Aleron: Book One of Strigoi Series (Stringoi Series) (36 page)

The manor was built in the late eighteen hundreds, and its halls and rooms were rank with the smell of mold and rust, which is common in structures that have been neglected for a long time. It was foul and musty, an odor that attacked our keen sense of smell, leaving us in utter disgust. The layers of dust and multitudes of cobwebs told the story. Children’s footprints in the dust created patterns among the weathered and worn outdated furnishings that were scattered about.

We hadn’t stopped to feed along the way, and Raya could feel the effects. In mere seconds after our arrival, she caught the scent of the human responsible for the nearby cathedral’s maintenance. Raya left the abandoned house in pursuit. I stayed behind.

She returned weary from the approaching sun, yet as I embraced her, the warmth from the caretaker told me she wouldn’t go hungry into her slumber. She retreated into one of the dark spaces within the house. A large closet served her well. I settled in the lower part of the old manor, for I, too, felt weary from our travels.

I dreamed of a time nearly forgotten, the passing of my parents into the afterlife. My near transparent body floated above my mother, who lay next to my father as his strong heart finally gave in to the depleted sands of the hourglass. She wept for him, while his lifeless body still caressed and comforted her. She continued to lay cradled within his cooling body. I felt her tremendous pain and loneliness. She had lost all that she knew—a son who vanished, a daughter whom she would only see for a brief time before dying, and alas, following her, the man who made up the rest of her. Now even he was gone. My mother embraced me that night—not my flesh, for she embraced death, and death I was.

I felt myself awakening before dusk. My mind was fully aware, yet my body was still asleep. Someone was near!
Perhaps a child come to play
, I first thought. No, this was no child. I sensed an inhuman soul residing within this visitor. Play was not the motive. Its movements were erratic and swift, feline, too fast and soft for a human, heavier than a rodent. My eyes opened, answering my will.

The transient was still present, though the movements ceased. I could smell her. A fragrance worn by a woman pierced through the awful smell of our resting place. I sensed Raya remained undisturbed. This creature was another vampire.

“How fortunate I am to have encountered you.” The female vampire spoke from a dark corner shielded from the remaining evening sunlight. I said nothing, in an effort to use her voice to locate her. And so I did. The words became louder.

“Tell me, prince, who was your mother? Which of our sisters gave you the gift? To whom did you give your blood in exchange for theirs? And though I sense you are powerful, you will answer me!”

I felt a desire to test her power. I wanted to shut her mouth entirely. The very sound of her words sent me into a vengeful frenzy. Rage passed
from Eliza through me to avenge her first. This vampire would offer me more information as well as quench a newly developed burning desire. I could not contain the desire to repeat the assault I levied on the first female vampire, for her immortal blood invigorated me far beyond any mortal’s. I had to have hers. I needed to deliver her into the memory of her maker by sending her into Gehenna.

I slowly stood and paused for just a moment. Then I boldly leapt out of the shadows in the direction of the voice. So swift were my movements that nothing could have evaded my attack. The dust disturbed by my flight thickened the air and was illuminated by the sun’s evening rays. But as I swung my powerful hands, I hit only air!

Snickering, the vampire continued, “My voice won’t reveal to you where I am within this wretched place. The stench of the blood clinging to the face of the female who travels with you called out to me, just as loud as a child would.”

Her voice came from an entirely different direction. This irritated me. Was she even there? I began to question my senses. I turned, and for just an instant I saw the reflection of silver eyes just beyond the shadows cast by the tall wooden bookshelf. I took this opportunity to lunge at the intruder, this trickster of a vampire, and again my attempt failed, leaving only an echoing crash and a crushed bookshelf.

“You’ve awakened the young one,” she said with sarcasm.

The door to the closet where Raya slept broke open, and out of the dust flew an animalistic Raya. She spoke to my mind,
Where is she, my lord? I will destroy her
.

No
, I replied in our silent manner.
She’s more than a challenge for you. Remain alert and still
. She did as I commanded.

