by Zara Novak
Claire noticed his chest was heaving up and down, and in noticing that she saw her own was too.
“That was… amazing…” Eric praised through rasping breaths.
Claire blushed, feeling silently proud of her accomplishment.
“You taste divine.” She said, complimenting him back. “I would very much like to do that again.”
“Oh… you are very welcome to.” Eric laughed, and Claire lay down beside Eric, staring into his eyes. He looked at her like she was a prize treasure.
“Where did you learn to do that?” He asked. “I’ve never… it’s never… you’re amazing.”
She giggled, feeling bashful at his words. “Was it really that good? I’ve never done it before. I was just moving through instinct I suppose.”
“Well fuck me.” Eric positively growled and slid his hand down the side of her body. “I can’t wait to see how instinct works for the rest of you.”
“Now?” She asked.
“No, but nice try.”
Claire bit her lip in frustration.
“But when?”
“Soon, I promise. Besides… you’re practically yawning. I’d be surprised if you could stay awake another minute.”
“I’m fine…” Claire said in protest, but she could hear the tiredness in her voice. “But why? …I don’t know why I’m so sleepy.”
“I told you. It takes a lot of energy to mate with a vampire. It’s why I wanted to taste you first.”
“But it was just my mouth…” She protested, her words meandering with fatigue.
“Exactly.” Eric said, as if proving a point. “Imagine how much more energy it would take for full sex. “We’ll get there, I promise. The more pent up you get, the more you will be able to tolerate it.”
“Okay…” Claire practically yawned the words, cuddling into the crook of his neck.
Eric pulled his arm tight around her, shifting the covers back over them once more. She squeezed tight against the slow rhythm of his rising chest and her eyes closed, until slowly, but surely, she fell asleep.
6. Eric
Eric fell into a deep and dreamless sleep just minutes after Claire had done, finding himself surprised that sleep was so effortless to him when she was in his arms. He had always struggled with rest, always haunted by visions of his past which kept him up for hours on end.
They both lay there sleeping in silenced comfort for hours, until the sun sank beneath the hallowed mountains, casting long dark shadows across the valley beneath the castle.
A knock came at the door several hours after, causing them both to wake in a confused stir.
Eric swung his legs from out of the bed at the sound of the timid knock.
“Eric?”
He turned at Claire’s confused whispers as she stirred. “Who is it?”
“It’s okay darling.” He brushed hair from her rosy face.
She sat up in the bed, pulling the quilt tight around her, a trace of fear glinting in her eyes as she stared at the door across the room.
“But what if…”
“It’s not him.” He said, putting the notion to bed. “He won’t come up here ever again, not after what happened in the library.”
Claire swallowed and nodded silently, seeming to believe his words.
The timid knock came once more, pulling Eric’s attention from the girl.
“Alright, alright!” He rose from the bed with haste and grabbed a charcoal robe, wrapping the plush fabric around him.
He reached the door in a dozen silent steps, and paused for a moment as his hand hovered over the handle, listening to the guest on the other side.
Sophia… he thought as felt the presence of his youngest sister. He turned the handle, pulling the door ajar every so slightly.
“Eric! Hi!” The saccharine ghost tone of her timid voice floated into the room.
Eric relaxed seeing that it was only Sophia, and no one else. Veronica would have been a headache to deal with at this time of night. Sophia had always been his favorite sibling, and the one that he felt closest to.
Still, she was disturbing his time with Claire, and he felt slightly uncomfortable at her being here.
“Sophia… can I help you?”
The young raven haired girl seemed to bounce on her heels almost. To the outside perspective, she would have seemed almost still, but Eric could read the faintest trace of her body language like a book. Although she appeared to be stood almost perfectly still, he saw her more as bouncing off the walls in excitement.
“Is it true?” Her eyes sparked with wonder. Sophia tilted her head slightly, trying to glimpse within his room.
Eric held the door firm, pushing his body up against the gap to remove any chance of her seeing inside.
“Is what true?” Eric said, trying to play dumb.
“Come on brother!” Sophia dropped all hopes of containing her excitement and her whole body slumped momentarily as said the words with dreary impatience. “Wraith has told father, you must have come to expect that by now!”
Eric pushed the tongue against the inside of his cheek, and rolled his eyes. He didn’t answer, but the considerable sigh from his body was answer enough that he knew what she was talking about.
“The library.” Sophia’s eyes bulged. “He said you nearly killed him!”
“As I have at least once a month for the last hundred years.”
“But for real this time Eric. I was in father’s room when he came in. He was shaking.”
“Good.” Eric smiled, finding pleasure at the thought of his brother in terror.
“He said you have a girl.”
“So?” Eric passed it off as nothing. “I have girls in here all the time. What’s new?”
“No you don’t. Not for several years at least. He said you’re up to something, he said she was different…”
Eric steeled his jaw at the comment. He hadn’t supposed that Wraith had noticed the peculiar rarity that was the power held inside Claire.
“Is it true? Can I meet her? Is she nice?”
Eric felt like sighing again.
He had wanted to keep Claire secret to protect her. There was no safer place to keep her but the castle, and at the same time no where more dangerous.
