by Pepper Pace
I had lost my sunglasses and my eyes were red orbs in my head. Muscles still continued to ripple beneath the skin of my face and neck. My neck was bloody and the flesh was ripped. I covered the wound with my hand and sealed it the best that I could. Alexis could do it with touch. I wasn’t as good at it as him.
I tried blinking my eyes rapidly. My husband was being punished and all of these bastards had known all along. I stripped off my ruined clothes and washed quickly. My rage was barely contained. I had tapped into something I’d never felt before, something new and scary.
I was so angry that I wanted to rip and shred…I kept pushing it back to calmness. It wasn’t easy. I dressed quickly, wearing black pants, a black nylon t-shirt that was like a second skin, and then a wispy black duster.
My neck was tender but I still placed a large leather diamond encrusted choker around it to hide what hadn’t yet healed. My thick, curly hair haloed my head. I never needed to do anything to it. Even now after my rage I looked like I had just stepped out of the beauty salon. I quickly slipped on my watch. It was almost 3:00.
Donning another pair of black-out glasses I left my home for the Council house. I had more of a score to settle…
***
I materialized in the lower level of the Council house where we usually held our meetings. It wasn’t formal so we didn’t have the long table out. Everyone present was lounging on the modern furniture talking like old friends.
Tony was conspicuously absent.
Malarias wasn’t very social…maybe no Elder was. Alexis surely hadn’t been. He stood by the fireplace with his old stooped shoulders. To even get on the Elder’s Council you had to be at least a thousand years old. But someone had turned Malarias when he was already old. He looked eighty if he looked a day. He reminded me of a monk because he always wore a long white robe. I didn’t care for him because when Alexis had been trying to fight for my life he was the one to resist saving me.
All eyes were on me when I materialized.
“Where is Tony?” Cyrene asked me coolly. No one on the Council liked me. Cyrene thought I was too low class. Keada didn’t like how I got on the Council. Frank wanted to have sex with me, but Tony wouldn’t even let him feed me when I needed any and all donors therefore he had little interest in me. And Kaniji; it was just sour grapes because of Tony. Well…guess what. Tony was wide open for her now.
“Tony is…indisposed.” I replied to Cyrene’s question. “He gives his apologies to the Council.”
I continued to eye them all. They had something on me…and it pissed me off. They knew where Alexis was.
I sat as far away from them as possible.
“Well, let’s get started.” Cyrene spoke. There was no spokes person for the Council but Cyrene fancied herself the Alpha dog so she liked to take control.
Malarias was staring at me openly. Ignoring the attention I cleared my throat.
“Before we begin, I have a matter to bring before the Council.”
Cyrene’s mouth hung open in surprise. In all the months that I had attended the meetings I had only spoke when necessary.
“I want to know what happened to Alexis. I suspect that you all know. And if you know then I should know.” I looked at Malarias for the first time. “Am I right Malarias?”
“No. You’re not correct Council member Kim Russell. There are things that would do no good to disclose.”
“Like secrets?” His eyes flashed at me. When Alexis was attempting to save me I became privy to secrets that would be disastrous to the Vampire Nation if exposed. The first secret is that I was told that I would have a spot on the Elder Council if I survived the thousand years. And of course, the Elders didn’t want anyone to know about the day walkers.
Frank lost the bored gaze to his eyes that he always wore when attending these meetings. He looked from Malarias and then back to me again.
“You would be making a grave mistake to think that you can blackmail this Council Kim Russell. I could crush your heart in your chest and would be well within my rights to do so if necessary.” Malarias was talking into my head. Vampires could do it easily with those they’d shared blood with but Elders could do it with anyone.
“I don’t need to blackmail you to get the information I need.” I zeroed in on Kaniji.
“Kim Russell! Your disruptive behavior will not be tolerated-”
I stood up and spoke tightly. “I’ve never been disruptive to either of your Councils. I’ve barely spoken in this one. I ask only for the same knowledge that my other Council members received-”
Something pushed me back against the far wall. I was slammed into the stone painfully.
I didn’t even flinch.
I glared at Malarias. “Have you ever been burned until you were nothing more then a small mound of melting flesh? I have. You have to do much more then this to hurt me.”
“Kim-” Keada warned.
I somewhat appreciated her attempt to help me before I remembered that I wouldn’t mind fire bombing all of these bastards!
“No, Keada.” I said, not removing my eyes from Malarias. “Somewhere my husband is alive and if you hurt me I believe that he will punish you.”
Malarias hesitated and I knew that I had played the right card.
Alexis was the bad boy on the Elder Council. And I have seen the things he’s done. He was a really bad boy.
Malarias turned and disappeared.
Cyrene threw her hands up. “Well, that’s it. The council meeting is adjourned for the evening.” She glared at me then glanced at Kaniji. “But I suppose there is another meeting that will be taking place. Frank, Keada, let us depart.”
“No way. And miss the girl fight?” Frank said lasciviously. I ignored everyone except Kaniji.
Kaniji stared at me with a self-satisfying smirk. Eventually Frank and the other members of the Council left.
“Why would you think I would help you?” She asked.
“To help yourself. Remember? You told me that before.”
