9
The castle was like something out of a dream. As Eric led the group back through the woods, the towering turrets, stretching spires and vast walls crawled out of the surrounding mountain like a giant stone spider. Though tired from her healing, Kat kept herself awake long enough to gather an initial impression.
Broad stone rooms of Gothic furniture and invaluable antiques, long hallways filled with oil paintings, tapestries and medieval armor. Eric had a modern look about him, but there was also an antiquarian sophistication about him too. Here was a man who looked no older than thirty, but if Rubago’s accounts were anything to go by, he was a few centuries old. How much money did this family have?
Rubago had referred to the Belmont and York families as 'dynasties' and it was easy to see why. There was an air of ancient power about both men, and there was a kindred respect between them. She had come from a good upbringing, and her family had always had money, but it was nothing compared to this. She felt like a fish out of water, and she could tell that the feeling was similar for Ansel too.
What would he make of all this? He mentioned the potential connections between the families and the Red Circle worried him. By aiding these people… was he aiding his own enemies? Eric gave them a brief tour of the entrance to the castle, showing them the hallways that surrounded their accommodation. As they walked, she kept a close eye on Ansel. His face was passive and neutral, not betraying any hints of wayward emotion.
Edmund was a little more vocal. Eric showed them the dining hall, a long and tall room with a gigantic wooden table running down the middle of it. At the far end of the room there was a giant stained glass window where an armed knight fought off hordes of black-skinned demons.
“There’s Vlad again.” Edmund nudged Kat and nodded toward the window. “The scene depicts his famous battle against Lucifer’s armies. I’ve seen this window in history books. Cassie would have loved to have seen this.”
They walked on, and Edmund hadn’t seemed to notice his slip up. Cassie. Was that the name of the girl whom he had once loved? Along with his mention of a lost lover the other day, the first pieces of a large puzzle were falling into place. She made a note to come back to it and ask Edmund at a later time when it was a little more appropriate.
There were a good number of vampires within the castle, but thanks to its size it was hard to get a real grasp of their number. After Eric and his family, there were other families living within the castle, vampires loyal to the Belmont name. From what Kat understood, the majority of them were regulars. Besides the supporters of the family, there were the refugees that had escaped Castle York. The hallways were a mixture of vampires who lived there permanently or temporarily. Among them were the ever present blood servants, who walked with sallow faces, gray eyes and neutral expressions.
“But why do they do it?” Kat asked Ansel at a quiet spot. “Why volunteer to be a slave?”
“For a chance to be a vampire. For them it is the ultimate reward, though I’m not sure it’s worth it… it is a tough life, and it requires a significant devotion. Usually five or ten years… and being turned isn't even a guarantee.”
Their welcoming tour finished up in a small communal area near their accommodation. It was here that they met the woman of the house, Eric’s human breeder, Claire. The most animated response was between Claire and Rubago. From what Kat understood, Rubago had been a witch to the family not too long ago. The family had thought she was dead, and her presence here was something of a miracle.
Once the initial shock passed, Eric introduced Claire to the rest of the group. Ansel and Edmund were amicable and respectful, perhaps with even a glint of fear in their eyes. Their reactions amused Kat somewhat, but coming face to face with the girl evoked the same response inside of her.
“Claire Eldridge,” she said in a low but powerful voice while holding out a hand. Kat took her hand and feebly gave her own name back. Claire was human, just like her, but a subtle power radiated from her presence. She was the first human in a century who could breed with vampires, and that probably had something to do with it. Here was a woman who held real power, and everyone else in the room seemed to know it. Kat couldn’t get over how beautiful Claire looked. She was a year or two younger than her perhaps, but everything about her painted the picture of an elegant woman. From her sharp blue eyes to the rotund curves of her body, the woman oozed strength.
They all retired after that, and a servant escorted Ansel and Kat to a private room nearby, which would act as their home while they stayed in the castle. The bedrooms were just as ornate as the rest of the castle and were more like large apartments than anything. In their room there was a living area, a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Two long walls of glass cornered their large living space, providing a stunning view of the valley.
Upon entering, Kat could see the sun was just bruising the horizon with tinges of dawn pink. There were no blinds on the windows, and Ansel opened his mouth to air his concerns with the servant that had brought them to the room.
Before he could air them, a faint buzzing sound came from the corner, and the large glass panes flicked over with dark black, obstructing the sunlight in an instant. Their servant was a young vampire girl named Harley, and she explained. “Electric current flows through the windows on a timer. The glass darkens at sunrise, filtering out 95% of the light. Guests with even the highest light intolerance have reported no problems.”
They thanked her and she promptly left. It seemed their hosts had thought of everything ahead of time, including in the bathroom where a wide tub of steaming hot water lay waiting. They undressed without speaking and sank into the waters, relaxing as heat enveloped their tired bodies.
“You need to rest.” Ansel said through a smile as Kat straddled him in the water. She brushed a hand through his hair and pushed her lips against his, tasting his sweet flesh.
“And what better way than to be exhausted by a vampire?” She rolled her hips over his crotch in the water, moaning as his steel burned between her folds. He brought his hands down over the curves of her hips and pulled his crotch tight against hers. What she would give to have him inside her right now. Maybe they’d waited long enough? Maybe she was ready for him again?
“That’s not what I meant.” Ansel smiled and kissed her back. “You're still recovering from your injury Kat, you could have died.”
