A Crimson Frost - 2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The first thing Devin noticed when he awoke was the fact that he was home in his bed with the curtains drawn. For a moment, the teenager considered everything that he had so recently experienced had been a nightmare. That was until he heard a moan and a small slim arm plopped down on his chest. He turned his head to see a young man nuzzled up next to him like a child to its parent. The boy’s slim face almost looked gaunt but at the same time cute and peaceful, but this boy’s most notable feature was the fact that his hair was the color of Marigolds in bloom.

Devin half jumped out of his bed, “What the… Who the hell are you!?”

The marigold-haired boy opened his eyes slowly then looked up at Devin and smiled shyly, yawning. “Hmm… good morning master,” the boy said before getting a sullen look. “Hey it’s not even dark yet. I wanna go back to sleep.”

Just then there was the sound of the thumping of feet on the floor outside the room. The door burst open as a ten year old boy ran into the room, “Big brother, you slept all day! It’s so boring when you do that. The kid was almost a brown headed blur, as he entered the room. He stood beside the door looking at his brother with his hands on his hips, showing off his sparkling green eyes and pale skin.

“I want to play video games!” He continued, “I bet I can beat you again at Mortal Kombat.” He showed a defining resemblance to his elder brother, despite having brown and slightly curlier hair than Devin.

Across the room the blond-haired teen, crawled out of the bed hissing at the younger Larisel as he stood up. The vampire backed into a corner, surprised by the human’s sudden intrusion.

This almost immediately took hold of the younger boy’s attention, as he looked around his elder brother. “Hey! Bro’s got a boy sleeping in his bed…” Managing to maneuver himself around his brother to present himself to the marigold-haired boy, he smiled, reaching his hand out to shake the golden-haired youth in front of him, “Hi! I am Jordan.”

The dandelion-headed youth blushed a little. He looked at Jordan’s hand for a while unsure what to do, before hesitantly taking the younger boy’s hand. For a second there was a hunger in the goldenrod’s eyes as he looked at Devin’s brother. “Hello, I’m Alexander, Alex for short...” He turned his gaze up to Devin with an almost predatory look, “Your brother is…. tasty looking…”

Jordan shifted uncomfortably, but grinned “You’re weird, and you smell funky. Glad to meet you.”

Devin went pale as the situation began to spiral out of his control, realizing that the night before had not been a bad dream and Alex was one of those vampires he had encountered. “Ok Jordan get out!” He took hold of his brother’s arm in an attempt to grapple him out of the room.

Jordan frowned and yanked his brother’s hands, “But I want to play Mortal Kombat, you’ve been boring for the last three days. Come on!”

The two wrestled around for a few moments until finally, Devin firmly held his brother close to him, as he forcefully dragged his brother out of the room.

Jordan, not wanting to make it any easier for his brother, went limp, presenting himself as dead weight as he was pulled out of the room.

But with that close contact with his brother, Devin could smell the shampoo in the boy’s hair, the smell of kids playing in the dirt. He could hear something and almost taste it on his lips. It took several seconds for Devin to realize that it was the taste of blood, and the sound was his kid brother’s still beating heart.

Before Devin even knew that horrible fact, his teeth had elongated, and his eyes began to cloud over in a red fog.

Just then Alex, who had been busy looking at Devin’s shelved trophies, knocked Devin’s best swimming award onto his own foot, causing the young vampire to hop around in pain as he started to curse venomously, “Ouch, owey! That hurt!”

Devin let go of his brother, practically flinging the boy down the hall. “Give us a few minutes Jordan to get dressed at least…” The teenager’s face was pale as he slammed his door shut, locking it.

He spun around, glaring at Alexander, “What the hell is going on?! Who are you, and stop playing with my shit!” Devin screamed at the other teenager, more than a little terrified of what he desired from his brother.

