“What are you doing to her? Stop!” Marcus was sitting at the table, one seat next to Claudius. He hadn’t been sitting before. Two vampires had their hands on his shoulders and kept him on the chair. He kept screaming, “Stop hurting her!”
Diana felt something wet and warm dripping down her elbow and looked down at her white gown, now red in places.
“I don’t think you’ve learned your lesson yet.” Claudius was looking at Marcus, but squeezed her hand.
Down again. She was in the back alley. She fell and hit her head. Her long, chestnut hair got tangled with a piece of mesh wire sticking out of one of the industrial garbage bags. A man was towering over her. His hands were at the flap of his trousers.
“Wait. Let’s teach her a lesson first.” One of the men grabbed her hair, twisted it around his hand, then pulled her up by it.
Diana felt the warmth of the flame, then smelled the sickly sweetness of her long mane burning. Her screams followed her into the room where Marcus was being beaten while calling her name.
“I made my point clear.” Claudius released the hold on her hand with a pat. “Unless you want her to relive one or two nights of her youth.”
The acrid smell of burnt hair lingered in the air. She passed her fingers over her head and it hurt to the touch. Her dress was soaked in blood dripping from several cuts on her arms and chest. But what made her shake and cry without restraint wasn’t the physical pain. She was terrified the vampire could force her to experience the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her stepfather.
“I beg you. Take my life, but leave her alone.” Fighting the vampires, Marcus dropped to his knees.
“No!” The fear of losing Marcus overcoming her, Diana threw herself over the table, but Claudius extended his arm to stop her, then slapped her across the face.
Marcus looked at her and shook his head.
“No. Please, no.” She couldn’t accept his sacrifice.
“This is getting boring, and the night is ending.” Claudius raised his right hand and a third waiter appeared.
The man carefully held a glass flask in his hands. Claudius took it, then showed it to Marcus. “Would you drink it to save her?”
“Yes,” Marcus answered the vampire but had his eyes on Diana.
She shook her head, tears flowing and mixing with her blood.
“You’re worth it,” he mouthed to her.
Claudius laughed. “This is perfect.” He opened the lid of the green ring he wore in his left hand, dipped his right index finger in it, scooped out some dark purple powder with his long nail, then poured it in the glass flask, shook it, and finally gave it to Marcus. “All of it.”
Despite the retribution she knew would come at the vampire’s hands, Diana would have begged Marcus to stop, but Claudius was holding her hand again and her mouth wouldn’t open. Pain beyond words broke through her, but not a single sound escaped her lips.
****
Marcus nodded and accepted the flask. A dark liquid composed of the dried root of valerian mixed with belladonna and the curare powder swirled inside. He had recognized the potion as the Immortal Death at once. The vampire wanted him mortal long enough to kill him.
“She doesn’t have much left.” Claudius tilted his head toward Diana.
She had become silent, and for a moment, he had thought the vampire had stopped torturing her, but one look at Diana and he realized her pain was far from being over. She was preternaturally still. Two twin rivulets of blood fell from the corners of her eyes. He realized her transformation had progressed while they were separated. Even the scars on her body looked fainter.
“I love you.” He hoped she wasn’t too far gone and could understand his words.
“Tonight, please?” Claudius gave Diana’s hand a hard pinch, and yet she didn’t move a muscle.
Marcus opened the flask, raised it to his head, then lowered it to his mouth.
“The potion, as you already know, acts fast. Interestingly, curare it’s the only known ingredient that mixed with belladonna and valerian is capable of stripping an immortal of his powers.” Claudius observed him with his cold, gray eyes. “It is quite expensive to buy, but it seems it’s all the rage among your race nowadays. The thrill of the mortality and all that. It’s fascinating what spoiled kids with lots of time on their hands want to try when they’re bored.”
Marcus felt the change as the potion passed his throat and traveled through his body. By the time it reached his stomach, he was mortal again.
