Blood Reign

by Harvey W. McCarthy

  When they awoke, the female vampire had vanished. Along with her, Chris had disappeared too. They were worried that he had been turned by the beautiful vampire, but there was very little blood at the scene. The police forensics team checked the entire church but they never found any trace of his blood. They had hoped that he had survived and he had chased the vampire away. However, they had found several of his personal affects in the church. They knew that he would have never left those items behind during a chase. Without them, he couldn't battle any vampires, let alone one as powerful as the female vampire. She had him and now they had to get him back.

  David clutched his ribs and breathed heavily. The effectiveness of his painkillers was slowly waning. He had been joking for the last two days that he had been popping Tylenol like they were M&M's candies. The drugs helped but his body had slowly built a resistance to the pain medication. Since Chris Heart had entered their lives, Myles and David were used to a few bruises and taking pain medication, but he had never been in so much pain. He was a comic book geek and proud of it. He had avoided fights in school because he wasn't a big man. For almost a year, he had been battling vampires and as the pain from his ribs increased, he wondered why.

  "I am starting to wonder if he hates me," David said as popped another Tylenol in his mouth.

  "He who?" Myles asked. His words were difficult to understand due to the bandages in his nose.

  "God," David replied.

  Father Kinney shook his head. "He loves you, my son."

  David turned slowly to face his elder. "Father, with all due respect, I think you are feeding me a line of pure bullshit."

  Father Kinney shook his head again. "I know the truth, David. In the most trying of times, God's love will conquer all. You have to have faith."

  "A lot of good my faith did me when that bitch was kicking my ass," David complained.

  "Man, chill out. Don't you remember that you're in a church talking to a man of God? Don't you remember the confessional?" Myles asked.

  "Yeah, I remember my ass flying right through it," he said.

  Father Kinney chuckled. Soon all three men laughed. It was their best medicine. For a brief moment, all three men had forgotten about their own personal pain and the heartache of losing their friend. After a couple more good chuckles and a pat on the arm from Father Kinney, they all focused and got down to business.

  "I'm sorry, Father," David said honestly.

  "No need, son. We are all imperfect. The Lord knows that these are trying times for all of us," Father Kinney stated.

  "Thank you," David added. "I don't know how we are going to get anything done by hiding in the basement. Shouldn't we be out looking for him?"

  "And accomplish what?" Myles asked. "Look at us. We're all beat up and they'd be fresh if they decided to have us for a midnight snack. If we ran into that woman, I don't see the Father's divine help stopping her."

  "I agree," a familiar voice stated.

  All three men turned to see another man in his late fifties enter their hidden room in the basement of the church. Dr. Lawrence Efron, who David and Myles had come to call Larry, had joined their impromptu meeting. The well-dressed professor of ancient history at Regis University, like Father Kinney, had a few extra pounds on his mid-section. The professor held his arms out wide and Father Kinney met his embrace. They slapped each other on the back vigorously. Dr. Efron had to catch his kippah as it slipped off of his balding head.

  "Doesn't stay on like it used to," Dr. Efron noted as he put it back in place. "I wish the hairs on my head would still grow like the ones on my chin."

  "Hell, I wish they'd quit growing out of my ears," David added.

  "Still the jokester," Larry noted as he turned to his prized students. "I won't offend you by asking you if you are well."

  "Thanks Larry," Myles said even though it sounded like he had just called him Barry.

  "Please sit," Father Kinney urged. "We have much to discuss."

  Larry found a seat at their table. The room was poorly lit. Father Kinney had suggested only using candles or lamps in the small, stone room. David often wondered if this room had secretly been a cell in the past due to its damp and cramped quarters. Myles, ever the optimist, told him that he believed it was a quiet room for studying since the church's archives were located in the next room. They had a bet that the other had to pay for their comic book subscriptions for a year, but they never seemed to find the free time to discuss it with Father Kinney. Like now, they were usually discussing more pressing matters.

  Larry placed his shoulder briefcase onto the table and opened the wide leather case. He flipped the top backwards and removed several old, leather bound books. He placed them in the middle of the table. David and Myles knew that their night was going to be very long and their next day was going to be even longer. Both men did not envision sleeping in the near future and they still had businesses to open and manage in the morning.

  "So Larry," Myles asked sarcastically, "Read any good books lately?"

  "Yes, very riveting stuff just like your term papers," Larry replied as he continued to look through his briefcase for his notepad.

  Father Kinney snorted. He had tried not to laugh, but Larry always seemed to win any war of words. "I am glad that you could make it," he said.

  "Thank you. When you told me what had happened, I began my research and I informed the council," Larry replied.

  "The council? Research? What the hell?" David asked.

  The two elders turned to face their younger ally. "Which question would you liked answered first?" Father Kinney asked.