Alexander’s face went pale, and he started to shrink back into the corner, tears streaming down his face… “Please don’t hurt me master, it’s not my fault, you told me… You told me to take you here. Please master, it’s not my fault.” The young vampire had a crazed look on his face as if he expected Devin to start beating on him with the same trophy he had just dropped on his toes.

Devin stunned at the other boy’s reaction, marched over to the dandelion-haired boy with a grim look on his face.

Alex’s face grew even more fearful, as he cringed down into the floor as Devin approached him, the boy’s arms covering his head defensively.

Devin slowly brought his hand out and stroked the Dandelion haired boy’s head, “It’s alright…It’s alright Alex.” He lifted Alex up and pulled the boy into a hug, “It’s ok. Don’t cry… Cute little vampire boys don’t cry.”

The other boy flinched as Devin brought out his hand. Then the boy began sobbing more as Devin held him tightly, before giggling at the last comment. “Yer weird…”

Devin held Alexander to him until the younger teen stopped crying. Devin smiled as he pulled away, “Jordan’s right, you know, you do smell funky, and don’t you vampires bathe?”

Alex shook his head, “Not really. Merkel didn’t care if we bathed or not. In fact, he preferred we didn’t and said that we little worms didn’t deserve to bathe.”

Devin groaned, “Well I don’t care what that freak likes. You are going to take a shower and have clean clothes on!” With that he turned around and gently patted Alex’s rear as he pointed the boy to his bathroom.

Devin watched the other vampire walk off in what could only be described as bunny boxers, causing a smile to form on his face. He got a better look at Alex’s retreating frame to see that the boy was slim, almost anorexic looking. There were lacerations all over Alex’s back, most were scars, but some were still fresh, causing Devin to wonder belatedly what could have caused them.

The teenager shook his head as he took some of his own clothes out of his dressers, and put them on. He could hear water pouring in the other room as he took ahold of an extra pair of clothes for Alex, placing them on the toilet in the bathroom.

Devin strode out, and through the bedroom then unlocked the door to his bedroom.

Jordan had been sitting gloomily outside Devin’s bedroom door. When he heard the unlocking sound, the boy looked up at his big brother shooting him a hopeful look.

“Ok Jordan, you can come in and play games now.” Devin said, sighing in defeat.

Jordan squealed excitedly before standing up and returning to the room. He plopped down on the floor in front of Devin’s television and turned on the game system.

“So big brother, is he your boyfriend?” asked Jordan out of the blue, a mischievous look dancing around his eyes.

Devin felt the color rise up like a rash on his pale skin as he responded to his brother, “Um noooo… I hardly know him.” He threw open the curtains, letting the rays of the setting sun touch his body and his skin.

The boy gasped shutting his eyes, he felt sick to his bones. He was going to puke. Darkness seemed to flood about him and his vision, although Devin was not smoking, or turning to ashes. It still didn’t change the fact that he was in great pain as he drew the curtains closed again in a hurry.

However, in the bathroom there was a scream followed by Alexander running into the bedroom naked. The boy’s upper body was actually smoking, red and enflamed. “Master don’t do that! You’ll die!”

Devin turned around, his brain in a painful fog as he stumbled into his brother. At this point instincts began to kick in, and he could smell his brother’s blood. Devin could hear Jordan’s heartbeat, his life pulse, they were fairly singing to him. Devin’s consciousness clouded over into a thin cloud of red. Before he knew what was happening, Devin suddenly felt intense pleasure, satisfaction, and a sense of being filled.

Then he heard his brother yelling weakly in a half-moan, “Get off me Devin, stop it, it hurts…”

The teenager woke up out of his haze pulling back from what he quickly realized was his little brother’s neck as he felt his brother pushing against him.

Jordan’s body was half pushed onto the bed, his shirt tore up to blood flowing down his chest from the bite mark on his neck. The boy’s skin looked a little pale and he had begun breathing heavily. His eyes were clouded, as his body gave away the fact that he had experienced an odd combination of pleasure and pain. The pre-teen blushed furiously looking up at his big brother wide-eyed for a brief second realizing where he was. Jordan jumped up and ran out of the room without a word.

