"Mikhaeli, I…I…I thought you had…"
"No, I am far from dead, Mr. Romanoff. I was simply away. My father and mother," she said through a playful giggle, "Got ahead of themselves. I got lost on the way back from seeing Lord Viktor."
"L…L…Lord Viktor?" he stammered.
"Oh yes," she said excitedly, "He told me that he was very fond of you. He said that he saw a change in your future."
"A change?"
"Mmmmm Hmmmmm," she teased as she spied him up and down. Her eyes traced every inch of his body.
He noticed her looking at him. She had been in his fantasies. He had always envisioned her beautiful blue eyes staring at him while she touched him. She was beyond beautiful. The more she looked at him, the more his eyes wandered. He began to stare at her chest. His eyes didn't wander, but his mind did.
"Oh," she said as she noticed him getting visibly aroused, "I am sorry. I must have awakened you. Please forgive me. I should go and get in bed myself."
"Huh? What? No," he babbled.
"But where would I sleep?" she purred.
"Here," he said without thinking.
She reached up and started to scratch his chest that peeked out from the opening in his nightshirt. "Mr. Romanoff, are you inviting me in?"
Her touch made him want to explode. He breathed heavily. Each touch felt like a shock of pleasure throughout his entire body. He never wanted her to stop.
"Yes," he managed to state.
She leaned over and bit his chest gently. "What if I am not tired?"
"I…I…I think we could…"
She grabbed him and kissed him passionately. She sucked on his lip as she pulled away. She stared into his eyes. "I am done talking," she said sternly. "I want to come in."
"C…C…Come in," he stammered.
She licked a finger and dragged it across his chest as she walked into his home. Unlike her parents' home, Sergei Romanoff had some wealth. His house was constructed from stone whereas most serf homes were constructed from wood. He had more furnishings and even a few ornamental decorations. Mikhaeli sashayed to the dining table. Sergei followed her. He was entranced by her body.
She walked to the dining area and propped herself up onto the table. He was about to protest when she pulled her long dress up over her bent leg. In the limited light, he could see her shapely leg. She dragged her fingernail up and down every inch of her thigh. Sergei grabbed a lamp and quickly found something with which to light it. He burned his fingers as he tried to quickly light the wick. His trembling fingers finally managed to light the lamp. When the light hit her body, she had removed her dress and only her corset remained. Sergei Romanoff couldn't speak.
"Hmmmmmm, I am on a dinner table," she said coyly. "Do you see anything that you would like to eat?"
She uncrossed her legs. She was not wearing any undergarments with her corset. Sergei Romanoff drooled. He had fantasized about this moment. He looked at her and she giggled. She seductively coiled and uncoiled her finger. Sergei Romanoff smiled. He dashed across the room. He placed his face between her legs. She laughed loudly as she caught his head between her thighs.
He gagged in protest. His eyes were filled with fright as he struggled for air. She laughed again and flipped him over onto the sturdy wooden table. He slammed onto the table and she landed on top of him. Her vampire face appeared and she smiled. Sergei tried to scream but he couldn't breathe. She laughed louder and twisted her legs. A loud snap ended his struggles. She laughed again. She rolled off of him and landed in a chair.
She found bowl of bread rolls on a small table in the room. She placed the bowl next to him. On a service tray, she found a heavy meat cleaver. She picked up the heavy steel butcher's tool. She dragged her finger across the blade. It was razor sharp. She giggled as she licked the blood from her finger before slamming the blade into his lifeless throat. His head rolled from the table and onto the floor. Blood flowed freely from the headless body. She sat down and grabbed a roll from the basket. She broke it in half and dipped it into the dripping blood. She put the blood soaked bread into her mouth and chewed merrily.
"Yeah, I could get used to this," she said as she enjoyed yet another meal.
CHAPTER 3
RUSSIAN EMPIRE C1772
Two days later…
The sun had set. The serfs were huddled inside their homes. Religious symbols adorned their doors. Families were huddled in prayer. The populace of the town was frightened since the gruesome discovery of the Lanaova family and Sergei Romanoff. All three bodies had been dismembered and they had been drained of blood. The bodies were burned instead of being buried. They did not want them rising. They already had one vampire loose in the city.
A horse approached the gates. The guards were wary. The rider was dressed in black. The horse's breath leaked from its nostrils. The cool crisp air indicated that winter was rapidly approaching. The stranger sat tall in his saddle. He had broad powerful shoulders. The dark night and his long hair hid the rest of his features. A guard approached. He nodded.
"State your business," the guard stated.
"Just wishing passage through the town," the stranger replied.
"The gates are locked. No one is permitted to enter," the guard retorted.
The stranger nodded. He pulled back on his reins and his horse turned. He disappeared down the dark path. The guard watched him disappear into the night.
