Twice Bitten (60 page)

He waited for the rumble of disconcerted voices to move through the throng and then grow quiet again. The anger and malicious words about Peter, me, and our baby girl were heartrending, and it took Chanson’s and Tyreen’s comfort to make me realize that the dissentious vampires would have to kill them and the rest of my guardians first before anyone could lay a fang or talon upon us.

“Silence!” shouted Gustav, when he had heard enough of their protests and discontent. “Do you all wish to become like Ralu? Hmmm?? If so, leave our circle now, and know that in the coming confrontation, no mercy will be shown to any of you. The mindless beasts that only recently have gained enough intelligence to move through towns and the smaller cities without Ralu’s constant guidance will be no match for us. You will die side-by-side with them…but only if you betray our cause. For the rest of us—the
true
warriors—we must defend the innocent Alaia and her mother, Txema. That means we fight to the death, if the fates decree our end time is finally here! Our continued prosperity as a vampire race depends upon it!!”

Immediately, a much louder roar of support filled the air, joined by our Maldives hosts, Xuanxang, and one hundred and twenty other vampires from around the world who heeded Gustav’s summons the evening before, shortly after Peter’s arrival on the island. Of course, my guardians were among the loudest, screaming their support spiritedly toward anyone who didn’t share their enthusiasm for my daughter’s and my safety and long-term survival.

That euphoria amongst Alaia’s and my supporters lasted all through the night. It didn’t wane until it was time for everyone but Koimala and his shape shifters to retire. Racco stayed with Alaia and I, despite occasional verbal digs from Armando and brooding scowls from Garvan. I had not had a chance to sit down with either Garvan or Armando to bring them up to date on where things stood between Racco and me. Unfortunately, the eve of a potential vampire war seemed quite inappropriate to broach the subject. I hoped it would happen soon, and that a lasting peace could be forged among all the immortals in my life.

But we never saw or heard from any of Ralu’s warriors.

Unfortunately, the beginnings of complacency were all that was necessary for Ralu to gain a solid foothold on the island soon after sunset arrived, Thursday, June 14
th
.

I was among those who didn’t expect an immediate attack right at dusk, and foolishly, chose to take a quick shower as the setting sun dipped into the western horizon. Several vampire patrols from Europe surrounded the palace, taking turns to watch over every point of access. Since my room was basically exposed to the outside world on three sides, Gustav made sure a patrol of a dozen vampires hovered along my room’s railings.

One might think that bathing in full nakedness while my security detail kept their backs to me still wouldn’t be private enough, but by then I had gotten used to taking showers in the open. That day had been particularly hot and humid, and I just couldn’t get rid of the stickiness. I hoped a quick shower would take care of the problem, waiting for the heat to dissipate once the sun went down.

I took a moment to change Alaia’s clothes and cool her down since she seemed to be uncomfortable in the heat, as well. I kept her bassinet close to the shower where I could keep an eye on her, and she babbled happily while she watched me bathe.

As I rinsed the conditioner from my hair, my vision was blurred by water for only a few seconds. But it was enough. When I opened my eyes, Alaia was gone!

Even as I write this, I remember exactly when she was taken. Her almost non-stop chatter ceased in an instant, and less than two seconds later when I peered through my dripping hair, her bassinet lay empty.

“Alaia?” I called out shrilly, praying that maybe her advanced development kicked in further, and she had somehow crawled out of her bassinet. “Alaia?? Where are
you??!!”

I had barely wrapped a towel around me, and several of the vampires surrounding my room had already invaded my living space. Obviously, they had either read the fear in my voice or heard the alarmed thoughts racing through my head. One of them—a female that Raquel seemed to know well—spoke rapidly in French into a small radio attached to her wrist. The others beat me to the urgent task of checking under the bed, as well as other small areas Alaia might fit into. When they all stood again, wearing panicked expressions, I knew she was gone.  

“Alaia!!”
I screamed.
“Oh my God—somebody took my baby!!!”

