moved in our direction, rolling toward us; the bulldozer’s engine revved.

  “Paradom?” I tripped, spitting out dirt, bolting after him, bending low to avoid the fast crumbling ceiling.

  But he was already gone.

  Chapter 6

  EXTRACT THIS DUSTY ASH saturating my mind, these cruel and devilish spectral thoughts that refuse to leave and hack out this pain, gauge it entirely, for only then will serenity know my name again.

  I’d been kissed by insanity.

  Standing motionless in the center of Belshazzar’s main bar, drenched in blood, I stared dead ahead, ignoring the gawking vampires that only now I was becoming aware of.

  Snuff out this miserable torment . . .