Devin gasped in horror, “Jordan wait!” He was about to go after his brother when Alex took hold of the boy’s shoulder, stopping him with a concerned frown. “Master, please don’t.” The boy’s eyes were pleading as he looked into Devin’s. “Don’t do it to your family….”

Devin looked at him realizing what Alexander was talking about, “What do you remember of your family Alex?”

The boy’s face clouded over with sadness. “I don’t remember my family. Master, all I remember is waking up to pain and my old master beating me, the others using me with nothing between me and his angry glare.”

Devin frowned, “Please Alex call me by my name.” then he grinned, “And uh, you’re standing here in the raw, buddy…”

Alex screamed, his face making his hair look yellow in comparison as he covering his crotch and ran back into the bathroom.

Devin laughed a little at the sight but he knew that Alex was right. He could not stay, not like this, not after what he had done to his own brother. Devin began gathering his clothing and tossing them into his gym bag. By the time he was done with his packing, Alex had himself dressed and was out of the bathroom watching Devin curiously.

The world was getting darker as it turned, the gathering dark energizing Devin in a way the sun never seemed to.

Devin’s green eyes sparkled as he surveyed the room one last time, then he saw it lying in a corner. A black bladed saber with two snakes entwined upon the guard, and a blue gemstone set between them, the weapon called to him as his eyes beheld it, singing to his heart.

The boy was drawn to the weapon as a moth to the flame. As he brought his hand to the weapon, the gemstone glowed setting the room ablaze in a turquoise light. Devin gripped the handle lifting the weapon. Pulling the weapon to him to look at it he placed one hand on the blade as he held the weapon in the other. He was almost comforted by its metallic touch. The boy took a couple of practice swings with the blade.

Just then from down below came the voice of Devin’s mother, “Devin Larisel come down here and explain to me why your brother locked himself in his room!”

Devin looked at his new friend, “I do believe it’s time to leave…” he turned to his window and jacked it open, “Alex, you carry the clothes I’ll carry the sword…” with that he climbed out of the window and walked along the roof of the house, before sliding down the side of the porch.

The boy gave his home one last look, when they saw a police car pulling up to his house. Devin turned and slide behind the bushes, trying to get closer to the front door, as the police man walked up to the boy’s home and knocked on the door.

Devin’s mother opened the front door and looked outside, “May I help you officer… um Erik?”

Officer Erik smiled sadly, “Well Ma’am, as I am sure, you’ve heard in the news of a series of disappearances in Galewood a few weeks ago?”

Devin’s Mother frowned shivering a little as she wrapped her hands around her slim arms, “Yes, I heard… and please call me Alissa, or Misses Larisel.” She looked at the officer with a lady-like glimmer in her blue eyes, as she stared down a man twice her size.

Officer Erik nodded shifting uncomfortably. “Yes, well, we’ve found the body of a man, and a young man named Yoshua Parker disappeared last night. The boy’s friends said that your son was supposed to show up at Boardwalk Club but didn’t.”

Alissa frowned arching an eyebrow, “Well, now… I suppose you wish to speak to my son?”

Erik looked at her with a half-smile, “Then he is here?”

Alissa nodded, “Well, I heard him come in last night with another boy but they haven’t made an appearance downstairs yet.”

Devin turned knowing his time for escape would soon close. He silently spun his friend around; slowly the two of them snuck away from the house, as shouting came from it.

Devin led his friend to what was once his middle school, but had been abandoned by the city after a new one was built. The teenager actually thought it was the perfect hide out, as no one went there but punk teens most of whom he disliked.

He took a quick look at the basement level. He had hoped the two of them could take shelter in the basement far away from the sun. But the basement was hopelessly flooded with water which came from the broken nearby pond. The water had seeped into the building’s very foundation, it seemed. There was little wonder that people had decided to abandon the school.