Garvan and Chanson burst into my room, with everyone else soon following them.

“Where’d you last see her?” Garvan swiftly retraced the very same steps the security patrol had done, moving twice to the bassinet as if expecting her to magically reappear.

“Right
there
—in the bassinet!” I shouted, while pointing at it and feeling my legs begin to give out. “She was right there just a couple of minutes ago, and now she’s
fucking gone!!”

The slight blush on Chanson’s cheeks, from what I assumed was a blood cocktail at dusk to tide her over until she and the others could feed, rapidly drained away. Her complexion starkly ashen, she was as worried as me. But unlike me in my human vulnerability, Chanson could still think clearly…logically.

“We’re losing time, Txema,” she said, her normally smooth tone on edge. “Drop your towel and let us dress you, so we can immediately begin our search for Alaia!”

She said this with authoritative force. Despite my modesty with Garvan standing nearby, this wasn’t the time for vanity. I dropped the towel and closed my eyes. What felt like hundreds of hands fully dressed me in a matter of ten seconds, from my underwear out to the Guess jeans and top I had set aside to wear again for the second straight night. By the time I was dressed, Racco, Kazikli, and Gustav had arrived from downstairs. They all looked worried.

“You didn’t see whom it was that took her?” said Gustav, while Racco moved to take me in his arms. I was far too upset to be comforted at the moment, but didn’t entirely push him away.

“No…but it had to be a vampire, because I only took my eye off her for a moment,” I said. “Ralu must’ve taken her, or maybe somebody working for him?”

I had no idea what any of them thought, but it seemed logical that a traitor might be involved somehow. After all, there were plenty of European vampires that looked upon my daughter and I disparagingly. Not to mention the group of more than one hundred vampires that arrived from all over the world the previous evening. Perhaps one of them carried a secret alliance with Ralu.

“I doubt it is Ralu himself, as I don’t feel his immediate presence, although he could be on the island somewhere,” said Gustav. “Kazikli, gather everyone downstairs. Chanson, you and Raquel should look for Alaia now. Garvan, I’m charging you with Txema’s protection. Let’s go.”

“I can protect Txema as readily as Garvan can,” said Racco, moving to block Garvan from standing by my side.

“No!” Gustav responded sternly. “She needs someone who can move her immediately out of harm’s way, should she be attacked. Last I checked, old friend, your alchemy can’t match the skills of someone like Garvan, who can fly to a height of a thousand feet in a matter of seconds.”

“While this is true, I can keep her safe in the vault below the palace—”

“We don’t have time for this shit!” I interrupted them, and headed for the door. “We need to find my baby before it’s too late!!”

Before I could take a full step, Chanson appeared in front of me, immovable as a granite statue.

“Txema, I agree that finding Alaia is our urgent priority. But you’re
not
coming with us!” she said, sternly. “You need to be kept safe, where there’s no chance of anything going wrong. Stay with Garvan—don’t force us to move against your will!...”

All of the vampires gathered in my room suddenly stopped, and turned their heads toward the northern corner of the island. I could tell that something happened in the nanosecond from when Chanson finished her upbraid to when they all stiffened, although my human senses couldn’t define what was different. For that matter, neither could Racco’s, although the look on his face told me that he had shared similar situations with his vampire colleagues.

“Ralu is here,” said Armando, quietly, as he moved to my side. “It feels like it did in Nashville, and we must leave
now!”

I’m not sure which one actually picked me up, since I saw blurred glimpses of Chanson, Garvan and Armando as I flew through the air at incredible speed. I was vaguely aware of moving downstairs and then into the palace reception area, where we came to an abrupt stop.

