B L O O D
REIGN
HARVEY W. MCCARTHY
PublishAmerica
Baltimore
© 2012 by Harvey W. McCarthy.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.
First printing
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
PublishAmerica has allowed this work to remain exactly as the author intended, verbatim, without editorial input.
Photo used in cover art provided by Miranda Prather.
Hardcover 9781462670796
eBook 9781462686056
PUBLISHED BY PUBLISHAMERICA, LLLP
www.publishamerica.com
Baltimore
Printed in the United States of America
In loving memory
Albert Lynch (We miss you Uncle Albert!)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I need to thank my loyal readers who are constantly asking me, "When is the next book coming out?" Well, here it is! Oh wait! It's not the one that you wanted. Um, I'm working on that one. I am finishing up the projected finale to my Black Lotus Chronicles series and I do have an outline for the second installment of the Crystal War Saga. I should have the Black Lotus story done by the end of 2012.
I need to thank Bernard, Scott, and David for helping with the editing. They also offered countless hints on how to improve it as well as a lot of encouragement along the way. Bernard, I need to bring you a mango slushy.
Again, I thank Rob MacGregor (www.robmacgregor.net) a fellow author who always has great advice when we chat on facebook.
Huge thanks to Havaliah Rogers (http://www.havilahrogersphotography. com/) for taking the time to shoot my author photos.
Another huge thanks to Michelle for asking me to write her a vampire seductress story. It started out as a short story for fun turned out to be this novel. I never had any intention of ever writing a vampire story and it turned into another possible series.
As always my friends, family, and co-workers for their encouragement and support.
Finally, to Uncle Albert: We miss you and I am sorry that I didn't get to finish this story for you. He was excited to hear that I was writing a vampire story. After he had finished The Crystal War Saga, he compared me to the Issac Asimov. He said that he was honored to know me. No, Albert, an honored Vietnam veteran, it was my honor to have known you. You are missed.
PROLOGUE
The air was cool. The audience, which had attended the midnight showing of the latest Hollywood blockbuster, had started to exit the theater. Couples argued over the artistic viability of the latest science fiction thriller. Some people loved the movie while others hated it. People talked as they walked away from the theater. Several people still munched on popcorn or the various other snacks that had been provided by the snack bar to the captive audience. Two long-time friends were amongst many people who were arguing over the quality of the movie.
Joey Cox, liberal arts major at a local university, popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth. His mouth was full as he argued with Allen Michaels. Allen, a theater major at the same university, snacked on peanuts and shook his head.
"No way," Allen argued. "The movie didn't have a plot. Computer generated effects can only go so far. At the end of the day, plot does matter."
"It did have a plot," Joey mumbled through a full mouth of popcorn.
Allen stopped. "Okay genius, explain it."
"Well…ah…it…ahh," Joey stammered as pieces of chewed popcorn fell from his mouth.
"Ha!" Allen exclaimed. "You can't do it, can you?"
"Of course I can," Joey said as he forced the mouthful of popcorn into his stomach. "I just had to clear my mouth."
"Can you spare a dollar to help a man down on his luck?" a voice rasped.
Startled, Joey threw the remnants of his bag of popcorn into the air. Allen, who was just as surprised as Joey, dropped his bag of peanuts. Both men turned to see a homeless man in raggedy clothes extending his hand.
"Holy crap fella," Joey protested. "You could make noise or something next time."
"I'm sorry," the beggar said.
Allen, who had a slight temper, sighed. "Listen fella, you just cost me about ten bucks' worth of peanuts. You ain't getting anything from us."
The beggar stood taller. "Since you aren't willing to give to those in need, I guess I will just have to take what I need."
The two men were about to speak when the beggar hissed. His face began to contort as his complexion became completely pale. His face changed completely. A demonic visage replaced the unkempt beggar's face. His teeth extended into fangs. The creature hissed. Both men had read many science fiction comics and novels during their lives. They knew that they had just come face to face with a vampire. They ran.
They ran as hard as their bloated, junk food filled bodies would allow. They panted and sweated. They ran until their bodies could not take another step. They staggered into an alley between two older buildings. They looked around and they didn't see anyone. They laughed and coughed.
"What the hell are we doing?" Allen asked as he panted. "Vampires don't exist."
"Really?" the same demonic voice asked.
Both men froze. They turned slowly to see the same creature. However, he was joined by three other vampires: Two male vampires and one female vampire. They all smiled. The two men screamed.
"I like it when they scream," the female vampire said. "It gets me…excited."