Devin gave up on the basement and went searching for another decent place to crash, at least for the night, Alex following him obediently. The building was built during the thirties, in art Deco style. It was kind of classy. The teenager walked through the outdoor basketball court towards a boarded window, just above the reach of most of the younger kids. The boy pushed the board aside and pulled himself up into the building.

Alexander looked up at the window, being too short to reach the first story window of the building, he reached up his hand and Devin pulled him into the darkened room. The two boys walked into a long empty classroom, filled with graffiti, and broken fixtures.

Alex sighed, “Better than some places my master brought us, including where the group is roosting now…”

Devin looked sidelong at Alex. “Why? Where are they roosting?”

Alex looked at Devin and smiled, “Well, in an old factory, but I don’t recommend going there Master, not yet.”

Devin smiled, “I don’t intend to. I’d be quite content to leave Merkel alone, if only he would do the same. However, you and I know he won’t.”

Alex nodded to Devin without a word, almost a knowing smile upon the shy vampire’s face. The boy, more vampiric in nature then his master, sniffed the air a couple of times then grinned. “I smell humans; you didn’t bring us here to eat did you?”

Devin looked sidelong at Alex, “No. Like a typical teenager, I just thought this would be a cool base.” The boy rubbed the back of his head, and blushed.

Alex grinned, “Well if this is your ‘secret’ base then you’ve got some clearing out to do master!” The boy ran out through the broken down door and out of the room and down the hallway, not even allowing Devin to answer him.

“Don’t…” Devin frowned for a second and then he ran after Alex, knowing a young vampire and gang members in combination would only mean trouble.

The boy ran down a staircase to what was once the lobby of the building. A skylight showed the rising stars upon him, as the great boarded up windows cut off all other light from the staircase.

Then he heard it to his right, in what had been the old gymnasium, teenagers making noises, violent ones.

Devin walked through the rusted and half open doors. He barely noticed his bag of cloths sitting by the door as he strode into the gymnasium.

Before him stood four members of the cruelest, if least influential, teenage gang in town, the Skull Bearers. They were surrounding Alex, holding him against the old bleachers.

The leader glared at the smaller teenager. “What the hell are you do-in our territory, punk?!”

Alexander grinned as the leader slammed the boy into the bleacher wall. “Waiting for my master to show up so I can kill you…” Alex said arrogantly. “Oh look; there he is.” The blond headed boy gave his master a cheesy grin and a wave.

Devin frowned at the situation. He was both concerned but also angry at the gangsters. He was feeling very protective of his new friend at the moment, but he wanted to avoid killing, if possible.

“I recommend letting him go.” Devin said in a voice as cold as ice.

The leader turned and grinned mockingly, “Oh look. It’s Devin! You’ve grown up some since the last we fought eh? But you’re still that little wimp I beat up on the school ground! You’ll not get away with just bruises this time!”

Devin looked at the leader; his green eyes taking in the hooded teen who had shaved his hair down to a buzz cut. In seconds, he took in the scent of cheap cologne, sweaty unclean body odor, and something else the sticky sweet smell of drugs. The leader would have been handsome if for the buzz cut and his angry look. Devin shook his head, “And you have become a wannabe and nothing! Trying to be a skinhead…” He started laughing at the position he currently found himself in. “What am I doing? I should be above all this petty crap. Leave, Garrick! Now! I am not going to polish your spear, in fact, if you don’t, I’ll kill you!”

Garrick, who lived in a personal hell and who was already boiling at Alex’s arrogance before, flew into a rage. The gang leader ran across the gym towards Devin like an angry bear, his face a mask of pure anger and hatred. “I am going to cut your tongue out of your foul-mouth, faggot!”

