by J. C. Diem
According to Igor, the main bedroom was through the doorway to the left. I was surprised and uneasy to see the door standing open a couple of inches. I’d expected it to be as heavily barred as the door I’d just broken through. I could feel the Comtesse waiting for me inside. I imagined she would have arranged both herself and Luc for maximum effect. Pushing the door open with my foot, I discovered I was correct.
A gigantic bed took up half of the bedroom. Blood-red satin sheets flowed over the mattress almost to the floor. They blended in nicely with the dark maroon carpet and wallpaper. The Comtesse, dressed in nothing but a sheer nightgown and a derisive smile, lounged back against several plump red pillows. Luc, naked except for a pair of red boxer shorts, lay on his back with his head on her lap. His eyes were blank, almost dead. He didn’t even turn his head to look at me. What has she done to him? It almost looked like he’d been hypnotized into subservience. For all I knew, he had been.
“So, the skeletal servant returns,” the Comtesse said nastily and caressed Luc’s forehead with a long-nailed finger. “I love your outfit. Who is your tailor?” She eyed my suit with a sneer as I remained silent. Most of my attention was on Luc. If she had managed to hypnotize him, I hoped it would wear off after she was dead.
“Luc? Are you ok?” He didn’t stir at my soft question or acknowledge me at all.
“Lucentio won’t answer you, servant,” the Comtesse said and slid out from beneath him. Standing, she was just under five feet tall. Pale white and flawless, she stalked over until she was standing only a few feet away. “Lucentio belongs to me. How dare you think you can take him from me?” A hand shot out to slap me but it never had a hope in hell of connecting. My sword was in my hand and slicing through the air before I could even order it to.
Looking down at her severed hand and sluggishly spurting stump, the Comtesse screamed shrilly. She put Geordie’s girly shrieks to shame. Luc twitched and turned his head. Our eyes met and slow comprehension filled his face. Dropping to her knees, the praying mantis picked up her hand and attempted to reattach it. Unlike mine, hers refused to cooperate and thumped to the carpet again.
Rounding the bed, I approached Luc as he sat up. “Natalie?” He sounded like he’d been drugged and was only just coming out of it.
“Yeah, it’s me. We don’t have much time, Luc. We need to leave.”
Snarling, the Comtesse whipped around, brandishing her detached hand at me. “He’s not going anywhere!” As she spoke, her voice thickened and her shadow began to rise behind her. Then it swept forward, possessing her. “Lucentio is mine! Kill her, my servant!” the hag screeched in a guttural, shadow possessed voice.
Suddenly, Luc was beside me and his dazed expression was gone. In its place was a cold, calculating look. “Only the Comtesse has the power to compel me, and you are not she.” It was the truth and yet not the whole truth. While she was possessed by her shadow, the Comtesse wasn’t technically in charge and I guessed that meant Luc didn’t have to follow her orders. He reached for the sword in my right hand and his master cringed away.
“No!” I said and gripped the weapon tightly. “I need to find out where the First is hiding,” I explained at his furious glare. I respected his need for revenge but now wasn’t the time.
“I’ll never tell you,” the monster wearing the Comtesse snarled. Then she whirled around and fled from the room.
Outside, the earth began to warm. We were out of time and I had failed in the most important aspect of my mission. “We have to go,” I said and darted over to the nearest window. While I pulled the bar off and opened the shutter, Luc fished clothes out from the drawer of an ornate dresser.
Together, we pushed the window open then jumped for the ground. Taking Luc’s hand after we landed, I felt a moment of joy when he linked his fingers through mine. From inside the mansion we heard shouts of alarm as we raced across the immaculate lawn. None of the guards were brave enough to follow us. With the sun so close, it would be suicide to do so.
As we reached the van, the first rays of sunlight touched down. Blinded and steaming lightly, we leaped into the open door of the vehicle. My human slave slammed the door closed, shutting out the light. The curtain was already drawn and after a few moments the dazzling spots before my eyes faded. Luc was staring at me in bemusement. “What?” I asked him.
“Despite the fact that I cut off your head, you still you came to rescue me.” After months of torment, he couldn’t quite grasp the reality that he was finally free.