“One thing left…” Claudius grabbed one of the knives set before him on the table. He looked at it with a strange fascination, turned it in his hand until he was holding it by the end of the blade, and plunged it handle first in Diana’s chest, twisting it over her heart. Blood gurgled from the wound and stained his hand.
Marcus screamed, then leapt from his chair, and hurried to her side. The vampires were immediately at his back, grabbing him by his arms to drag him away. “Why?” He struggled and the vampires hit him all over his body, but he couldn’t feel pain anymore.
Claudius looked at his hand covered in Diana’s blood. “She had to die.”
“Why?” Marcus was kept down at an unnatural angle, his head on the floor under a boot, his arms stretched backward.
“Because you took Aurelia away from me.” Claudius’s mouth was curved in a smile. “And because Virgil didn’t have my permission to turn her.” He turned slightly toward the two vampires and waved his bloodied hand in the air, sprinkling Marcus with Diana’s vital essence. “Let him.”
Marcus stood by her, his hands over the blade sticking out of her chest, but he didn’t dare remove it and cause even more damage.
Diana tried to say something. Her ribcage expanded and she shuddered for the effort; her face drained of all color. Her lips imperceptibly moved.
“Don’t.” Marcus bent over her and took her hand lying limp on her lap. He pressed a kiss over her knuckles. “Little thing.”
For the briefest of moments, she seemed to smile. Then her eyes widened, her mouth opened in an “O,” she gave him one last look, then slid from the chair and fell to the floor.
“No!” Marcus’s legs gave away under him and he hit the cold marble tiles without attempting to cushion his fall. He gingerly cradled her to him and rocked her back and forth. Her blood soaked his clothes, and he felt her warmth seeping away, cooling as it stained his shirt. He leaned to kiss her mouth. His eyes went to the knife, to the small part visible just above her wound. He yanked the knife out of her, and stared at the wooden spike that was the handle. He raised his eyes to the vampire who had his legs crossed, his stance relaxed.
“Silver would’ve hurt me as well.” Claudius played with another of those wooden and metal knives, tossing it in the air and catching it. “Quite elegant and it makes the perfect weapon when you’re in a hurry.”
Marcus made to move, knife in hand and ready to strike, but he was slammed to the floor, his head bouncing back so hard he felt his teeth rattle before he had time to blink.
The vampire was on him, a knee pressing down on his chest, and laughing. “She’s dying and you’re mortal.” He pressed both hands around his throat and squeezed the air out of him.
Marcus fought against him, but he wasn’t strong enough anymore, and soon the lack of oxygen took its toll on his strained muscles. He saw black dots dancing before his eyelids and heard the laughs and the cheers accompanying his imminent demise. He couldn’t see Diana, but he heard her whispering his name. Then the stench of decomposing vampire hit his nostrils, followed by the horrible sounds of an organic combustion.
Ashes covered his face and he screamed. When his throat ached and he couldn’t scream anymore, he focused on Claudius who had released his hold, but was still keeping him down. “Let me die.”
“Not today.”
The words reached Marcus, but he couldn’t think past the sorrow and despair.
****
Blue light illuminated the small al
cove. Incense was burning close by. Diana couldn’t see much from where she was lying, but knew she wasn’t wearing a stitch and someone must have tucked her under the silk duvet. When she raised her head from the soft pillow, her head swam, and she lowered it back. She could only stare at the tented ceiling of the alcove made of a light blue fabric. She tried to remember how she had ended there. Then when no recollection came, she parted the tent open and peeked outside of the alcove.
At a first glance, she was alone. Emboldened by that discovery, she attempted to leave her resting place. When she moved her legs by the side though, the duvet slid down to her lap, uncovering part of the bed, and she saw the blood stain on the cream sheet. She automatically patted herself and her hands came out smeared in dark red. She lowered her chin, and saw the bandages covering her chest. The gauzes were soaked. With trembling fingers, she raised one corner of the bandages.
At the sight of her wound, Diana’s memories came back. Marcus had sacrificed his immortality for her. Claudius had stabbed her.