“I'm good as new now. I don't know what your blood did but my body feels fantastic.” She didn’t know how vampire blood healed humans exactly, but its rejuvenating effects were positively invigorating. Despite his protests, Ansel’s lips pulled down her throat, and she bristled momentarily at his his teeth grazing on her skin. He paused briefly and carried on down to her chest where his lips sucked around her rosy nipple.
“Oh baby,” she purred while dropping her head back and thrust her hips against his. He bit down gently onto her nipple, pulling just enough to make a gasp escape from her lips. They spent the next half hour relaxing in their affection. After that Ansel picked Kat up and carried her from the bathroom into the adjoining bedroom. They dried each other, using the activity as another excuse to grope each other sensually, and then he laid her down on the bed, placing himself between her legs, putting her feet on the back of his shoulders.
“You taste so divine,” he said while planting kisses on the insides of her white thighs. He brushed a finger up the center of her sex, and then she felt a finger slip inside of her, curling until it found the right spot. Kat closed her eyes, a breathless grin spreading over her face as pleasure consumed her. His breath tickled over her skin like fire.
She thought of his incredible strength and speed. If she didn’t want to be here, was there any chance he’d ever her let her escape? Probably not. She couldn’t escape him even if she wanted to, and part of that danger made everything about this more sexy. She never thought she’d have a man like Ansel, she never thought someone could make her feel as sexy as he did.
Sometimes the excitement subsided, and she reminded herself of the stark contrast between them. Here between her thighs, was a dangerous man, a murderer, kissing and loving her with tender affection. Could he ever turn on her? Could he lose control and do something irreversible? Could loving someone so dangerous be inherently worth it?
As the thought crossed her mind, she got more turned on. In a way she felt as if she had control over Ansel, just as Claire did with Eric. Maybe Kat was a slave to his irresistible guile, and maybe he was just as much a slave to her. She knew what she saw in Ansel, but she still couldn’t understand what he saw in her. And at that moment, it didn’t really matter. His lips always knew how to act, his tongue always knew what to do, his hands moved as if controlled by magic. She came hard, squeezing her eyes tight, grasping his head in her hands. As she came her hips bucked wildly, and her breath raced, whispering traces of his name. Sleep came as it always did, but she tried her hardest to keep her eyes open. She fell asleep in his grasp, safe and protected—his arms wrapped tight around her.
*
In the morning, servants escorted the new arrivals down to breakfast to talk with their hosts in greater detail. The only vampires in the room were the ones considered necessary. Eric and Claire were there, along with some other members from their family. Will York joined the table with two members of his coven, and Ansel and the rest of his group were present too. The morning began with a hearty breakfast. The castle's blood supplies waned at the moment, but Eric spared no expense on this initial joining of groups. Vials of dark blood filled the long broad table, accompanied by a variety of rich and exotic foods. They broke bread together, people shared stories, Ansel and Kat shared what had happened since they met.
When the jovialities were over, a tapping sound rang over the chatter, and everyone hushed to see Rubago standing with a glass in her hand. Time was of the essence it seemed, and the witch didn’t want to delay at all in starting their tasks.
“By now, you all know of the prophecy, you all know what is at stake. Claire… if you may.” At this, Claire nodded her head and stood to join Rubago, she turned away from the group and lifted her shirt to reveal a spiral birthmark at the bottom of her back. Everyone understood the mark's significance by now, and it stirred quite a reaction in those who hadn’t. If the mark wasn’t confirmation enough, the brief presence of their three vampire children was also a remarkable demonstration. After much cooing, Rubago brought the table back under her control.
“Since Claire’s pregnancy, the prophecy has kicked into action, and now we are moving on a timer. That timer counts down to success or failure, depending on our actions. There are groups out there trying to sabotage the prophecy for reasons unknown to us. Like us, they assume the lost daughters will be somewhere in this region.
“As the first was destined to a Belmont vampire, they assume the next is for a York vampire. Somewhere out there, a renegade witch is working with the White Order. She has possessed several of their members with Nephilim spirits. Dangerous magic. Black magic. Along with the magical interference, a higher entity seems to have contracted the Order to work alongside shifter packs. At this moment, we don’t understand who is behind this.
“As some of you might be aware, the prophecy needs the second daughter. I believe Black Fang is a warning, a message to show what will happen if we don’t locate another daughter soon. Destiny isn’t patient, it expects things to happen on a strict time line. The plague, the attacks… it’s all part of it. If we don’t hurry, it will get worse.”
“So what do we do?” Edmund asked.
At this, Eric stood up, sharing a glance with Rubago before addressing the table. “At this moment, we have a few priorities. First, we must try to find the other daughters. Like the Order, we assume they will be in the region somewhere. Using our knowledge of the valley, we will scout out across the forest and neighboring towns, trying to catch wind of anything unusual. Breeders pretty much go undetected until they reach their Red Moon… which is an internal biological clock. Once the girls have reached full maturity, their bodies will signal what they are. It won’t take long for other vampires in the area to notice that. If we keep our eyes and ears to the ground, we might pick it up too.”
“As well as finding the daughters,” Rubago said, “I want to find the witch aiding the groups. If we can track her down, I can disable her magic, and possibly use it to find the lost daughters. Even if I can’t, it’s still useful to disable the Nephilim magic in the Order.”
“And finally,” Will York added, “I wish to find the members of my castle taken prisoner by the shifter pack. They have my brother Eli captive, along with several blood servants.”
“Everyone in this room plays a part.” Eric said. “It’s clear that our new guests have a variety of powers that are useful. We will break up into groups that take advantage of those powers, and we will begin our search. Someone out there is trying to wipe vampires off the map. I’m not sure about you guys… but I want to give them one hell of a fight.”