Bloodlust: House of Vampires

by Tabitha Barret

  Bloodlust: House of Vampires

  Wicked Reform School

  Tabitha Barret

  @ Copyright 2020 Heather Baker

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  For copyright and publishing information, contact Tabitha Barret at her website http://www.tabithabarret.com.

  Edited by Yvonne Graham.

  Book cover designed by Dark Imaginarium Art & Design, Silviya Yordanova.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to persons real, living, or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Acknowledgements

  The word author sounds like a single noun, one person who sits behind a keyboard and creates stories. This is a common misconception. An author sits down to write a story, but her team of line editors, continuity editors, story editors, proofers and beta readers help her whip the story into shape and make it worthy to release into the light of day. Without the support of my amazing team, this book would never have been completed on time, or at all.

  I say, “thank you” to each of you.

  “We all have inner demons to fight, we call these demons, fear and hatred and anger. If you do not conquer them then a life of one hundred years is a tragedy. If you do, then a life of a single day can be a triumph.” – Yip Man

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Download Ceyla’s story Blood Cursed for FREE!

  Map of Wicked Reform School

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  I am a killer. Was I always a killer? No. I used to care about the simple things in life such as love, marriage and happiness. When my life was stolen from me and my faith in others was broken, I stopped caring about anything but my rage and my thirst for revenge.

  It had been over six months since I’d been inside the great hall where the Mielcarek court was held, though I wished it were under different circumstances. I should be accepting the high seat at the table with the other leaders of the remaining covens. I was the rightful heir of the Mielcarek Coven, the most powerful coven who oversaw the smaller covens. My brother, Marcario, should have been standing at my side as my Regent who dealt with matters in the lower covens. Instead, my brother had assumed control of the Mielcarek Coven and I was his prisoner.

  “Are you comfortable, dearest sister?” Seeing the pathetic smirk on my brother’s face made my anger rise and helped me ignore the burning pain raging through my body. I let out a deep snarl that caused the two guards standing on either side of my steel containment platform to jump back in terror. The wooden spikes in my sides moved deeper into my skin, sending a fresh wave of agony through me. It didn’t help that the guards had forgotten to secure the large wheels under the platform, so every time I struggled the platform moved, causing the spikes to shift and twist.

  Marcario’s smirk faltered just enough to tell me what I needed to know. Despite being chained in a kneeling position with my arms pulled behind me on the containment platform unable to move more than an inch any direction, my brother still feared me.

  Glancing to my right, I saw my faithful Silvijn in the exact same position as me, except he was wearing an iron mask over his handsome face. His deep blue eyes were seething with hatred as he stared at Marcario atop his stolen seat at the table. If only he could free himself, we could fulfill my dream of killing my duplicitous brother.

  “You may have me at a disadvantage, Marcario, but do not fool yourself into believing that you have won this battle. I will claim victory and your head will be mine.” I fully expected him to laugh at my threat since my fate was currently in his hands, but he didn’t laugh. Instead, he sat calmly with his legs crossed, scratching his chin.

  He looked to his sniveling advisor, Lucinda, and casually pointed to her. “What should I do with Marianela? If I allow her to live, she will surely return to the battlefield and continue our silly feud. The glory would be mine once my army vanquished her, so killing her now would make my victory feel hollow. I’m torn.”

  I growled deep in my throat. He was too much of a coward to release me and challenge me to a duel. Knowing he was the weaker fighter, he would never suggest such a thing, but a girl could dream. I still had the blood of his strongest warriors drying on my clothing and cape. He would be stupid to challenge me outright, but he needed a way to save face. Regardless, he wouldn’t kill me here. He would need to make a grand show of my demise to prove to his remaining army and lesser coven leaders that he was still in control of the coven.

  Under normal circumstances, an enemy of the Mielcarek Coven would be staked through the heart and burned. However, these were not normal circumstances. I was the woman who should be leading the coven, had I not been betrayed and would certainly rank a higher level of punishment. Thankfully, Marcario lacked the bloodlust and vision needed to devise a fitting punishment.

  “If your men couldn’t kill me in the last three months of battle, what makes you think you can claim victory if I have the opportunity to march on you again? Your men captured me because they broke the rules of engagement and attacked during daylight hours. Even then, we managed to strike down more than half your forces. Your men got lucky, but I assure you, it won’t happen again.” Marcario could be as smug as he wanted, but he wasn’t the one leading his army on the battlefield. He was safely tucked away inside the compound, far away from the battle.

  Lucinda’s eyes glazed over as her head swayed back and forth, contemplating my fate. I wasn’t sure if she was looking into my future or her own. Her long dark hair and brown eyes might fool my brother into believing that she cared about him and the coven, but I understood that she always factored in her own ambitions when advising my loathsome brother.

  A sinister smile spread across her face as she reached out her hand to Marcario. “Sire, she deserves a death that will be spoken of throughout the ages. Any who dares challenge your power, or the power of the coven, will think twice once they remember how you vanquished your sister. Leaving her to the ravens for the next thousand years would inspire loyalty in the faithless.”