“You’re not as pitiful as I suspected, young girl,” the vampire shrieked yet again, her voice coming from elsewhere. “It is wise to listen to your master.”

I knew to find her I must block out her voice and pay attention to the movement of the dust. As she spoke, I looked for disturbed particles that rustled about to the rhythm of her speech. And once I found such a place, I raised the rubble on the floor without the aid of my hands
and forced the debris to attack the spot where I anticipated her next destination to be. I flew to where I thought she would flee to, and my hands caught hold of her. She dug her claws into my arm that held hers. It caused an excruciating pain, one I had never felt as an immortal. Her fingernails were acid and my skin was mortal to her touch, for there was no immediate healing afterwards. Despite the pain, I held fast and managed to collect her entire body into mine, squeezing her tightly from behind, eliminating any opportunity for escape.

“Clever girl,” I whispered into her ear. She struggled and kicked for freedom, only to have her legs held by Raya, as I held her arms and torso. Her movements settled soon after her defeated attempts.

“I’ve plenty for you to answer, and you will give me what I desire, what I need.” I swiftly bit down into her neck and began to suck her blood. Her life’s force flowed into mine as if it were damned and my teeth freed it. Rushing and unwavering, it continued.

“Drain her dry, my lord. Kill this demon!”

Suddenly the euphoric feeling was interrupted by the burning sensation underneath the skin that had been exposed by her claws. Somehow the fire was rekindled beneath my skin and burned unabated. This distracted me as she tore her neck from my mouth and then kicked Raya into the opened closet. She then opened her palms and pushed the air toward me. A great force threw me back some twenty feet, sending me crashing through the door and into the hallway. The vampire also fell back into the table and chair, obliterating them.

I found my footing and immediately charged her. With my adversary before me, I unleashed a powerful strike against her, hitting nothing once again. She was gone.

I charged outside and to the top of the roof, but there was no sign of her. Raya burst through the front door, startling the single wolf that was patrolling the front of the house. Before she could take in her surroundings, the large ferocious wolf jumped at her throat, its mouth open wide and salivating violently. Killing was its only reason for existing. With blinding speed, Raya simultaneously sidestepped and ducked under the airborne beast. She then struck the wolf in midair, sending it into the shattered doorframe. It was ultimately impaled through its
ribcage by protruding pieces of wood. The beast let out a sharp cry and bled right at her feet.

I returned to the ground next to Raya.

“He’ll know we are coming, my lord!”

“No, he won’t, my love, for I tasted her blood, and I know exactly where she’s going. We must leave posthaste.”

I gathered Raya into my arms, and together we flew to Constanta, on the coast where Romania meets the Black Sea.

The vampire’s scent was carried by the wind. We were getting close to her. I knew that I would have no chance of entering Bran if its defenses were alerted prior to my arrival. I had to catch her. I had to continue and complete what I had already started. Her blood was shouting out to me.

I released Raya close to the ground and continued in my pursuit. She tried desperately to keep up, but she simply couldn’t. To the treetops I went. Raya was running fiercely below, reading my thoughts to maintain proper direction.

I looked down as the scent grew stronger, and I spotted the vampire moving rapidly through the brush. A pack of those ungodly beasts followed her closely, charged with protecting her. Her movements were swifter than a fleeing feline. Even the leaves and branches were barely disturbed during her escape, while the wolves slipped farther and farther behind. I kept my eyes on my target.

Swiftly catching up to the snarling angry pack, Raya saw them maneuvering through the dense forest and undauntedly continued her pursuit. To her mind I spoke,
There are many of those wretched beasts this time. Are you up for the challenge?

I am pursuing them, my lord. They are the ones running for their lives
.

After receiving her silent confident answer, I looked to complete my own task at hand.

The fleeing vampire moved with incalculable speed, but I moved faster. Ahead I recognized the Carpathians. Dark and ghastly they were under the moonlight. She was trying to return to her master’s bosom. She sensed me and looked up over her shoulder slightly. She didn’t catch
my eye, but her vampire instincts told her to be evasive. This proved to be futile as I threw my will at her, and though I failed to knock her off her feet, I managed to push her out of her stride just long enough to grab her.