Devin began to draw the black blade that he had belted to his side, when he heard a familiar female voice whispering gently in his head. “Leave it be, they are prey, and we the hunter…” Devin’s hand jerked as he let go of the weapon at his side just in time to see Garrick reached him.

Garrick drew up his blade to slice at Devin’s face.

Devin just stood there as the gangster prepared to cut him, but then brought his hand up and took hold of Garrick’s wrist. To Devin the other boy seemed to be going in slow motion, like Devin was a hare and Garrick was a tortoise. He held onto the other boy’s wrist tightening around it like a vise.

Devin pulled Garrick closer to him as the other boy attempted to hit him with his other hand, causing Devin to grab the other wrist and pull both arms behind Garrick’s back. “Try again Garrick.” Then in the mist of the two’s battle they heard a scuffle, momentarily drawing their attention away from each other.

Devin looked behind his would-be assailant, seeing that Alex had jumped onto one of the two gangsters with his legs warped around him even as the dandelion-headed boy had his face buried in the other boy’s neck.

The boy under him struggled in vain along with his friend to pull Alex off.

The fourth Gangster was standing between both Devin and Alex, as if unsure as to which friend to help.

Devin felt a strange twist of cruelty as he twisted Garrick’s arm out of its socket whispering in his ear, “Watch your cruelties end.” Then he spun Garrick around half-tossing and half-shoving the larger boy onto the floor.

Devin then turned to the free gangster; he stared into the boy across from him. “What’s up James? You look afraid.”

James’ eyes made contact with his own, his eyes dull and watery, holding the tell-tale signs of substance abuse. “Why you do-in it Devin? We’re friends, right….you’ll let me go…?”

Devin pitied the boy, however, in his mind that feminine voice continued to whisper to him. “A predator culls the weak and sick from the herd…”

Devin frowned, “Doing what…?” As he stalked the other boy, then in a lightning fast move the vampiric boy closed the space between himself and James. The boy wrapped the crazed quivering boy in his arms. Devin’s eyes turned red as his incisors extended. He closed his eyes gently and kissed the boy’s neck licking it for a moment.

The woman’s words flowing in his mind, “Always respect your prey, pity them for they know not power.”

The teenager sank his fangs gently into the gangster’s neck, beginning to drain the boy, who started to moan. Devin knew he held the boy’s life in his hand then, the boy’s very future was in the balance.

Swiftly but gently draining the boy of his life essence, as he licked his lips clean of the last of the blood. “Your sacrifice was for the greater good James.” He whispered into the dying boy’s ears as he let him down gently, and turned to the other teens.

Alex has finished his meal and was casually watching the fourth boy trying to sneak away from the group, supporting his boss as they made their way to the door. They nearly made it when Devin turned his attention to them.

Devin looked at Alex briefly then sped at the other two getting between them and their escape. “Where did you think you were going, as you used to say to me Garrick. We’re not done yet.”

Alex jumped on the fourth boy, grappling the kid to the floor, bracing the kid’s arms and legs against the floor. “Hi, I am Alex,” The vampiric boy said with a happy smile before licking the boy’s neck. He looked at his master for approval, before biting into the boy’s neck.

Garrick watched in horror as his last remaining friend was bitten. “Why are you doing this Devin?”

Devin smiled, “Poetic justice for one Garrick.” The vampiric teen took hold of his old enemy’s throat and pushed him against the wall, his eyes glowing blue. “For two, I need… Resources.” He licked Garrick’s neck before biting down.

The two boys yelled as the vampires began sucking on their blood, within moments the two humans’ pain had turned into a strange pleasure as they pushed against their captors moaning. However, their death was not the purpose that Devin had in mind for the two of them.

Devin let go of Garrick, leaving the teen in a daze against the wall and then he pushed gently on Alexander, silently ordering him to release the other human.

Alexander looked up at him, and smiled dreamily before letting go and standing up.