  He perked up at her advice. “You’ve always had a way with inflicting pain and inspiring fear in others. Having her constantly torn apart for the next thousand years sounds perfect.”

  Popping up from his ornate chair, he came closer to me. The fear was still in his eyes, but it was mixed with something else I couldn’t determine. Was it excitement, or hope?

  He carefully reached out to lovingly stroke my tangled hair. His small kindness did nothing to elicit any sisterly love from me.

  I snapped my fangs at him but he quickly pulled away, prepared for my wrath. “Touch me again, Marcario and you will lose those precious fingers. You’re a traitor. I am the rightful ruler and any who follow you will be put to death. You were meant to stand with me, not usurp my power. Not only have you betrayed me, but you have also betrayed father. He knew you weren’t strong enough to lead, so he groomed me to take over. Have you forgotten that small detail?” Not waiting for
his reply, I craned my neck to glare at Marcario’s replacement general. “Gregario, release me and kneel before me. I will forgive your momentary lapse of judgement if you swear your loyalty to me right now.”

  Marcario flinched as he snapped his head around to stare at Gregario. My brother was clearly reflecting on what I did to his previous general.

  “Don’t you dare move, Gregario!” Hard as he tried to contain it, the panic in my brother’s voice was clear. He wasn’t sure what his new general would decide.

  “Come now, Gregario. Do you want to follow the man who allowed his previous general to return home to him in pieces, or do you want to follow the woman who sent him home in pieces?” Seeing Gregario’s knee twitch slightly, I had hopes of ascending to the table by dinnertime. Licking my lips in anticipation, I stared at Gregario, willing him to move towards me.

  Lucinda’s gaze turned to Gregario. “I see a bright future for you alongside Marcario. Defeat will never come to you so long as you are loyal to him.”

  Gregario tipped his head to Lucinda and squared his shoulders, ending his internal debate.

  Fucking witch! Now, I had to push Lucinda to the second spot on my list of people to kill, moving her up from her previous rank somewhere around number 139.

  Shaking off his concern for his general, Marcario turned back to me. “I have decided what to do with you, darling sister. First, I will kill Silvijn, your general, which is only fair seeing as you killed mine. Second, I will round up all your supporters and feed them to the ravens. Lastly, I will sentence you to Wicked Reform School. Call me sentimental, but I still have visions of you standing with me under the Mielcarek banner. You can be my Regent and I can have my sister back.”

  I was about to protest when Lucinda stepped forward. “Sire, why not kill her now?”

  He spun around and snarled at her for overstepping her bounds.

  She quickly lowered her head and bowed.

  Calming himself, Marcario smiled at me. “I’m going to drag out your punishment for as long as possible in the hopes that you can be reasoned with. I still love you despite all that has happened between us, sister. Given your many skills, I believe you would be an excellent Regent. You have a warrior’s spirit and a philosopher’s mind. It’s my belief that once you come to see reason, Wicked Reform can tame your rebellious side. If not, they’ll kill you. The choice to live or die will be up to you. Rebel and die. Bow to me and live. It’s the best punishment I can give you.”

  I couldn’t believe the bastard was keeping me alive so he could try to beat me into submission and make me his puppet.

  I bared my teeth at him. “It will be a warm day in the sun before I ever bow to you, traitor.”

  Marcario shrugged, uncaring that I hated him even more for wanting to brainwash me into loving him once again. He motioned to the guards next to Silvijn, who raised their wooden stakes in the air.

  Struggling against his chains, Silvijn only managed to drive the wooden shards imprisoning him deeper into his skin.

  Silvijn and I had been through much and he had proven his loyalty many times over. The thought of him dying had been a concern at the beginning of my campaign against my coven, but quickly faded as my ambitions grew stronger. If he had died in battle, I wouldn’t have mourned him because his death would have served a purpose. Yet, seeing him chained and staked without a sword in his hand, fighting those who threatened him, felt wrong. I couldn’t watch him die while in chains.

  “Wait, Marcario. Let Silvijn live and I will go to Wicked Reform without a fight.” Hearing the plea spill out of my mouth confused and angered me. Why was I accepting Marcario’s punishment in exchange for Silvijn’s life? I couldn’t count the number of times Silvijn swore he would die protecting me or kill himself for failing to do so.

  Silvijn craned his neck to stare at me. He too was surprised by my words. “What?” His muffled question made me want to rethink my spur of the moment offer.

  Marcario’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Silvijn. He was likely contemplating how many vampires in the Luzader Coven would rebel if Silvijn died. Silvijn had pledged his life to me, which meant I had more control over the Luzader Coven than Marcario currently did. In truth, it was one of the many reasons my brother was afraid to kill me. I had many loyalists within our coven, as well as the remaining covens, who would set fire to him for killing me. It would be easier to appease the Luzader Coven if their beloved heir lived.