She leapt at Allen who, paralyzed by fear, didn't move. The vampire knocked him to the cold, hard cement alley floor. She rose up and hissed loudly. She screamed with excitement. A twang was heard and the vampire screamed again. This time, she screamed in agony. An arrow protruded from her chest. She fell backwards and screamed louder. Slowly, green lines traced her entire body. The wooden arrow had pierced her heart and its poison pumped through her body. She shivered and foamed at the mouth. Seconds later, she shriveled and died as her body rapidly decayed.
The remaining vampires hissed and crouched backwards. The two movie-goers remained speechless. The vampires cowered further as footsteps could be heard. Slowly, the footsteps got closer and closer. The vampires hissed louder. The two men remained motionless. They were thankful to whatever or whoever had just saved them. Eventually, they had their answer.
A tall, muscular man appeared from the darkness. He was unshaven and he carried a bow. A quiver of arrows hung from his backpack. A sword dangled from his belt that was also adorned with several vials and compartments. The handsome, grizzled stranger, dressed in all black, stared at the two men.
"And why are you two still here?" he asked coldly.
The two men took their cue and ran. The remaining vampires hissed and one lunged at his prey. An arrow, shot into his eye, had stopped him. A second quickly fired arrow rendered his fate the same as the female vampire. The green lines traced his veins until he shriveled into a morbid green corpse. The two remaining vampires leapt at their foe.
The muscular man kicked one of the vampires as he hurled a punch into the face of the other. Both vampires were hurled backwards with such force that their bodies cracked the cement alley floor. Quickly, the man removed his sword and beheaded the closest vampire. The vampire body shriveled as his blood seeped out of his body. The remaining vampire cowered as the man, whose sword dripped with the vampire's blood, stepped forward.
"One day, you will be one of us, Bloodheart," the vampire hissed.
Chris
topher Bloodheart, the vampire hunter, whirled his sword and the vampire's head bounced along the alley floor. The headless body shriveled and slowly fell forward. The blade dripped again. He sheathed it without wiping it off. He looked at the shriveled bodies.
"Never," he growled.
A second later, he was gone.
CHAPTER 1
RUSSIAN EMPIRE C1772
Darkness fell. The air was wet and thick. As the sun disappeared to illuminate the New World, the peasants of the Russian Empire, in the region now known as Siberia, had also disappeared into their humble homes. They were frightened and scared. They were oppressed by the lords. The lords owned the lands and they were the serfs who were required to work the lands for long, exhausting hours. An uprising was stirring and the Russian leader Catherine the Great didn't look favorably on the potential rebels. However, the wrath of their ruler was nothing compared to the wrath of Lord Viktor.
Lord Viktor was a mysterious Russian lord whose personal fortune rivaled the wealth of the Russian Empire. Unlike many of his fellow lords, his land was worked willingly by his serfs. Lord Viktor ruled through his unforgiving underlings. They never saw their lord and they preferred it that way. When one of their peers stopping working in the fields, they feared the worst. Rumors would abound that they had been summoned by Lord Viktor. Those who were summoned by Lord Viktor always disappeared.
The workers tried to go unnoticed. They worked very hard. Lord Viktor's land was the envy of all the other lords in the region. His crops were always harvested at the peak of the growing season. The produce was sold quickly and Lord Viktor's coffers were always overflowing. Neighboring lords would try to learn their secrets, but Lord Viktor never permitted his workers to speak to anyone but each to other or to their masters. Even worse, once they went to work for Lord Viktor, they were never permitted to leave. One young woman could no longer accept being controlled by Lord Victor: Her name was Mikhaeli Lanaova.
She was the daughter of a serf farmer. She wanted a better life. She saw her masters moving freely and she wanted those same freedoms. The bright, blue eyed, nineteen year-old woman, more than anything, wanted to be free. She hated working in the fields so her family could have a small allowance while her lord became rich. Lord Viktor lived off of their blood and their sweat. He was never seen unless someone was called to his castle. From what she was told, she should stay away from his castle, but she longed for something better.
One night, the young woman waited until her parents were asleep. She quietly dressed in her finest clothes and snuck out of the house. The autumn air was cool. Goose bumps formed on her exposed skin. She didn't know if it was the cold air or her nervous state that had affected her skin. She ventured through the dark streets. Her humble shoes clicked on the cobblestone streets. The air felt eerie and it gave her an uneasy feeling. She heard her fellow serfs locking their windows and doors as she passed by the humble homes. She saw several eyes peeking through cracks in the shutters. When she would glance in their direction, the eyes would disappear. The uneasy, eerie feeling increased.
She ventured to the town gates. She saw no one. The guards had vanished. There was always a guard on-duty, but tonight they had disappeared. A knot filled her under-nourished stomach. She had reached the gates, but there was still no one in sight. The gates were always locked at nightfall. She sighed heavily and leaned on the large iron bars. The gate moved.
