Authors: Stephanie Radcliff
The young human curled up into her vampire’s arms and closed her eyes. Both their passion and her blood being
drank made her feel a little tired and she hummed softly as she rested her forehead against Vayna’s chest. Within minutes she drifted off into sleep. Vayna herself stayed awake a few moments longer, but she too eventually gave into the call for sleep.
Chapter 15
The two woke up a few hours later to the sounds of people talking rapidly and furiously. Well, Vayna woke up to the sound. The talking was rather distant and it was only because of her enhanced hearing that she heard it. She slowly eased away from Sage and sat up. Her human stirred at the movement and lifted her head sleepily as she said, “Where are you going?”
“The others are back,” Vayna replied as she started to put her clothes back on. The snake was nowhere to be found and she wondered
where it could’ve gone. She vaguely wondered how it got there in the first place. Shaking her head, she turned to Sage as she continued, “Before I get too comfortable, I need to discuss with them what we’re going to do.”
“I’ll go with you,” Sage said as she
too sat up and slid off the bed as she started to get dressed. She still felt a little bit tired, but this was important, “This is because of me, so I should be there to help.”
Vayna stopped and looked at her human. Her love for her warred with the need to keep her close and she sighed heavily.
On one hand, she wanted to lock Sage up in that room and keep her out of harm’s way. On the other hand, she wanted to keep her close in case anything happened. It was the latter of the two that one in the end and she nodded her head, she said, “Alright. Just don’t leave my side, okay?”
“Yes, love,” Sage said as she walked over to her and kissed her softly on the lips.
The kiss remained light and quick as she smiled and pulled away. She grabbed her vampire’s hand as she said, “Let’s get going so I can have you back in bed.”
Vayna grinned at that and the two left the room hand in hand. They walked through the hallway and toward the source of the voices. Sage expected to go back into the dining room,
it being one of the few rooms still intact enough, but was surprised when they stepped into a different room altogether. It was easy to tell that this was where Dracula planned out a lot of the battles he went through when he was human. It had the air of a battle war planning room. Indeed, Dracula stood with his palms flat on a table with several blueprints spread out before him as he looked up and said, “Well, here are the sleeping beauties themselves.”
“Did you know you have an Egyptian Cobra on the loose in the castle?” Vayna said as she walked over
to the table and gazed at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I’d wondered where Set got off to,” he replied
nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders and looked back down at the maps. The blueprints were of a very large high rise building. Sage frowned as she stood next to her vampire and looked down at them. Dracula saw her look and said, “We were best discussing how to get at Brade before he came for us.”
“You think that’s the best move?” Vayna asked as she leaned over the blueprints and studied them.
She’d been in the building several times when she met with the council, so she recognized several of the areas. The blueprints made the building seem more complicated than it really was.
“It is likely that he will move his forces out to find us and leave very little behind to protect him,” Bryanna said from the right of her.
She held a different set of blueprints in her hands and was gazing at it as she spoke, “The best way will be to attack him at the council’s building while he’s not expecting it.”
“We all agree on this,” Lucius spoke up as he gazed at her and her human. He really didn’t like humans, but if what Dracula said was true, then
it would be interesting getting to know them. The older vampire already agreed to “train” Lucius. He was actually looking forward to learning for once in his undead life.
“Vayna…” Jeran said softly from behind her.
His voice sounded wary and tired. She turned around and noticed the troubled look on his face. He looked as weary as he sounded at that moment, and far older than his true age. He shook his head as he said, “They told us about what Brade was having them do… having our people do… it was worse than I ever imagined.”
Vayna turned back to them and looked at each of them.
Each of the council members were looking down and shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. Her frown got deeper when none of them spoke up. She leaned forward and placed a single hand on Kári’s shoulder as she asked, “What happened?”
“You name it, Vayna, they were made to do it,” Dracula said as he stood up and shook his head sadly.
He himself was deeply troubled by what he heard. He couldn’t believe how out of hand everything got in the short time he went to sleep. Brade let the power go to his head and almost destroyed their world in the process, “He gave them a choice. To rape or be raped and then forced them into murdering innocent humans and our very own people. It was lucky no one found out about us sooner.”