  Furrowing his brow, Marcario pursed his lips and hissed through his fangs. “Very well. Take him with you to Wicked Reform. He probably won’t last a week there anyway. He’s too proud to submit to anyone he’s not sleeping with.”

  I ignored his crass comment and let out a breath. I wasn’t sure if Silvijn would thank me or kill me for saving his life once we were inside the most notorious reform schools ever created. Marcario might not have to worry about killing me. Silvijn might happily do it for him.

  Chapter 2

  Jolting to a halt, the carriage finally stopped after our long journey. I had never been to Wicked Reform, but I’d met others who had “graduated” from the school. They always appeared nervous and twitchy when you looked them in the eyes, as if they expected to be hit. I kept that in mind as the carriage moved again.

  Hearing a large gate creaking open, I assumed we had arrived. My shoulders and knees were killing me after the long journey. I couldn’t see Silvijn behind me, but I assumed he was eager to stretch his legs as well.

  The metal gate of the carriage fell open, creating a ramp to the ground. The smell of stale blood hit my nose as someone walked up the ramp to pull me to my feet. Thankfully, the sun had gone down so I didn’t have to worry about burning in the daylight.

  “Welcome to Wicked Reform, sweetheart.” The guard’s breath reeked of alcohol.

  Unable to feel my legs from the lack of circulation, I was pulled out of the carriage and thrown to the ground. Looking up, I saw a tall man dressed in black leather standing in front of a tall brick building. All the windows in the building were tinted to keep out the sunlight.

  The torches lighting the area highlighted a deep scar on the man’s cheek and made his dark eyes appear black. He reminded me of the executioners my father sent to deliver his message of war to the covens he deemed unworthy to survive.

  Silvijn landed on the ground next to me. His steely eyes scowled at the man sent to welcome us as he pulled his arm away from the guard.

  “It’s a strange day seeing the woman who was destined to lead our coven kneeling before me. I want you to reflect on this moment, Marianela. Think back on all the mistakes you made that led you here. Tell me one thing you regret from your journey.” His sinister smile was designed to instill fear in those who gazed upon his ruggedly handsome, but scarred face.

  I peered up at him through my long hair. “I have a better question. Do you regret the mistakes you made during your lifetime that led you to a place where you torture the young enemies of our coven? This isn’t a role reserved for those who have proven themselves invaluable to the coven. It’s a role destined for someone who fucked things up so badly that the coven sentenced him to life at the bottom of a hole, drowning in his own tears.”

  A cracking sound filled my ears as the back of the man’s hand connected with my cheek. The pain radiated up my face into my eye, causing it to water.

  “You will learn to respect me, Marianela, or you will not survive here.” He folded his hands and looked to Silvijn. “Do you plan to follow her lead, or are you smarter than her?”

  Silvijn shrugged. “Depends on my mood. If you’re lucky, you’ll survive our time in this place. If not, I’ll be sure to tell everyone how you tried to break us and failed.”

  I was happy to hear that Silvijn was still on my side despite my rash decision to bring him with me. He hadn’t spoken a word to me the entire way here, so I wasn’t sure if he was angry or relieved to be alive. I assumed the former since he hadn’t thanked me for saving his life.

  T
he man sighed deeply and motioned for the guard to remove the wooden stakes chained to our bodies. He took a step back and waited until we got to our feet and carefully stretched our backs.

  I still had wood shards in my side, but I would deal with them later.

  The man crossed his arms. “I’m Nikkos, Head of the House of Vampires and I promise you, I will break you.”

  He turned to walk through a set of heavy wooden doors. Looking over his shoulder, he motioned for us to follow him.

  The feeling had returned to my legs and the wounds from the wooden spikes were almost healed, except where the shards remained, so walking was a little easier. I noticed Silvijn was favoring his left leg as we entered the building. I wondered if the guard had broken it when he pulled Silvijn out of the carriage.

  Entering the building, I noticed we were inside a common area filled with other vampires who all turned to glare at us. We were either their enemy because our coven had beaten their coven into submission or stamped it out completely, or we were their enemy because we had waged war against their friends and families in the Mielcarek Coven. Either way, it was clear that we would not be making friends with anyone here.

  Nikkos turned to face us. “The common areas and blood room are on the first floor. The second, third and fourth floors are where you will take your classes. Dorms are on the fifth floor. My office is here on the first floor. Curfew is an hour before sunrise unless you want to bake in the morning light. Beware of the other creatures outside the House of Vampires. They are dangerous and they will kill you. Avoid the lakes unless you want to fight the Kraken or the sirens and mer-people. Don’t go near the Fountain of Woe or it will be your funeral. Aside from that, do not engage in a fight large enough to draw attention unless you want to deal with the Dean of Discipline. Dean Aero might wear a suit and tie but do not be fooled by his appearance. He will make an example out of those who do not follow the rules.”