I saw her lick her lips.
Kaniji was a petite Japanese beauty. Her long, silky black hair was always worn up at the top of her head in beautiful designs. She was hundreds of years old. When you looked at her you saw someone smart enough to make it this far. She manipulated and back stabbed. My predecessor on the Council had been her long time lover, as had Tony. She had double reason for hating me. Plus I had seen her with her perfectly coiffed hair down and knew that she had a huge bald spot at the top of her head; which is the reason that she always wore it pulled up into intricate twists.
I decided on another tactic. Alexis had punished her for telling me how to save Tige by making her his pet. No one knew what he had done to her during that time. Stories say that Alexis desired screams to make him feel. Many people left his company maimed.
“Tell me, what did Alexis do to you when he made you his pet?”
I saw her clench her teeth. “He fucked me.”
It was me that felt as if a knife had plunged into my gut. I kept my face calm. She was probably lying just to get back at me…
She watched me. “Not with his body, but with his mind.” Her eyes took on an angry glint. “You wanted to know whether or not he made me scream? He did. Repeatedly.” She cocked her head at me. “Does that answer your question?”
I knew then that she wasn’t lying. Alexis had used his mind to bring me to a climax. For me, though, he had made it most enjoyable.
“The last time that I tried to help ‘myself’ Alexis pulled my tongue out of my mouth. Of course you know this because you were standing there watching him do it.”
Her look was bitter and I felt ashamed that what she said was true. But I told you, my husband had been a very bad boy.
“Where is Alexis?” I said plainly. I’d seen a different side of an evil man. I knew that there was more to him…even if they didn’t.
I was surprised that she answered as easily as she did. “He’s been exiled.”
“What
does that mean?”
“It means that he has to leave all he knows, his place on the Council, and…you.”
Now my breathing grew ragged. “Why is he being punished?”
Kaniji took that time to play her games.
“Now that’s the million dollar question.”
“A million dollars is nothing to us. What will you have in return for your information?”
“You have nothing that I want.”
“Not even Tony?”
Her eyes flashed at me. “You would bargain away Tony for Alexis?” She laughed. “You are a stupid little human! Alexis has no capacity to love. He is a masochistic animal that plays at life.”
“Plays?” I said evenly. “Even you aren’t naïve enough to believe that. Alexis plays at nothing. He just is.”
“What is your bargain?” She asked.
“You can have Tony, if he wants you.” Tony had kept me in the dark one too many times and figuratively speaking; this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“You are serious?” Kaniji spoke in disbelief.
I stood up slowly. “If I lie, then I’m sure you’ll know. I will do absolutely nothing to encourage him, as a matter of fact; I will never ever speak to him again where it is not a matter of necessity.”
“You swear it?” She asked, still surprised.
“YES, BITCH! NOW TELL ME WHERE MY HUSBAND IS!” I screamed. The skin across my face split as the muscles doubled, tripled. Blood sprayed. My shoulders hunched. I knew that my mouth spread to accommodate my now massive teeth.
Kaniji actually leaped back. “Alexis is in Spain.” She gave me a wary look. “A small village outside of Barcelona called Epic Cu. There is a monastery in the town center. That’s where you will find him.”
My features immediately calmed. Spain. I could feel the damage to my face. Fuck it, it would heal.
“Undoubtedly you understand that you can not leap to him. Vampires can not transport over large bodies of water. You will have to arrange for transportation.”
Epic Cu. I turned my back to leave.
“You love him?”
“Alexis? Of cour-”
“Tony?”
I looked at her. “I don’t love being thought of as a damsel in distress. I’m a capable fucking Vampire. The struggles that I had were only made worse because HE stood in my way; trying to protect and save me.”
“Like you’re doing for Alexis? Like you did for Tige? Incidentally has he ever thanked you for it? Neratomay are notorious for not wanting to be saved. Remember that.”
She disappeared before me.
The hell with her!
I went to Karen’s home.
CHAPTER 3
When I materialized in Karen’s bedroom she shot out of her bed with a scream. I just watched her. She squinted at me then turned on the bedroom light.
“Dear lord…what happened to your face?”
“Long story. It will heal. I want to be in Barcelona Spain tomorrow when I awake. Can you arrange that?”
“Tomorrow?!”
“Tomorrow.”
“I can do it in two days.”
I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes. My breath was still and I tried to stay calm.
“If I’m not in Barcelona when I awake, then I hope you’re not in my reach.”
Karen looked at me in shock. Her hands went to her neck. She nodded her head quickly.
“Yes, Master.”
I blinked at her. “Karen, I don’t mean to be such a bitch about this. But I’ve waisted too much time because of the secrets that my-so-called friends kept from me. That won’t ever happen to me again. I hope you understand what I’m saying.”
I could feel her fear like mist in the air. “Yes. I understand.”
I went back to the house that I had thought of as home. I never wanted for Paul as much as I wanted him now. He would not have kept this secret from me. He would have understood the desire to act quickly and he would have made it work. I wanted him so much right now; to calm me and to comfort me…
I lay down on my bed and let my thoughts play out until the morning claimed me.