Devin bent down, and whispered into Alex’s ear with a smile, pulling something black from behind his ear, running it along Alex’s cheek before placing it into the fledgling’s hand.

Then Devin turned to the fallen teenager, holding the pale half-dead young man up. “Connor, Connor… Come on buddy don’t die yet…” Devin lifted the blond boy up to cradle him into his arms.

Connor’s short blond hair was damp with sweat and his skin pale as death, while his ice blue eyes looked up almost unseeing… His face a mixture of pleasure, need, and pain. “Please, no more.”

Devin smiled and stroked the boy’s face. “It’ll be over soon Connor.” With that the vampiric youth pulled his arm back up and bit into his own wrist puncturing his flesh with his fangs. He smiled gently, “Drink Connor, drink and you’ll feel better.” as he let his tainted vampiric blood drip on Connor’s lips.

Alexander held Garrick against the wall as the two of them watched Garrick’s former cohort slowly open his eyes and lift his head to Devin’s wrist and begin licking on his cut before placing his mouth entirely on it and sucking deeply.

Devin began to look in pain and pushed his new child away from him, “Enough Connor.”

Connor looked up at Devin with a pleading look on his face. “Please, more…”

Devin kissed the boy’s forehead, “Not yet…” Then setting him down, the young vampire looked at Garrick. “Now what to do with you… Tell me Garrick, what shall we do with you?”

Garrick watched all this with a look of horror on his face, “Please Devin don’t kill me.”

Devin looked at Garrick with a lopsided grin. “But Garrick, you are not worthy to be one of us. You are both a coward and a threat to me if given power.”

Garrick blanched, “Well then just let me go, I promise I will tell no one. I’ll even help you. Come on buddy what do you say?”

Devin’s eyes became sharp, “I was never your buddy, and you were always a bully!” He looked at Alexander, and nodded. “However wish granted.”

Alexander smiled happily, “As you wish Master.” With that the fledgling pulled up that black object which Devin gave him before and stabbed it into Garrick’s neck revealing it to be an ebony feather, before letting him go.

The feather alight with blue fire sank into the young man’s neck forming into an intricate tattoo in his flesh and sending Garrick to the floor in pain.

Devin stood and watched Garrick squirm in pain. “I, however, do not trust you Garrick and you will serve us as a blood slave… You’ll need it as much as you needed your drugs, need me and all of us to suck on you.”

He walked forward and knelt in front of the quivering teenager. “Don’t get me wrong. You’ll like it, getting sucked on by a guy.” Devin said with a cold smirk while he brought his pale hand out to touch Garrick’s shoulder.

Garrick slapped him away. “Get away from me you vampire freak!” With that he managed enough strength to run out of the room, holding onto his neck as he did so.

Alexander almost turned to chase after him, when Devin took hold of the back of Alex’s shirt, “Let him go, He will be back…”

He turned to Connor who had moved to a sitting position; the blond haired young man looked up at Devin, “I don’t feel too good.”

Devin smiled, “You’re turning. I have decided to allow it to go slow. It’s safer that way, in more ways than one….” His eyes glowed blue for a second as he waved his hand towards the two corpses in the room.

The corpses of the two teenagers glowed brilliantly for a second before disintegrating into feathers, which proceeded to flow towards Devin flying around him and seeming to meld into his body. He spoke, his voice hollow, and not his own. “A good start, a very good start.”

He turned and smiled to Alex. “Shall we explore? Oh, you should sleep Connor; it’ll be easier on you that way.”

Connor nodded and curled up like a little dog falling into sleep, and even as he slept his blond buzz cut hair seemed to grow longer even as he grew a little paler.

Devin and his friend walked through the ruin that was once his school, first they went down from the gym into the shower rooms to find them flooded, filled up to their waists with murky water.

Devin turned around and the two traveled through empty halls filled with broken plaster and dirty floors until finally they entered the broad broken cafeteria. Mostly the two walked in silence, with the young master vampire looking deep in thought, until he finally spoke, “What is a clamae Alex?”