She let out a scream that tore her from the inside out. New blood seeped from her wound and trickled to her lap. She let it flow, staring ahead and not seeing anything, her mind imprisoned in a loop of memories too painful to bear. Her eyes closed and she slumped back inside the alcove.
She thought she had a long, vivid nightmare during which she was fed and bathed several times. Each time, she became more and more aware of her surroundings. Finally, she awoke, but kept her eyes closed.
“Did you give her enough blood?” Claudius asked.
“As you ordered, sire,” Laura, the chubby girl, answered.
“Then why isn’t she responding?”
“She isn’t strong enough—” Contempt was in the girl’s voice.
“She survived hell on earth. I saw it in her mind.”
Diana didn’t like that comment coming from Claudius’s mouth because it almost sounded like a compliment.
“Maybe the attachment to that immortal was stronger than we thought.” Laura sounded disgusted by the idea.
“Well, that makes the game even more interesting.”
“Yes, sire—”
“I wasn’t asking for your opinion.”
Silence. Pacing steps.
“I’ll feed her my blood again.”
“But, sire, you’ve already given her enough!”
“Do not ever contradict me.”
A scream. Silence.
Diana had enough of listening to the conversation and retreated to the happy place she had built in her mind. The Blue Grotto. Marcus. His kisses. His touches. His arms around hers. His blood.
“Drink.”
Warm liquid wet her lips, but she didn’t open her mouth.
“Drink.”
She was forced to accept the offer. Someone kept her lips open. Her head was tilted to an angle and blood was poured into her. She didn’t like the taste of it, and the consistency was too viscous, but it coated her tongue and filled her throat.
When she spat it out, she was made to swallow. She tried to snap her teeth close and stop feeding, but something was slid between them to keep them separated. It tasted like leather and made her gag. She opened her eyes.
Claudius’s face came into focus. “Good. You’re conscious. It makes it easier.” He pressed a finger on her forehead. “Now, drink.”
She felt the compulsion take control of her and her fangs descended in her mouth and pinched her tongue. Her lips latched to his wrist and she gulped his blood in greedy swallows.
“Stop.”
She opened her mouth and her fangs disappeared in her gums.
“Why am I alive?” Diana didn’t care if he punished her for speaking out of turn. “You said Virgil acted against—”
Claudius put his hand over her mouth. “Because it pleases me to make your centurion suffer some more before I kill him.”
“Then you’ll kill me.” She spoke around his fingers.
“I dispose of any life in my nest as I see fit.” Claudius lifted his hand from her lips, noticed the blood on two fingers and brought them to his mouth to lick from them. “For the time being, as already planned, you’ll be my vestal.” He moved out of sight.
Inside the alcove, Diana tilted her head to see the rest of the room. The vampire had walked to the far end and was giving orders to Laura. The young woman looked disgruntled by his requests, but lowered her head every time he paused. Diana noticed the red welt on the girl’s right cheek. Claudius turned on his heels and disappeared from her line of vision. Laura saw Diana looking at her and walked to her side with an expression that didn’t bode anything good.
“You’ll be anointed tonight.” The girl opened the curtains of the alcove with a jerk, almost pulling them down from the frame. “You, just a piece of trash, will be his.”
Laura exuded anger and bitterness from every pore. Diana felt the power of the girl’s hate for her as if it were tangible. Every word the girl spoke was a fist, a blow, a kick, a slap.
“He asked me to make you beautiful for the ceremony.” The girl grabbed Diana’s right arm just over the elbow, making sure to pinch what little skin she had around her bones. “Move.”
Diana was dragged out of the bed. She would have walked by herself, but Laura didn’t give her the choice.
“I’ll bathe you and I’ll oil you.” The girl kept talking, enumerating what she had been asked to do to Diana.
As they walked out of the alcove, Diana realized it was the room she had used when she had first arrived. The only difference was the big poster bed had been moved to the wall and its canopy had been covered.
“Why is the bed’s frame draped with the blue fabric?” She hurried her steps to fall in line with the girl who was racing as if they were late for something.