Gustav and the others had traveled with us, and apparently every other vampire in the European alliance knew they needed to be inside the palace’s largest indoor room. The reception area and the attached corridor were filled with vampires—some standing, but most hovering in the air around us. I felt sick with panic since Chanson, Raquel, and I were essentially blocked in near the center of the room. A growing chill surrounded me, created by so many vampires gathered in anger and apprehension. They all were nervous. If I wasn’t so worried about my baby’s welfare, I might’ve considered how badly we were outnumbered, if Ralu had brought his entire army of thirty-two thousand Chupacabra vampires to the Maldives.

“Ralu has indeed arrived on the island and will be upon us at any moment!” Gustav announced to everyone gathered there. He presently stood on a large marble platform located between the two indoor waterfalls. Kazikli stood on his left side, and Koimala and Xuanxang stood on his right. In front of them all, and just below their feet, stood Koimala’s ‘family’ of warriors. Each one held a gleaming sword. “He has taken Alaia—which means we are now officially at war with him and his army! Do not spare the bloodshed of our former brethren, as we will take NO prisoners tonight!!”

As they had done previously in my room upstairs, the entire group of vampires gathered inside the palace abruptly turned their heads to the north again. But unlike before, I heard a noise this time. It sounded like a subtle rumble, like a distant thunderstorm…. But then it became much more defined under the narrow moonlight. An immense dark swarm sped towards us.

“There’s no time to hide Txema!” said Raquel, worriedly to Chanson.

When I looked around me, all of my personal protectors had formed an arc to guard me. Each one wore a sullen look; as if they knew assuredly that the carnage from the battle that night would involve victims from both sides. Tyreen wept while she clung to Franz, who seemed irritated. I had no doubt that he’d soon push her aside to engage Ralu’s warriors, and then her survival would be in jeopardy, too.

“Brace yourselves…here they come!” said Armando, just before he and Garvan drew swords concealed within their matching scarlet robes.

Chanson, Tyreen, and Raquel were dressed similar to me, and none of them carried any weapons. Sensitive to my deepening panic, Chanson told me the ‘girls’ would rely on their agility and strength to keep us all safe. Seeing my fascination with Garvan’s and Armando’s swords, along with similar weapons carried by the older vampires, she told                                                                                                                    me that they were dipped in mercury to allow easy penetration through another vampire’s body. But, using such weapons without hurting oneself took time and practice. Having a nubile vampire like Tyreen present, a sword could end up being used on us, if one of Ralu’s warriors wrested it away from such a young vampire.

Before Chanson finished speaking to me, the first wave of Chupacabra vampires invaded the palace, knocking over marble statues and gilded furniture as they arrived. Seeing these monsters brought back a memory of when Garvan rescued me from Massey Hall in Knoxville, where I witnessed my RA, Elaine Johnson, having her throat savagely torn open by one of them.

All of Ralu’s warriors were pale creatures devoid of any body hair, with glowing yellow, blue, or green eyes and sinewy bodies mostly exposed by the scant soiled tunics they wore. Barbaric in their aggression, their teeth were a jagged mess except for the uniform sharp fangs protruding from their mouths, slightly longer than my companions’ fangs. But, each one’s lips were deformed, and their faces and bodies bore numerous weeping boils.

I should also mention that these vampires stunk like hell…like a horde of dead skunks that had been thrown into our midst. But their determination in battle defied their obnoxious odor and appearance, as they fought as if their lives would end at any moment.

For many, that became true. As soon as the fiends reached our gathering, our ‘civilized’ vampires met them head on—each one ripping through several Chupacabras at a time. Blood that was almost black in its rancid state flowed from Ralu’s warriors, quickly covering much of the white marble banisters, railings, statues, columns, and floor. Not to mention, the pristine water of the pool was quickly defiled. A Chupacabra head rolled toward me from where Armando had decapitated its owner. The body shuddered as a fountain of black cherry colored plasma spurted high into the air.

“Armando, watch out!”
shrieked Tyreen, just as an unusually tall enemy vampire snuck up on him from behind. If she hadn’t warned him when she did, his head might’ve been rolling next, as the fiend swung a gleaming machete that barely missed Armando’s neck.