Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (66 page)

“Okay, stop.” Martin spoke up and ended their ill-natured banter. Martin turned to Malio. “I know full well of my wife's past and current infidelity. I live with her knowing that. I see the faces of the men she has met with privately every day. But the news of your father has not come up until now.” Martin lowered his head, slowly raising it again. “Malio, I am sorry she has wronged you. You ask for flesh and you will have it.”

“What?” For the first time, Teresa sounded as if she was unaware of the present situation.

This was alien to Malio.

“You ask for flesh equal to your father's. Equal to your royal blood line before it was abolished. I will give you exactly what you ask. I will give you my first born son. Is this payment enough?” Martin said with a grim sense of duty. He had been put into a place of moral hazard. He was the king of the largest nation in the territory. His wife had taken the life of his childhood friend's father. A crime that was punishable by death. Rather than send the queen of his country to be hanged and burned in the sun, he chose to give up his only son.

“No!” Teresa objected immediately. “You can't take my son! You can't kill him for something I did.”

“Malio, she has a point. What will you do with my son if he is allowed to leave with you?” Martin had already decided what to do, but he needed Malio's word that his son wouldn't knowingly be harmed as a father.

“I will take him as my own. I will raise him and teach him. One day, I will come back for the right that has been taken from me. I will come for your throne and I will have my destiny back.” Malio said with passion.

Teresa was restless, almost twisting back and forth with a thousand questions in her head that she kept silent about.

Martin asked the one question that was on both of their minds. “Will you kill him?”

“No, I want your throne too badly. I will not risk his death to deny myself that right. He will not be harmed.” Malio said directly to Teresa.

Teresa could not say a word. She was transfixed by anger and at the same time she felt a sigh of relief.

“Okay, then you may have him. You will leave with him now while it is safe.” Martin opened the door and gestured to the guards to fetch his son.

Teresa took a hold of Martin's arm. Whispering something into his left ear.

Martin responded sternly. “No! We are the ruling family of this region! If we don't make an example, we will lose the trust of the people and forfeit our place in the world! There will be no further discussion on this matter!” Martin shouted at Teresa.

Malio held his tongue against the overwhelming urge to drudge Teresa's emotions as a mother through the same dirt and grime that he experienced as a child. Malio resisted successfully, but smiled none-the-less.

“I'll kill you first!” Teresa moved in for Malio. In an instant, she was in front of him and inches from his throat. Her finger tips were razor sharp and ready to tear open Malio's neck. The only thing stopping her was Martin, who had read her surface thoughts and gotten there a moment before her.

“You will not.” Martin said as he held Teresa away from Malio who was underneath the doorway. Martin's loud words echoed through the rest of the outer hall. “Malio Signante is not to be harmed or pursued in any way. To do so is punishable by death from my hand directly. To all who hear this, I give Malio Signante my protection so that he may guard that which I have imparted to him. That which I cherish and hold dear, so that it may be safe with him always and forever.” Martin lowered his voice, calming down. “Now prepare my royal carriage, Malio is to leave at once.”

The guards, still confused, took a moment to respond to Martin's orders. They could tell he was flustered, as much as he ever had shown before. They had no reason not to obey Martin, but something in the hearts of everyone in the room told them 'no' and that they should not follow this immoral direction.

Malio made his way through the main hall, nearly strutting his victory. “You aren't having second thoughts, are you Martin? Teresa?”

Teresa flinched, trying to reach Malio.

Martin held his grip on Teresa. “No, the deal is fair and just.” Martin cast his gaze across the room. “To everyone here. What I said is true, follow my command now or leave my kingdom. This is not a venial transgression. We will pay for this.”

Martin's ultimatum instantly rushed every guard in the room. They hustled to prepare the carriage and gather his royal son's things.

Moments later, outside the castle keep Malio paced back and forth, waiting for his payment to arrive. Ten armed guards approached Malio with Martin at the rear. Teresa was nowhere to be found. Malio scanned the group to find a small boy of no more than ten years old next to Martin. He was nearly Malio's size, he had the same straight brown hair as Martin, long limbs, and a short height. As he came closer, Malio noticed the boy's green eyes and light complexion. Malio physically appeared to be of about the same age as this boy. Making his accompaniment with him none the more noticeable by random travelers.

“Malio, this is Benardo, my son of ten years. He has yet to develop a gift and will need regular meals until he does. Please take care of him.” Martin patted his son on the back.

“I will treat him as a brother and he will learn beside me.” Malio turned to Benardo and lowered his head. “My name is Malio Signante of the former First Vampire Kingdom Pennino. Through a series of sudden events, you will be leaving with me tonight. I will be your guard, your brother, your father.”

“Father, what does he mean?” Benardo's voice was young and faint. He was a child, unfretted by any of the woes Malio had seen in his own life.

Martin faced his son. “You will be leaving with Malio, Benardo.”

“When will I get back?” Benardo asked.

“Never.” Malio said abruptly.

Benardo's face became bewildered. “What? Is what he saying true father?”

“Malio, please. These are the last moments I will have with him. Let me tell him.” Martin snapped at Malio.

Malio said nothing, and climbed into the carriage.

Martin showed his guards away. “Benardo, you must go with Malio.”

With a child's innocence. “Why?” Benardo asked Martin.

“Because mother did something very wrong, something she shouldn't have. You have to go with Malio. He will raise you. He will mold you into a man in the way I will not be able to. Remember that your mother and I love you, even when Malio can seem harsh, he loves you too. He may not be blood, but he is like family to me.” Martin told his son words from the bottom of his soul. He had Malio vow that Benardo would not be harmed. Still worried, Martin wanted to reassure Benardo.