  "What is this council that you are talking about?" David inquired.

  "The Council of the Light," Father Kinney replied.

  "What light? Coors Light?" Myles asked.

  "No, the Council of the Light is an ancient order of religious leaders and their followers whose quest is to prevent the forces of darkness from ruling the planet," Father Kinney stated as Dr. Efron nodded.

  "You two?" David asked as his eyes darted back and forth between both men.

  They simply nodded. "And their followers," Larry added.

  "MUSS?" Myles asked.

  They all looked at Myles who pointed back and forth between David and himself.

  "Oh he said us," Larry said. "Yes, you too."

  "When the hell did this happen?" David asked.

  "When Christopher walked through your doors," Larry replied.

  David rolled his eyes. He sighed and his ribs ached. "Great," he said sarcastically. "Would I ever love to meet the asshole that recommended us so I could personally thank him."

  "You're welcome," Larry said.

  Both men immediately stared at their mentor. Larry smiled and Father Kinney chuckled.

  "YOU?" David yelled.

  "Yes," Larry answered.

  "What the hell, Larry? Don't tell me that you knew about this shit when you sent him to us," David complained.

  "Who do you think served him before you two?"

  "You?" Myles asked.

  "Yes, I was younger when we first met," Larry answered.

  "As was I," Father Kinney stated.

  "We are not spring chickens either," Myles added.

  Larry chuckled. "No, you are not, but you are not in your late fifties either. Late thirties and early forties has a great advantage over the likes of us who are getting closer to our maker."

  David couldn't argue. He wasn't in his twenties anymore, but it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. He was just as scrawny then as he was now. "It still doesn't explain why we were selected," David said.

  Larry cleared his throat and handed each of the younger men one of the ancient leather bound books. "Find any reference to the 'Succubus of Siberia.' Go," Larry ordered.

  Both men grabbed books while removing their smart phones from their pockets. Due to the pain in his chest, David was a little slower than Myles. The chuckles from the older men told them to stop. David looked at Myles whose expre
ssion indicated that he also understood what had just happened.

  "When I met you during your freshmen year, I pegged both of you as part of the council. I never knew that your lives would be on the frontlines but Christopher is always difficult to understand. When I served with him, I too found myself out of the library and on the battlefield as the forces of darkness grew. Funding from the council was used to pay for my education. A couple favors later and I was given tenure in a college…"

  "To find your replacement," Myles finished his statement for him.

  "Yes. Your research talents are beyond compare. You can do things with computers, cell phones, and even these ancient texts that we cannot do. When Father Kinney told me what had happened, I asked him to describe his attacker. I immediately started my research. We have a quite formidable foe."

  "The Succubus of Siberia?" Myles asked.

  "Also known as The Destroyer of Moscow and her preferred name The Seductress of Saint Petersburg," Larry added.

  "Does she have a name?" Myles asked.

  Their mentor nodded. "Her name is…"

  * * *

  Mikhaeli Lanaova stretched. She was sprawled out under her black, silk sheets. Unlike the vampires of the many folklore tales, she refused to sleep in a coffin. Also, she refused to sleep and dress in old gothic clothing. She constantly changed with the times. She loved the sexy, lace sleepwear that was available in the modern world. She sat up and stretched again. The spaghetti strap of her white lace teddy slipped from her right shoulder, she looked at it and slowly slipped it back in place.

  She stood. She admired her attire and her athletic body. She sighed. "This is the only time that I regret being a vampire," she said, "I'd love to be able to see myself again. I know that I'm fucking hot."

  "You can say that again," a male vampire who preferred to be called Razor said.

  "Don't you ever fucking knock?" she scolded as she grabbed her black silk robe.

  "Can you blame a guy for wanting to steal a glance at you?" Razor asked.

  She ignored his question as she tied the thigh high robe around her waist. She walked to her service area and she poured some blood wine into her golden chalice. She turned to her visitor and she could feel him undressing her with his yellow eyes. She sipped her drink and licked her lips. She placed the chalice back on her service table and slowly walked towards her second-in-command.

  Razor, a powerfully built blond vampire, admired her every step. She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman in the world. She had deep blue eyes that were intoxicating. She was athletic. Her legs would be insured for millions if she was a runway model. She licked her lips as she approached. His eyes never left her shapely legs.

  Razor, who she had found terrorizing school children in Los Angeles, had a fetish for using razors to cut up his victims before he drank their blood. Mikhaeli admired his brutality. Anyone that brutal needed to be in her inner circle. She had watched him use his unique talents to draw information out of many of the council's most battlehardened warriors. However, unlike their captive, he wasn't very pleasant on the eyes. Several times, he had used his own razors on himself. Mikhaeli hadn't picked him for his looks, but rather for his sadistic skills.

  "So you like what you see?" she asked as she slowly walked towards him.