***
I awoke feeling as if I were in motion. There was total darkness that even I couldn’t find the minutest bit of light to see with. I moved and found that I was confined in something small. My fingers came in contact with satin. A coffin? I touched the lid and pushed until it swung open. The bright light hurt my eyes and I immediately covered my face.
“She’s awake.” Someone put sun glasses into my hands and I slipped them on. When my eyes were sheathed I sat up and looked around.
I was in some type of bus, or trailer. There were windows but they were blacked out. It didn’t matter; my body told me that it was night.
Julie was kneeling beside the coffin that I had slept in. It seemed that every Vampire in the Universe rose before me.
She offered me her hand and I stood and stepped out of the damned thing. I didn’t like coffins.
Julie was my First Lieutenant, or second in command. She also appeared to be little more then a twelve year old girl.
Her pixie cut brown hair was pushed back behind her ears. She was wearing a long, black velvet dress that touched her feet. She also wore black combat boots with three inch heels. Anyone stupid enough to fall for the innocent little girl look was usually sorry for it. Julie was as bad as they came--and scary, too, because if she needed to play the role of a little girl she would.
Tyler was sitting in a comfy looking couch built into the wall of the vehicle. She wore black conservative pants and a black suit jacket with a black nylon shirt beneath. Beside her was Monica. She looked like Malibu Barbi with a boob job. She was wearing sleek black pants and a black halter. Her long blonde hair was pinned up at the top of her head. They watched me warily.
“Where are we?”
“We’re about an hour outside of Barcelona.” Tyler spoke. “Karen went ahead to the Villa to make sure the arrangements were all met.”
They all looked worn out, except for Julie. She watched me intently.
“You really scared her. She thought you’d rip her throat out when you awoke.”
“She said two days, I said one. And I’m where I needed to be. She has nothing to worry about. Julie, shouldn’t you be at home making sure nothing goes out of control while I’m away?”
“I’m where you need me to be. I think you need me to be here with you now.” I regarded her silently.
“Tyler? Why are you here?”
“Someone has to take care of you two during the day.”
I knew why Monica and Karen were here. I sat on the couch across from her.
“Epic Cu. What can you tell me about the place?”
They all knew plenty about the place.
It was sometimes called the birthplace of modern torture. Little known facts about the Vatican is that the lower level is a torture chamber that had been used during the Spanish Inquisition. Epic Cu is where many of the devices had been created.
“Epic Cu used to be owned by the Catholics?”
Julie shook her head. “No. It was built by Neratomay.”
“Are you saying that the Vatican knows about Vampires?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
I was struck dumb long enough to briefly forget about Alexis.
“It’s where the most important Vampires are sent when they break the rules. It’s a mystery what goes on there. The place is stripped bare. There are no guards. Not many are close enough to Elders to ever find out what really goes on there.”
I absorbed what she had told me.
Monica cleared her throat. “Epic Cu isn’t a prison. I heard that Vampires go there for all kinds of reasons. I heard that they have ceremonies there.”
“Yes,” Julie continued, “but only Elders and those above them. There are many ceremonies that are carried on there.”
It was Tyler’s turn to speak. “I heard that to get on the Elder Board is rea
lly painful. Not all of them live. Epic Cu is where they are initiated. The initiation is a year long.” They all looked at me expectantly.
I shrugged, distracted. “Alexis and I didn’t talk about…Vampire affairs when we were away. We were…” I frowned.
Monica let out a long sigh. “I let you down, Kim. I know I did-”
“Monica,” I murmured in exasperation, “now is not the time. I’m going to Epic Cu and I want to know as much as possible about the place before I get there.”
“Before we get there.” Julie said.
“Yes, we.” Tyler agreed.
I eyed them all. “Let me run this pass you all. If Alexis would go against his Council, if he would risk exile for me but would torture his other subjects INCLUDING council members then neither of you would be safe. I feel that no matter what, Alexis is going to fight to protect me…I can’t say that he will fight as hard for you.”
Julie stared at me. “You speak the truth. Still, our job is to protect you-”
“Really? I thought your job was to assist me. How will your death assist me?”
Julie’s eyes flashed red. “You’re still angry and you’re not thinking rationally-”
“Maybe you’re right. But I’m not risking any of your lives because I decided to go on this suicide mission. This is MY fight…not yours. Your battles are in The Land of the Happy Feelings.”
Tyler smiled despite herself. The Land of the Happy Feeling is what I named our territory and they all thought I was truly demented for naming it that. Hey, I had to come up with a name and I was grooving to some old Frankie Beverly and MAZE at the time... Besides, it brought me back to my life as a human.
“I just want to understand what brought him here.” The vehicle slowed and came to a stop. Monica excused herself to see what was going on.
“Kim…” Tyler began. “Please don’t be angry at any of us for not telling you about Alexis. As a Master you’re one in a million. The old ways is that the humans get bullied into whatever the Vamps want. Eventually you get conditioned not to…make waves. It wasn’t because we thought it was right. We didn’t speak up because we were afraid, we’re still afraid. Tony…is going to be PISSED. And I know what happened to Kaniji when Alexis found out that she told you how to save Tige-”