“Your wounds were extensive.” Laura didn’t slow down. If anything, she doubled her pace.
“I don’t understand.”
“Claudius created a holy tent for you. Blue light reinforced the healing power of his blood.” The girl finally turned enough to give Diana a once over. “I thought you weren’t going to make it.”
“Sorry for the disappointment.” Diana kept her voice low, but she knew the other had heard.
Laura stopped without warning and jerked Diana by her arm. “I’ll see that you suffer for taking the place that is rightfully mine.”
“I don’t want it.” Diana tried to free herself from the girl’s hold.
“I don’t care what you want.” The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “He wants you.”
“I’m sorry.” Diana stopped struggling.
The girl looked at her first with disbelief, then a different sentiment flickered through her eyes and her mouth opened as if to say something.
Diana waited for Laura to form her words, but the girl closed her lips in a thin line and averted her gaze. She sighed. “Believe me when I say I’m really sorry we are both in this situation.”
Laura looked at her again. The same guarded expression lit her eyes as before, yet she kept silent.
The forced stroll resumed. Diana recognized the hallway she had walked with Carlo just the day before. A doubt about that passed through her mind. “How long was I out?”
“Three days.” The girl paused at the door on her right.
“Three days?” Her worries for Marcus flared anew. “What happened to the centurion?”
“No more and no less than what he deserved.” Laura lowered the handle of the door and pushed her inside.
As it had happened the other time she had been there, the warm aromatic fog of the sauna engulfed her upon entering the baths. This time though she wasn’t to enjoy the premises by herself.
****
Marcus’s back hurt, but he couldn’t change positions. The metal chain attached to the shackles anchoring him to the floor wasn’t long enough to allow him any movement. After Claudius had discarded him, two men had dragged him to that damp cell. The place must have been situated several stories under
the palace judging from the humidity and coldness, but he wouldn’t know for sure. Diana’s death had caught him unprepared and he had lost his mind. He kept seeing her, feeling her presence. But he knew it was happening because he didn’t want to believe Diana was dead. He had already gone through that kind of pain once with Aurelia and it had taken months to accept reality. This time, if he were lucky, Claudius would put him out of his misery soon.
He looked down between his feet, but he couldn’t look at anything else given how his jailers had made him crouch. They had shackled hands and feet together, then linked them to a short chain bolted to the floor. As a human, he couldn’t tolerate physical pain as he had before, and he tired faster. He had also lost track of time after the third meal they had brought him. They had served him bread and water at different intervals and kept the harsh, white light constantly on. His jailers had changed also. Some were vampires, others humans. Still chained, he had been allowed bathroom breaks and took full advantage of the small walks.
Several steps resonated in the silent place. Marcus tried to raise his chin to look at the newcomers, but his neck couldn’t hold his head’s weight.
“Release him.” Claudius’s voice reached him.
Marcus’s eyes were on the terracotta tiles on the floor, but he could sense the vampire looking at him with malice. “I was waiting for you to come pay a visit.”
“I am not done with you.” The point of a polished black shoe came into Marcus’s line of vision.
“That I figured out already.” Despite the flippancy of his tone, Marcus involuntarily flinched, expecting a kick to his face that didn’t come.
The shoe backed a step. “You owe me answers.”
Hands worked around his shackles, and Marcus started laughing while he was freed and put to sit on the floor. “You killed Aurelia and now Diana, and I owe you answers?” The mere thought of Diana dead felt wrong. His body shook and his neck ached when he tried to look up at Claudius. “That’s rich.”
Claudius paced from one wall to the other of the small place. “Their deaths are on you.”
“I came back home one night and found my wife drained of all her blood.” Marcus couldn’t believe he was having that conversation. “You’re a sadistic murderer who has never been stopped thanks to an obsolete agreement between the Immortal Council and the Vampire Nation.” He stretched his legs in front of him and massaged his calves. “I’ve become a renegade only to catch and kill you.”
The Lost Centurion Page 16