  Razor smiled and nodded. He could feel her seductive powers. Many nights he had dreamed that she would venture to his room in one of her leather outfits. He had several devices that he wished to use on her. His leather hammock and his restraints were his favorite fetishes and he had dreamed of her bound in his room. He was becoming aroused.

  She got closer to him. She could sense his excitement. She placed her hands on his body. She looked up into the taller vampire's eyes. She placed her hands on his chest and she unbuttoned his black shirt. She slid her hands inside his shirt and she gently rubbed his chest. Slowly, she dragged her fingernails down his body. They bit into his skin and drew trickles of blood. He moaned loudly.

  She licked the blood from his body and she moaned loudly. Her hands continued down his body until she found his crotch. She rubbed her hand on him. She could feel his arousal. She bit her lip, closed her eyes and threw her head back. He closed his eyes. She quickly opened her eyes and smiled evilly. She grabbed onto him and squeezed with all her might. He screamed.

  Undead bile raced up his throat. His eyes flew open and he stared at his beautiful queen. Her knowing evil smile grew. She squeezed harder. He bent over in pain. He knew that if he touched her that he'd be dead within seconds. His eyes pleaded with her. She squeezed even tighter. She leaned over and sucked on his earlobe before whispering into his ear with a breathy voice.

  "Can you hear me?" she whispered.

  "Y…Yes," he babbled.

  "WHAT?" she screamed as she squeezed harder.

  "YES, MY QUEEN," he screamed.

  She squeezed and twisted. She thought that she heard something pop which pleased her. "Don't you ever fucking yell at me," she scolded.

  "Y…Yes, My Queen," he said as he continued to be bent involuntarily at the waist. It took every bit of his remaining strength to prevent from vomiting on his leader.

  "Gooooood," she cooed. "Now I want you to listen to me carefully. Don't you ever look at me like that again, are we clear?"

  "Y…Yes, My Queen," he squeaked.

  "Goood," she cooed breathily again. "Now, run along and get the location of the tome from our prisoner."

  "Yes, My Queen," he squeaked.

  "Now Razor," she said as she licked his earlobe before violently biting it and ripping it from his head.

  He screamed and she let go of him. He fell to the ground. He clutched his ear and his groin. He looked at his queen for answers. The vicious, yet gorgeous woman spat his earlobe at him.

  "Don't you ever fucking forget this moment," she scolded. "Now get out!"

  He crawled out the door. His missing earlobe dripped a trail of dark blood as he struggled to crawl. She closed the door behind him. With a mischievous smile on her face, she pressed her ear to the ancient door. She heard him retching in the hallway. She smiled and giggled softly.

  She sashayed her way back to her service area. She picked up her chalice and placed it to her red lips. The blood wine was a fresh vintage. The wonderful warm blood danced on her tongue. She could feel its warmth as it made its way into her body. She rubbed her neck as she continued to drink. Her free hand began to rub her barely covered chest. Small trickles of the drink slipped from the corners of her mouth as she gulped the remainder of her breakfast. She licked her lips as she gently wiped her chin with her finger. She sucked the blood from her finger and moaned. It was so warm inside her.

  She made her way to her bed. She rubbed her hand along her black sheets. She smiled. She had stretched out on her bed. Her body tingled. She began to touch herself again. Her mind wandered. She wanted something. She growled. She reached into her ornate nightstand for one of the glorious toys that she had discovered over the years. Just as quick as she opened the door, she slammed it shut. She wanted something else. She angrily flopped onto the bed. She stared at the ceiling. After a half hour of brooding, she smiled.

  She knew exactly what she wanted.

  * * *

  "Holy sh…er…crap," David said.

  Larry nodded. "Yes, that is who we are dealing with."

  It was the middle of the night. All four men were tired. All four men had read the books provided by Dr. Efron. Larry had checked his notes several times while the other three men gave their own interpretations on the tales and first hand accounts provided by the texts. They had all come to the same conclusion. The vampire, with whom they had battled, was none other than Mikhaeli Lanaova. According to records, she was the most powerful vampire since the Order of Twelve.

  "What brings her to Denver?" Myles asked.

  Larry glanced at Father Kinney. The older man stood and exited the room without saying another word. David glanced at Myles for an answer. His battered frien
d simply shrugged. Father Kinney had exited into the archives. He was gone several minutes before he returned with a knock at the door. Larry listened to the knocking sequence before opening the door. Father Kinney carried a stack of ancient books similar to the books that Larry had brought to their meeting. However, it was the extremely old, leather bound book, which was locked with an ancient padlock, which had drawn the attention of the two younger historians.

  Father Kinney placed the books onto the table. He placed the smaller books in a pile. He pushed the large, older book to the middle of the table. He tapped it with his fingers.