Vayna froze at those words. Rape and murder of not only her fellow vampires, but also innocent humans… She could admit to being a terrible vampire in her younger years, but she
never
raped or murdered an innocent. Vampire or otherwise. The very thought made her stomach flip and she turned away, striding out of the room as fast as she could. She didn’t stop until she found the nearest balcony and grasped the railing as she let the cool air flow over her, hoping it would wash away the rage she was feeling.
Soft footsteps sounded from behind her and she knew who it was before they even reached her. Gentle arms wrapped around her waist and held her as Sage silently provided comfort. The young human knew
without words that the ancient vampire didn’t want to speak right then and she was fine with simply holding her. As long as Vayna knew she was there, that’s all that she cared about.
The wind blew through her long hair as they stood there for several moments merely breathing together. Vayna fought to get her mind off of the images in her head and t
he remains of her dream filtered through her mind as she gripped the railing even tighter. A piece of it to crumbled to the ground far below from the force of her grip. She wondered if her dream was a forewarning. Something to do with the fight that was to come. But then again… perhaps it wasn’t so much of what was to come, but what could possibly happen if she failed. She shook her head. No, there was no way she was going to fail. She was going to win and Brade would die. It was nothing less than he deserved for what he did to her family, both human and vampire.
The two stood there in silence for quite a while before Vayna finally felt like she had her emotions back under control. She turned around gently and kissed the top of her human’s forehead
softly. She smiled slightly as she grabbed her hand and lead her back inside. Her face was determined as she walked back into the room and looked at each vampire standing there. They all saw the fire in her eyes and heard the hatred in her voice as she said, “We infiltrate the old council headquarters. Brade will die by my hand. As revenge for every vampire and human out there that he destroyed.”
Chapter 16
It was agreed within an hour that they would move in three days time.
Their goal was to infiltrate the council’s old building and destroy Brade. Frostflower had asked about the other council members and as much as Vayna didn’t want to, she told them that if they got in the way, they would have no choice but to destroy them as well. This made several of the others sad, but they knew there was no getting around it. Erik, Jesse, and Tracie would all be killed.
It would be worth it, they kept telling themselves. It would free their people and they would never have to live in fear of their lives again. Vayna heard in detail the things that Brade made them all do and it only served to fuel h
er anger towards the man even more. She wanted to storm the old council building and drive a stake into his heart. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would allow her to torture him like he tortured all of those innocent people.
As much as she wanted to, she knew it wouldn’t be smart to just rush in. She’d be dead before she even reached Brade. She would wait, but she wouldn’t be going alone. All of them had their own parts to play in the infiltration. Frostflower and Mirie would disable the security systems so they could get in. Lucius and Kári would guard the door they went through to keep any vampires from chasing after them. Then she, Dracula, Kaunan, Bryanna, Jeran, and Sage would all make their way inside to search for Brade and the remaining council members. It really was very textbook-y
and planned out in her opinion. Perhaps that was a good thing, though…
She sighed as she walked through what was left of the castle gardens. After Dracula went into his sleep, the grounds of the castle looked just as bad as the castle itself. The garden was overflowing with weeds and fallen rocks. What used to be pristine and the beauty of the entire fortress was now perhaps the worst spot. Still, it provided
for some privacy for her thoughts and at that moment that was what she needed most.
Which was why she gave an annoyed sigh when she heard footsteps in front of her.
She really didn’t want to be bothered at the moment. She wanted to turn and just walk away from whoever was approaching, but it could’ve been something important. Pausing beside a big oak tree with an old stone bench beside it, she waited there for whoever it was.
“There you are.”
Vayna turned her head and sagged a little in relief the moment she laid eyes on her human. Sage came around the corner of the garden and approached her with a small smile on her face. She sighed in relief the closer she got to the ancient vampire, “I thought you may have run off and started the fight without us.”
“No, I just needed to get some fresh air,” she replied as she shook her head, “It was getting a bit stifling in there with all the talks going on. I really wish this was done and over already.”