* * *
Lord Viktor sat in his library. A large book was open in front of him. His mysterious eyes scrolled over the ancient text. The yellow candlelight flickered as he continued to study the words. Having lived for centuries had its advantages. The words were written in a language that hadn't been spoken for two hundred years. Fortunately for the vampire, he had been raised by the language. He was lost in his research and he didn't even notice that he had a visitor.
The candlelight flickered as the window opened. Lord Viktor noticed the change in the light and the change in the air temperature. He remained motionless in his chair. He simply smiled.
"I see that my queen has attracted your attention," he stated to the unseen visitor, "I have been expecting you."
The stranger from the gates stepped from the shadows. Remaining hidden would have been pointless as the powerful vampire would have sensed his blood. "Your reign of terror is over Viktor," he retorted.
"Lord Viktor. Please permit me the title that I have earned," the vampire said as he stood slowly.
"You are not my lord," the stranger said.
The vampire laughed. The stranger's eyes watched his long-time nemesis. He had been tracking Lord Viktor for years. Every time that Lord Viktor thought that he had avoided his foe, he would appear. Lord Viktor would have to move his operation to another location. Lord Viktor's gaze found his foe. The stranger's eyes were cold and calculating. Lord Viktor smiled.
He pushed himself away from the table. He stood slowly. He unfastened the gold chain that held his cloak in place. He pulled the cloak from his shoulders and folded it in his arms. He placed the cloak over the back of his chair. He removed the gold cufflinks from his white silk shirt as the stranger approached the table.
"Your kind has chased me across continents. When I am happily established, you or one like you appears. When I think that I have finally avoided you, there you are again," he said as his eyes found the stranger again. "I am tired of running. Tonight you will bother me no longer."
The vampire leapt at his foe. The stranger caught the undead creature by the lapels of his silk shirt and threw him over his head. The vampire flipped through the throw and landed on his feet. Both men stood and stared at each other. Viktor smiled. His foe was faster than he had expected. He crouched and began to encircle the stranger who remained motionless. His eyes followed the vampire. The vampire hissed and threw a punch. The stranger turned and blocked the blow. He spun the arm and trapped it under his left arm. He blocked another blow and delivered a head-butt to Lord Viktor's face. The vampire howled and staggere
d backwards.
Lord Viktor put his hand to his mouth. Dark blood oozed from his broken nose. The pain was intense. He staggered again. The stranger approached. Lord Viktor tried to kick his opponent, but he dodged it easily. He countered with a kick of his own. Lord Viktor flew backwards and slammed onto the table. If he had been capable of drawing a breath into his lungs, it would have escaped him. He rolled to avoid a stake through the heart. He stared at his opponent again. He did not laugh nor did he smile. For the first time in centuries, Lord Viktor was scared.
For the next few moments, he did everything to keep his opponent at bay. He threw punches and kicks, but time after time the stranger countered his attack. He was stronger and faster than anyone who had threatened his undead existence in the past. Fear overwhelmed him. He became frustrated and he attacked wildly, but nothing seemed to stop his opponent. If he landed a punch, the stranger would counter his attack and land two punches of his own. In desperation, he turned to his last resort: Magic.
"Stop, I command thee," Lord Viktor ordered as he held up a hand.
The stranger froze in place. He tried to speak but only a grunt could be heard. His eyes gave a confused blink. He tried to scream when he realized that he was motionless. Lord Viktor laughed. He smiled and staggered towards his foe. He pointed a finger and laughed loudly.
"You had me fooled," Lord Viktor admitted. "I thought you were something more than just a man."
The stranger's eyes filled with panic as Lord Viktor began to encircle him. Lord Viktor laughed jovially. He looked the dark attired stranger up and down. He smiled evilly. He had been waiting years to rid himself of this troublesome foe. Had he realized that it would have been so easy, he would have faced him years ago. He stopped behind the stranger and tilted his head to one side. Lord Viktor bared his fangs and hissed.
He leaned in for the kill. "Too easy," he stated.
"Yes, too easy," the stranger said as he plunged a stake into Lord Viktor.
Lord Viktor's eyes widened with fright as the wood plunged into his body. He hissed in pain and fell backwards. He reached for the stake but the stranger kicked the end of the stake, which pushed it deeper into his body. Lord Viktor looked at the gaping hole in his chest. He waited for his heart to cease beating. He began to panic until he noticed that his heart continued to function. He glanced at the stake again and he smiled. He laughed.
"You missed," he said as he began to stand.
"Think again," the stranger said.
Lord Viktor's legs failed him. He stumbled backwards and fell. He crashed through a chair. His arms and his legs were weakening. He felt something that he had not felt in centuries: He was ill. He tried to speak but his voice had failed him. He couldn't lift his arms. He was in agony. Something had invaded his body.