“For how long, father?” Benardo asked again.

Martin's chest sank. A single tear drop fell down his right cheek. “Until Malio says otherwise.”

“Forever, Benardo. You will be with me forever.” Malio interjected from inside the carriage. “I will teach you how to use your vampire gift to its fullest. You will train with me and we will hunt worthy prey. You will learn to become a warrior king and you will one day return here to claim your throne under my name.”

“But I don't want to go, father. I want to stay here.” Benardo pleaded.

“Listen to me. You will go and you will learn everything Malio has to teach you. One day I will see you again. You will come back as a man. I look forward to that day. For now, go with Malio.” Martin instructed Benardo.

Benardo wiped the single tear from Martin's cheek. “Yes father. I will return a man. Goodbye.”

Benardo turned and climbed into the carriage with Malio. He sat down, across from Malio, who was cloaked in darkness. The torch light barely reached into the cabin, the entire side Malio was sitting on was shrouded in blackness.

“Do not worry, Benardo. You will find me to be less ominous as time progresses. You may even find me to be a dear friend.” Malio said as the royal carriage pushed off.

The horses carried them far outside and to the border of the kingdom. They parked and sat. Malio got out and waved two torches into the air. He lifted them high into the night sky with his gift. Letting the light shine as a beacon to anyone nearby. Two hours passed as Malio sat on the roof of the carriage. Benardo sat, bored inside. The guard that Martin had sent with them to steer the carriage had decided to wait until Malio was able to find Will and take over the reins.

Finally, someone did come. A string of torches slowly made their way towards the carriage. Suddenly, without warning two arrow bolts shot out and struck the guard in the chest. Malio looked in the direction they came as two more bolts shot out and landed in his chest. One in his right lung, the other in his left lower stomach. Stunned and knocked back from the impact, Malio chose to play along with the ambush. Malio lay on the roof of the carriage, pretending to be dead as the group of raiders approached.

There were seven men. Each with a large black war armored horse. Every man had on layers of chain-mail and hide. They were heavily armed with crossbows and great swords. These men were marauders. Among them was a small boy that was attached to a rope being pulled behind the last horse. It was Will. He had been captured and these men were waiting for Malio's carriage to arrive. The man in the front of the line knocked on the carriage door. Benardo scurried away to the other side. Letting the man know he was inside.

“Come out boy. I know you are in there. If you lead us back to your castle, no harm will come to you and your friend out here.” The man at the front of the line said to Benardo.

“I don't know what you're talking about. My castle is just up the hill there. You don't need my help to get there.” Benardo answered.

“No, we want you to take us to the island off the coast of England. Take us to your abandoned castle, Malio Signante.” The second man in the line commanded.

Two men from the back of the line jumped down off their horses. They came up to the carriage and forced the door open.

The first of the men yelled out. “Now do what we say and we won't kill you.”

“But I'm not Malio.” Benardo said from a huddled position in the far end of the cabin.

“Then where is he?” The supposed leader of the group asked Benardo.

“Up top, he was sitting up top when you attacked. He should still be up there. Please don't hurt me.” Benardo whimpered in the corner.

“Go look for him. We need to find him.” The leader ordered the other men.

With a loud thud, something struck the ground in front of the open door. Four of the torches blew out. The horse of the leader quickly fell over. Throwing him into the dirt. The two men that had broke into the carriage stood in complete fear. They watched as their hands deformed and curled up upon themselves. They screamed as their arms wriggled and popped from the breaking bones within them. The light from the remaining flames gave little help from the rear horsemen.

“What the hell is that!?” One of the three men from the back of the line screamed.

“Does it matter? Kill it! Kill it now!” The leader ordered, recovering from his back.

The second man in line attacked the dark figure with his great sword. His sword came down and was met with a single hand. It was Malio. The faint light cast out and revealed his purple robes.

“Who the hell are you?” The man wielding the great sword asked.

“I am the fear inside you. I am horror. I am terror. I am the boy prince you seek. The last man you will ever see.” Malio said as he crushed the blade in his hand. The iron bent and flaked to the ground between his fingers. Malio walked to the right of the man as he suddenly fell to his knees, screaming, as blood was spilling from his eye lids. Malio swung his left arm, cutting the man's head off at his neck. The leader watched as his second in command died before him.

The three men with lit flames backed off slowly with their horses.

Malio turned his attention to the leader, walking to him with anger in his eyes.

Three crossbow bolts shot into Malio's left side. Landing two in his hip and one in his left forearm. Malio looked over to the two men still screaming on their backs. Their knees were bent high in the air. A stoke of inspiration came over Malio. One at a time, all four of the men's knee caps burst from their skin and floated. They each lined up next to Malio's left shoulder. They shot out to strike the three men still on horseback. One for each of them, placed in the heart. A second for the horsemen that fired at Malio first. The sound of their bodies hitting the dusty trail echoed in the night.

“What the hell are you?” The leader demanded an explanation from Malio.

Malio raised his right hand. The leader of the marauders began to choke and gurgle. The sound quickly lowered pitch. The five arrow bolts removed themselves from Malio's body. They gathered in a cluster and shot out one at a time into the chest of the leader. Oil seeped from his lungs, spilling onto the grass. Malio walked back to the carriage, snapping the fingers of his left hand. The man caught fire and quickly burned to death.

Malio climbed into the cabin and sat down. He was bleeding heavily from the wounds to his chest and stomach. The two men had stopped screaming, and passed out from shock.

“What are you?” Benardo asked Malio.

“I am a vampeal without limitation.” Malio answered, panting to catch his breath.