“Well, you were only acting under your master’s orders,” I said. “It’s not like you had a choice.”
Leaning forward, Luc touched my face lightly. “You’ve changed.” I didn’t think he meant just my physical changes.
“Yeah. I’ve been through a lot.” That was quite an understatement and I felt the urge to cry. Luc’s arms came around me and I very nearly gave in to the girly emotions overwhelming me.
“Thank you for saving me, Nat.” He kissed my forehead then was suddenly heavy against me.
Lying Luc down, I brushed dark hair away from his forehead and kissed his clammy brow in return. “He called me Nat,” I said softly and brushed away an imaginary tear.
My hijacked human followed his orders perfectly and drove us to the closest city while I dressed my inert companion. Our chauffer prowled the streets until he found a hotel with an underground parking facility. I watched over Luc as the human booked us a room and returned to give me the key.
I could have handled Luc myself but it would look extremely strange for a woman to be carrying a man much larger than she was. Still, I took most of Luc’s weight as I slung one of his arms over my shoulder. I also carried my backpack, which was heavier than usual thanks to the plan Gregor had cooked up. The human copied me and pulled Luc’s arm over his shoulder. We manhandled the dead weight of my companion into the elevator.
During our short journey, we passed a maid who gave us a disinterested glance and went on continued pushing her cart down the hallway. Apparently, she’d seen it all before. One dazed man, one unconscious man and a woman wearing a bondage outfit that was covered in black goo weren’t enough to stir her curiosity.
At the door to our room, I made sure my slave had closed the curtains tightly before entering. We carried Luc over to the bed and lay him on his back. Being seven hundred years old, Luc could resist the lure of the sun if he had to. I guessed he was too emotionally shattered to stay awake this time. I couldn’t blame him. Sometimes I wished I could still fall dead once the sun came up just so I could sink into oblivion for at least a few hours.
I wasn’t the only one who had suffered after Luc had chopped my head off. Right now, I wasn’t sure which of us had suffered the most. I’d been beheaded, hacked up, buried, beheaded again, half boiled by the sun then hunted by imps. Luc had been held captive by his master while she did whatever she wanted to him and he’d been helpless against her. Luc suffered more, I decided and wished I’d killed the Comtesse instead of trying to torture information out of her.
“Ok, you can go home now,” I told the human. “Dump the van somewhere where it won’t be traced back to you and wipe your prints off it just in case. You won’t remember any of this and will think you just had a normal Saturday.” Nodding jerkily, my slave left the room.
Locking the door, I grabbed my pack and headed for the bathroom. Before showering, I cleaned as much of the gunk from my leather suit as possible. It was sporting a few holes and tears but it might be salvageable. The worst of the damage had been done when my arm and leg had been severed. My sewing skills weren’t great but it looked like I’d have to put them to the test to reattach the pieces.
After my shower, I felt clean and almost warm. A deep chill that nothing could dispel sat in my chest right about where my motionless heart lay. I might have saved Luc but I hadn’t found out where the First had his lair. The Comtesse, or the creature posing as her, would ensure I wouldn’t be able to break into the mansion and surprise her
again. Not that my attack had been that much of a surprise since so many imps had been inside and seemingly waiting for me. Why hadn’t her shadow ascended before now? It was a puzzle and the only reason I could think of was that the First needed her to remain as she was for now. Whatever his ultimate plan was, he still wasn’t quite ready yet.
I should have been relieved that I still had some time left before all hell broke loose but I wasn’t. If anything, I was even more disturbed now. I might be Mortis, death of the damned but I felt out of my depth and fairly useless. The creature I was attempting to outmanoeuvre was older than I could imagine and crafty beyond measure. What was I? I was a twenty-eight year old clothing store manager who’d been a vampire for less than a year. It was absurd that I could think I’d actually win this fight.
Dressing in a t-shirt that Gregor had packed in my backpack for me while I’d been searching for my human slave, I crawled beneath the covers beside my unanimated companion. Maybe I’ll feel better after I get some sleep. I hoped so because right now I felt like crap.