The stranger slowly walked over to his fallen foe. He knelt on one knee in front of him. He grabbed Lord Viktor's silk shirt with both hands and he pulled. He ripped the shirt open. Green lines were tracing the veins in Lord Viktor's body from where the stake had penetrated his chest. The stranger grabbed Lord Viktor by the hair and he yanked his head so he could see what was happening to him.
"Mongolian oak," the stranger said matter-of-factly. "It has a wonderful effect on vampires. No matter where it enters body, as soon as it hits the bloodstream, it becomes a powerful poison."
He released his hair and his head slumped backwards. The stranger stood and walked into the shadows of the library. The green lines had reached his neck. In his own silent world, Lord Viktor screamed in agony.
"I forgot to mention slow and painful," the stranger whispered from the darkness.
The lines continued to trace his body. His body started to convulse. He wanted to scream but the poison had rotted his tongue. He watched painfully as the green lines traced his vision. He convulsed faster and faster as his body started to shrivel. He let out one painful gag before the convulsions had stopped.
Lord Viktor was dead.
* * *
An hour before sunrise, Mikhaeli Lanaova hummed a traditional folk song as she arrived at the castle. The bile colored moat and the creatures within its waters no longer frightened her. The statues that adorned its walls no longer watched her every move. The servant, who she referred to simply as 'servant,' had not appeared. She was extremely disappointed. Even though Lord Viktor favored him, he too might have to meet his demise.
She approached the edge of moat. She relaxed. She had been meditating to prepare herself for this moment. She continued to relax despite the increasing pain in her shoulders. During her bath, Lord Viktor had warned her that unfurling her wings for the first time would be extremely painful. She dropped to a knee in agony. Slowly, two large bat-like wings ripped through her dress. Painfully, she stood as the wings began to flap. She ascended into the air and flew to one of the open windows.
She flew through the window and landed with a thud. She tried to relax as the wings retracted into her torn flesh. After several painful minutes the wings had disappeared and her body had begun to mend. The cold flesh on her back slowly returned to normal. Her flesh knitted together and she slowly rose. She vowed to only use her wings when absolutely necessary.
The air was still. She smelled something foul. Despite no longer needing oxygen to survive, she had retained her sense of smell. She continued to inhale as she passed through the ornate, ancient halls of her new home. With each step, the foul stench became stronger. She began to hear sobs as she followed the stench to the massive library doors. The stench and the sobs increased. She concentrated and extended her hand. The massive doors remained in place. Angrily, she stomped forward and she forcefully pushed the doors open. Despite her size, the doors nearly flew from their hinges.
She gasped when she saw the servant and the remaining female vampire surrounding a fallen corpse. She strutted forward and the two kneeling figures immediately stood. The female vampire bared her fangs and rushed at Mikhaeli. She struck the vampire in the face. The vampire flew backwards into one of the stacks of massive, ancient books. Her stern expression did not falter. She was focused. She reached her servant who bowed.
"My Queen, something terrible…"
"Out of my way," she demanded.
The servant stepped aside and she approached the fallen corpse of Lord Viktor. She was shocked at the pained expression on his green, hollow face. He looked frightened. She saw the stake in his chest. Her face was grim.
"It is not in the heart," the servant said.
"I need something to grab this stake with," she ordered.
The servant removed his own service glove and handed it to her. Without thinking, she placed the glove on her hand. She grabbed the end of the stake and pulled. The stake reluctantly left the body as the suction released. Vile, green blood dripped from the stake. A rancid gas expelled through the hole. She cringed as she saw her sire's fowl blood dripping on the marble floor.
"I have never seen anything have this effect in the past," the servant said. "Only a stake through the heart…"
Mikhaeli did not wait for him to respond. The female vampire was walking towards them. Mikhaeli flipped the stake in her hand. She threw it into the chest of the female vampire. The vampire howled and clutched her chest. She fell to the ground and writhed in agony. She reached to her queen for assistance, but Mikhaeli continued to watch. The servant moved to her aid, but Mikhaeli shook her head. They both watched as the poison infected her body. Moments later, the vampire was dead.
"What is your name?" Mikhaeli demanded.
"Vladimir," he responded.
"Vladimir," she said.
"Yes, My Queen?"
"I require my home to be cleaned."
Vladimir bowed. "Yes, My Queen."
Mikhaeli looked at the fallen bodies again. She wondered who or what could have killed such a powerful vampire. She leaned down to look at the body of the female vampire when she heard Vladimir approaching.
"What is it?" she asked as she knelt over the female vampire.<
br />
"My Queen, this is what Lord Viktor was reading prior to his demise," he said as he extended the massive leather bound book to her.
She stood and she took the book in both hands. Her eyes scanned the text but she could not understand the ancient words. She looked at her servant for answers.
"I apologize, My Queen," he said as he bowed, "I had forgotten that you have just joined our ranks."
"What does it say?" she demanded.
"It is an ancient ritual."
"Pertaining to what?"
"Raising your sire," he said.
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