She knew that it was absolutely forbidden for anyone to venture beyond the gates without the permission of the guards. The gates bordered Lord Viktor's private land. No one was permitted to see Lord Viktor unless he had summoned them. She glanced around again to see if anyone was watching. Once more, not a person or even a creature could be heard in the town, she was all alone. She used all of her strength to move the heavy gate. It creaked, but moments later, she was walking on Lord Viktor's land.
Lord Viktor lived in a castle on top of a large hill. The large, gray castle was surrounded by a thick, dark forest. The native white pine trees were dense and ominous. They created eerie shadows along the path that led to the castle. The distant mountains enhanced the ominous feeling. Mikhaeli shivered from the unseen fear that haunted the forest. Her legs trembled as she forced each step. Animals howled. Bushes moved in the breeze. She felt as if she had walked into the lair of death.
She entered the path that led through the forest. It too was dark. The moonlight barely penetrated the thick trees. She was sweating despite the chilled air. She stepped on a fallen twig. The dried wood snapped under her thin frame. The loud snap caused her heart to leap into her throat. She thought that she heard someone laugh. Her heart raced rapidly as she glanced at her surroundings. The wind rattled the trees and she thought that she heard a voice speak to her. She composed herself and moved onward. Sweat continued to pour from her body. She could feel someone or something watching her.
Painfully, she had finally reached the oppressive castle. The moon was full. Its light seemed to have very little effect on the ancient structure. The sculptures that adorned the castle walls appeared to be following her every move. The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she approached the main castle gate. A moat surrounded the castle. Its waters rippled in the wind. The rancid water splashed along its man-made banks. The deep, dark water was vile and frightening. She blinked several times as she thought that she had seen something swimming in the bile colored waters. She believed that if she were to fall in that she would experience certain death. She knew that she had to speak with Lord Viktor, but her heart sank when she saw that the drawbridge was up. Unless she wished to risk certain death by trying to swim across the moat, her trip had been all for not.
To her surprise, the drawbridge slowly began to lower. The chains that held the massive bridge in place creaked as it inched downward. The heavy birch bridge was thick and intimidating. The links of the chain were the size of a small child. If it were to drop unexpectedly, it would crush any human being. Mikhaeli darted behind one of the nearby trees and waited. Slowly, it reached its resting place. She shivered.
"Come forth," a voice called in their native tongue.
Fear overwhelmed her. Do they know that I am here? she wondered. She shivered from head-to-toe. She couldn't control her shaking. She was terrified, but she slowly emerged from behind the tree. It seemed as if she was being controlled by a puppeteer. Her feet moved, but her brain wanted her to stop. Her eyes appeared to glaze over as she stepped into the moonlight. A dapper, older man stood on the drawbridge. His hand was extended. He smiled at her. As she walked across the drawbridge, she felt a chill but she was oddly comforted by him. She took his hand and slowly they walked into the castle.
The older man continued to smile. His face was pale and his hair was thinning. His hand was warm and it comforted her. However, she could not make the cold sensation leave her body. She shivered.
"My dear," he said softly, "You appear to have a chill. Please let me fix you something warm to eat. You must be starving."
Her eyes widened as her stomach growled. She looked away as tears welled in her eyes. She was very hungry. Her parents had fixed her a humble meal but that was many, many hours ago. The long walk through the frightening forest had fatigued her. Her strength was fading. Tears crept down her face.
He rubbed her arm. "Do not be ashamed. You have come a great distance to see the master. He has been expecting you."
Fright filled her heart. Her head snapped around. "He…He…He has been expecting me?"
"Yes," he replied but he offered nothing further.
He continued to lead her into the ancient, ornate structure. Every room was breathtaking. She had never witnessed such wealth in her entire life. It made her angry that her family had aided in filling Lord Viktor's coffers, but a part of her was envious. She wanted a life like Lord Viktor's where she could live lavishly. Their trip led her to a large dining hall. The long dining table made her gasp. It could easily sit one hundred people. It probably had been hand-crafted by the
finest craftsmen in all of the empire. She wondered if Empress Catherine II had a table as beautiful as the one that dazzled before her eyes.
"It was a gift from the Empress herself," the older man stated.
She was shocked again. She wondered if he could read her mind. She was in complete awe. "It is magnificent," she stated.
The older man smiled. Unlike before, his smile chilled her. "The Empress said the same thing about Lord Viktor when she gave it to him personally."
"He has met the Empress?" she gasped.
The man chucked. Again, she was chilled. "My dear, the Empress came to see him. Lord Viktor is quite…powerful."
She swallowed hard. She knew that Lord Viktor had been expecting her. Everyone knew that when you were summoned by Lord Viktor that you did not keep the powerful master of the lands waiting. She was about to speak when he interrupted her.
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