Chapter Thirty-One
I didn’t think I’d be able to drift off to sleep but I finally did. Tired beyond belief, I slept deeply. I slowly began to surface when a hand slipped beneath my t-shirt and cupped my breast. Thank God, I’m having a nice dream for once. The hand toyed with my nipple then slid across to torment my other breast. Then the t-shirt was gone and a cold mouth replaced the hand.
Scrunching my eyes shut, I was determined to hold onto the dream at all costs despite the fact that I was feeling more and more awake by the second. Then a husky voice whispered in my ear and my eyelids sprang open. “Natalie, how I’ve missed your sweet body.” Luc winked at me then lowered his mouth to nip at my breast again.
“Not as much as I’ve missed yours,” I said then rolled us over so I was on top.
Allowing himself to be manhandled, Luc gave me a half smile. “How long has it been since you last fed your flesh hunger?”
Counting back, I lost track of exactly how long it had been and shrugged. Luc’s hands rose to cup my breasts as I answered him. He tested their new size with approval. “I don’t know. When was the last time we were naked together?”
Eyes wide with shock, Luc sat up so we were face to face. “Are you saying you haven’t fed your flesh hunger in several months?”
“Who was I going to feed from?” I asked him crankily, eyeing his chest appreciatively. “The puny humans I was feeding my blood hunger from?”
“You had regular sheep that you fed from?” he asked me jealously. A hand crept up to lightly grip the back of my neck. “Who were they?”
“One was called Yori and he wanted me real bad,” I teased and ground my pelvis against his erection.
Black eyes flared then narrowed. “If he wanted you so badly, why did you not let him take you?” Leaning forward, he nipped my neck then flipped us until I was beneath him again.
“Do you remember the first time we had sex?” I asked him, allowing myself to be pinned by the wrists.
Luc ran his gaze from my face down to my navel then slowly up again. “I remember it quite vividly. You broke my spine.” A small smile flickered across his mouth then was gone.
“Do you remember the other times we had sex?” It was getting harder to concentrate and my eyes kept straying to below his waist where he was standing up straight and ready.
“Yes, I received a broken pelvis and several shattered ribs as well as a broken femur.” Luc tried to be grave but his smirk ruined his attempt.
“Well, I’m a lot stronger now,” I warned him. “A human wouldn’t survive a bout in the sack with me. I’m not even sure you’ll come out of the experience whole.” It was a challenge and he was definitely up for it.
“We’ll just have to see about that,” he said quietly. Then his mouth descended and his tongue touched mine. My flesh hunger roared to life and my legs clamped around him. I heard the distinct sound of bones snapping and Luc started swearing in several languages.
Our hands grappled, gripped, stroked and clutched then he was spreading my legs wide and thrusting into me. My back arched as he plunged into me with a speed that was astounding. I pulled him down until we were face to face and the light hair on his chest was teasing my breasts. Moaning, I knew I was about to come and when I did, it was going to be loud. My hands were pinned again so I did the only thing I could think of to muffle the noise and put my mouth against Luc’s neck.
Luc achieved his climax and so did I. I bit down as I screamed and acrid, un-tasty blood flooded into my mouth. This time I wasn’t filled with strength, speed or strange new powers. I was instead filled with memories and none of them were mine.
Light blinded me and I flinched away, blinking in pain. I’d been in the dark for days, feeding my strange new hunger that never seemed to go away. Someone was always with me as I fed. She was a woman who wasn’t really a woman at all but a monster. She was standing beside me now, but I paid her little attention.
My eyes adjusted to the light and I saw I was standing on a narrow strip of carpet the same colour as the liquid I now craved. Blinding white marble spread out to either side of the carpet. Looking up, I winced against the light that originated from a crystal chandelier that hung high above the stark while floor.
I realized I was surrounded by people who weren’t people at all but more monsters. I knew them for what they were despite their pretty faces and expensive clothing. A low murmur of conversation buzzed through the room. My attention wandered down the carpet and I was entranced by the creature sitting on a gaudy throne. The diminutive figure had hair so light a blonde that it looked as white as the floor from a distance. Black, merciless eyes sat a little bit too wide apart. Despite her eyes, she was still very beautiful. Our gazes met and I felt drawn to her as if she had a strange, undeniable hold over me.