He knew that his family would find out eventually, but he hadn’t anticipated it being this soon. He wanted to turn Claire before he presented her to his family. That way it would eliminate the chance of anyone else doing it before he could.
“Fine.” He gave up pretense of lying, knowing that Sophia was too smart to fall for it anyway.
“It is true, but please, I want you to keep this quiet.”
Eric had to play his cards right. Sophia was no immediate threat to him. Vampires may have been slightly different in their reproductive qualities, but there was no way that Sophia could impregnate Claire, no matter how fertile Claire may be.
There was the chance that Sophia could turn her, claiming her for herself, but without claiming her womb as human first, it would negate all the breeding potential of her body. She’d be a vampire, but she’d be just like the rest, unable to reproduce.
Should I tell her?
He weighed the question in his mind. There was every chance that Sophia would see Claire for what she really was anyway - a breeder. If Eric told his sister first, it would make him appear more trusting of her (which he was).
“Give us a moment to dress.” Eric said tersely.
“You promise you won’t escape from the window?!” Sophia bounced on her heels once more, trying to see in side the room.
Eric laughed.
“Relax sister. You’re being paranoid.”
He closed the door and considered her idea for a moment, before pushing it to the back of his mind. Eric didn’t want to risk Claire getting cold, he didn’t want to hurt her like that ever again.
“Who is it?” Claire said sitting up in the bed with the cover clutched at her chest.
“It’s my sister.” Eric said a
s he walked to the wardrobe. He slipped his gown from off his body, placed it back on a hanger and grabbed his clothes from off the dresser.
“Sister?” Claire said the word with a tense wariness. “But… what does she want?”
“It’s alright.” Eric said as he pulled his clothes on. “Dress. She wants to meet you. She’s not like Wraith. She’s nice. Nicer than I am.”
“Meet me? Why?” Claire slid out of bed, dressing herself in pajamas as she had nothing else to wear.
“She’s just curious.” Eric said. “She’s lovely, honestly. The nicest vampire you’ll ever meet.”
Eric half said the words to placate Claire, but there was only truth in them. He often thought of the Castle Belmont and it’s inhabitants as a black rose bush, lying in the shadow with it’s hundreds of thorns turned in on itself. The thorns where the many characters whom roamed it’s hallways, yet in the middle of the dark and twisted thorns there was a small light, and that light was Sophia.
Sophia was younger than Eric, and the youngest of all their siblings in fact. There had always been a perceptible innocence about her, that made all those close to her feel as though they had the urge to protect her. She was dainty, frail looking and her personality was jubilant and sparkling, like a bauble bouncing on a tree branch, catching light and scattering it across the room in all directions.
For the longest time, Sophia had mirrored Eric in his own darkness, but she had always taken to it with firm reluctance. It was her own almost inward revulsion at what she was, that contributed to Eric looking at himself and realizing that being Vampire didn’t have to mean being a murderer. They still had to drink blood of course, they always did, but there was humane way of doing it, a humane way of being alive.
“Nicest vampire?” Claire seemed to almost laugh, and Eric breathed with relief seeing she was a little more calm. He fetched a robe for her from the wardrobe and wrapped it round her shoulders.
“Yes. Honestly. She’s lovely, she’s a darling. You have nothing to fear. I think you’ll get on rather well actually.”
“Okay.” Her eyes darted around the room in nervousness.
“And I’ll get you some clothes.” He said, looking down at her pajamas and robe. “I apologize for being such a bad host.”
“That’s alright.” Claire leaned in and kissed his cheek, gliding her hand up the inside of his thigh, just glancing the fullness of his cock. “I don’t intend on wearing clothes all that much when you’re around anyway.”
Eric fought the urge to groan and turned from Claire, biting his lip to keep himself from jumping on her.
“Come.” He tilted his head for her to walk to the door. Eric pulled it open fully this time, although still with apprehension, and Sophia set her eyes upon Claire for the first time.
“Oh you are just lovely.” Sophia shook her head in wonder, stepping into Eric’s room, ignoring him completely. “I’m Sophia.” She said, her timid voice ringing through the room like a glass bell.
Sophia held her hand out and Claire took it, shaking it out of politeness. Sophia held her hand for a moment, and Eric knew that she was listening to the pulse within her hand.
“Oh there’s no reason to be so nervous.” Sophia said, releasing Claire’s hand. “I’m not like Wraith at all.”
“How did you…?” Claire began to ask how she’d known what she was thinking, then she realized. “…oh.”
“Oh yes,” Sophia beamed, looking from Claire to Eric. “Telepathy. A gift that we are blessed with, and you will find that you are blessed with it too when Eric comes to turn you.”
“Sophia!” Eric practically hissed the words, but it sounded more like strained disappointment. He flared his real thoughts into Sophia’s mind.
I haven’t spoke with her about turning yet.
Cold realization spread over Sophia’s face at her mistake.
“I’m sorry, Eric.” She swallowed. “I didn’t mean to…”
“What does she mean Eric?” Claire said, turning her head at him confused. “You’re going to turn me? Make me vampire?” Claire’s voice seem to flare, annoyance rising in it.