“You’ll feed me life!” I growled, slamming my shoulder into her torso, ramming her to the ground. The impact sent us into the dirt, and several yards of earth were displaced, rustling the leaves and breaking the small branches along the ground.

On top of her, I grabbed a handful of her hair, yanked her head forward, and ripped her immortal locks from their resting place. With my paws no longer on her, she threw me off, and I landed squarely on my feet. She crouched down, accepting of my challenge. Dirt and leaves clung to her disheveled hair, and the bald spot began to fill in before my eyes.

To my surprise, she smirked. “Your young one seems to have met her fate at the fangs of the master’s pets. Only fitting since my sister’s blood is within you. I felt it when I wounded you—anguish that you’ll find hard to dismiss!”

She was right. It was as if the recognition of the wounds reawakened its fury. The fire was reignited upon my arm. However, this time, it did little to distract me, nor did the thought of Raya and the wolves. I was focused on one thing. My very life depended on the blood I’d already savored—her blood. I wanted all of it. I needed all of it.

My anticipation quickened my reflexes and vampire senses. I could feel the blood I’d already consumed rise and boil within me.

She ran on hand and foot, as a true animal would, toward the trunk of a tree, leaped onto it, then rebounded off, hands outstretched and reaching for my throat, her teeth finally making their grand entrance to the stage to join the opera finale that would end in my death! I took flight seconds before her talons met their mark. The force I exerted on her descending body knocked her backward and into the tree of her flight’s origin, but she returned.

Injured, she hit the ground. The leaves scattered upon impact. I landed again on my feet. Without a second to delay, she was attacking me again, over and over a series of clawing, scraping, and scratching,
her arms flailing, driving me back. She managed to rip my cloak on the left side. Pity she didn’t see my hand leave my side for her face. And with one single powerful blow, I heard a loud crack as her head whipped back and to the side. This, of course, wasn’t enough to kill her; it merely slowed her down.

I was amazed at her resilience. Her head was twisted abnormally, eyes nearly facing her back, the bones beneath her head slightly protruding, stretching the skin on one side of her throat, pulling her mouth and chin crooked.

She needed both hands to attempt rescue as she began choking on her own blood. I didn’t allow her to fully recover. I pounced on her as a lion would another after a vicious fight and display of might. Her blood was waiting for me. It called to me, and I answered it. Her hands left her neck as I drew blood from it. She tried to tear my teeth from her throat and nearly succeeded. Nearly. But it was far too late.

Her blood nourished me, and her heart of fire began to cool, her eyes no longer staring at me with intent, replaced by helplessness and desire. I saw a longing in her eyes, and in that moment, I realized we vampire all want death in the end. She gave into me. She welcomed death with open arms. She was my mother lying almost breathless next to Aknon, hopeless and at peace. As my mother was delivered, so was she.

Her heart stopped as her eyelids began to close. The silver glow was reduced to a dim grey. In her very last moments, I saw a woman who in a different life may have served as a mate instead of a meal.

“How touching, my lord,” Raya said as she approached, witnessing me in a moment of passion. For it must have looked to her as two immortals embracing each other, despite one being completely limp. Her fight with the pack of wolves yielded a face full of dirt, blood, and ripped clothing. She wore a wolf’s head and skin atop her own, with its bottom jaw completely severed. A bold statement!

“What took you so long?” I replied in sarcasm as I dropped the body.

“Had to walk the dog,” she said with a tinge of laughter. “Was her blood as sweet as the last?”

“Sweeter.”

“As sweet as mine?”

“Sweeter still, my child.” My vampire teeth were unmistakable in this moonlight, offering up a quick smile. “We must go.” We gathered ourselves, and with one last glance at the lifeless vampire lying on the ground, we were gone.

CHAPTER 32