Sage took a seat on the stone bench carefully as she tested it first to make sure it wasn’t going to fall on her. The bench held and she gazed up at her vampire with a soft sigh, “I know, my love. I wish it were done and over with too. I just want to spend time together just the two of us.”
Vayna took a seat next to Sage and prayed to whatever deity still listening to her that it didn’t break under their combined weight. When it held, she turned slightly and grasped her human’s hands as she gave her a worried look, “Sage… I really wish you wouldn’t go with us. This is going to be dangerous and you could end up seriously hurt or…”
Sage smiled reassuringly as she brought her vampire’s hands up to her lips. She pressed a small kiss to her fingers as she murmured, “I know you don’t want me to go, and you do have sound reasoning. But which would you prefer? Me there with you where you can keep an eye on me, or here where you have no idea if Brade’s people will find me while you’re gone?”
Vayna paused at that and considered her words. She really hadn’t thought about what would happen if she weren’t there to help protect her human from danger… Sage did have a very valid point. With her there when they went into the council, she could guarantee that her human would be safe, or at the very least able to be saved should something happen to her. If she left her here… the flash of fear that filled her heart sealed it for her and she nodded her head as she said, “Alright. I understand where you’re coming from. You can come with us, but please, my love. Stay with me at all times. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Sage leaned forward and pressed her forehead against her vampires and smiled warmly as she said, “I know, my love. I promise I’ll stay right by your side the entire time.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied as she slowly stood up and disengaged her hands from Vayna’s. The smile on her lips turned apologetic as she said, “Dracula and Frostflower want to see you. They’ve got something they want to go over with you.”
“They sent you out here because they knew I wouldn’t say no to you, didn’t they?” Vayna asked with a suspicious look as she stood up. She was starting to get a headache again…
Sage rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she nodded her head. She felt embarrassed by that, but she knew it was the truth. Had it been anyone else, Vayna probably would’ve punched them instead of letting them convince her to return inside.
Vayna merely nodded her head as she intertwined her fingers with that of her humans and said, “Lead the way.”
Chapter 17
The day it was to happen arrived quicker than any of them expected. The dawn was bright and revealing, almost as if she knew what was going to happen once she shed her last rays upon the earth that day. The vampires inside the castle all lay sleeping, trying to catch up on their rest for that night. Sage was the only one awake as the day dawned. She sat in a lonely chair in the decrepit remains of the garden. The sun had yet to reach the area she was at, and she was a little thankful for that. After that first morning she was with Vayna, she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to be in the sun’s full rays. Still, she was able to enjoy the early morning peacefully.
She picked up a single cup of tea and took a sip as her mind began to wander from thought to thought. She woke up in a park bench not remembering who she was, where she was from, or why she ended up there. That really wasn’t that long ago when she thought about it.
A mere handful of days. Now here she was, a single human in the middle of a bunch of vampires. It seemed like something right out of a story to her. She stared blankly at the table in front of her as she thought about what they were planning on doing later that evening.
The sound of footsteps jarred her out of her thoughts and she snapped her head up, relaxing only when she saw who it was. She smiled as she said, “I thought vampires hated being out in the day.”
“One of my special abilities,” Jeran said as he stepped out into the shade of the castle. He walked over to her and gave her an affectionate hug as he spoke, “As long as I’m in the shade, the day time doesn’t bother me. What are you doing up, little sister?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” she said with a sigh as she set her cup down. She watched Jeran walk around the table and pull up another sad looking chair. Pursing her lips, she shrugged softly, “Too many thoughts flowing
through my head, I guess.”
“Need someone to talk to?” he asked softly as he leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. Unlike his Pharaoh, he actually was a morning vampire. He found he got a lot done for the café during the day hours. Most people weren’t there, and it allowed him some time to himself to get paperwork done. He was actually relieved today to know that he wasn’t the only one up.
“It just all seems so surreal, you know?” she asked as she frowned at him. Sitting back in her chair, she shook her head softly, “Just a few days ago, I was waking up on a park bench with no clue who I was. Now I’m waking up in the middle of a bunch of vampires still not knowing who I am. If I wasn’t living it, I’d think it was nothing more than a twisted story.”