“No Claire, you don’t understand-”
“Is that before or after you put a child in my belly. Or do I not get a say in that matter either?”
Eric winced at her words, closing his eyes, for now Sophia knew the full truth too.
He lifted his eyes with slow reluctance to meet his sister’s gaze. She was staring at him mouth open just as he expected, her gaze flitting from his to Claire and back again.
“She? You? No…” The shock seemed to effect Sophia’s ability to speak, and she stammered as her eyes almost bulged from her head.
She looked back to Sophia again. “You’re a breeder!”
Eric flew across the room in a glance, shutting the door and locking it, and then sweeping across once more so he was but an inch from Sophia’s mouth. He held his finger against her lips, urging her to be deathly quiet.
To Eric and Sophia, he had moved with a quickness, but a quickness that was nothing out of the ordinary.
Claire however stood almost in shock, as she watched the flesh-coal covered ribbon that was Eric, blurring through the apartment in rapid motion.
“You have to be quiet Sophia.” Eric said with whispering urgency.
“But, but she’s a breeder! It’s true!” Sophia said it out loud again, the shock overriding her brain.
“Okay, okay!” Eric clamored. “Now you know our secret, but please stop saying it out loud. Don’t say it, don’t think it, don’t feel it! Heavens knows, father has probably felt your reaction already!”
Eric knew that his father could seek the thoughts of most inhabitants of the castle at any time, such was the strength of his long and latent power. It was highly unlikely that he would be making much effort to follow Sophia, but the chance was there, and Eric didn’t want to risk his father finding out before he could tell him.
“But this is wonderful!” Sophia gasped, beaming from Eric to Claire. “Oh you’re such a beauty Claire, and I can already tell that we’re going to be the best of friends.”
Sophia’s raw enthusiasm seemed to disarm any of the wayward annoyance that Claire was holding, ready to project to Eric when they had a moment alone.
“Why, thank you Sophia.” Claire said abashed. “You’re very pretty too. I hope we can be good friends.”
Eric was relieved momentarily that Claire seemed to sense that Sophia wasn’t a threat. There was still the issue at hand however, of the whole Castle being aware of his secret.
“Listen to me Sophia.” Eric clutched his sister by the shoulders. Her attention was fixed firmly in amazement on Claire, he turned her face to his, speaking into her eyes.
“I know this is amazing for you, and I know that you’ve never met a breeder before, but we have to keep this secret, we have to keep this between us.”
“But Eric-”
She attempted to speak but Eric put a finger to his lips.
“Just hear me out. She’s is a breeder. It’s true okay? I’ve admitted it to you now, but you have to understand that we have to be very delicate about how we deliver this information to the Castle. There are a lot of Vampires out there who would seek to take Claire from me if they knew I hadn’t claimed her yet.”
“But Eric-”
He pushed his finger against her lips again.
“Please. That’s why we have to keep it quiet okay? And you need to promise me what you won’t tell anyone. Not Father, not Veronica, not Ira and especially not Wraith.”
Eric knew there was no danger of Sophia telling Wraith. Although they were technically brother and sister they were as different as people come. Sophia had little regard for Wraith, and spent as much time away from him as possible.
Sophia twisted Eric’s hand from her face and stepped back, clutching it in her grasp.
“But Eric, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you this whole time! That’s what I’ve been trying to
say! Why do you think I’m here in the first place?”
“What are you talking about?” He said, his eyes searching into hers with manic despair.
“Wraith already knows. He figured it out back in the library. That’s why he was so desperate to get to father, he wanted to be the first let him know!”
Eric pulled his hand from hers, almost feeling as if all the strength in his body had drained to the floor. He stumbled back from her, feeling stunned.
“Father knows?”
“Yes Eric, that’s what I came here to tell you. Veronica wanted to come, but I told her not to. I said that you seeing her here would only annoy you, and it would be best if I came.”
“But you, you acted as if you didn’t know just now?”
“I didn’t believe it myself until I heard the words come from your mouth.”
Eric nodded slightly at her words, agreeing with them. He got on with Veronica in a faint capacity, she wasn’t as bad as Wraith, but she wasn’t as angelic as Sophia either. He knew that she would find the gossip wickedly fun, and he could just imagine how she would gloat as she delivered the news to him.
“But what did he say?” Eric said, his eyes flying up to meet Sophia. “What did father say?!”
A corner of her mouth pulled to one side and she half shrugged. “He didn’t say much really. You know what he’s like with his words. He keeps everything under lock and key.”
Eric dropped his head. “But he must have said something, he must have give you some indication of how he felt?”
Now that his father knew, the whole Castle would know, and that wasn’t good for Eric. They would start coming for her, he’d have to take her fast, but he didn’t want to risk moving too quickly, and forcing Claire when her body wasn’t ready.
“Well he wants to meet her, naturally.”
Eric looked up at his sister in shock.
“What?”
“Why else would I come up here? Other than to meet the lovely Claire of course.” She nodded at Claire, who smiled back politely. “He sent me up here.” Sophia continued. “Father sent me up here with an invitation for you to bring Claire to meet him.”