Alex turned slightly looking into Devin’s eyes. “A Clamae is a vampire that is no longer a new born or fledgling. They can sire others and have more power though, not much.” Alex smiled, “I am a fledging.” his face turning fierce if slightly embarrassed. “Your fledgling.”

Devin frowned. “Um I think you’re a bit more than that but ok, what am I then?”

Alex responded with some hesitation. “Well, I actually don’t know, but you’re a little stronger than Master Merkel… and he is old.”

Devin shrugged, and nodded then the two of them left the cafeteria. The two boy’s continued exploring with little fear of reprisal, looking through classrooms. Moving through the building until they reached a single classroom and Devin recognized something in the dust.

He ran into the classroom to pick it up then sat at the teacher’s desk looking at it.

Alexander followed him into the room to see the black-haired boy holding an old doll; his face was filled with remorse as tears flowed from his green eyes like a stream upon the mountain side. He looked up to his friend, with a sad smile. “There is no going back, is there?”

Alex reached up holding Devin, “No Master, there isn’t but please…. Please don’t cry?” He held his master, tears flowing out of his eyes as well.

Devin cried for a few minutes then stood up and dusted himself off, fluffing the dandelion-haired kid’s golden curls. He gave the boy the old doll before they continued on going to the far staircase, finding the way down filled once again with water they went upstairs, making their way past many more classrooms; finally reaching the nurses office next to the lobby stairs.

Devin smiled upon seeing beds that would at least allow them a good day’s sleep, “Go get our things and Connor. We’ll sleep here.” He watched as the grey dawn approached through the old curtained window.

….

Within the old factory across town Merkel sat enthroned upon a large machine, acting as a king upon a throne. Around him dripped oil, water and blood. At his feet sat a beautiful if deadly looking woman, around them hung the dying bodies of several people. In dark corners three very young vampires slept. It had been a very busy night for him and his bride, rebuilding some of what was lost, although in his opinion, it was going too fast but Merkel had to throw away caution in order to make sure he outmatched his new competitor.

Out of the darkness, two shadowy figures approached him causing the Vampire master to grimace.

“You have been out most of the day and most of the night, and you bring me just one person Neto. Did my blood not run true? Are you impotent?” While the master was not angry he was slightly annoyed with his Clamae’s tardiness. “As one of the last remaining of my children, you have more duty than just playing around all day.” His eyes flickered to the other. “What have you brought me? Your first born?” He grinned savagely then, “Or a sacrifice?”

The boy in the hoodie twitched in embarrassment then bowed to the bald man, presenting his wrist forward. “Master, may I present my child, Yoshua.”

A tall blond haired boy wearing a tattered bloody letterman jacket stood almost defiantly looking up at the master vampire for a second before his snow blue eyes gazed downward, and with a-tug from Neto on his coat he bowed.

Merkel slowly rose up from his sitting position his trench coat flowing down behind him as he climbed off the machine. Then walked around the very young vampire inspected the boy like a prize horse. “Your child is a bit uppity Neto, but I am sure we can break him of that.” With that he roughly took hold of Yoshua by the throat holding the teenager up then bringing his teeth down on Yoshua’s wrist and bit into it.

Merkel suddenly gasped and gagged. He spit the blood in disgust. “Your blood is tainted boy...Weak.” He let go of the boy and dropped Yoshua to the floor. He turned to Neto before turning back to his makeshift throne, “You and your child may go, and start doing chores. The Clan won’t rebuild itself, you know.”

Out of the darkness of the receding night, a new female voice spoke. “Franz Merkel. We heard you are having a bit of trouble.” The voice was as cold as a winter storm.

Merkel glowered, in both disgust and fear, turning slightly as two women in hooded robes made of black leather walked into the room. “The Sisterhood of the Night.”

The first woman spoke again. “We’ve come to assess the situation…”