“I can assure you
it isn’t a story,” Jeran said with a small smile on his face. He knew how she felt. Some days he wondered if he wasn’t living in a story either, “If finding your memory concerns you, though…”
“Oh, I’m not too worried about that,” she replied with a wave of her hand. At that moment in time, finding her memory was the least of her concerns. She shook her head as she spoke, “I’m certain I’ll find it in time. I’m more worried about tonight and keeping Vayna alive.”
“Vayna will be fine. We all will do our best to protect her. She’s our Pharaoh, after all,” he said with a firm nod. He knew that all of the vampires in the castle at that moment would give their lives for her if they had to, “And once this is over, she will no doubt help you find your memory.”
“I have been thinking… don’t tell her this, please, Jeran,” she begged him as she leaned forward and wrapped her hands around her cup. She looked at him pleadingly as she waited for him to promise her.
“Don’t worry, little sister,” he said as he too leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. He gave her a reassuring smile as he spoke, “I won’t breathe a word of this to her.”
“Thank you,” she said with a grateful smile as she turned her gaze down at her cup. She
sighed a little as she murmured, “I’ve been thinking that it may not matter if I find my memory or not if… if I am able to spend eternity by her side.”
Jeran blinked at those words and hummed thoughtfully. He knew she was well aware of what that meant, but… “Are you ready to take that step, little sister? It’s quite the step to take, becoming a vampire. Vayna will refuse to turn you if you’re even the tiniest bit unsure.”
“I’m not 100% sure right now,” she said with a shake of her head. She took a sip of her tea and cleared her throat, “But the more time I spend with her, the more I am beginning to think that it may not be such a bad idea if I am able to spend it with her.”
“Just make sure you are certain before you speak with her about this. She’ll want you to be sure about it,” he replied with a nod. He hoped and prayed that she would make the right choice when the time came. Their Pharaoh really was very much in love with her, and if she chose to become a vampire for her… it would give Vayna the will to live that she’d been lacking lately. He glanced over to the side and stood up as he said, “We’re going to have to go inside now, little sister. The sun is finding it prudent to intrude on our conversation.”
Sage looked over and frowned. Indeed, if they stayed there any longer, they were sure to be burned by the sun. She placed her hands on the sides of the chair and stood up, only to hiss as pain went through her palm. Pulling her hand up, her frown got deeper when she saw the blood well up on her palm. Looking down, she noticed a piece of the metal on the chair sticking out. That was what cut her palm.
Jeran came around the edge of the table to her side as he said, “What happened?”
“The chair cut me,” she replied as she looked for something to bandage her hand with. It was bad enough that she cut herself on a rusty metal chair. She didn’t want to risk any other infections on top of that.
“Here, let me see,” he said as he reached for her hand. She let him draw her hand closer and inspect it. The wound wasn’t very deep, and looked more painful than it was. He felt his fangs grow at the sight of the blood and forcibly fought them back as he continued, “It’s not very deep. I can heal it, if you’re okay with that. My saliva does contain healing properties.”
Sage debated his offer for a few moments. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but she wondered how Vayna would react if she smelled him on her… She could always wash her hands before she joined her vampire lover again. Shrugging, she said, “Why not? It’ll probably be more disinfected than any doctor could make it.”
“True,” he said with a small chuckle. He knew this was going to be awkward for the both of them, so he tried to make it as quick as possible. Drawing her hand up to his mouth, he very gently ran his tongue along the cut on her palm. He heard her hiss softly as he pulled back and looked down at her hand. The cut healed up within a matter of minutes and he released her hand as he took a step back. He kept a kind smile on his face as he said, “You’d best be getting inside and washing your hand. Vayna will go nuts if she sees you’ve been cut with the smell of my saliva on your hand.”
“Yeah, she probably will,” Sage agreed as she turned and headed back inside. She paused long enough to grab her cup before disappearing into the depths of the castle.
Jeran shot one last glance at the chair where a few specks of her blood remained before whirling around and walking into the darkened interior of the castle. Once he was somewhere safe where he knew the sun’s rays wouldn’t touch him, he collapsed against a door as he shakily brought a hand up to his mouth and murmured softly, “It can’t be… she’s…”