The woman on the throne beckoned us forward with an imperious wave of her hand. Monique, the creature who had been watching over me as I’d become a monster myself, urged me forward with a nudge of her hand. Monique had gowned herself in a dress that was indecently low cut and all but showed her nipples. It was the same colour as the carpet and suited her black hair and pale skin. Her beauty, that I had only just noticed hours ago when my blood hunger finally abated, was nothing compared to the mesmerizing magnificence sitting on the throne before me.
Her dress was made of gold fabric and sparkled in the light. She stood to allow everyone to admire it and I saw how tiny she was. Her waist was cinched in tightly and lace covered the otherwise exposed tops of her breasts. Her dainty shoes were the same shade of gold as her dress. Sparing a glance at the crowd, I saw they were all wearing ball gowns and black suits that only the very rich could afford.
“Lady Monique,” the golden gowned woman purred but her attention remained on me. “What entertainment do you have for us tonight?”
“Comtesse,” Monique said then curtseyed. “Councillors,” she gave another, smaller, curtsey to eight individuals who crowded just behind the throne. “My newly made servant has fed his blood hunger to satiation and his flesh hunger is about to rise. I offer Lucentio as your entertainment. Any who wishes to satisfy their flesh hunger are welcome to dine on him.” Her smile was obscenely flirtatious as her gaze swept across the crowd. Many of the women leaned forward in anticipation.
Unease shot through me. I had no idea what type of monsters these creatures were or what I had become. You know, you just don’t want to admit it. Yes, it was true, I did know what I was. I was a vampire who now fed on human blood. I turned uncertainly to Monique, who had done a poor job of guiding me to my new life so far. I wanted to ask her what flesh hunger was but was quelled by her sharp glance. She called me her servant but she held no true power over me. That was reserved for another.
“By all means,” the blonde haired woman said with a haughty wave of her hand. “Reveal your servant to us and let us decide who shall have the pleasure of being his first.” Her dark eyes gleamed in the candle
light, almost giving them a demonic red glow.
“Take your clothes off, Lucentio,” Monique commanded me but it was the unspoken demand in the Comtesse’s eyes that I obeyed. My fingers fumbled at the dirty, ragged shirt I wore. It was the first time I’d taken notice of how I was dressed and I felt a momentary disgust at the unaccustomed filth. When I was devoid of clothing, murmurs of appreciation swept through the female members of the gathering. I felt exposed and vulnerable, like a virgin on her wedding night. Like that hypothetical woman, I barely knew what to expect and feared it would be painful.
The Comtesse approached me slowly, examining me from head to toe. Coming to a stop in front of me, she caught and held my eyes. “Are you hungry, newly made?”
I nodded, not sure of what I was hungry for but knowing she would be the one to sate it for me. Toeing off her shoes, the Comtesse reached beneath her gown. She shimmied out of her undergarments then dropped them to the ground. My body responded eagerly and now I knew what my new hunger was. I had to take this creature and I didn’t care who watched as I did.
“Then feast,” the Comtesse said. My hands bore her down to the blood-red carpet as the insatiable need to feed my hunger roared through me.
Gasping for air that I didn’t need, I tried to take in the fact that I had just witnessed Luc’s initiation into becoming a member of the Court. The praying mantis had taken Luc’s vampire cherry. I should have guessed this would have been the case but it was still an unwelcome shock. Before I could come to terms with what I’d just seen, my mind was flooded with pictures again.
I stood in my usual position close to the gaudy throne in the white marble castle. The Court always retreated to the Comtesse’s home for several months during the year. The times varied, decided at her whim just to show the courtiers and Councillors who was really in charge.
She sat on her throne with her minions surrounding her in a colourful yet sombre mob. A small, cold smile sat on her pale, thin lipped face as her black eyes watched us all. As always, her fellow Councillors were clustered together. They exchanged whispered conversation, eyes darting to our leader then away frequently. To me, they almost seemed to be plotting against her. I almost wished they were. Keeping her back to them showed her utter lack of concern for their machinations.
